Monica Lee

Postpartum + What to wear the first few weeks after having a baby

Just like pregnancy…postpartum/recovery has it’s own lovely symptoms!
Although I tore in two places my recovery really hasn’t been TOO bad,
and I really am so dang thankful for that.
Of course it also helps having a ridiculously cute newborn to keep your mind off the pain.

I’m not going to go into too much detail about postpartum recovery because it really is SO different for everyone, but I am going to share a couple things I wasn’t prepared for!
I think most of us are prepared to be uncomfortable after having a baby,
whether you deliver vaginally, c section, drugs or 100% natural…recovery is recovery!
And the fact that all of us carry and deliver a baby and then manage to stay awake all hours of the night and take care of that baby while recovering from giving birth is PRETTY DANG AMAZING if you ask me!
So, please know that you’re a superhero mama, and you’re doing great!

One thing I do HIGHLY recommend, is getting yourself a donut to sit on if you have your baby vaginally.
I didn’t get one until about my 4th day postpartum but once I had it, it was life changing.

Okay, so some things I wasn’t prepared for…
Contractions while breastfeeding, this happens because your uterus is shrinking back to it’s normal size, and yes, they are painful…reminded me of really bad period cramps.
I remember when I was still in the hospital they asked me if I had been having any, and I hadn’t.
They said a lot of times first time moms don’t feel them, which is so weird to me.
BUT a day later and the contractions were very much THERE.
Thankfully it only happened a few times and for a few days, but they were NO fun.

Once we got home my hormones were a complete MESS.
One minute I was freezing and the next I was sweating profusely…
trying to figure out what to wear was SO annoying because my body temperature would go from one extreme to another within a matter of minutes.
Probably the most annoying thing I’ve experienced has been terrible night sweats….
Holy crap y’all, I didn’t even know this amount of sweat could come out of one human being.
I would wake up and be completely drenched from head to toe, and would literally
have to get out of bed and wipe myself down as if I just took a shower…
My bed and blanket and clothes, just EVERYTHING would be soaking wet.
(which also means more laundry…ugh)
Thankfully the night sweats have calmed down a bit, but sheesh they were INTENSE
the first week or so.
Not everyone gets them…but hey, it’s always good to mentally prepare yourself.

This is going to be like wayyyyyy TMI but…your first poop will be absolutely terrifying, and that’s okay.
Your doctor should prescribe you stool softeners which definitely helps,
If you’re going to forget to take any of your medications DO NOT let it be this one.
I think the thought of having your first poop is a lot scarier than actually having your first poop,
I promise it’s not as bad as you think it’s going to be.
YOU GOT THIS.

Whatever you do, don’t be like me and take a peek downstairs with a hand mirror.
I made the mistake of doing this a few days postpartum and immediately regretted it.
Why did I do it? because I’m a sleep deprived lunatic, that’s why.
Just let yourself heal and know that even if it seems like you will never be or look the same,
well you’re probably right….
hahahah I’m totally kidding, things will go back to normal – at least that’s what people tell me.

Okay enough postpartum weirdness talk, let’s get down to the fun stuff!
I get so many questions on what to wear once you get home…
granny panties and a nursing bra…THAT’S WHAT.
Totally kidding, kind of. 
Every now and then I feel like it’s somewhat necessary to put on clothing, and when that happens I want it to be something extra comfortable and something that I’ll feel good in.
So today I’m sharing what I’ve been wearing these first few weeks after delivery!

If you’re breastfeeding, you need to get yourself some good nursing bras, I know I’ve shared my favorite bras with y’all multiple times already…BUT I also want to share this super cute lace option!
When you’re wearing loose tops all the time, it’s likely that your bra is going to be showing,
Get yourself one of these super cute lace nursing bralettes for when you’re going to be in public or have guests over!

