One year ago we found out we were pregnant, I thought I would share our story.
So I had warned B that I was late, and that it was probably nothing. I told him I was going to take a test to be sure but I was feeling the period coming on any day and not to worry. We weren't super active and our last venture involved taking Plan B, so I really wasn't worried. I figured I would pop into CVS, grab a test, pee on a stick and Bam! there would be my period. Because that's how that works.
Nope.
I held it all morning, after sleeping til almost noon, and we went for lunch at our nearby Mexican restaurant. ...I love Mexican restaurants, they are my happy place. They have Margaritas, things I can slather in sour cream, and I generally do my important social business there. Our particular Mexican place is next to a CVS, So I ran into the CVS to "grab that thing, you know... that I mentioned " B is oblivious and has no memory, so he smiles and nods and says that he will get us a table. So I come into the restaurant, order my margarita, and bee line it to the bathroom. I do my business expecting nothing to come of it, I finish up, I pick up the stick, glance at it and go to toss it into the trash. I really wasn't expecting to .. well, be expecting. After the double take to confirm that in fact there are two lines there I have this nervous grin plastered onto my face. I get to the table and I cover my mouth and say, "We have a problem." He looks at me all funny as I am grinning like a mad woman and sliding into the booth. "I just peed on a stick." "Oh! Well lets eat and then deal with this." Eating was not happening. We ended up weighing our options and discussing our situation and I reiterated that I had always had a very firm stance that I had no desire to carry someones child that I was not married to. I asked him what he thought about the situation, if he could make any choice he wanted, and he said "Let's get married and have a baby." And that was it boys and girls, I knew what was going to happen. I absolutely melted and I knew I was getting married and that I was having this baby. So I finished my margarita, I declined the post stressful conversation cigarette ( and haven't touched one since btw, go me! ) and we went home. I called my mother to ask her what to do, at this point it was a little cloudy again and I was sobbing uncontrollably and I needed some sort of affirmation. When I asked my mother what to do she said, "You suck it up, get fat, and have a baby!"
And I did. And I love him, and I was so lucky that he came into my life when he did and we were able to provide a wonderful start for him. I am thankful for the wonderful network we have (thanks Mom!! & brudder!) and I especially love my darling husband for helping me with everything and just being generally awesome.
<3
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Thursday, September 24, 2015
16 weeks. Thumbs and Weight.
Dearest Magpie is now 16 weeks and to my dismay discovering how delicious and soothing his thumbs are. I have been tirelessly pulling his clumsy little fists out of his mouth and popping in his sucka. Which we now own a million of specifically in the size and shape he prefers. As this battle rages on he has also now decided that he will stay up past bed time and be just mildly fussy, so I have to remove him from the bed room but I still can't get him to tire himself out. I have finally discovered the magic of the side hold to rectify that lovely habit. So needless to say with his new bad habits I may have cracked a little bit and allowed him to peer at the television for a few minutes tonight after my adimant stance against letting him get sucked into a screen. *sigh* You won't win 'em all.
Mommy's update is just as frustrating but there is no pacifier and side rock for me :( I bought a new scale a little while back when I realized "Oh crap! My wedding dress is how many sizes too small and I only lost how many pounds since he was born?!?!" And I've been stalking that scale worse than an ex on Facebook. Not only am I not losing weight but I gained a good 5 lbs and its going no where. I am exclusively breastfeeding, I am pumping like crazy and I'm avoiding the junk food. In the last few weeks we've started going on walks, I've been doing small reps of things in the house (crunches, squats, jug curls) not to mention baby press ups and the hours of 'bounce and shh'. What the heck man? Where is my "breast feeding melts off the fat!" ? However I have now been stuck in this weight long enough that I am starting to embrace it and become more comfortable which is most important right now because DH was getting sick of me ragging on how fat and gross his wife was. It doesn't help that I feel like I haven't worn real clothes in a year and that my torso is just perpetually naked. I'm not one to worry about shame, I do however just want to feel comfortable again. But as I said, I am getting there. I bought some new clothes (to go with my announcement next month!!) And being able to dress like and adult is wonderful and helping a lot. Now if I could get my shower schedule a little better and do something with my hair and make up I'd feel awesome but when I have to choose between dishes and laundry and hair and make up the house wins. Not that the little goof is letting me get much of that done either. :p
Mommy's update is just as frustrating but there is no pacifier and side rock for me :( I bought a new scale a little while back when I realized "Oh crap! My wedding dress is how many sizes too small and I only lost how many pounds since he was born?!?!" And I've been stalking that scale worse than an ex on Facebook. Not only am I not losing weight but I gained a good 5 lbs and its going no where. I am exclusively breastfeeding, I am pumping like crazy and I'm avoiding the junk food. In the last few weeks we've started going on walks, I've been doing small reps of things in the house (crunches, squats, jug curls) not to mention baby press ups and the hours of 'bounce and shh'. What the heck man? Where is my "breast feeding melts off the fat!" ? However I have now been stuck in this weight long enough that I am starting to embrace it and become more comfortable which is most important right now because DH was getting sick of me ragging on how fat and gross his wife was. It doesn't help that I feel like I haven't worn real clothes in a year and that my torso is just perpetually naked. I'm not one to worry about shame, I do however just want to feel comfortable again. But as I said, I am getting there. I bought some new clothes (to go with my announcement next month!!) And being able to dress like and adult is wonderful and helping a lot. Now if I could get my shower schedule a little better and do something with my hair and make up I'd feel awesome but when I have to choose between dishes and laundry and hair and make up the house wins. Not that the little goof is letting me get much of that done either. :p
Friday, September 11, 2015
Three Months! (14 weeks)
So it has been a while since I have updated on the baby Magpie, but for good reason, Daddy and Mommy got married! :D
I managed to plan our wedding throughout the pregnancy and for 3 months after, I am pretty proud of that. However in the mean time I have been mommying and we do have updates! Magpie is just now discovering his hands, he spends quite a few minutes noticing them and what looks like signing the alphabet. It is fascinating. In the last month he has figured out how to roll from back to front. He will do it a couple times in a day then forget for a few days and relearn all over again. His chirping has become more frequent and much louder. It is getting hard to tell when he is just babbling and when he is crying out for attention. He has discovered that his fists are DELICIOUS! They are almost always in his mouth. Though he is almost regularly knitting his brow and giving us his scowl smiles are a lot easier to prompt from him and absolutely amazing at that. The giant full body toothless grin is my favorite thing in the world. In the last week or so I have been showing him his reflection and he has been responding with said grin and then hiding his face, who would have thought my son would be shy. I do however believe that his own reflection makes him smile like that, that he gets from me :P
