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I always love a good sale, and there’s a big one on this stylish diaper bag. It’s 17″W by 5″ deep by 13.5″ high, looks functional without being juvenile or cutesy, and has a variety of different handles and ways to carry it. Nice. It was $169, but is now $60 at Pottery Barn Kids. Pottery Barn Kids Navy Sydnee Bag (L-2)Sales of note for 3.18.24
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Ann Taylor – 30% off sale; $50 off $200
- Banana Republic Factory – 50% off everything
- Eloquii – 50% off select styles; up to 40% off almost everything else
- J.Crew – Up to 40% off women’s dressed-up styles
- Lands’ End – 10% off your order
- Loft – 40% off your purchase
- Nordstrom: 4,400+ new markdowns
- Talbots – 25% off your purchase, including markdowns
- Zappos – 37,000+ women’s sale items! (check out these reader-favorite workwear brands on sale, and some of our favorite kids’ shoe brands on sale)
Kid/Family Sales
- Carter’s – 50% off pajamas & free shipping on all orders (ends 3/18); at least 40% off everything
- Hanna Andersson – 30% off all dresses; up to 40% off Easter
- J.Crew Crewcuts – Up to 40% off kids’ dressed-up styles
- Old Navy – 50% off everything (ends 3/20)
- Target – 20% off tees, tanks & shorts for all; BOGO 50% off kids’ books, board games, activity kits & puzzles; up to $150 off select Apple products
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And — here are some of our latest threadjacks of interest – working mom questions asked by the commenters!
- If you’re a working parent of an infant with low sleep needs, how do you function at work when you’re in the throes of baby’s sleep regression?
- Should I cut my childcare down to 12 hours a month if I work from home?
- Will my baby have speech delays if we raise her bilingual?
- Has anyone given birth in a teaching hospital?
- My child eats everything, and my friends’ kids do not – how should I handle? In general, what is the best way to handle when your child has some skill/ability and your friend’s child doesn’t have that skill/ability?
- ADHD moms, give me your tips to help with things like behavior in the classroom, attention to detail, etc?
- I think I suffer from mom rage…
- My husband and kids are gone this weekend – how should I enjoy my free time?
- I’m struggling to be compassionate with a SAHM friend who complains she doesn’t have enough hours of childcare.
- If you exclusively formula fed, what tips do you have for in the hospital and coming home?
- Could I take my 4-yo and 8-yo on a 7-8 day trip to Paris, Lyon, and Madrid?
RDC says
Good morning ladies! Love the color of this bag.
Morning rant (and trigger warning about weight issues) … Is anyone else struggling with their postpartum weight? I guess I just assumed the weight would fall off on its own (especially since I’m BFing) but … it hasn’t, and I’m getting increasingly discouraged. I’m about 3 months postpartum and 10 lbs up from where I started. I go back to work soon, and I’m so frustrated with how I look and with having to buy new clothes. But I feel like taking on a new Diet (something more official than just trying to eat well) is just too much to handle right now, and I’m concerned that it could also affect my milk supply. I don’t know if I’m being realistic in cutting myself some slack on losing the weight right now, or just making excuses.
So I guess, a couple questions … How long after giving birth did it take you to lose the weight? And did it gradually happen on its own (as I was so hoping …) or did you have to make a more intentional effort? Or any commiseration about going back to work feeling like you don’t look your best?
Anonymous says
Are you me? I am also 3 months postpartum, up 10 pounds (would like to lose 20) and headed back to work soon. This is my second and I have been incredibly discouraged by how slow the weight is coming off. I have also been so surprised my how much my body has changed this time and is not bouncing back (lumpy around my ribcage and upper abdomen, what??). I have been eating mostly clean and working out 3 times per week plus walking with baby whenever I can. And have lost just 1 pound in 7 weeks. It’s like I am just stuck at this weight.
So, I don’t have any answers but commiseration. I had exactly two work outfits that fit so I finally bit the bullet and went and bought some new work clothes. I took advantage of some good outlet sales but it was still expensive because I need several suits for work. But, it is such a relief to know I can go back to work looking pulled together in clothes that fit (mostly, postpartum shape is just so weird!). And far better than sitting in my closet crying (with leaky boobs to boot!)