As far as bottoms go, I still wear my favorite pregnancy leggings! (will link them below) Oh and JOGGERS.
Joggers are great because they’re usually a little looser around your crotch/butt,
and you’re probably either wearing a diaper or some kind of XL pad that you really don’t want to be showing off… Leggings are also great and comfy, just wear a longer shirt to hide the bulkiness going on.
Here are a few of my personal favorites, I share a bigger list of options {HERE}

So remember how I said you’ll most likely be sweating one second and then freezing the next?!
Most of the time I find myself just wearing a nursing bra to bed and I’ll have a super comfy sweater/cardigan right next to my bed that I can throw on if I get cold or when I have to get up to change Hayes’s diaper!
Here are some of my favorite cozy cardigans!

I’ve saved the best and most important for last, postpartum TOPS.
Here are some of my absolute favorite options! Some of these I own, and some are super similar to items that I own and some are currently in my shopping cart! I think having a good amount of comfortable tops to wear postpartum is super important. I could easily wear the same joggers every single day, but I like having a clean and comfortable top to throw on, and it just makes me feel a little better about myself.

Alright guys, that’s it for today!

Top 10 Registry items for new moms

Happy Monday Y’all!!
I put on real clothes TWICE this weekend, and it felt SO dang good…linking my outfit for y’all below.


I absolutely LOVE receiving emails and messages from y’all asking questions and giving me blog topic ideas!! I’ve received tons of messages lately asking about my registry and what items I’ve used the most so far!
So today I’m sharing some Baby Registry MUST HAVES.
Now, I’ve only been a mama for 2 weeks now so I’m going to share things we’ve been using nonstop
the last 2 weeks!

Ideally I would’ve loved to do this post when he was a few months old so I could really tell y’all what we’re loving/using BUT I know a lot of you are due soon and would like this info sooner rather than later…
Also, some of these items are worth purchasing immediately so you know for sure you’ll have them when baby arrives! I had all of these on my registry and honestly I think I had to purchase like 90% of them myself because people love buying cutesie stuff and not functional stuff! haha
So here we go!

My #1 MUST HAVE: Dock A Tot

Yes, it is expensive. Yes, it is 100% WORTH it.
This has been our most used, most trusted, most successful item.
I think at least twice a day Kyle or I say how grateful we are for the Dock A Tot.
This is not sponsored in any way shape or form, it’s just helped us SO much.
Hayes loves to hang out in it during the day, he sleeps in it in bed with us at night.
Every morning I’ve been able to wake up and shower, I change him, feed him,
set him in his Dock A Tot by the shower where I can see him and he just chills out while I get ready for the day.
WARNING: A lot of people will look at this item on your registry and think it looks silly/unnecessary/expensive and they won’t buy it…it’s totally worth purchasing yourself.
My mom told me when she saw it on my registry she kind of laughed because it looked completely random and kind of unnecessary, and now she sees how much we use it and she’s like
“Oh wow, ya that thing is worth every penny”

{Alright, the rest of these are in no particular order!}

#2 Good Nursing Bras

This isn’t necessarily something I would put on my registry haha but it’s definitely a MUST HAVE.
If you’re breastfeeding it’s SO important to have some nursing bras that are comfortable and functional.
I wear these exact ones ALL the time, and I’m totally about to buy more because I love them so much!

#3 Wipe Warmer

So many people told me that this was totally unnecessary, but I’m so glad I have it.
Babies HATE getting their diapers changed, they’re cold and naked and uncomfortable.
Throwing a cold wipe on them is not going to make the situation any better.
These are not expensive at all and I think they help a ton, Especially if you have a little boy!

#4 Handsfree Pumping Bra

I totally assumed all pumps come with these bras, but they DO NOT.
I have this one in a size medium and LOVE it.

#5 Drying rack

This is essential especially if you’re pumping // bottle feeding.
I’m breastfeeding and I only pump occasionally but it’s already been used MULTIPLE times.
I also love the white color, I’m a huge fan of baby items that blend in and aren’t obnoxious haha

#6 Swing/Bouncer/Rock n Play

So we have a swing, but I really think any of these options are great, and babies typically love them all.
Babies love movement, and movement is great for babies who have colic or are gassy and get an upset tummy regularly, make sure you register for or get yourself some kind of soothing swing/bouncer.

