Coffee and amazon prime: How we survived our first week at home with two kids. She needs a sibling they said, you’ll be great they said. Fast forward to the end of a pregnancy, that I swore would never ever end, and then diving in and conquering life with two children. I never saw myself having more than two, we have said time and time again this second baby girl completes our family. MARK MY WORDS, the incubator is closed. There is a reason people use the phrase “we don’t want to be out numbered.” My birth experience this time was actually even smoother than the first time. Which I personally feel was well deserved because the last three weeks of my pregnancy were like sme sick game of “real or false labor.” More on that in “Sex and Pineapples: A Birth Story.” But, any who, a human existed my body, for the second, and LAST TIME, and here we all are. Living, breathing, and somehow surviving, hell, you might even say thriving. My husband brought my very confused eldest daughter to the hospital. To meet her sister, to get out of the house, to see me, and to save his sanity. It was terrible, it was wonderful, it was real fuckin life y’all. Being stuck in the house with a two year old who doesn’t get why mommy is at the doctor with that baby for two days is a hell of a task. He was exhausted. Being in a hospital with a newborn, boobie crazed, energy sucker, also not the easiest of tasks. Especially when my rock, the keeper of my sanity, is at home, with a tiny dictator. This is the longest time I had ever slept away from my husband and first born. Ever. It was a strange thing. Not that I had much time to think about exactly how strange it was because I had a little love to focus on. 100% of my time and energy to her, for the last time little did she know. So, I birth this person. They send me home. I should be a pro by now right? I read something once that said something about giving birth being like getting into a car accident, and taking care of another person who was also in the accident. To this is say, yes. You technically have both experienced a “trauma” my body had been torn, tattered, stretched to its limits, bleeding, leaking and now I am tasked to take care of this small person who was BORN. Like what the fuck, she was born, how tragic is that? She was shoved from her cozy little sack of security and nourishment and her she is looking at me. It’s fucking hard. It’s harder when you know what’s coming. Bracing yourself for the pain of the latch (in the beginning anyway). Preparing yourself for the process of healing, again. Friends, when you know they crash is coming and you tense up instead of letting your body react naturally, it can get messy. Yes, the knowing helps, but it doesn’t make it any “easier.” My husband stayed home the first week, thank the Lord in heaven. He was on toddler detail, and me? You can just call me Bessy. To insure my supply was off to a good start, I just basically have a tiny little boss baby that tells me when and where to lift my top and I listen. And it works, guys, it’s worth it. You should check out my stash. Anyways. It’s tough because it takes a lot of energy AND it takes understanding from the other people around. Enter: my two year old, who I had been off with giving my undivided attention to for 8 days leading up to baby sisters entrance into the world because, well, false labor an emotional break down. She doesn’t get it, it’s hard. She can see this little person is not going anywhere and she gets milk from momma. “Mommas like a cow” according to my husband, which resulted in said two year old trotting around the living room yelling “moooooooo Momma, Momma’s got the milk!” So, she totally has a grasp on that. But, I found myself expecting her to be more mature, like she was just gonna grown up because she was a big sister now. Because she looks so big and grown up next to this fresh baby. Because she KNOWS what she should and shouldn’t do. She KNOWS how to behave. Yea, you can go ahead and laugh now. Wtf, right? She’s two guys, she doesn’t know anything. She knows she wants momma and daddy’s attention and she doesn’t care about this little creature that used to live inside mommy (creepy) and now lives here. She has actually said “what’s a baby doing here?” more than once. When she decided to spike a fever the day before my husband went back to work I’m like, touché, you did it. He stayed home for two more days so we could keep them separate because everyone knows, the number one rule for babies in the first month is, no fever. There we were, still all four of us cozy AF in our Tosa ranch, no escape from each other because it’s the middle of a Wisconsin winter. Jesus help us. Plus, the number one thing I hate doing, telling the big girl no, because of the little. “Don’t touch the baby. Don’t come too close to the baby. You’re sick stay away from the baby.” Why was Jesus testing me? Why Satan? Anyways, we survived, we ordered literally everything from Amazon Prime, and at least two pots of coffee were brewed a day. COFFEE all the coffee! And