As far as mommy goes, I have been finishing up with the wedding plans and various other life events. It feels really good to finally have everything finished. The only thing I have left to do is verify my child care, unfortunately I waited too long and I lost my slot where I wanted it. I am hoping they follow through with making a second class. *fingers crossed*
Come October big things are coming, I have been working on pumping. I learned after the festivities that beer helps my production. A lot. Which is wonderful because my production was scary low for a few weeks leading up to the wedding. I also came across the concept of power pumping and I believe I will be implementing this soon. I am a little bummed that I am not losing any weight even though I have been feeding like crazy and I am almost always hungry. I assume I am gaining some muscle because Mom says I look smaller. Now that the heat is about to break it should be easier for me to be more active, especially since I am no longer tethered to the couch folding my 1200 cranes :s
Happy 3 months to my baby, and I can't wait to meet up with the other couples and babies from our class in a couple weeks! :D
I managed to plan our wedding throughout the pregnancy and for 3 months after, I am pretty proud of that. However in the mean time I have been mommying and we do have updates! Magpie is just now discovering his hands, he spends quite a few minutes noticing them and what looks like signing the alphabet. It is fascinating. In the last month he has figured out how to roll from back to front. He will do it a couple times in a day then forget for a few days and relearn all over again. His chirping has become more frequent and much louder. It is getting hard to tell when he is just babbling and when he is crying out for attention. He has discovered that his fists are DELICIOUS! They are almost always in his mouth. Though he is almost regularly knitting his brow and giving us his scowl smiles are a lot easier to prompt from him and absolutely amazing at that. The giant full body toothless grin is my favorite thing in the world. In the last week or so I have been showing him his reflection and he has been responding with said grin and then hiding his face, who would have thought my son would be shy. I do however believe that his own reflection makes him smile like that, that he gets from me :P
As far as mommy goes, I have been finishing up with the wedding plans and various other life events. It feels really good to finally have everything finished. The only thing I have left to do is verify my child care, unfortunately I waited too long and I lost my slot where I wanted it. I am hoping they follow through with making a second class. *fingers crossed*
Come October big things are coming, I have been working on pumping. I learned after the festivities that beer helps my production. A lot. Which is wonderful because my production was scary low for a few weeks leading up to the wedding. I also came across the concept of power pumping and I believe I will be implementing this soon. I am a little bummed that I am not losing any weight even though I have been feeding like crazy and I am almost always hungry. I assume I am gaining some muscle because Mom says I look smaller. Now that the heat is about to break it should be easier for me to be more active, especially since I am no longer tethered to the couch folding my 1200 cranes :s
Happy 3 months to my baby, and I can't wait to meet up with the other couples and babies from our class in a couple weeks! :D
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
One Whole Month / 5 Week update
My SO and I have managed to keep our little squishy alive for a full month and I couldn't be more proud. He is getting big fast, at his one month check up he has gained 1lb 2oz since birth. Since my last update I have begun pumping breast milk to begin introducing Mags to the bottle. I have learned to not pump too much too fast, especially if you are going to be knocking your child out with copious amounts of fresh air between feedings. I felt like my chest was going to explode by the end of the fourth of July celebration the other night! Pumping is going well and I managed to sleep longer than 3 hours in a row for the first time in a month the other morning, it was glorious. I have decided to definitely maintain at least some actual breast feeding for the health and bonding benefits but letting Mister feed the baby and have his own bonding time makes me feel better about giving him the bottle. He took to it right away and I really enjoy seeing exactly how much he is taking in.
After his one month appointment the doctor says he is doing just fine. While he was there he needed a shot, he did very well and didn't seem to notice til it was over and only took a second of cuddles and shhing to calm back down.
After his one month appointment the doctor says he is doing just fine. While he was there he needed a shot, he did very well and didn't seem to notice til it was over and only took a second of cuddles and shhing to calm back down.
Saturday, June 27, 2015
Baby Body Mini Rant.
I am 3 weeks postpartum and I have never been more OK with the fact that my belly is marred and squishy and all sorts of floppy. I have never been more OK with my body ever as a matter of fact and its because I fit a whole Magpie in there and I didn't split in two. And now this floppy marked up body feeds him and cuddles him and I have never felt more matter of fact in my skin.
Before he came I felt fat and swollen and gross. I felt awful to look at, but I did not care about the belly I had. I loved that part. My face, my thighs everything else I was so over.
But now this is my body, its doing what it's supposed to be doing and I couldn't care less how you look at it, and I agree with this article that that is not bravery. It's my body, its doing its job and that job isn't to embody some firm tight sexpot. And it doesn't matter if someone thinks that it should be. At all.
http://www.mommyish.com/2015/03/25/rachel-hollis-mom-bikini-not-brave/
Before he came I felt fat and swollen and gross. I felt awful to look at, but I did not care about the belly I had. I loved that part. My face, my thighs everything else I was so over.
But now this is my body, its doing what it's supposed to be doing and I couldn't care less how you look at it, and I agree with this article that that is not bravery. It's my body, its doing its job and that job isn't to embody some firm tight sexpot. And it doesn't matter if someone thinks that it should be. At all.
http://www.mommyish.com/2015/03/25/rachel-hollis-mom-bikini-not-brave/
Day 24 Update
We have been hiding out at home for the most part so there is little to update on a daily basis. Yesterday I ventured out to a meeting and my brother watched the baby, until I walked out the door I was debating making him come with me and waiting with the baby in the car so I could keep and eye on everything. This whole being ok with being apart from baby is going to take a while.
In the past week I have stopped taking the pain medication entirely and thankfully the "bladder numbness" has gone away for the most part. The irritation is still there but I have never been so happy in my life to feel the need to pee. I have been trying to sleep when he sleeps, unfortunately when he is asleep you get a choice of three things to do, sleep, eat, or shower. You generally get to pick one. Because of this I keep forgetting to eat til I am starving (breast feeding doesn't help here) and I keep having to make myself go shower when B is home instead of sneaking another nap. Luckily I have a phenomenal partner in all of this and Mister has been helpful in keeping us fed and letting me get naps in.
