Life: Week 2 {Photojournal}
| May 21, 2012 | Posted by Misty under The Pregnant Weeks & LIFE After |
“I think, at a child’s birth, if a mother could ask a fairy godmother to endow it with the most useful gift, that gift should be curiosity.”
-Eleanor Roosevelt
9 days old
9 days old, by the pool
9 days old, a safe place to rest
10 days old
11 days old
11 days old. LOVE THIS FACE!
13 days old. pretty little outfit
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Postpartum Gear {Mommy Edition}
| May 20, 2012 | Posted by Misty under The Pregnant Weeks & LIFE After, Uncategorized |
I always said that I didn’t fear so much giving birth to my baby girl, but more so the moments and days that would follow. I was right. I went into this experience with the understanding that I would somehow be pushing a child out of my body with the help of my husband and some experienced doctors. Dominic and I went to a birthing class together and so we knew, to some extent, the order of events to come leading us into official parenthood. I knew that for a set amount of hours, I would have to endure a certain amount of pain until the time came to push like I’ve never pushed before. And then…sweet release. It would be over.
Wrong. That’s just an interlude, a small break following the long 9 months of pregnancy leading me into weeks of more pain…a new pain. I’ve heard people say that the joy and happiness of finally holding and having your baby makes you forget about all the pain. I’m sorry, but how many pain pills were ya on to be saying something like that? Ok, the pain did disappear once I popped Mia out, but I had a lovely Epidural drip flowing through my body. Once that wore off…OUCH. Next up…Vicodin, please! My nurse was my new best friend. She was the one with the pills. I got a prescription for them, too, and was taking them for the whole first week at home. TIP: While taking Vicodin at home, be careful not to overexert yourself. Just because the pills numb the pain (temporarily), it doesn’t mean you won’t be feeling pain big time once it wears off! Even if you’re feeling good…take it easy!
Ok, so not only did I get to take home some very much needed pain pills, I also brought home all of this…
1. The mother of all “granny panties”! These mesh underpants were given to me, courtesy of the hospital. They need to be this giant to fit the…
2. GIANT feminine pad! This bad boy wraps from practically your bellybutton to the top of your bum crack! This pad needs to be giant to hold the…
3. Not 1, but TWO large pads. Yes, they sat side-by-side on top of pad #2, there. It would have been so much easier to wear an actual diaper! Why must you wear GIANT panties that hold a GIANT pad, which holds 2 more large pads? There’s heavy bleeding after giving birth. For me, it was the heaviest in the hospital for 2 days. In fact, the nurse will occasionally press down on your stomach to squeeze more blood out of ya. That doesn’t feel good, btw.
4. THICK store-bought pads. I wore these every day and night for 2 1/2 weeks. I can now wear a much thinner one. I’m not really sure how long the bleeding will last, but make sure you come home from the hospital to a nice sized stash of these.
1. “Hemorrhoidal Hygiene Pads“. These are the same as Tuck’s Pads. Did you know that your rear end might explode during all the intense baby pushing!? I knew. And mine did. I don’t know if it will ever be the same again. 3 weeks later, I’m still having issues and pain there. These pads are to help soothe and relieve any pain and burning. I was terrified of my first poop after birth. It happened a day or 2 after I got home from the hospital. When I felt nature calling, my heart sank and the tears came pouring down. I cried the whole way to the bathroom, and for the whole 20 minutes I sat on the toilet, and for about 20 minutes afterwards while I laid on my bed with a wet, hot towel in between my legs. OUCH!!! That traumatic experience hurt more than pushing out my child. TIP: Take stool softeners religiously….days before birth and continue them after birth. Not only does it hurt to push, but things can get…stuck. This was so stressful…you don’t know whether or not to keep at it or to put it into reverse! I had to reverse and try it again the next day. It’s been 3 weeks since birth and I still fear the dreaded #2.
2. Cleansing Bottle. When you have to pee, you can’t wipe down there for a few days or so. The area is very sensitive and the stitches (which I have from the doc needing to cut me to fit my kid’s big head out) are still fresh. I had to fill this bottle with warm/hot water and squirt it all over from front to back, to cleanse the area. Then, you can use toilet paper to lightly dab the area and pat it dry.