a service that you can order almost anything from and it will show up on your doorstep two hours later. What a time to be alive... The rest of the week I was home with the girls. Literally doing what ever it took to survive. Dancing with my two year old with a baby latched to my body. Holding the newborn for the entirety of my toddlers nap because naps are the essence of survival. Accepting the food that everyone sent graciously. Denying visitors when it felt like too much, or my toddler spikes a fever and we are on quarantine. JUST SURVIVE SOMEHOW! Sleep is not a thing, sleep is something you used to do, in your old life, like wearing heels and taking shots, just accept this. Also, don't feel bad about it. We all have our own ways of adjusting and you have to do what is right for you unapologetically. I still feel like I need to work on having time that’s just for the big one, but everyone is relatively clean and fed and happy. Tandem naps have happened, I don’t even want to type that because I feel like I am jinxing it. I feel like I am getting back to myself and honestly, I’m just super fucking pumped to not be pregnant. Lord. Days will be long. They will be hard. There will be swearing, and caffeine and alcohol consumption. But, this absolutely beautiful mess of a blessed life. Damn is it worth it. XOXO P.S. This blog totally had the potential to be called Starbucks and Amazon Prime, but neither of us had the money or motivation for twice a day Starbucks runs, bless y'all that leave your house for ovepriced coffee and return home with it everyday.
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There comes a point in every pregnancy where you get out your favorite pen, a fresh piece of paper, and you draft that eviction notice to your sweet baby to be. You have had enough. You want to meet them. You NEED this stage of motherhood to be over. Each pregnancy I hit this particular point of “doneness” at different moments. The first time around it was a Wednesday. The morning of my 39 week appointment. I had taken the previous day off and tried to encourage my sweet first born to be to come earth side. Walked miles in, out, and around the boutiques on North Ave. with my mom and our good family friend, who is basically a surrogate aunt. Ate tacos with Habenero Crema at Bel Air Cantina. Got ice cream and spicy chocolate truffles from Indulgence. Bought a cute, flowy, postpartum, outfit for an event I was going to when baby was going to be just 6 weeks old. The owner of said boutique who saw misery written all over my face encouraged me to stop at the nearest convenient store, snag some castor oil and never look back. But, I didn’t, I got home from my adventure, put up my feet, and waited. The next morning was THAT Wednesday. My husband and I got up from bed, well he got up. I maneuvered to the edge of the bed, swung my feet to the floor, looked at the ground and sobbed. Hard. I couldn’t do this another day (I thought at the time), if the doctor didn’t tell me I had progression and would be in labor soon at that appointment I would just die (I thought). This was 6 days before my due date, I was 3cm and 90% at my appointment that day and had and bouncing baby girl in my arms the next day after a relatively easy, uncomplicated 12 hour labor. The second time will be even easier right? Well, let’s roll the footage on pregnancy number two. I felt especially ripe and ready to serve up baby girls papers at about 38 weeks. I had enough of the jokes and the games. More than one false labor, a baby so low her arms were basically hanging out, no water had "broken", cramps and contractions daily, all mucus looked "plug like". Enough already. I was a “wifely duty” performing, pineapple eating, mall walking, zoo walking, base board cleaning, spicy food consuming, crazed pregnant lady who cried pretty much every day. I was convinced she would literally never be born. I was April the giraffe, she was me. This baby was not in any rush. Until she was... I had planned to work up until my due date because I am in the service industry and you can’t plan to just work until you have a baby I had to choose a date, and of course there is no point being off with no baby right? Wrong! When you see the little threads of your sanity separating it’s time to pull the plug. My body ached, reason and patience were not in my vocabulary, and neither was sleep. I called it. My last day of work was 39 weeks on the dot. 4 pm central standard time, the white flag was flying high my friends. Forty weeks came and went. I cried. Then 40 weeks and 2 whole days, full days, she made sure. I woke up with roaring contractions just after midnight. Of course this wasn’t labor, I was the eternal pregnant woman. So whatever, pee, poop, back to bed. Wait why am I up pooping again? Why am I still having contractions? Fine, I’ll time the contractions. For an hour and a half, ok two hours just incase she is up to her old tricks. Ok, I’ll wake up my husband. God, I’m so thirsty, maybe I’ll just rest here at this counter too while I