Breast feeding has begun to ease into a pattern and has become a lot easier, just in time for me to put pumping back into the mix. I have one side that stays a little more full than the other and I manage to spray almost every time I go to feed him and I giggle every time. Breast feeding is super serious business people. ;p
After our 2 week appointment they told me I didn't need to bring in our feeding and changing logs, I decided that I would rather continue on my own because it made it easier to predict when I would be needing to feed him and how long. Fortunately I only needed to keep logging the feedings because at any given point he is wet and in some stage of pooping. I definitely birthed a little poop machine. I learned my phone has a stop watch feature which has helped so much. However it also let me know when he suddenly cut his eating in half for about a day. I became worried I wasn't feeding him enough and he wouldn't get enough nutrients to develop and I would have a poor malnourished child. ... Having a baby doesn't make you worry more or anything. Not a bit, nope nope nope. .... I think he had just developed a strong suck and no longer needed to latch as long to get as much, but he is eating a little longer again now. I don't know why he cut his eating time but his diapers were full and he wasn't screaming so I will just have to accept it. I also learned that as long as those two things are true, Baby is generally fine. Learning to just let go and let someone help is most definitely going to be the hardest parts for me. I even spent time researching why I need to keep him on my breast even if I will pump so he can be watched elsewhere and use a bottle. Turns out the benefits for keeping him suckling for at least part time is the antibodies and production but that bottle feeding breast milk is perfectly acceptable and I should be really excited about getting a couple hours more sleep by letting B take over at some points. Letting go is hard.
As far as Baby goes, his eyes are focusing a lot more lately and he seems to be showing signs of smiles, even if they are just gas. He seems to really enjoy looking at the red things I have around his changing table, and he seems to see me when we cuddle. Today B handed him to me to feed and he cooed a little and smiled right at me. I melted. Completely. It is difficult to describe how it feels to be a Mom right away, I personally didn't feel this magical sudden "this is my child and the obsession of my life, I shall surely offer my life for him", I cried the second I heard his first cry, I bawl at the idea of someone taking him out of my sight, but honestly I kept waiting for some one to show up and say, "Well, thanks for watching him, we will be on our way now! " However when he looked at me and smiled that was it. He is my little critter. Much better than a kitten. And honestly I think this feeling will only intensify.
Mother hood is quite a ride. And I have only just begun.
In the past week I have stopped taking the pain medication entirely and thankfully the "bladder numbness" has gone away for the most part. The irritation is still there but I have never been so happy in my life to feel the need to pee. I have been trying to sleep when he sleeps, unfortunately when he is asleep you get a choice of three things to do, sleep, eat, or shower. You generally get to pick one. Because of this I keep forgetting to eat til I am starving (breast feeding doesn't help here) and I keep having to make myself go shower when B is home instead of sneaking another nap. Luckily I have a phenomenal partner in all of this and Mister has been helpful in keeping us fed and letting me get naps in.
Breast feeding has begun to ease into a pattern and has become a lot easier, just in time for me to put pumping back into the mix. I have one side that stays a little more full than the other and I manage to spray almost every time I go to feed him and I giggle every time. Breast feeding is super serious business people. ;p
After our 2 week appointment they told me I didn't need to bring in our feeding and changing logs, I decided that I would rather continue on my own because it made it easier to predict when I would be needing to feed him and how long. Fortunately I only needed to keep logging the feedings because at any given point he is wet and in some stage of pooping. I definitely birthed a little poop machine. I learned my phone has a stop watch feature which has helped so much. However it also let me know when he suddenly cut his eating in half for about a day. I became worried I wasn't feeding him enough and he wouldn't get enough nutrients to develop and I would have a poor malnourished child. ... Having a baby doesn't make you worry more or anything. Not a bit, nope nope nope. .... I think he had just developed a strong suck and no longer needed to latch as long to get as much, but he is eating a little longer again now. I don't know why he cut his eating time but his diapers were full and he wasn't screaming so I will just have to accept it. I also learned that as long as those two things are true, Baby is generally fine. Learning to just let go and let someone help is most definitely going to be the hardest parts for me. I even spent time researching why I need to keep him on my breast even if I will pump so he can be watched elsewhere and use a bottle. Turns out the benefits for keeping him suckling for at least part time is the antibodies and production but that bottle feeding breast milk is perfectly acceptable and I should be really excited about getting a couple hours more sleep by letting B take over at some points. Letting go is hard.
As far as Baby goes, his eyes are focusing a lot more lately and he seems to be showing signs of smiles, even if they are just gas. He seems to really enjoy looking at the red things I have around his changing table, and he seems to see me when we cuddle. Today B handed him to me to feed and he cooed a little and smiled right at me. I melted. Completely. It is difficult to describe how it feels to be a Mom right away, I personally didn't feel this magical sudden "this is my child and the obsession of my life, I shall surely offer my life for him", I cried the second I heard his first cry, I bawl at the idea of someone taking him out of my sight, but honestly I kept waiting for some one to show up and say, "Well, thanks for watching him, we will be on our way now! " However when he looked at me and smiled that was it. He is my little critter. Much better than a kitten. And honestly I think this feeling will only intensify.
Mother hood is quite a ride. And I have only just begun.
Monday, June 22, 2015
Week 3
Some time last week it dawned on me that pacifiers come in different sizes and none of the ones I was gifted were small enough, or acceptable to the child. Last night we finally bought some newborn ones and its magical! They stay in his mouth and they don't gag him, such wonderful simple needs. I also discovered in the first two weeks that we go through wipes like crazy, thank goodness for Sam's Club. I always knew diapers would go fast but didn't even think wipes would go faster. We went shopping at Sam's yesterday and got to try out the Ergo baby and it went very well except it seemed to be very warm. We even ran into a friend while getting gas and she got to meet Magpie while he screamed his pretty little head off. :x
He sleeps pretty well now but he seems to sleep very long and it worries me. I have had to wake him up multiple times because he was coming up on 5 hours and he needed to be eating. He doesn't seem to be dehydrated and during our last check his weight gain was satisfactory. I hope I am worrying for nothing, he is my child after all, sleep reigns.
We went and visited the day care of my choice, which I had learned was also the day care of B's families choice. I was very pleased and put my name on the waiting list right away. Seeing the building and the children interacting with the teachers and the parents coming through all smiles put me at ease. This is the woman who wanted nothing more than to be a stay at home mom til Magpie is at least 18. I am pleased, it was clean, warm, familiar, and close.
Things are moving along nicely, but with the wedding in September coming things are already moving way too fast! I want him to hurry up and fatten up and get his head up and all of the wonderful things but I want him to stay pocket sized and squishy forever. Its tough.
As far as mom goes, I am feeling almost normal again, the itching comes and goes and the numbness won't leave for a while but I can move again and I am not afraid of splitting apart, so yay. Daddy also seems to be doing ok, working and having night feedings is definitely no fun, but we got a cutie pie out of the deal so I think he is ok with it. We also had his first Father's Day and I gave him some cute gifts a little early. Some cute onesies that loved on Daddy that even Mister anti baby clothes couldn't wait to put him in.