3. Breast pads. These pads go into your nursing bra and protect your clothes from being leaked on by your milk-dripping, rock hard (when engorged), big boobs! I thought it would be cool to have bigger boobs, but it’s not cool at all. When the milk starts coming in, your boobs get really heavy and you can’t lay on them or press on them because they’re sore and you might squeeze some milk out while doing so. Oh, and if you don’t pump and/or feed equally between both boobs, they’ll be lop-sided.
4. Medela Tender Care Lanolin. If you’re breastfeeding, this ointment greatly helps to soothe sore nipples! I’ve been trying to breastfeed and pump and this little gem has saved my nipples from bleeding or cracking. I like this particular product/brand because it’s not as thick and sticky as others I’ve tried.
5. Dermoplast: Pain Relieving Spray. Shake the can and spray it “down there” a few times to help ease some of the swollen lady parts and stitches pain. This is used after the area has been patted dry after potty time and the last thing you do before pulling up your giant mesh granny panties.
Now…doesn’t all of that sound like so much fun?! Not only is mommy in pain for a few weeks after birth, but there’s so much of this kind of “maintenance” and care that has to be done in between all of the baby feedings, bottle cleaning, burping, rocking, screaming, and the rest of your day to day activities….all while being sleep deprived and facing certain degrees of postpartum depression due to the crazy hormones that can take over your body and mind! I cried everyday for about 2 weeks and felt pretty miserable at times. This new reality is completely overwhelming, especially in the beginning. Don’t be afraid to ask for help…you’re gonna need it. My husband has been there to hold me when I cry and listen to my complaints and to help make my life as easy as he possibly can. His support has been HUGE in helping me get through such a tough time. My mother has also been over at my house practically every other day, helping me with cleaning, making dinners and lunches for me, and watching the baby while I shower, eat or use the bathroom. She also brings me supplies and things I need and/or want. Her support has been HUGE in helping me get through such a tough time. I’m lucky to have so much help, I don’t know what shape I’d be in without them.
Mothers endure a great deal of physical and mental suffering, and many endure this by choice! Why would any woman in their right mind choose to go through all of this? I now know why. My reason is right here…
Mia, 10 days old
The joy and happiness that fills my heart when I hold this little miracle definitely doesn’t make me forget about the pain or numb it in any way. Oh, I still feel it. I’d say, she just makes it all worth it.
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Life: Week 1
| May 12, 2012 | Posted by Misty under The Pregnant Weeks & LIFE After, Uncategorized |
Holy smokes! It’s been 16 days since I’ve posted…anything. Dominic chimed in a few times to let you know we’re ALIVE…thanks, hun 
This baby-makin’ stuff is nothing less than a full-time job! Duh, we’ve all heard that expression and it should come as no surprise that it’s true…but you don’t actually realize how true it is until you’re employee to the infant. I answer to a new boss now, and she’s demanding. I’ve made so many attempts to create a post and give ya’ll an update, but every time I’ve tried…something has interrupted me. In fact, after typing that sentence I had to get up to attend to a few different “chores”. What are those interruptions, you might ask? Stay tuned for a special Mommy Edition on how week 1 has been for me. It hasn’t been pretty.
Here, we focus our attention on little miss Mia Rose. I can’t believe that she’s already 15 days old! I’m only highlighting her first week in this post, so what I meant was…Oh wow, I can’t believe she’s only “7 days old”! What has this little piglet been up to?
- Can I just say that I think my baby is the cutest little baby girl I’ve ever seen?! All moms say that about their kids, and I’m no different. I love her face and I can’t stop kissing it. I love her smell and I can’t stop breathing her in. I melt when she squeezes my fingers and when she nuzzles into my neck when I hold her. Dominic was gawking over her the other night and says to me, “Hun, I hate to tell you this but I’m in love with another girl.” Yup, ditto.
- Mia spent her first day in the world in the hospital with me, lookin’ cute as can be (her, not me) and pudgy (both of us) for visitors, being held and admired by friends and family, and of course, by daddy and me. It was this day that daddy and I discovered Mia’s powerful set of lungs. This baby can screech! I apologize to our hospital room neighbors for her LOUD cries and screams. I had a fairly easy pregnancy, so we had a feeling our luck wouldn’t go much further. We knew that we would have a boisterous baby. Grandma says Mia will be a singer some day.