have this contraction, and have a little water. Hm that was only five minutes from the last one, same for the last 30 minutes. Fine. We will call my mom to stay with the toddler. Fine I’ll go to the hospital! But, if these contractions slow down on the way don’t think I won’t make my husband turn around the car. Let me say this before we get to the nitty gritty blood and guts of it all. I have a high pain tolerance. When we checked into the hospital and I am visibly a big ass 40 week pregnant lady, the two nervous men working the night shift did offer me a wheel chair, but quickly realized I was just fine for the time being. They were less ok at the sight of me than I was at this point to be honest. The nurse told me later on, when I was well into active labor, she thought she would for sure be sending me home based on my outward behavior when she was doing my initial check. Continuing on. By 3 am I am hooked up to every monitor, IV flowing, checked and deemed to be 5cm and 50%, dressed for the big dance, and invited to stay and have a child. One epidural on tap PLEASE. I had my husband film them placing it because I’m a crazy person. It’s cool, it’s crazy, it’s ecstasy. Pictocin flow is a go. OB is going to come break my water around 11, so I rest. I press that little magic button a few times, and hot tip if they give you peanut shaped exercise ball to open your cervix go for it. 11 am comes a goes, broth, water, apple juice, I’m so hydrated my pee is like clear in the cathedar bag. The nurse thinks my contractions look weird so wants to “check me to be safe” while we wait for the doc to come to my beside wielding that water bag breaking crotchet hook. I wouldn’t call the look she had panicked but, somewhere in that ball park. “You’re complete (10cm, 100%), and I can feel hair. She [the doctor] needs to get over here now.” Lucky for us her office is attached to the hospital. The nurse and her trainee start buzzing around the room, sterile setup, counting things, blah, blah, blah. They get the bed adjusted and in swings my main lady looking primed for the water popping, and baby catching. She has the hook, she digs, nothing. She also makes a remark about feeling hair, checks beneath me to see if the bed is wet with amniotic fluid, no dice. It’s gone. I can’t tell you exactly what she said but it was definitely a report that there was in fact no water to break and there “may be Niagara Falls coming behind the baby.” Mystery unsolved, it's go time. “Let’s do a practice push and then I will scrub in.” Looking back I just picture my daughter hearing this a laughing like “oh sure, please take your time”. I pushed, my doctor immediately flew off of her stool to scrub in, spun into her gown while telling the newbie nurse how to close it as she snapped into gloves. I pushed twice more on the next two consecutive contractions and I was staring down, through tears, at my beautiful baby. Doc arrived at 12:45pm, baby arrived at 1:13pm. Holy shit. Also, no water. Still missing. I have an APB out on that amniotic fluid. And, inquiring minds, in the weeks of BS and false labor, I never had a gush in the bathroom, I never had “leaking,” as far as we all know it was there at my appointment the Monday prior, then gone. We were and are both healthy, no fevers, no meconium in the non existent water. Blessed. Three pushes was my reward for the misery, for sure it was only fair. My tiny baby was really here.
I am back living in that space where you are like, so filled with joy, but still in recovery and say never, ever again. But, I do mean it this time. We are done. We are so happy. We are so much wiser this time around, and more laid back, we aren't outnumbered. All I know is, one thing everyone said was true, all pregnancies do end, what a wild end this one had, can’t wait to see what her personality is like. Stay tuned for an updated, aftermath post, and what it has been like our first two weeks with two, two and under. Happy Holidays! On Sunday, she rested, had a surprise sprinkle from
some of her favorite ladies, and she was still pregnant. On Monday, she walked around the Milwaukee Domes, was 2 cm dilated and 50% thinned, that night she did “nightly duties,” and she was still pregnant. On Tuesday, she walked around the zoo for half the day and had false labor in the Culver’s drive thru, and she was still pregnant. On Wednesday, she did three loads of laundry, worked a 5 hour shift, and she was still pregnant. On Thursday, she ate, mashed potatoes, turkey, ham, greens, mac and cheese, potato salad, and an entire fruit platter section of pineapple, and she was still pregnant. On Friday, she cleaned the house, folded the laundry, dishes and rested, and she was still pregnant. On Saturday, she hoped and prayed, but had to work and 8 hour shift, and she was still pregnant. The next day was Sunday again! She ate a big breakfast and is currently sipping coffee, not so patiently, still pregnant. 39 weeks 1 day... I am at the point in my pregnancy where it is considered "safe" for baby girl to be born.
