It’s been a while since I did a Life Lately post and well…I think it’s a great time! Usually I share what we’ve been up to but since the world has been
Sonesta Resort Hilton Head Island
We just got back from my birthday trip to Sonesta Resort Hilton Head Island! It was a vacation we won’t ever forget! We chose this resort because of how beautiful it looked and how much the resort had to offer (pools, spa, several restaurants, stunning grounds, right on the beach, activities, etc).
We checked in after lunch on a Monday, the kids thought the decorations in the lobby were amazing!
The reception desk told us the “Feed the Turtles” activity was getting ready to start. I knew our kids would love that so we went straight there. Camden and Ella thought this was the coolest thing!
Then it was time to check out our room!! The room was perfect for us, it was large, beautifully decorated, and very clean! It had a mini fridge, safe, and lots of storage space! Random but the bathroom had the best smelling shower gel ever! I meant to take a picture to see if we could order some when we got home!
Look at the view from our room! #paradise
As soon as we got unpacked, it was time to go check out the pool! If you’ve been following me for a while, you know swimming is our thing! Isn’t their main pool just gorgeous?
They also have this other gorgeous that would be really relaxing to hang out at!
Camden and Ella were SO happy to be here! Can you tell?
I love zero entry pools like this. As a mom of young kids, it makes me feel more secure! It also had fountains that the kids loved to play in.
Our outgoing child, Camden made a new friend! I forget this ladies name but she decided Camden was the cutest thing ever and played with him for about a hour. I kept checking to make sure she was ok and she said, “He just made my vacation!” This is a picture of them laying together, how adorable is this?!
We swam and swam until our stomachs were growling! Then it was time to clean up for dinner. I came back to our room to find the sweetest surprise from the hotel for my birthday! How nice is this? Thanks so much, Sonesta!!
We ate at the premier restaurant at the hotel, Heyward’s Restaurant. IT WAS DELICIOUS!! 
Judd and I both had the filet mignon which just melted in our mouths. 
For dessert, I had key lime pie and Judd had peanut cola cake. Both were AMAZING! I know I’m probably sounding repetitive, but the food was that good!!!
We finished the evening by walking around the resort and taking a stroll on the beach.
Look at how breathtaking this place is?
The next morning, we ate breakfast at the hotel! The kids had the buffet, Judd got the Nutella pancakes, and I had the berry and yogurt parfait which was scrumptious!
Then it was time for my SPA APPOINTMENT! Ahh, I was so excited for this because I haven’t been to a spa since before we started trying to get pregnant with Camden and Ella, it’s been probably 4+ years! I got the Relax Massage which is a full body massage. It was 50 minutes of pure bliss!!
After, they took me to a relaxing room and put hot water on my feet, a hot pad on my neck and shoulders, and gave me a glass of fruit infused champagne! Much needed mommy pampering!
I met Judd and the kiddos at the pool afterwards! 
We were starving so we ordered lunch poolside, my kind of lunch…easy, relaxing, and delicious!!
We hung out by the pool for the next couple of hours. 
At one point, Camden looked at me and said, “Mom! Nap on chair.” He snuggled right up on me and fell instantly asleep! Ella on the other hand, wanted to go to the room to nap so Judd took her and they both took a little snooze.
An hour later, they were reunited! 😉
I can’t even handle their twin bond sometimes, it just melts me!
We swam until about dinner time and then we decided to clean up and head to Harbour Town. We had planned to go to this awesome seafood place, my bestie told me about but sadly as soon as we got there, there was a downpour for 1+ hours so we ate DQ in the car. L If I had it to do all over again, we would have eaten dinner at the resort and then headed out once the storm passed over.
The storm stopped for about an hour, so we were able to walk around Harbour Town and watch the sunset! 
The next day, we had planned to swim after breakfast but it looked like it was going to storm. 
We ended up taking a final walk around the beautiful resort and then headed home.
A HUGE thanks to the Sonesta Resort Hilton Head Island for hosting us! I don’t even have enough words to share how appreciative we are and how many wonderful things we have to say about this resort!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
We don’t usually go to the same place twice, but we will definitely be back. The Sonesta Resort Hilton Head felt like paradise! I also plan to check out the other Sonesta resorts as soon as possible. So…if you are looking for a vacation in paradise, check out the Sonesta Resort Hilton Head Island.