#7 Carseat Cover/Nursing Cover

You’re taking your baby out into the world for the first few times and the last thing you want is random strangers gawking over your freshly birthed child, or even worse, TOUCHING your freshly birthed child.
This thing will come in handy for basically ever, well or until you’re done breastfeeding!

#8 Bottles / Even if breastfeeding

Okay y’all, for those of you mamas who are determined to ONLY breastfeed and not even pump/give breastmilk from a bottle…it’s still GOOD to have bottles on hand. You are going to be worn out, and hurting, and exhausted and no matter how determined you are to NOT give your baby a bottle, you just never know what choices you may make at 3 am after you’ve already been woken up every 45 minutes to a hungry/needy baby…Just sayin’, it’s better to be safe/prepared than sorry/exhausted.
OR if you’re having issues breastfeeding/baby latching it’s just great to have a back up plan!

#9 Good Rocking Chair

This is the one we have and I LOVE it, it’s small enough that we can kind of put it anywhere in the house, it’s been in our living room since Hayes was born and we both love holding him while sitting in there, it’s also super comfy for nursing.

#10 BACKPACK Diaper Bag

{I have a Fawn Design one that I LOVE and I’ll be doing a full blog post on it super soon}
I ended up buying a regular shoulder diaper bag and I seriously don’t think I’ll ever use it.
Backpacks are SO much more convenient and comfortable and I HIGHLY suggest you get yourself one,
we have one for me and a more “manly” one for Kyle!!

Okay y’all, I hope this was somewhat helpful!! I don’t have as much time to spend on writing up blog posts for y’all but I figure a short and somewhat rushed post is still better than nothing! haha
I’ll try to do an updated list of “must haves” in a few weeks!
Right now, this kid just eats, sleeps and poops so there really aren’t TOO many essential items or big items that we swear by, I know that’ll change so soon though!
I’ll be able to share a lot more good info with y’all as he continues to grow and as I
continue to learn more about mom life!

Thanks so much for stopping by and supporting this little blog of mine!!

My top picks from the Abercrombie SALE

Happy Friday y’all!

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Gosh, weekends have a whole new meaning now that I’m a mama!!
I’m sososo excited for Kyle to be home with us these next two days.

Abercrombie is currently having an AWESOME sale so I wanted to share my favorite items with y’all!
They have a ton of super cute items for ridiculously good prices.
Sharing my favorites below!
I’m also sharing those adorable denim shorts that I had on in my stories the other day,
they aren’t on sale but they are PERFECT and I had a lot of you asking me about them, so I figured I might as well share them as well!

It’s been kind of crazy watching my body slowly shrink back to normal.
I have never been more proud of my body than I was when I was pregnant,
but gosh every day I’m just so in awe at what our bodies can do!
Ladies, be SO proud of your bodies and what you are capable of!
It still blows my mind every single day that I carried and birthed this sweet baby boy,
and now my body is even producing food for him every single day…
Like, what?! SO crazy.

Anyways, hope you enjoyed my picks from the Abercrombie sale!!
I’m so excited to be able to shop and NOT have to buy maternity clothing,
I think I’m most excited about getting to wear skirts this Summer,
creating an outfit with a cute skirt is probably my FAV!

Hope all of you have the best weekend!!

Items I couldn’t live without as a new mama & what I’ve learned during our first week home

Goodness gracious, how is my baby 11 days old already?!


Time is seriously flying, and although this newborn stage is SO incredibly tough…
It’s also the absolute sweetest, and I’m doing my best to soak up every single snuggle I can while he’s so teeny tiny. I feel like we just brought him home yesterday, but I also feel like he’s always been here with us!