He sleeps pretty well now but he seems to sleep very long and it worries me. I have had to wake him up multiple times because he was coming up on 5 hours and he needed to be eating. He doesn't seem to be dehydrated and during our last check his weight gain was satisfactory. I hope I am worrying for nothing, he is my child after all, sleep reigns.
We went and visited the day care of my choice, which I had learned was also the day care of B's families choice. I was very pleased and put my name on the waiting list right away. Seeing the building and the children interacting with the teachers and the parents coming through all smiles put me at ease. This is the woman who wanted nothing more than to be a stay at home mom til Magpie is at least 18. I am pleased, it was clean, warm, familiar, and close.
Things are moving along nicely, but with the wedding in September coming things are already moving way too fast! I want him to hurry up and fatten up and get his head up and all of the wonderful things but I want him to stay pocket sized and squishy forever. Its tough.
As far as mom goes, I am feeling almost normal again, the itching comes and goes and the numbness won't leave for a while but I can move again and I am not afraid of splitting apart, so yay. Daddy also seems to be doing ok, working and having night feedings is definitely no fun, but we got a cutie pie out of the deal so I think he is ok with it. We also had his first Father's Day and I gave him some cute gifts a little early. Some cute onesies that loved on Daddy that even Mister anti baby clothes couldn't wait to put him in.
Thursday, June 18, 2015
Day 15
Woohoo! Two weeks old! We had a doctors appointment this morning and he is even closer to birth weight which is exciting! He is doing well and he seems to be starting to focus his eyes a bit more. It was our first trip out just the two of us and we survived :)
I feel like I really started to get the hang of night feedings last night now that I know to just keep trying to get him to eat til he conks out. I also realized the other day that pacifiers come in various sizes and if you give one that's too big to a freshly fed baby you will be spit up on. We gave him his first tub bath last night in his penguin bath tub. He didn't seem to hate the entire event.
Physically I am almost feeling normal again, the itching has stopped and the swelling is almost 100% gone, I am all floppy and soft now which is kind of a nice change. Being able to move and bend over again is just lovely!
Tomorrow I meet with the first day care, I am finally not freaking completely out about the idea, especially after finding out that M's teenage cousins apparently went to this place, even around the same age and they are wonderful. That thought helps.
I feel like I really started to get the hang of night feedings last night now that I know to just keep trying to get him to eat til he conks out. I also realized the other day that pacifiers come in various sizes and if you give one that's too big to a freshly fed baby you will be spit up on. We gave him his first tub bath last night in his penguin bath tub. He didn't seem to hate the entire event.
Physically I am almost feeling normal again, the itching has stopped and the swelling is almost 100% gone, I am all floppy and soft now which is kind of a nice change. Being able to move and bend over again is just lovely!
Tomorrow I meet with the first day care, I am finally not freaking completely out about the idea, especially after finding out that M's teenage cousins apparently went to this place, even around the same age and they are wonderful. That thought helps.
Day 14
Yesterday I discovered that bladder numbness is in fact a thing, it took me a little while to realize that since the surgery I have not actually had to pee. It is very strange, and may or may not go away and it may have been caused by abdominal numbness, the moving of my bladder, the narcotics they put me on, or an after affect from the catheter. Fun. Aside from that fun little discovery feeding time is getting a little more productive with the realization that Magpie needs to be woken up 3 times a feeding before he really really means it that he is done eating. Also breaks need to be made to let him finish pooping :P Though he is adorable I can't wait till his become a little more sentient.
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
Day 13
Mister was being super sweet last night, I definitely enjoyed the loving and cuddles from my little family. I can't wait to celebrate Fathers Day for him. I learned last night that sweating into ones already itchy incision makes for a miserable night.
Baby slept in much later than expected which worried me because if he is asleep he isn't eating but then again if he is hungry he will let me know, and he made up for it when he did eat doing 20 mins on one side alone. He seems to be more awake during the day the last couple days so I am hoping he is learning morning and night. He is still super cute, still super sweet. He seems to be developing an actual smile.
The stress for the day care has alleviated a little bit, I am more ok with the idea especially since when we went to visit the family they informed me that the day care I was curious about was not only much better then the internet would have you think but 2 of Magpies cousins attended from similarly early ages.
The swelling in my feet is almost back to normal, which I have been very impatient for. I have finally caught up on some sleep with naps, however it is still very hard for me to get up for night feedings, I don't know if it hurts that B some times lets me go back to sleep while he soothes Baby because what he really wants is food and B can't help there yet. I feel so bad that he loses any sleep on work nights but if you tell a half awake me to go back to sleep I will listen, no matter what. So I need to work on that.
Edit:
UPDATE! Baby's button finally fell off today! Hooray :)
Baby slept in much later than expected which worried me because if he is asleep he isn't eating but then again if he is hungry he will let me know, and he made up for it when he did eat doing 20 mins on one side alone. He seems to be more awake during the day the last couple days so I am hoping he is learning morning and night. He is still super cute, still super sweet. He seems to be developing an actual smile.
The stress for the day care has alleviated a little bit, I am more ok with the idea especially since when we went to visit the family they informed me that the day care I was curious about was not only much better then the internet would have you think but 2 of Magpies cousins attended from similarly early ages.
The swelling in my feet is almost back to normal, which I have been very impatient for. I have finally caught up on some sleep with naps, however it is still very hard for me to get up for night feedings, I don't know if it hurts that B some times lets me go back to sleep while he soothes Baby because what he really wants is food and B can't help there yet. I feel so bad that he loses any sleep on work nights but if you tell a half awake me to go back to sleep I will listen, no matter what. So I need to work on that.
Edit:
UPDATE! Baby's button finally fell off today! Hooray :)
Day 12
I have finally bit the bullet and learned that when they tell you to buy certain drugs like stool softeners and laxatives that maybe they aren't joking. I won't go into details but the idea of pulling ones stitches on the toilet doesn't seem so far fetched to me. So I went to the store, by myself, for the first 20 minutes of his life voluntarily with out baby. It was strange. Also, after my shower my suture tape fell off, all of it pretty much at once, and I discovered why everything itches like the dickens down there. Everything they shaved pre-op is growing back in around the incision and my skin hates it.
As far as baby goes, after one week of use he is back off of the nipple shield. I no longer have any pain (except that initial bite pain when he first latches) and he has no problem latching right away. Huzzah!
As far as baby goes, after one week of use he is back off of the nipple shield. I no longer have any pain (except that initial bite pain when he first latches) and he has no problem latching right away. Huzzah!
Day 11
A mostly calm day where we took Baby to visit with his paternal grandparents, he got to meet a good number of people for the first time. Everyone cooed and awwed and his cousin looked terrified of breaking him. It was a lovely day. He had his longest car ride and did swimmingly.
