Allison Tolman, Author at New Little Life

Breastfeeding Gift Basket Ideas!

My FAVORITE gift to see at a baby shower is a breastfeeding gift basket! Having a few of the basics can really help a new mother feel supported and ready to start off on the right foot. Now, technically, all you need is a baby and a lactating breast to be able to breastfeeding, but…

Bonding without Feeding – Including your partner while breastfeeding

It’s not uncommon for dads to feel left out in the bonding department when a mother is breastfeeding. All the images of “good dads” we often see involve the partner giving a bottle to give the mother a break! First, ASK YOUR PARTNER how she feels about this. Every woman is different, but most women…

Should you BREASTFEED if you’re SICK?

If a mother is sick, is it still safe for her to breastfeed her baby? This question comes up A LOT in Facebook groups and private messages to me, and it’s a good question! There is a real fear that if you’re sick, you may get your baby sick, and there’s NOTHING more miserable than…

Easy Face Mask on a Serger – WITH nose wire and filter pocket

*Also includes sewing machine option with no serger I’ve been going crazy on these Face Mask tutorials! This is the 3rd tutorial and the most advanced (and best) option so far. If you want to see 2 easier options, I’ll post them here. THE EASIEST Face Mask Tutorial (click here for the video) NO SEW…

The EASIEST DIY Cloth Face Mask Tutorial – Beginner Sewing

This really is the EASIEST face mask tutorial you can find… it only has TWO places to sew! You can find a video tutorial of this pattern at the end of the post, but here are the written instructions for you of (seriously) the EASIEST mask you can make. Here’s what you need for this…

Easy Mask Hand-Sew DIY Cloth Face Mask Tutorial

There are so many DIY cloth face mask tutorials out there! If you don’t have a sewing machine, are a young sewer, or just too lazy to get the machine out, here is an easy mask tutorial with just a little hand sewing. A 5-minute face mask! You can find a video tutorial for this…

Research on Cloth Face Masks – ARE THEY EFFECTIVE??

The big questions… are cloth face masks effective? In our current Covid-19 epidemic, there are many questions about what we should be doing to protect ourselves and others. Unfortunately, there is also a shortage of PPE (personal protective equipment) for healthcare providers. Many groups on Facebook and in communities have turned to sewing cloth face…

When is it safe to give your breastfed baby a pacifier?

That really is the million-dollar question, isn’t it! While finishing up a course on Research in Maternal-Child Health, I’ve spent hours and hours pouring over studies, trials, and systematic reviews on research about the relationship between pacifiers and breastfeeding. I was hoping to answer the question, “When is the best (if any) time to introduce…

Should you sell/share your lightly used Breast Pump?

Many insurances now are covering the cost of a breast pump, which is great! However, not all moms use their breast pumps much so it seems there is a surplus of lightly used breast pumps floating around. It’s hard to want to just throw away or recycle such a valuable device, especially if it was…

Animal vs Human Birth – What the animal kingdom does RIGHT!

YouTube is full of all kinds of birth videos! For my favorite list of birth videos, visit this link here. If watching human births is not your thing or you’d like a different perspective, there is much to learn from the animal kingdom on how and where to give birth. ~~~ Trust your instinct. This…