RDC says
Thank you for the commiseration … This makes me feel so much better. I have a trip to the outlet mall planned for my last week off before going back, but I’m dreading trying on clothes and spending all that money!
KJ says
Definitely cut yourself some slack! 3 months PP is still really early. Personally, I don’t think it’s reasonable to diet and breastfeed, especially when you are still the sleep deprivation stage. I have about 10 pounds to lose at nearly 11 months PP, and I’ve just started dieting for the last month because I’m getting more sleep now. And like the prior poster, I have about 1 pound lost to show for it! I think I might be one of those people who can’t lose the last 10 pounds until after weaning.
RDC says
Yeah … I’m also wondering if I’m just stuck with the extra weight until I wean.
JJ says
I held on to a lot of weight until I weaned. 3 months PP is SO early. It took 9 (10) months to gain the weight, right? Give yourself plenty of time to lose it, as well. At least for me, my hips didn’t even return close to normal until 10 months PP, regardless of how much weight was on them.
Buy yourself a few things that fit you now. There’s nothing worse than feeling bad about your body and then punishing yourself with clothes that don’t fit. You can always tailor your new clothes down to fit you when you lose the weight.
Nonny says
3 months is NOTHING. In my view, you shouldn’t even be worried about this right now (but I am not you). I don’t really weigh myself but I know I am not back to pre-baby size because, despite my daughter now been 14 months old, my waist still won’t fit into many of my old work clothes. Yes, it is frustrating, but the fact is, my life has changed hugely. Pre-baby, I was working out 3 days a week, sometimes 4. Now, I’m lucky if I get to the gym for half an hour of cardio once a week. Life is just really different. Yes, at some point I will obtain the time to start taking better care of myself, but right now I just don’t have it. Cut yourself some slack and don’t stress about it. The weight will come off when it is the right time for you. In the meantime, concentrate on eating right and getting sleep – first priorities!
GG says
Give yourself a break! Your body just grew a whole ‘nother person! A dear friend told me: nine months on nine months off, and that always makes me feel better. I’m 7 months postpartum and still lugging around an extra 6 pounds and had to buy new work clothes (which was NOT fun). But it just takes some time. Plus, life gets easier when we’re done bf’ing and sleeping through the night. So if I’m still lumpy at 9 months or even a year, I probably won’t be happy about it, but I’ll just try to get through it.
RDC says
Love the nine months on, nine months off approach. Thank you, this is such a relief.
noob says
No real suggestions, just commiseration. I’m about 6 months postpartum and struggling with an extra 10-15 lbs. It’s probably only 5 lbs from pre-pregnancy weight, but I had an extra 5-10 lbs when I got pregnant thanks to a brief period of too much food and too little activity. A good chunk of my pre-pregnancy winter wardrobe just doesn’t fit — thanks to the extra poundage and the b**bs.
I think some women just hang on to extra pounds while nursing. About 25-30 lbs of my pregnancy weight melted off without any effort or activity — I was eating more and less active than I am now. I think if I restricted calories, my milk supply would tank, and I don’t have the energy for anything more than mild, phoning it in exercise.
I’m not feeling my best, but I keep telling myself that I made a PERSON, from scratch, starting less than a year and a half ago. And it took me 9 months to do that, so it’ll take me at least as long to get back to where I was. And don’t think of it in terms of “getting my body back” — my body never went anywhere, it’s been here the whole time. These are all things I’d tell a friend, so why shouldn’t I tell myself that.
I picked up a few new items, trying to make sure it’s stuff I really do like (wrap dresses are my friends). I’m trying to make healthy eating choices and getting into the habit of fitting in exercise, even it’s just 20 minutes on the elliptical.
As far as what other people think, despite the general media message that seems to say women should be ‘bikini ready’ within 6 weeks, most real people expect a woman who’s just had a baby in the last year to look like she did before the baby.
So hugs and although I’m not glad you’re feeling this way, I’m glad you posted this, because it’s good to know I’m not the only one there.
noob says
Gah — that should be ” most real people DO NOT expect a woman who’s just had a baby in the last year to look like she did before the baby.”