Saturday, June 13, 2015
My Guide to Gestating
At 36 weeks I got news from my cousin that she was expecting so I decided to write her my personal guide to gestation. I figure here is a great place to post it considering it kind of chronicles my own pregnancy experience.
Lady, you are about to get more unsolicited advice than you know what to do with. You are in for an interesting journey and life will never be the same again. I am writing you this as a simple tip sheet of things I learned and wished I had known when I first got pregnant, take it as you will. All pregnancies are very different so take it with a grain of salt but I am just hoping this will help calm any nerves you might have. I love you lady, you've got this, it's gonna be great!
Lady, you are about to get more unsolicited advice than you know what to do with. You are in for an interesting journey and life will never be the same again. I am writing you this as a simple tip sheet of things I learned and wished I had known when I first got pregnant, take it as you will. All pregnancies are very different so take it with a grain of salt but I am just hoping this will help calm any nerves you might have. I love you lady, you've got this, it's gonna be great!
First Trimester:
Its time to quit drinking, smoking, eating sushi and cold lunch meat. Also time to avoid hot baths, warm are fine.
Carry food like you are a squirrel, don't let your self get hungry. Hungry pregnant lady means pukey pregnant lady, and that's no fun. HOWEVER! try to avoid salty snacks because even in the beginning you will notice bloating and swelling from salt.
Water is your friend. If you start getting dehydrated your body will tell you in some really crappy ways. Discomfort, bloating, cramps. So go to Target and buy a super cute LARGE water bottle to carry around and drink till you pee like a pregnant woman. If you hate water try cutting juice with water and do the same thing. The straight juice would give me pretty bad heartburn so keep an eye on what it does to you.
At this point you might be starting to get some cravings, I really wanted vanilla milkshakes and that was pretty much it, indulge and have fun but keep an eye on salt and sugar intake. Sugar made me feel sick and salt gave me painful swelling. Don't forget the gestational diabetes test will be happening later on. Also don't be afraid when food starts tasting different. I was a hot food junkie, now I can't deal with it, everything is extra spicy.
Nausea: If you are actually puking with the morning sickness invest in either Pedialyte or Gatorade. You are going to lose electrolytes and hydration and your body will let you know, and it sucks. So to avoid leg cramps and whatnot get those ( and some bananas, but watch those they might cause constipation, but also might help heart burn) My doctor told me to make Gatorade ice pops in the freezer to help with nausea (cold) and dehydration. You might really want those as it gets warmer. The majority of my morning sickness was brought on by over stimulation and the vitamins, you will be able to start knowing its coming before it does.If the vitamins make you sick ask your doctor but mine said you can switch to flinstone chewables, and I know a lot of girls get the gummy prenatals.( its apparently the high iron that causes nausea so pick based on that) Cool air always helped me as well as just finding a cool calm place. When in public a bathroom generally works so you can go hide there if need be.
I personally didn't get a lot of smell sensitivity but I have heard stories of girls who couldn't even stand their own perfume, so just be aware.
Pain: When I was in the first 2 months I cramped just like I was getting my period, almost the whole time. The baby is growing pretty rapidly and stretching out your insides so don't be alarmed unless you are bleeding as well, then call the office and they will gauge it and decide if you need to come in. There is a thing called "Round ligament pain", it suuuucks! you will deal with it the whole time, but if you are careful to stand up slow you can mostly avoid it. It's essentially the muscle from your crotch to your womb and its working overtime so you have to stand up slow to avoid freaking it out and getting essentially a tummy charlie horse.
At this point I was also getting the belly pains from walking too much, so grab a belly band and see if that helps if you are getting the same but keep an eye on if the band is making your morning sickness worse. ( and get comfy shoes!)
...poop: I had very little issues. Some girls however can't poop for a month if they look at a bottle of prenatals. There are lots of powders and supplements you can take to help with this. Ask your doctor and you might want to take them religiously starting now to avoid massive hemorrhoids and discomfort down the road. You can also just try to eat a lot of fiber rich foods to avoid synthetic intake if you wanna be super healthy right now. Also, you will have a massive poop at some point. You will not hurt the baby when you push. You however might bleed a little bit afterwards. As long as its only a little bit and doesn't continue you will be fine, no need for alarm or embarrassing calls to the nurses. If you start getting hemorrhoids now I hear tucks pads and/or witch hazel is the way to go.
At this point in the pregnancy I thought I was getting a cold for like 2 weeks, turns out extra mucus, like extra blood, is a thing. Also, be prepared for blood in your nose. Ask your doctor about what allergy pills you can take if this happens, it helped a lot for me. Also invest in a netti pot for colds because you can really only take a handful of medications.
One more thing, if nauseous or your heart is all super poundy and racing try laying on your left side, it removes pressure from one of the arteries that kind of causes that stuff.
TODO:
Buy Water Bottle and soft shoes
Call insurance, tell them you are pregnant so they are prepared and ask them how to receive breast pump
Start baby registry ( I loved the check list via Babiesrus but ultimately got better deals via Target)
Buy Baby Book ( but really only one, they are all pretty similar)
Stay active, take walks, but also submit to naps, you need them.
Sign up for WIC and any other assistance, every dime helps.
Second Trimester:
A lot of the same, some less nausea, some more energy.
... in theory.
This is when my heartburn started, avoid food right before getting horizontal and don't let yourself get hungry. Ask your doctor what he recommends, apparently we are restricted on tums and other medications but my doctor put me on Zantac and I love it. ( you can also get like 100 pills for like 10 dollars at Sam's Club) Also mom gave me Gaviscon which has magnesium in it which will help with poopy issues AND heartburn, you might want it...
Your bump will start to show, after about 16 weeks you might feel the baby kick, I didn't feel till almost 22 I think, so don't fret.
You find out the sex now! You will love either one but don't beat yourself up if you are secretly disappointed. I was, then I came to my senses and I couldn't be happier right now.
This is the fun time, buy new clothes, buy onesies, pick names, get excited!
I learned people love to tell you EXACTLY what they think of the names so save for the select few you will use as a sounding board I personally suggest not telling too many people your ideas until you can say Baby F will in fact be named "SOMETHING" it keeps the drama down because at this point you may or may not be crying all the time but if you are anything like me you WILL be in bitch mode all the time.
TODO:
Throw baby shower
Tell work, find out maternity policy
Make one of those cute announcement photos off pinterest for facebook
Make sure you are taking one picture a week to watch your bump grow. ( I use the babybump app to track mine)
Get Glucose test :6
Get awesome ultrasound pics during the anatomy scan
Sign up for birthing classes
Giggle at K's sympathy symptoms.