*you hear that baby?!* Which means, overthinking is is full force. I drove to my OB appointment the other day, just minding my business blasting some Pentatonix Christmas jams, when some strange emotions joined me, uninvited I might add. I was teary eyed. For what? This was the first of my weekly appointments which means the end is near. I didn't have my toddler with me and she is usually at my appointments, and even though she usually just destroys the waiting room and has little to no desire to be at the doctor with me, the look in her eyes when she hears baby sister is just "all the feels." There I was tear filled eyes belting "Mary did you know?" what a hot ass mess. Then, yesterday the three of us (me, my daughter, and husband) were going to the store yesterday and I looked down at my big girl holding my husbands hand. My tiny human. So big but so small. How did we get here? Toddler and a newborn comin' in hot. Then, last night, I was watching Blackish. Completely unprepared to be accosted again by feelings. Drew was talking about how excited we get for all of the firsts with our kids but that lasts fall by the wayside. THAT'S IT! That's what I have been feeling. Living completely unaware of when mundane tasks or big things will be the "last" for my big. Some of it wont be the last time she does things, but the last time she or we do them with her as my only. It's kind of amazing to think about. It really has made me take pause. I will be sad when these times are gone. I will miss our "old life" when it changes forever. But, then we are opening ourselves up to a new kind of wonderful. It's sort of like what we say in our farewell speeches in pageantry, "For the last time, Your Miss WI Teen USA, blah, blah, blah." It is the end of an era, but those words for me were also sort of a relief. Maybe, "For the last time, Your only child, blah, blah, blah" will be a relief for my oldest too. It makes way for a new and amazing life, one with a sibling, new type of family, sort of a fresh start. I hope she doesn't feel the weight of all of the last things. I hope the transition is less than traumatic. I hope she is ready for all of her firsts as a big sister. We are so ready to be "first time parents" of another sweet baby, for the last time. XOXO Shauna
My work life is scheduled down the 15 minute. 15. Down to it. When I am not at work, I simply can not live that type of life. I am a self proclaimed "choose your battles" wife and mom. Schedule be damned. This is REAL life people.
Here's how it works I say to myself, self: "Will someone be seriously hurt or affected long term by this decision." No? OK, fine, whatever. Children are not "meant to be seen not heard" or made to be lived vicariously through. I let my daughter sing dumb nursery rhymes tone deaf and at the top of her lungs because that is why they were invented. Sang babygirl sang. We sometimes nap in a chair because I am growing a human while chasing a small human and I am too exhausted to move the 30 pound human off of my body to her bed. Don't care. Sometimes she wears that same flaming shirt two days in a row because, we do need to wear clothing yes, she loves that damn stupid shirt. Who cares. She ate ice cream at 9 am the other day because she ate a solid, well rounded fucking breakfast and I needed to do laundry while she stayed in one place. Boom. You say sucker, I say winner.
"Chips, yummy, yes please momma!" If you can say no to that, you are a God damned wizard because toddler talk knows right when and where to hit ya to drop that guard. She is very polite and totally wears her heart on her sleeve, you try saying NO.
When my two year old is crying climbing up my body saying "I go to the car, I need blankie" in the middle of gymnastics class, we leave. I am not a drill sergeant, I am not a stage mom, she is FUCKING two. We all have days where we wish we could just bail, me making her stay there sobbing and ruining it for everyone else proves absolutely nothing. Do not get me wrong here. I am not run by a tiny tyrant. My husband and I are in control and we do use the word NO. It is reserved for cases like, you are going to melt your hands and face off if you touch that, or no we will not be eating a diet of only fruit snacks today, you may not ride the dog, yes you have to be strapped into your car seat. When we say no we give a reason. This is so important. No can not become an empty threat when it is overused. To me if you don't over use it it holds far more power. I don't want to say no all day, this is her house and her life too. If there is something that she can't have, it is simply not accessible to her. Why would I want to spend my days placing decorative glass do-dads back into bowls over and over. I DON'T HAVE THE TIME OR ENERGY.