That’s what I get for typing out a novel
Katarina says
It did not happen on its own. I was about 20 pounds over my pre-pregnancy weight at seven months postpartum, when I started losing the I had to buy new clothes to go back to work at 6 week, although I would have needed new tops anyway, because my nursing breasts were quite large. I tracked calories to lose weight very slowly (my goal was/is half a pound a week). Looking back, my supply went down a little at that time.
The shopping trip was pretty depressing. I brought my husband, which was helpful, mostly because he told me I looked great. Not at 18 months I am still 5-10 pounds over my pre-pregnancy weight, although I was at a relative low weight (for me) when I got pregnant. A lot of my pre-pregnancy clothes fits now, although some does not.
I currently on a hiatus on losing weight, until my work stress goes down some. I find that it is hard to have the mental will power to lose weight when I have too much other stress, and I prioritize spending quality time with my son and work over losing weight. Also, I absolutely need enough sleep to lose weight.
Carrie M says
I definitely can commiserate. But three months postpartum is still so early!! Please be kind to yourself – you’re still in the fourth trimester, and your body is still feeding another human being! That’s amazing.
I didn’t start losing weight until about 6 months postpartum, when I added in some workouts (like 3x/week, nothing crazy) and focused a bit more on eating better. I was a low-supply mama, so I was also really focused on making sure my supply didn’t take a hit….which, for me, meant eating every few hours because even skipping a meal or not drinking enough water affected my supply. I’m now 12 months postpartum and I’m about 3 pounds off my pre-pregnancy weight, even without super-consistent exercise (as in, I totally fell off the exercise bandwagon for about 2 months when life just got too busy, but now I’m sort of back in a routine).
Also: weaning did help, for me. It also was a big mind shift for me…since I no longer have to worry about producing milk, I can focus on some healthy dieting plus more intense exercise without being concerned about my supply taking a hit.
I echo the suggestion above to buy yourself something new that fits (even if it’s just shoes!). Good luck!
NewMomAnon says
I don’t know who told me this, but early on, a fellow mama or nurse told me that nursing mamas lose a bunch of weight the first 6 weeks PP, then plateau until baby hits a growth spurt around 4-6 momths and your body has to ramp up milk production, then plateau again until 9 months out when your milk changes to a higher calorie and fat content. That actually matched my experience pretty closely, although I also lost some weight due to sinus infections at 3 months when baby started daycare and at 8 months due to an unexpected hospitalization. I’m a year out and back to my prepregnancy weight, but not back to my prepregnancy shape – my hips are a bit wider, my ribcage is a bit wider, my b**bs are smaller. So my prepregnancy clothes don’t fit all that well, just to let you know that you may be buying some new clothes even if you do hit your target weight! But I think I’m the only person who notices the change, and I actually kind of love the changes.
RDC says
Interesting! I definitely lost weight very quickly in the beginning but then hit a plateau. We’ll see if I lose any more around the 4-6 month mark.
Anonymous says
Here’s my experience and I don’t say this to make anyone feel bad or like they aren’t doing enough or something. Having a baby is very hard and very amazing and wonderful thing.
I gave myself two months after birth to relax and basically do nothing about my weight except breastfeed. After two months, I was 15 lbs over pre-pregnancy weight. At the two month mark, I downloaded the My Fitness Pal app on my phone and started tracking calories and exercise. It was spring, and I was still home with the baby (I had a 4 month leave), so I started taking looooong walks with the baby in the carrier. I walked about 2 hours a day and I watched what I ate. By the 4 month mark, I had lost the extra weight.
Unfortunately, I think you have to “watch what you eat” to some degree to lose the last bit of weight.
anon says
You’re concerned about being 10lb up THREE MONTHS postpartum? You don’t need a diet, you need a chill pill.
Jen says
I was back to Pp weight at about 6-8 months and it happene naturally. I gave birth in October and wore maternity jeans through at least march. My old ones just didn’t button around my hips!!! Then one day…they did.
RDC says
deleted – duplicate comment.
KJ says
I posted earlier this week about feeling ambivalent about stopping pumping. Well, I think I’ve pretty much processed those feelings, and now I’m very happy that today is my last day pumping! After nearly 11 months of breastfeeding and 9 months of pumping at work, I am SO happy to be done. I have a 20 minute walk in my commute, and I am looking forward to switching back to a smaller work bag and skipping around, light as a feather, without a heavy pump in my bag. (PS: If I ever have another kid, I will definitely have 2 pumps, one for work and one for home.)