I’ve had a lot of you asking me to share what it was really like when I arrived to the Hospital, and then of course what the first few nights at home are like. I’m still debating on whether or not I want to go into detail about what happens when you arrive at the hospital, just because every hospital and staff are SO different.
BUT today I AM going to share how our first few nights at home went and what I’ve learned so far!

It seems like every day Kyle and I learn something new, and I kind of love it.
It’s been a lot of work, but SO much fun figuring things out together!

We left the hospital Monday evening.
I cried the entire drive, I couldn’t believe we were headed home with OUR baby.
I was so happy and so emotional and totally still in disbelief that I just birthed a child haha

We ended up getting home around 8:00PM and I remember Kyle setting Hayes in his swing,
and we sat down to eat dinner and we were both just like….
“Wait, what???? There’s a baby right over  there!!! THIS IS SO WEIRD”

We’ve sat at that table a million times to eat dinner together but this time was SO different.
We felt super weird sitting there and not having him in one of our arms…
But hey, new parents gotta eat!!

The first night was a tad stressful and a complete learning experience.
We have the Halo bassinet right by our bed where we have been picturing Hayes sleeping for months now. I have seriously been SO excited about this bassinet!

Well, we started getting ready for bed and all the sudden realized we managed to leave the hospital with no earthly idea how to swaddle a baby…
I was too sore and exhausted to even attempt it the first night,
and Kyle kept trying and trying but Hayes would always manage to free himself.
After googling like crazy and searching YouTube for videos on how the hell to swaddle a baby at 2AM,
Kyle finally managed to get Hayes swaddled and we all took a deep breath and laid him in the bassinet.

For some reason he kept rolling around and it was really stressing us out. I kept remembering everyone saying that he needs to be on his back and thinking about all of these horror stories of babies who accidentally roll over and suffocate themselves…We tried all night long to get him not to roll but nothing was working..We couldn’t figure out if it was the bassinet, or the way he was swaddled or what!

Fast forward a day or two later when our velcro swaddle from TheOllieWorld arrived in the mail!!
This swaddle is a complete game changer and SO easy, especially for new parents!
There are tons of velcro swaddles out there but this one has definitely been a favorite of ours.
It’s made with a special material that helps reduce the risk of overheating, has a custom fit to meet the needs and size of each little one, AND the best part – the tie at the bottom makes diaper changing in the middle of the night a breeze!
And I mean…look how stinkin’ cute he looks in it!!!

They have tons of different colors and if you use THIS link you can get 10% off!!
Bubba is SO content when he’s in his Ollie swaddle and we HIGHLY recommend them.
There’s no way he’s getting his arms out of there, I’m never worried that it’s going to slide up and cover his mouth/nose, and it takes just a few seconds to put on! Seriously, gold.

My second MUST HAVE, major life saving item is the Dock A Tot.
I went back and forth for the longest time whether or not we really needed this item.
I ended up deciding that we didn’t and would save our money, but then had a change of heart last minute,
Like literally the week before he was born I decided NOPE, I think I need one of these.
And y’all i’m telling you, that was the Lord having my back, because the Dock A Tot is the only way I am able to get anything done during the day and the only way we get sleep at night!
Hayes is absolutely obsessed with being in there and I love knowing he’s happy and safe.
Since the bassinet didn’t really work for us, Hayes has been sleeping in his Dock A Tot on the bed with us.
I never thought I would’ve wanted him in the bed with us, but I LOVE having him so close to me.
I sleep so much better at night knowing he’s safe and happy in his Dock A Tot, and I can hear and see him and all I have to do is lift my head to check on him.

One thing that completely blows my mind is that I’ve been able to shower every single morning,
even after Kyle went back to work and it was just me!
We wake up, put on a clean diaper, eat, burp, and then I lay him in his Dock A Tot 
on the bathroom floor where I can see him from the shower and he just hangs out like a champ in there.
If you follow me on Instagram I’m sure you’re aware that he’s in this thing ALL the time,
because the majority of pictures I share of him, he’s inside of it!
Here’s a little proof below:



So the Dock A Tot is a multi-functional lounger, co-sleeper and playtime lounger.
They have two different sizes available!
We have the Deluxe, which is for babies 0-8 months and there is also a Grand which is for 9-36 months!
The Dock A Tot is seriously this kids happy place.
Get $10 off when you use {THIS} link to order yours!!