Buy maternity wear
Third Trimester:
Now that you can't bend too well you will want to start cleaning things. In my experience the less I am capable of doing something the more I want to do it.
Nausea might return, you might also get Braxton Hicks ( practice contractions) I am at 36 weeks and haven't had any to my knowledge but some girls get them super early too. Swelling gets really bad towards the end, luckily it will be nice and crisp outside for you which will help. Elevation, ice packs, and cool towels have helped for me. I get so swollen when I eat loads of salt my joints and belly get achy so be careful what you are eating.
Sleeping at this point gets really lame, your hips hurt, you are supposed to sleep on your left side but all you want is to sleep in any other position. Some girls swear by a snoogle, some say they are useless and take up too much space. I have a body pillow for my legs ( a normal pillow would have been just as good) and I have a little throw pillow to prop my tummy up a little. I had restless legs through a lot of the pregnancy, watch your iron, potassium and hydration to help with that.
TODO:
REST!
Set up the nursery
Nest
Take the birthing classes
Call about the car seat ( health department?)
Drive K up the wall with the 3 am need for ice cream.
Drive K up the wall with the 3 am need for ice cream.
Definitely start really trying to avoid salt now.
I am only at 36 weeks so I will let you read the rest yourself or learn in class since I have no experience to share for the end.
One thing I will tell you though is the birthing class has made me far less afraid of the pain and made me feel very empowered, and I think that I am woman hear me roar helps get over the "oh shit, baby has to come out of where?!"
The two of you are going to be amazing, Enjoy these last few months alone, be adorable and romantic, pick your battles (with everyone, Trust me, I wanted to tear into everyone ), relax and pamper as much as you can, eat well, and be happy.
Good luck little Mama!
Our Hospital/Hotel Room
During our baby class, which was amazing and I 100% recommend but I will write on that later, we took a tour of our hospital. This particular hospital is very well known for its maternity ward and I was actually excited to labor there. When we did the tour we got to see the hot tub and the convertible hospital bed and the labor ball, I was legitimately upset when I found out I wasn't going to be laboring because I wouldn't be utilizing this room. Silly, I know, but I was upset and that was one of the things in my plan that was all jostled. During the tour B pointed out the amazing view, this was the same view that we would be getting in recovery. When we got to the hospital in the morning they set us up in our recovery room and it was a close second to the labor room. When we got back to the room post surgery it was an over cast day but we had a beautiful view of the mountain and this brick coal tower B and I particularly love. I am sad we never thought to get a shot of the amazing view we had, but trust me, it was perfect. On the morning of day two fog had set in in the area and you could see it fill in the valley and cover everything. It was pretty amazing. The last two days the sun had come out and the room filled with natural light. The room itself was very nice, there was a couch for B to sleep, and a nice glider chair for baby feeding and cuddles and a bathroom that was both functional for a broken post surgery Mama and had the feeling of a fancy hotel bathroom.
It had been described to me as giving birth in a hotel, and they were not wrong, even writing this I keep having to correct hotel to hospital. The view made an already amazing experience even more beautiful.
It had been described to me as giving birth in a hotel, and they were not wrong, even writing this I keep having to correct hotel to hospital. The view made an already amazing experience even more beautiful.
Day 10
Most of the swelling has subsided and we finally have a lazy day just B and I with the baby. Cute jammies have been applied to the Magpie and cheesy tv and video games (and catching up on this blog) have been our assignments. Our first full day just the 3 of us and all is well. Tomorrow we are making the drive out to the paternal grandparents where Baby will meet many faces so this down time is highly appreciated. My belly is mostly soft and seems to be unswelling while my feet and ankles still have a ways to go. My hands are also going down and I am excited to wear my engagement ring again soon. My sutures are still taped over and doing well and the lower numbness is still kind of moving depending on where my pants sit. The numbness is probably the thing that bothers me the most and unfortunately is something that will last the longest. Nipple chaffing is in fact a thing, a persistent thing, but thankfully breast pads and lanolin are also a thing. Baby is doing well, eating well, and sleeping well. I am betting his cord is going to fall off tomorrow. Last night he had his first real spit up and I have never seen someone so proud of puking!:P Off to fill the rest of the day with naps and cuddles! <3
Day 9
Mom leaves.
Over the last 9+ days Mom had been staying with us and helping us keep everything moving and developing a schedule so we can survive with out having a melt down. We started the morning with her letting me sleep in one last time by sneaking away the baby and starting breakfast. She made some amazing french toast and we watched the news. As Mom went upstairs to collect the rest of her things I got a phone call about a job I applied to about a year ago offering me a position. We were very excited and Mom went on her way back home pleased with how things were left. I, however, started thinking about the prospect of going back to work and completely lost it. The idea of leaving my little baby for longer than and hour kills me! I am sure this will get slightly easier and one day I will need to return to working for obvious financial reasons, but I cried for an hour. After a solid nap and some phone calls later I calmed down. Now the child care research has begun.
Hormones are still running very high and crying seems to be coming easily but I don't think I would call this the baby blues by any stretch of the imagination. Daddy seems to be doing well and Baby is on a pretty predictable schedule. All and all I think we've got this down pretty well.
Over the last 9+ days Mom had been staying with us and helping us keep everything moving and developing a schedule so we can survive with out having a melt down. We started the morning with her letting me sleep in one last time by sneaking away the baby and starting breakfast. She made some amazing french toast and we watched the news. As Mom went upstairs to collect the rest of her things I got a phone call about a job I applied to about a year ago offering me a position. We were very excited and Mom went on her way back home pleased with how things were left. I, however, started thinking about the prospect of going back to work and completely lost it. The idea of leaving my little baby for longer than and hour kills me! I am sure this will get slightly easier and one day I will need to return to working for obvious financial reasons, but I cried for an hour. After a solid nap and some phone calls later I calmed down. Now the child care research has begun.
Hormones are still running very high and crying seems to be coming easily but I don't think I would call this the baby blues by any stretch of the imagination. Daddy seems to be doing well and Baby is on a pretty predictable schedule. All and all I think we've got this down pretty well.
Day 8
Another follow up doctors appointment showed he was only 11.5 oz away from birth weight and was doing wonderfully, I had finally got my boobs to be squishy again and mom sent me away for more napping to regain some sanity. The hospital called to follow up and everyone was cleared to be progressing well. Me and Mister decided its time to nutritionally adult, since mom had spent the last week feeding us and filling our freezer we need to begin making a weekly meal plan so our little family can grow in a healthy way.