RDC says
Congratulations! Both on pumping so long and on being done!
Carrie M says
Congrats! That’s a great milestone to hit!
Not to be a Debbie Downer, and you may already know about this, but some women have PPD-like symptoms / reaction when they wean. (And you may not be fully weaning, I can’t remember if you were planning on continuing to nurse.) But just something to keep in mind / watch out for as you start this new phase.
Maddie Ross says
Just my experience – I didn’t have depression-like symptoms, but the hormonal rush turned me into a psycho-hose-beast for about a week or two. I was literally angry at the world and quick to snap, like really bad PMS. It passed though as the hormones evened out.
Carrie M says
Yes, my experience was similar – just angry and pissy for about a week. And then I started to get crampy and, of course, my period restarted about 2 weeks after weaning.
Momata says
Congratulations! I’m glad you’re happy with this milestone – you and baby did amazingly and you should be very proud. Enjoy the extra spring in your step on Monday’s commute (figuratively and more literally, as it will finally be March THANK GOD).
KJ says
Thanks guys! I’m not totally weaning yet, and one of the reasons is because I’m concerned about PPD, so I’m ramping down very gradually. I never knew that weaning could cause depression until I read about it on Cup of Jo, so I appreciate people bringing it up in case someone else didn’t know. And now I know to be on the lookout for feeling like a psycho-hose-beast too!
Amelia Bedelia says
HELP! My bebe is about 7mos old and is eating quite a bit of solids. I took psudonephrine (sp) last week for TWO days only and it murdered my milk supply. It went from 4-5 oz per breast every 5 hours to less than THREE oz COMBINED every four hours. I am devastated. I have been eating fenugreek seeds and drinking the tea twice a day for the entire time and noticed no uptick.
Can anyone offer suggestions? I desperately want to up my supply and continue nursing, but am beginning to think it is hopeless.
apologies for the ellen caps . . .
OCAssociate says
That’s so frustrating. If you’re already doing the Fenugreek & tea, my suggestion is to either pump immediately after the baby nurses, or add a separate pumping session – maybe after the baby goes to bed or right after feeding in the morning. That’s been my best bet for increasing production.
Good luck!
Anonymous says
I always had supply issues, and it went from bad to worse at around 7 months postpartum when I had a stomach flu (i.e., got massively dehydrated) followed by a short trial during which I only got to pump twice between 8 and 5, as opposed to my usual five times in that period. I got a short prescription for domperidone from my doctor and it improved my supply significantly. In addition to fenugreek I would also add more oatmeal to your diet.
KJ says
I’m sorry, that’s so frustrating. It sounds like you are pumping, so maybe try power pumping? http://www.pregnancy.com.au/breastfeeding/breastfeeding_information/increasing-breast-milk-supply-power-pumping.shtml
Amelia Bedelia says
I had NEVER heard of power pumping. Thank you! I’m trying that tonight.
Carrie M says
+1 to power pumping. That always helped me a lot.
How much fenugreek are you taking? When I had dips, I would up my intake to about 15 capsules per day plus I also took Gaia Lactation blend capsules.
Other ideas: skin-to-skin with baby over the weekend, lots of nursing (if your 7mo will cooperate!), upping other milk-supply-boosters like almonds, oatmeal, etc.
When I had my worst dips, it took about a while to recover. So hang in there!
Anonymous says
+1 to upping fenugreek. This is kind of tmi, but my lc said that if I didn’t smell faintly of fenugreek, I wasn’t taking enough for it to be effective.
Also, although it is hard, try not to stress about the decreased production as stress is bad for supply, at least in my experience.
noob says
I haven’t tried fenugreek — but the rec I heard was similar – you should smell like maple syrup. I was also told that once you get your supply up with fenugreek, you don’t need to continue to take it. Not sure how true that is.
Good Luck!
Amelia Bedelia says
I don’t take fenugreek capsule, so i’m not sure. I make tea out of the seeds and then eat the seeds after the water plumps them up. That’s how we ingest it in my husband’s culture. I eat about 1/4 of the seeds (and they are BITTER) a day.
didn’t know about oatmeal. I’ll try that, too.