She is allowed in all the rooms in our house, hold on to your pearls! Yes we still have nice things, they don't live at toddler eye level. Yes, she empties the cabinets, so what? Again I call that winning, rinse the Tupperware and move on, I just made an entire dinner without locking my kid out of the room because I knew there was nothing she could reach that could hurt her. Before you ask, no, I don't have locks on cabinets, cleaners live on the tip top shelf, hell we don't even have handles on our cabinets. If you don't deny access to something the novelty will wear off. She has access to her own, yes her own tablet, it is not a reward it is not really limited, she barely uses it, she has always gotten bored of it before I have had to steer her away from it.
Yes, it is a pain in the ass when we go to someone else's house that does not have children or has children that are painfully well behaved and don't touch anything they aren't supposed to, and we have to hover over her and repeatedly tell her No word and explain why things are not for her. So, sometimes we just wont go. Because I don't want my kid to live in a world of NO. Yes, she will grow up. Yes, she will get to an age where she needs to understand the world is not catered to her. I just don't know if the time for all the NOs and DON'Ts to rain down on her is 26 months young on this earth. I promise you no one has been seriously, life alteringly affected by a missed nap or lunch made of processed foods. We are all still standing, and honestly I have a really good sleeper and very adventurous eater on my hands. When they are tired they will sleep. Its amazing. I am not going to apologize ANYMORE for my free spirited, dirty footed, curious, loud baby girl. We love her that way, I'm not going to be the one who slows her down. You don't have to invite us to sit with you. We will be fine over here at our peanut free, sing-a-long loving, obnoxious table, without bibs, politely.
As always, thank you for reading!
xoxo Shauna With my first born I was a typical, crazed mom, who over thought everything. There were certain things that I said that I would NEVER do. *Let's all laugh together* Now, of course a lot of that went out of the window once the sleep deprivation set and it and things got a little desperate around here, things changed. But, some of them I did stick too. I don't know if that makes me a good mom or just stubborn or what, but I did stick to my guns on a few things. My oldest daughter slept the long stretches of the night in her crib from the first day that we brought her home, in her own bedroom, while I stalked her every breath on the baby monitor. Second, no pacifiers. The sleep decision I still stand behind, we all actually slept from the time she got home. I knew she was in a safe environment, up away from the dogs, tighly fitting sheets, swaddled, on her back. Plus, when she woke up I went into her room and nursed and my husband slept because he was still working there was no point in both of us getting up. This kept our sanity. We plan on doing the same with our second. With the pacifiers I had other less rational fears. She'll be addicted until she is five! They will mess up her teeth! I will be constantly running to the sink to clean it when she chucks it across the room! It will fall out of her mouth in the middle of the night and she will scream bloody murder because she can't find it! See what I mean? New mom = not the most rational person. I researched baby bottles to death for a brand that is best and eases the transition from breast. This time around I have both feet firmly planted on the ground, realize that every baby is different and I put on my research hat to reconsider the pacifiers. Because, I can now be reasoned with and I know that I can not be this child's only source of comfort (sorry poor second baby). Also, I don't know if it was luck, or me projecting my fears on to my first born but, she is thumb sucker, which, depending who you ask is far worse that giving a pacifier, all bets are off this time around. In my quest for answers and finding the latest greatest and best in a category of baby gear where I am a complete novice. MAM pacifiers fit the bill. They pretty have an answer to all of my irrational concerns and I really don't have an argument left. "A recent independent study by Dr. Yvonne Wagner, a pediatric dentist at the Jena University Hospital (GER)* examined the effects of the MAM Perfect pacifiers on the development of the teeth and jaws. The study shows that switching from a conventional pacifier to the MAM Perfect minimized the risk of developing an open bite and an increased overbite.:" Boom! NO extra dental bills. They also just release a GLOW IN THE DARK pacifier! Now they can spot it in the middle of the night in the crib!? In my older, more experienced, rational state of mind I realize this new baby may take a pacifier, and hey, thats ok! I don't want to be caught empty handed when the time comes around so I will be keeping some on hand for a rain day. We all know "when it rains it pours." Anyways, I am sold, and I want you to be too! Head over to my Instagram to sign up to win a $30 MAM assorted gift package. Just follow the instructions on the post to enter. If you don't want to win free baby stuff, they have a sweet deal going on right now where you will receive a free pack of MAM pacifier wipes with the purchase of two MAM Perfect pacifier packs so you should definitely take advantage of that. Bonus: After you enter the Insta Giveaway, come back here and tell me what you call pacifiers in your house(nuk, paci, bow bows?) for an extra entry, please leave your @instagram handle so I know who to give the extra entry to! I received complimentary product in exchange for my honest review and to facilitate this giveaway. Please know that I will never encourage you to buy anything from a company that I don't trust or a product that I don't believe in.