My Darling Magpie, Week 1
Monday, the first, I found out for almost certain that my birth plan for my 2 day overdue baby was shot. As I was praying for an immediate surprise labor to show up any second so I could have my natural med free birth I was told to begin making arrangements for a potential c-section. I was distraught, however I would find out on Wednesday if I would be seeing my baby sooner than the next Monday, when I was already scheduled for induction. Wednesday, we went in for a progress check and it was confirmed that my little baby's head was too big to make it though my birth canal and a c-section was going to be my most likely outcome and that it would be better to schedule one than to spend hours exhausting my self and ending up in one anyway. We managed to schedule the surgery for 7:45 the next morning (Thursday). It was time to see my baby.
Before all of these appointments had begun my mother had driven up to help me out, which I am ever so grateful for because I had a meltdown at the thought of my birth plan changing from drug free and natural, where my number one fear was an epidural to actual surgery that guaranteed a spinal anesthetic. I informed Daddy and began prepping for the big day.
Day 1:
Bright and early we arrived at the hospital and began prep for surgery. They managed to blow out my vein in the process of putting in my IV, which doesn't surprise me ( I am a pain to stick) and they gave us our delivery outfits which left B looking like an extra from breaking bad or some sort of extermination company. We got to cuddle and emotionally prepare for a bit then they sent me off to begin my spinal anesthesia. Walking into the operating room jarred me, it was very bright and sterile, I immediately started whimpering and wondering if it was too late to change my mind. This passed as I decided "This is happening, suck it up and do it." They had to stick me a total of 5 times in 3 different spots and that is not even counting the little lidocaine bee stings. After the first attempt my body went into a vasovagal response and I had to be laid down as to not puke or pass out. The next 4 attempts weren't nearly as bad, they included little nerve twinges but little pain, and eventually ended in success. After they laid me back down and my body went warm and then numb they brought Bjorn in. I was a little fuzzy, I mostly just felt distracted, not stoned, I was also so very ridiculously thirsty! I was allowed nothing to "eat, drink, or smoke" since midnight, all I wanted in the world was water. When Bjorn came in I just kept telling him how thirsty I was, apparently it was heartbreaking. After about 10-15 mins of feeling them move around on my lower half, which to me felt like holding on to a tent in high winds, I felt them push up on my stomach and lungs and they wrestled out my baby and we heard a cry. Both B and I immediately started crying as they rushed Magpie over to the table to clean him up and check him out. When they finished they brought him over and placed him on my chest and took a couple pictures of the three of us while we were completely bewildered at this tiny human that was finally out with us. They took baby and daddy out to the nursery while they cleaned me up and put me back together for about another 30-40 mins. They then wheeled me into recovery where they joined me and we got more skin to skin time and I got to attempt breast feeding while I regained feeling in my lower half. From this point the baby and I were poked and prodded pretty regularly for the first 2 days.
We went back to the recovery room where we would spend 3 days, I spent the first day hooked up to an IV, a catheter, and my legs were plugged into these pressure socks. I was not allowed to stand til evening. A lactation consultant came and visited us and helped me get a perfect latch. We made it though the night with lots of cuddles and turn taking.
Day 2:
We were pretty confident after surviving the first night, they removed my catheter and I got to shower. The pain surfaced on day two, but for the most part was never above a 7 or 8 on the pain scale and that's only when my meds were late. I was assigned to walk to halls 3 times and for the most part I was feeling pretty ok. Mom came back and my father made it in to visit the new baby. The nurse had weighed and bathed the baby the night before and everything was moving along swimmingly. However we kept being warned about how the baby would be a little home sick on night two. ..They were not exaggerating. By the time night rolled around I was incredibly exhausted and all baby wanted to do was fuss and sleep directly on me, and only me. B said we needed to send him off to the nursery to get some much needed sleep but they idea of sending away my freshly born baby to be with strangers when all he wanted was his mommy broke my heart and I bawled. I sent B off to get a pacifier and eventually we got him to sleep after a very, very long night.
Day 3:
They removed my IV and I finally felt human and non bionic again. I was more excited about being rid of the IV than I was about my first shower the day before. My incision was perfect, no drainage, no irritation. The pain remained manageable and I was moving around really well. I was happy to not be confined to the bed and feeding was a lot easier with a glider chair and a couch to utilize. I also managed to change my babies diaper for the first time.
After they weighed him on night 2 he had lost almost a whole pound, being a large baby this wasn't too alarming but the pediatrician suggested we supplement and pump and the lactation consultant came in to help us learn how to use a syringe and a tube to feed the baby formula from the breast. It was a fascinating concept and worked really well at first ( as time went on the stopper in the syringe kind of swelled making it a little more tedious) and Baby finally slept really well having received a full tummy. We got a pretty steady schedule down and were feeling confident enough that we would be ok to go home the next day.
Day 4:
We had a pretty successful night as far as new born sleeping patterns were concerned and we managed to not be completely exhausted. We woke up and were issued our discharge instructions and we packed up. We cleaned out all the free goodies (there was a drawer of diapers and wipes that we got to keep) and I resisted stealing their gloved baby shirt they gave him after his first bath. It was a really nifty shirt. We came home and I sent B off to collect my meds as I settled in to the house with baby, my parents and my brother were waiting for us at the house and we took a moment to introduce my parents dog to the baby, Max, the dog, was in love and followed baby around everywhere he made sure we were being good parents. It was adorable and surprising since I hadn't seen the dog since I was about 3 months pregnant. After B came home and we had a feeding mom sent us to nap. Thank goodness. Mom and Dad stayed and helped, Dad was heading back the next day but Mom was mine for a few more days. We napped, we fed, we relaxed, and we enjoyed our brand new baby. Mom kept the cleaning and the cooking going and we all kept from starving and completely losing our minds. Moms are amazing, wonderful beings.
Day 5:
I woke up after baby slept in a couple hours over his normal feed time to discover my milk had come in with a vengeance. Hello porn star boobs! It felt like I was carrying rocks in my boobs, and my nipples were very sore from him trying to eat colostrum like milk while we were still learning to properly latch, it was uncomfortable to say the least and now he wouldn't latch. We took him to his first doctor's appointment where she informed me of this magical product called a nipple shield. For 10 dollars I bought a little silicone nipple cover and breast feeding immediately got easier and less painful, I could finally heal and drain enough to let him latch normally after a few feedings. I really wish I had known about it a few days earlier but I am so glad I know about it now.
Day 6:
Daddy went back to work and mom and I did some running to get a new phone and some baby vitamins. During the day we even managed to take baby to a restaurant where he slept and was perfectly happy. Moving around was getting easier but I kept forgetting I just had surgery and needed to relax. Over all a successful day but the exhaustion was getting to me and I was having crying fits towards the night, sleep was necessary and imminent.
