BabyBond Review and #Giveaway!!!

Since the beginning of my pregnancy, I knew that I wanted to breastfeed my baby. I did a lot of research and looked into every type of nursing accessory that I could find. I knew a nursing cover would probably be important since I am always on the go, and I didn't intend to stop getting out and about after my baby arrived!

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months. There are so many benefits to breastfeeding! It decreases the possibility that your baby will get a variety of infectious diseases, ear infections, diarrhea, etc. Scientific studies have shown that it is also good for the mother's health. It definitely helps to burn off a lot of that baby weight, as well as reducing the risk of breast and ovarian cancer. And don't forget that breastfeeding is lean, green, and clean, too! Breastfed babies are at a lower risk of being obese. Breastfeeding also saves you money and it saves water and energy. Plus, breast milk is always fresh and ready to go! I think it is important that breastfeeding moms feel comfortable nursing in public so that they can continue to reap the benefits even when they are on the go.

The BabyBond is a unique nursing accessory that does not cover your baby's head. It keeps you covered while still allowing you to make eye contact with your baby. Many babies do not like to have their heads covered while nursing - it can get really hot and uncomfortable underneath a curtain-style nursing cover. Curtain-style nursing covers can also blow around and expose Mom on breezy days. The BabyBond is a great alternative! The BabyBond is worn like a sash and functions like a nursing top. It has two layers that separate so baby can latch on while each layer of the sash covers you from the top and the bottom. There are three different BabyBond styles - the Original, the Flex, and the Couture. The Flex includes a detachable burp cloth. The Couture can also be worn as a belly band to cover the belly area when nursing from under the shirt.

BabyBond was designed by a mom that was looking for options to cover herself, but not her baby. She created her first cover by cutting and sewing one of her husband's old t-shirts. Since then, she has come up with the three options available now. All three styles are available in several great colors to match or accent your outfits.

I have the BabyBond Couture nursing cover. I chose this one because I liked the fact that it is a hybrid style, allowing me to cover up from above or below. I haven't invested in many nursing tops since I've found that most of them are pretty ugly, so I have had to come up with ways to nurse while wearing most of my standard tops. I have been working out regularly, but like most new moms I'm still not thrilled with my abs (or lack of them!) so I definitely like to be able to hide my belly when nursing from under the shirt. And when I DO wear nursing tops they all open from the top so everything just hangs out for all to see! So far I've had a hard time using the sash when nursing from the top of my shirts. Whenever we use it, some skin still shows. This doesn't bother me too much, but lately Sam really likes to grab onto things while nursing. She keeps grabbing the sash and completely exposing me! I really like being able to use the BabyBond as a belly band though. It's nice to just throw it on while nursing, and then take it off easily when I'm done. It also folds into it's own little self-storing pouch so it's super easy to carry around in the diaper bag! I really like the sash idea though, so I am going to continue to try to get it figured out. I hate having to cover Sam's head while I nurse her!

How would you like to try a BabyBond? You can buy your own BabyBond at http://babybondnursing.com for $35 each. Or, you can try to win one! I am giving away a BabyBond Couture in "Riviera". It's a beautiful turquoise color! One lucky reader will win this great nursing cover.

To enter: 
You must first be a public follower of this blog AND then go to BabyBond, come back here and leave me a comment telling me which style you like best.

For extra entries you can do any or all of the following (leave separate comments for each):

-Like BabyBond on Facebook.

-Follow BabyBond on Twitter.

-Like The Vanilla Bean on Facebook.

-Follow The Vanilla Bean through Facebook.

-Follow me (@alannanoelle) on Twitter AND Tweet:
"WIN a @BabyBond nursing cover from The Vanilla Bean http://alannasvanillabean.blogspot.com (via @alannanoelle) #giveaway #bfing"
(Leave me the permalink of your tweet, you can get this by clicking on the time of your tweet. Tweets must be at least 4 hours apart!)

-Subscribe via RSS to my blog.

-3 extra entries - Blog about this giveaway!
Make sure you link back to this post. Must be a new blog post written by you (leave me the link or it will not count).

This giveaway will close on September 16th, 2010

Make sure you leave me an email address so I can get hold of you if you win, Or if it's on your blog that's fine too! Good luck!