PregLawyer says
The dress from Landsend
It’s pretty shapeless without a belt, and their sizes run big, but it actually drapes pretty well and looks good under a blazer.
BKDC says
I’m sorry — that sounds terrible, but dont give up hope. My period came back way early, despite EBF, so twice a month, my supply tanks. I’ve found that tons of water and grocery store oatmeal cookies (because I hate oatmeal and dont have time to make lactation cookies) seem to help. Also try putting a heating pad on your chest — that has helped with the letdown.
Hang in there!
Left coaster says
I have an early pregnancy question that I’d love some input on (somewhat related to the weight gain discussion above).
I am 9 weeks pregnant, and am already about 8-10 pounds over my ordinary weight. (A lot of that is from the several months of fertility treatments I had to do to get pregnant in the first place.) The problem is that on my frame, that’s enough to make my regular clothes pretty tight. I’m definitely not showing and don’t want to start wearing maternity clothes. But I need to figure something out because my work clothes in particular make me feel like a sausage. I’m thinking of buying a small handful of work dresses and maybe a couple of pairs of jeans in a size up from my ordinary size. Any chance I will be able to get use out of these post-partum? Should I go bigger than that? And do any of you have any suggestions about types of fabrics/styles that I might want to look into? I really would like to avoid spending money on clothes that are only likely to fit for a few weeks.
Many thanks!
NewMomAnon says
I had a thyroid condition and gained 10 pounds in the first 11 weeks of pregnancy and had the same problem. It ain’t glamorous, but I found that (1) wrap dresses and stretchy tunics with details around the torso were very forgiving and I could wear them deep into the second trimester, as well as postpartum and (2) Kohl’s has some jeans and twill slacks with hidden elastic waistbands (they look like regular waistbands, but have elastic in them) – they might be Dockers? I wore those for a couple months during pregnancy, and then they were the only pants that fit for a while postpartum. I still pull out one pair of nice looking jeans with an elastic waistband occasionally.
I will also say, I waited until 14 weeks to get maternity clothes, and it was dumb; I should have started wearing maternity pants/skirts much earlier. I know there is a macho thing about holding out as long as possible before wearing maternity clothes, but … I don’t know why. They are so much more comfortable.
PregLawyer says
I got some dresses from Land’s End a while back that are a-line dresses. They were a little bit too big for me, but I held onto them. They’ve now become the perfect throughout-pregnancy dress. I can control how tight they are in the waist with belts. As I’ve gotten bigger in my belly, my belt just shifts up my rib cage. Anyway, it’s been very easy and awesome. So I’d say look for dresses that are loose in the middle and that you can wear with various belts.
I’m now 22 weeks and still haven’t gotten maternity clothes. I also use Bella bands for my pants. I’m down to about 5 work outfits, but I don’t really care if people need to see me in the same stuff every week.
KJ says
At the tight-pants-but-not-showing phase I liked demi panel pants. I wore these Gap ones all the time: http://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=1014426&vid=1&pid=761851002. Super-comfy, no one could tell they were maternity, and they worked until I started getting really huge.
noob says
I started putting on weight about three days after my positive test — so I did add to my wardrobe and was able to wear some of those items after baby was here. I’d recommend getting things that are breastfeeding and/or pumping friendly, if you’re thinking you may go that route.
Spirograph says
Hi ladies, I might repost Monday since it’s kinda late but quick question for anyone who’s still reading:
Did anyone take combo BC pills (with estrogen) while still nursing? Did it ruin your milk supply? My OB said it probably won’t be an issue as long as I start the pills with supply already established, but the internet (I know, I know) is full of people complaining that their supply tanked, and “studies show” estrogen pills are correlated (I know, I know, correlation /= causation) with earlier weaning. I’m not 100% sure I even want to pump at work this time, but I don’t necessarily want the decision to be made for me by my breasts going on strike when I start taking the pills, either. If that makes sense.
EB0220 says
Have you made friends with other parents at your kids’ daycare? Can you share how you’ve done this and what region you’re in? We’re in a large and fairly international southern city. I have a 3 year old in daycare and have not really connected with anyone after about 9 months at the new place. Help!