Day 7:
After being all weepy and whiny the night before Mom and B sentenced me to naps all day. Though it sounds lovely all I wanted to do was be awake and cuddling my baby. But we made it a full week and everyone was still alive and aside from being pretty fried we were doing pretty darn well.
Before all of these appointments had begun my mother had driven up to help me out, which I am ever so grateful for because I had a meltdown at the thought of my birth plan changing from drug free and natural, where my number one fear was an epidural to actual surgery that guaranteed a spinal anesthetic. I informed Daddy and began prepping for the big day.
Day 1:
Bright and early we arrived at the hospital and began prep for surgery. They managed to blow out my vein in the process of putting in my IV, which doesn't surprise me ( I am a pain to stick) and they gave us our delivery outfits which left B looking like an extra from breaking bad or some sort of extermination company. We got to cuddle and emotionally prepare for a bit then they sent me off to begin my spinal anesthesia. Walking into the operating room jarred me, it was very bright and sterile, I immediately started whimpering and wondering if it was too late to change my mind. This passed as I decided "This is happening, suck it up and do it." They had to stick me a total of 5 times in 3 different spots and that is not even counting the little lidocaine bee stings. After the first attempt my body went into a vasovagal response and I had to be laid down as to not puke or pass out. The next 4 attempts weren't nearly as bad, they included little nerve twinges but little pain, and eventually ended in success. After they laid me back down and my body went warm and then numb they brought Bjorn in. I was a little fuzzy, I mostly just felt distracted, not stoned, I was also so very ridiculously thirsty! I was allowed nothing to "eat, drink, or smoke" since midnight, all I wanted in the world was water. When Bjorn came in I just kept telling him how thirsty I was, apparently it was heartbreaking. After about 10-15 mins of feeling them move around on my lower half, which to me felt like holding on to a tent in high winds, I felt them push up on my stomach and lungs and they wrestled out my baby and we heard a cry. Both B and I immediately started crying as they rushed Magpie over to the table to clean him up and check him out. When they finished they brought him over and placed him on my chest and took a couple pictures of the three of us while we were completely bewildered at this tiny human that was finally out with us. They took baby and daddy out to the nursery while they cleaned me up and put me back together for about another 30-40 mins. They then wheeled me into recovery where they joined me and we got more skin to skin time and I got to attempt breast feeding while I regained feeling in my lower half. From this point the baby and I were poked and prodded pretty regularly for the first 2 days.
We went back to the recovery room where we would spend 3 days, I spent the first day hooked up to an IV, a catheter, and my legs were plugged into these pressure socks. I was not allowed to stand til evening. A lactation consultant came and visited us and helped me get a perfect latch. We made it though the night with lots of cuddles and turn taking.
Day 2:
We were pretty confident after surviving the first night, they removed my catheter and I got to shower. The pain surfaced on day two, but for the most part was never above a 7 or 8 on the pain scale and that's only when my meds were late. I was assigned to walk to halls 3 times and for the most part I was feeling pretty ok. Mom came back and my father made it in to visit the new baby. The nurse had weighed and bathed the baby the night before and everything was moving along swimmingly. However we kept being warned about how the baby would be a little home sick on night two. ..They were not exaggerating. By the time night rolled around I was incredibly exhausted and all baby wanted to do was fuss and sleep directly on me, and only me. B said we needed to send him off to the nursery to get some much needed sleep but they idea of sending away my freshly born baby to be with strangers when all he wanted was his mommy broke my heart and I bawled. I sent B off to get a pacifier and eventually we got him to sleep after a very, very long night.
Day 3:
They removed my IV and I finally felt human and non bionic again. I was more excited about being rid of the IV than I was about my first shower the day before. My incision was perfect, no drainage, no irritation. The pain remained manageable and I was moving around really well. I was happy to not be confined to the bed and feeding was a lot easier with a glider chair and a couch to utilize. I also managed to change my babies diaper for the first time.
After they weighed him on night 2 he had lost almost a whole pound, being a large baby this wasn't too alarming but the pediatrician suggested we supplement and pump and the lactation consultant came in to help us learn how to use a syringe and a tube to feed the baby formula from the breast. It was a fascinating concept and worked really well at first ( as time went on the stopper in the syringe kind of swelled making it a little more tedious) and Baby finally slept really well having received a full tummy. We got a pretty steady schedule down and were feeling confident enough that we would be ok to go home the next day.
Day 4:
We had a pretty successful night as far as new born sleeping patterns were concerned and we managed to not be completely exhausted. We woke up and were issued our discharge instructions and we packed up. We cleaned out all the free goodies (there was a drawer of diapers and wipes that we got to keep) and I resisted stealing their gloved baby shirt they gave him after his first bath. It was a really nifty shirt. We came home and I sent B off to collect my meds as I settled in to the house with baby, my parents and my brother were waiting for us at the house and we took a moment to introduce my parents dog to the baby, Max, the dog, was in love and followed baby around everywhere he made sure we were being good parents. It was adorable and surprising since I hadn't seen the dog since I was about 3 months pregnant. After B came home and we had a feeding mom sent us to nap. Thank goodness. Mom and Dad stayed and helped, Dad was heading back the next day but Mom was mine for a few more days. We napped, we fed, we relaxed, and we enjoyed our brand new baby. Mom kept the cleaning and the cooking going and we all kept from starving and completely losing our minds. Moms are amazing, wonderful beings.
Day 5:
I woke up after baby slept in a couple hours over his normal feed time to discover my milk had come in with a vengeance. Hello porn star boobs! It felt like I was carrying rocks in my boobs, and my nipples were very sore from him trying to eat colostrum like milk while we were still learning to properly latch, it was uncomfortable to say the least and now he wouldn't latch. We took him to his first doctor's appointment where she informed me of this magical product called a nipple shield. For 10 dollars I bought a little silicone nipple cover and breast feeding immediately got easier and less painful, I could finally heal and drain enough to let him latch normally after a few feedings. I really wish I had known about it a few days earlier but I am so glad I know about it now.
Day 6:
Daddy went back to work and mom and I did some running to get a new phone and some baby vitamins. During the day we even managed to take baby to a restaurant where he slept and was perfectly happy. Moving around was getting easier but I kept forgetting I just had surgery and needed to relax. Over all a successful day but the exhaustion was getting to me and I was having crying fits towards the night, sleep was necessary and imminent.
Day 7:
After being all weepy and whiny the night before Mom and B sentenced me to naps all day. Though it sounds lovely all I wanted to do was be awake and cuddling my baby. But we made it a full week and everyone was still alive and aside from being pretty fried we were doing pretty darn well.
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