Exclusive Pumping 101
I’ve had several ladies ask me about exclusively pumping, so I decided to write a blog post about this! Honestly, I was worried I wouldn’t make enough milk for my twins, but it turns out that I had no reason to be! Not only do I make enough to feed them, but I have an entire deep freezer filled with milk (1,500 ounces so far) and my babies are only 3 months old.
Disclaimer: I am not an expert; I am just sharing what works for me! This post is LONG, I titled all the sections, so just read the sections you’re interested in. I hope this helps!!
Why I Chose to Exclusively Pump
I do believe FED IS BEST! However, I did hope that I could give my babies breast milk because of all the benefits for the child(ren) and for the mother too! That being said, I’ve never had a desire to breastfeed. I think it’s great that a lot of women want to have this special bond with their babies, but I knew I’d already feel bonded with my babies and didn’t feel the need to do this. Plus, I love that my husband can help with the feeding and I love knowing exactly how much my twins are eating.
Equipment Needed/Used:
- Pump- I use the Spectra S2 Pump and I LOVE it! There is no doubt that I have an oversupply of milk naturally, but I really believe this pump helps with it. It is comparable to Hospital Grade pumps. I also love that it has a light to help you see what you’re doing when it’s dark.
- 2 Pumping bras (I recommend 2, so you have 1 to use while washing the other)
- 6 Flanges- I recommend this many in case you don’t feel like washing them right after you use them. You can also keep the flanges in the fridge and only wash them once a day as long as they are cold. I do this on the days that I have work!
- 6 Valves
- Bottles- I use Avent Natural bottles because they fit on my pump and my babies love them. I recommend at least 8 of these!
- Storage bags- You might want to check to see if your insurance covers these, a lot of insurance companies do!
- Sarah Wells Pumping Bag– This is a lifesaver!! I use this whenever I leave the house and need to pump which is quite often! It is PERFECTION!
- Sarah Wells Pumparoo– This has a wet section for your wet flanges, you can put those in there and place the Pumparoo in the fridge, so you don’t have to wash after each session. It also has a dry section to put clean items in and a detachable mat.
- Dishpan– for cleaning bottles, flanges, and the valves. I will explain this towards the end of the post!
- Dishwashing Liquid– We use Seventh Generation because it’s nontoxic and hypoallergenic.
- Cooling Racks– We do not use the normal bottle drying racks because with twins there are SOOO many bottles, flanges, nipples that we’d need a ton of them. We actually use these cooling racks and we’ve found it’s perfect for drying bottles. I will explain this process towards the end of this blog post! 🙂
How Often to Pump
Initially, when the twins were born I pumped every 3 hours for 15 minutes (SO EXHAUSTING). It took me a few weeks to realize that it didn’t matter if I pumped 8 times a day or 5 times a day, the total amount of milk that I produced was the exact same! Now, I just pump 4-5 times a day for 15 minutes.
Pumping Process
On my Spectra pump, I pump for 2 minutes on Cycle 70 Vacuum 05 and then I switch to Cycle 38 Vacuum L10 for 13 minutes.
Cleaning Bottles and Pump Parts
One of my fabulous nurses at the hospital showed me this trick and it makes cleaning bottles and the flanges super easy!
- Use a dishpan and fill with hot water and dish washing liquid
- Rinse out the bottles and place in to the hot soapy water
- Let sit for about 15 minutes
- Rinse everything out with hot water
- Place on a drying rack
Occasionally, I throw the bottles and nipples in the dishwasher for an extra deep clean.
How Long is Milk Good For?
Spoiled milk makes me very nervous! I always use the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations:
Room Temperature: 4-6 hours
Insulated Cooler: 24 hours
Refrigerator: 5 days
Freezer compartment of a refrigerator: 3-6 months
Deep freezer: 6-12 months
Freezing Milk
I store my milk in the fridge until I have enough to fill a 4 ounce bag. Once I have 4 ounces, I pour it into a milk bag and place it flat on a shelf in the freezer.
Once the milk is frozen, I place in the Tupperware pictured below until I have 12 bags of milk (48 ounces).
Once I hit 48 ounces, I place all 12 bags in a gallon size bag. I seal the bag, write the dates on it, and place it in my deep freezer.
Increasing Milk Production
I do have an oversupply, but sadly I don’t have any tips. I believe my pump plays a part in this and I just got lucky with the milk production. I don’t take any supplements or do anything like that. I do drink a lot of water (I always have), I take a Prenatal vitamin every single morning, and I eat 2 donuts for breakfast every single day (lol). 😉
I hope this helps someone on their pumping journey! Good luck!