Another item we realized was completely necessary… sleepers with fold over mittens attached.
Regular socks and mittens sure are cute, but y’all they are a total pain in the ass.
They do not stay on whatsoever, when they fall off it takes forever to find them because they’re so teeny,
oh and if you have a dog he/she will eat them…SO sleepers with fold over mittens are a MUST.
I’ll link a few for y’all below!

As far as diaper changing goes, ALWAYS change babys diaper before nursing him/her!
I learned super quickly that if Hayes has a dirty diaper he will not latch and it is SUPER frustrating,
because it’s like he wants too and is trying too, but he’s just uncomfortable and won’t.
Make sure baby is clean downstairs before attempting to breastfeed!
Also, get yourself some of {THESE} changing pad liners, you will be so thankful for them,
especially if you have a boy, because…pee…everywhere.

I’m sure I’ll remember some other things as soon as I post this but I’m pretty sure these are the main things we swear by!
If I think of anything else or discover another item that is life changing like the ones I’ve shared above,
I’ll be sure to let y’all know!!

Hope y’all found this post helpful! So excited for all of you soon to be mamas!!!

Behind the scenes with Lentille Photography

I am super excited to share a little behind the scenes action of our newbown/family shoot we did last week!
I have a feeling y’all are going to completely fall in love with Lentille Photography, just like I did!

(dress was borrowed from the studio wardrobe – brand is Fillyboo)

Kyle, myself and Hayes headed to Stafford for our photoshoot Thursday morning, and goodness it was chaotic. It was our first outing with Hayes and he was SUPER fussy that morning. By the time we arrived he had peed through his diaper and through his clothes and I think I had to nurse him about a million times while we were there! Thank God Allison (the photographer) and
Bridgette (owner of Bespoken Beauty) were SO sweet and patient with us!!

The girls were so incredibly welcoming and sweet when we arrived and made us feel super comfortable.
One thing I LOVE about Lentille Photography is that it’s a full service studio.
You basically show up looking like hot garbage and Bridgette turns you into a glowing goddess with her hair & makeup skills and then Allison helps you choose the perfect outfit from her gorgeous wardrobe selection before she starts snapping photos.

Here are a few studio pictures. I seriously couldn’t get over how CUTE everything was!
This is the hair and makeup area.

Below is the “lounging room” where Kyle and Hayes hung out while I got my hair and makeup done!
On the other side of the room is the wardrobe. The best part?! She doesn’t just dress the ladies, she also provides shirts for husbands and swaddles, hats etc for your babes!

As a new mama,
not having to think of what to wear or worry about trying to get myself put together was AMAZING.

After I chose my dress it was time for hair & makeup!
I am always SUPER picky about getting my hair and makeup done but I’m not kidding when I say that Bridgette may just be the BEST in Houston, I felt absolutely stunning,
and that’s saying A LOT for being 4 days post partum!


For any hair or make up needs Bridgette is your girl!!!

Once hair & makeup was done it was time to start shooting!!
I can’t even begin to tell y’all how amazing Allison was with Hayes,
She is for real, the definition of a baby whisperer!
She actually used to be a labor and delivery nurse so it totally makes sense.
Here are a few pictures I took while she was doin’ her thing!!




I really can’t say enough good things about Lentille Photography, and HIGHLY suggest you book with her!
It was such a great experience overall and she even sent me two sneak peek photos the SAME day we did the photoshoot!

I’ll be sharing some of our amazing photos from the shoot with y’all next week as well as some other little things Allison does to make your experience with her easy and extra special!!

Happy Monday Babes!!!