xoxo We were leaving my mom’s house the other day and my sister in law says to me and my husband while our toddler is reaching her witching hour “so, what are you guys gonna do with another kid?” It was not as rude as it just sounded when I typed it. I just started laughing hysterically, like some sort of crazy person and said “I literally have no idea.”
Like, what the fuck am I gonna do with another kid. How do people deal when they tiny little loose cannons just start multiplying in their households? At least once a week when my toddler is doing something absolutely ridiculous I look at my husband and say “and then there is gonna be another one.” Like, who would just like pile chaos on top of a chaos sundae? Why? But, then today at the park she climbed into my lap on the swing and put her head on my shoulder and we swung there alone and I thought “there’s gonna be another one.” Another one to love, to snuggle, to yell at, to sing and dance with, to constantly worry about, to poop on me, to nurse, to watch grow, to laugh with, to play with, to lose my shit over and wonder if I’m screwing up at the end of the day. To protect and worry about with all of my being. Another little girl. We did that. We made that. How incredibly amazing, how fucking terrifying. Xoxo, Shauna Let's get Qurious!This is a activity box that comes with games and activities that use augmented reality on your iPad through the use of a free downloadable application. This was right up my tech loving alley! We let our daughter have access to a tablet for educational activities and just fun little games and shows. If you don't let your kids have screen time or you don't want them using devices this is not the box for you. There is a small bit of assembly in the way of cutting out the masks and attaching the elastic to them. Not a big deal at all and the hard part of cutting out the eyes and making holes for the elastic is already done for you. But, I did do this while she was asleep as well as downloading the app onto the iPad and scrolling through so that when we sat down to play I knew where to direct her, I recommending doing that if your littles are one the smaller side. My daughter's favorite part of the box was where you wore a mask, scanned your face on the iPad and it produced a little character to match the mask that would repeat everything you said. A tiny creature, mocking you is apparently hilarious. There are maps in the box that you can color before or after you go on your treasure hunt so it isn't solely based within the iPad app. She also took and interest in the cards that you scan through the camera to use for the other activities (building a story and a spaceship) and wanted to match them up and name the items on them. Everything in the box was very high quality and the colors and designs grabbed the attention of my little right away. Definitely a winner for me and I am excited to see what they came up with in their Nature Box that just came out. Sounds perfect for my little dirt magnet! Go check out the site there are offering a free Mask Play Kit right now! I was given this product for free in exchange for my honest review.
Hi there! I am Shauna Hyler, I have been a Hair Designer and Makeup Artist for 10 years at Neroli Salon and Spa, Aveda lover, and mom of one crazy two year old girl and one on the way. I am 29 weeks along now and starting to prep my hospital bag. Having been through this once I have an idea of what I used, what I wished I had, and what I could have left at home. These are some of my favorite products from Aveda, some I had with me last time and some weren’t event launched yet at the time of my first child’s birth! Take and look, you may just want to toss a couple of these essentials into your bag before you head off to meet your new addition!
The most important thing your baby will need is you. Keeping a few things close to help you feel your best can make those long days in the hospital feel more bearable.
You got this! -Shauna Well, for starters you just had a human come out of you. A HUMAN! You have given life! Now, strap on your ice diaper momma because it is about to get messy.
Do not pack anything to wear on the bottom half of body in recover besides black. Did I say grey? Did say floral pattern Etsy designed gauchos? No. Black momma. Black. I have said this before but I promise I will get a post up with what you MUST had in your hospital bag before I have this second baby! Think you are gonna be prancing your ass around your recovery room singing sweet lullabies to your sweet, shriveled new bundle like Snow White? Think again. If you had an epidural it will be several hours before you look like anything less than drunk gumby. C-section= surgery, proceed with caution. Natural birth? Your feet wont touch the ground because four muscular men will be carrying you around like the goddess beast you are. Roar momma, roar. Nursing, yes? Great, snap that uterus back into place with natural contracting, and a complete emptying of all the blood inside of your body as a reward everytime you get a good latch. You're welcome. But don't forget it is soooo good for baby. So now that you have cramped worse than your most horrifying period, lets talk about your nipples. Someone snuck in and replaced them with razor blades? Yes? No? Just stay the course and call the lactation consultant, and get some good cream! My favorite is medela, non greasy and safe for baby. It is worth it momma! My body felt similar to a night after a double work out, wearing wrist and ankle weights in 105 degree weather without a sip of water. Ok fine I have never done that but you will be sore, sore all over really. Get your rest when you can. I don't know why no one told me that I would continue to look 6 months pregnant for atleast 72 hours, and then the skin that used to cover my taught tummy will be a jello jiggler. You won't feel like you are in your own body for a quite a while, compression camisoles help and I did wear a sort of corsetty thing for a while. Not a waist trainer. I like my organs where they belong. Did I brush my teeth today?.....it's 4pm.... Whatever I haven't left the house in days I'm sure the baby doesn't mind my breath, or this outfit I have been wearing for 3 days. Do yourself a favor and stock your house with more coffee than you every thought you could drink in a lifetime. Trust me. 2 hours of sleep at a crack just ain't gonna do it. And that whole sleep when the baby sleeps thing is a totally fantasy, there is so much to be done when you have full use of both arms. Numbing spray is a must for vaginal birth. If they give you some in the hospital put it in your suitcase and ask for more. The cool mist to your undercarriage is nothing short of euphoric, especially if you have a few pesky stitches. Picture a scab healing on a knuckle....ouchie. The peri bottle is also a close personal friend of mine, I like the water about room temp, then aim and fire. I had the fortunate problem of my milk coming in fast and furious, luckily I had plenty of boobie pads on deck. Do not sleep without these puppies in your bra. Que me waking up to my husband looking confused and pointing to my soaking wet shirt and uttering "uh you have milk on your shirt" oh really? And then it dried like crispy, which bears a risk of crusting your nipple to stuck your bra. Not cool. Gimme them king size pads and keep em coming. I took all of the disposable undies from my hospital room and then some. This was all I wore for 2 weeks. Why I am gonna mess up my own undies with who knows what is coming out of me? And I don't know what you but I don't own panties that are capable of the heavy lifting that is needed for super, jumbo, extra absorbent pads, and an ice pad underneath. That is a big job. Sleep is a distant memory. Somehow, you function without it but never really know if it is day or night and it doesn't matter because baby wants to eat every 2 hours round the clock so it is all the same to you. While you are busy worrying your pretty little head about every possible thing that could happen to your precious new little mini you, don't forget to take care of yourself. Yes they need you, but you are healing too. You need to eat good real foods and hydrate. Especially if you are nursing because you are passing it to baby, but even if you aren't. You are no good to anyone if you are dead to the world, exhausted and depleted. Ask for help and accept help when it is offered. Ain't no shame in my game if people we coming over to meet baby and I needed something I asked if they could pick it up. They are offering, Venmo them the money for the wine and move on! (do you know how hard a target run is as a new nervous mom, plus that involves changing from plaid pj pants to yoga pants.) Ah, I can't wait to do it all again. Good luck momma, xoxo You Got This! Shauna |
AuthorShauna Hyler, mommy of two beautiful girls! Working, blogging, and adventuring with the hubby and my sweet girls. Categories
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