Daddy and his 1 day old baby girl
Day old Mia
- 2nd day in the hospital: more holding and gazing by more visitors, more feeding attempts, and more creepy staring from mommy. At 5:30pm, we were discharged…we could go home.
2 days old. Soul mates do exist
Bringing our 2 day old HOME
- Mia was born on Friday, April 27th…she pooped inside me (ew) and right after birth. She didn’t poop again until Tuesday, May 1! We were totally worried that there was something wrong with her and that maybe she’s so fussy because of gas and/or constipation. She farts ALL THE TIME, too. We were advised by her pediatrician to give her some formula to help her go. We did so on Monday, and relief came the next day. She still isn’t regular. She skips a day or 2 before her next poopy. Does anyone else have a similar experience or any tips on helping a gassy, irregular baby?
3 day old sleeping beauty
- We started giving Mia soy formula, which was advised by my mom. Apparently, I was allergic to regular formula as a baby and my mom resorted to soy and even goat’s milk. I was the fussiest baby and it took a while for her to figure out the problem. Once she did, I was so much happier. Not sure if it did the trick with Mia, because she’s still fussy (but not as much). We’re willing to try anything.
- Mia has been most irritable in the wee hours of the night. A few days after we brought her home, she let us have it at 1:45am (after only sleeping for an hour). In between a feeding, a diaper change, and lots of “soothing” and rocking and bouncing and “sshhh’s” between Dominic and I, she just cried and screamed! I felt so helpless because I couldn’t calm my baby. She was so unhappy, it broke my heart. She finally fell asleep around 4:15am.
- Mia made her first public appearance at my work. It’s literally down the street from her pediatrician’s office so we decided to make a surprise visit to show her off. Luckily, the car ride put her to sleep and she stayed that way during our whole visit to both campuses. Everyone was excited to see her, especially after seeing my growing belly everyday from conception until I went on maternity leave. The final product was sitting right there on my art table on display
5 day old Mia's first day out
- My favorite “Mia moments” are when she’s just waking up from a nap. She stretches her arms above her head, she stretches out her entire body down to her pointed toes, and she makes about 15 different faces until she’s fully awake. She wrinkles her nose, grins, frowns, raises her eyebrows, flutters her eyes, yawns, makes an “I’m about to scream” face…and more. It’s so dang cute and always makes me laugh. I’ve got to video tape it
She's yawning...imagine when she actually screams
- Mia had her first appointment with the pediatrician at 5 days old. This was our first time taking her out of the house and my first time trying to “plan ahead”, waking up early enough to get ourselves ready and Mia fed and ready. Ha…that was a joke. We were running around the house trying to get her diaper bag in check and it took longer than I had expected to get her to eat. We were 30 minutes late to the appointment. Can you spot the first-time parents in the waiting room? Yes, that’s them rushing in with wet hair and a flustered look. Anyways, Mia had only lost 3 oz, which was good. Everything checked out great. The pediatrician recommended we give her a few drops of a gas relief medicine called Little Tummies when she gets really fussy. Right as we were about to leave the room, Mia made a nice big poop…and then cried until we got to the car.
Daddy and his 5 day old
- My mom and I gave Mia her first bath. This is pretty tricky to do in the early days because her umbilical cord hasn’t completely fallen off yet and you can’t get it wet. We had to sponge bathe her and she fussed through the whole thing, probably because she was cold and couldn’t be submersed in the warm water.
5 days old = first bath time
- I expected to have a baby that would just be chill and relaxed during the day. If she’d been changed, fed, burped and kept either cool/warm, then she should be a peaceful and wide-eyed baby and content to just lay in her play yard or in our arms, right? Wrong. During the first week, she would cry and wiggle and squirm in between most of the things I just listed. Either that, or she just slept. I didn’t get many enjoyable moments with her that I had anticipated
6 days old
- Feedings were a bit difficult. She would fall asleep about 5 minutes in. Either that, or she’d take many breaks between a few “sucks”. I’d have no idea how much she was actually getting in (since we were breast feeding). Not enough food could be another reason explaining why she’s been so fussy during the day. Hunger.
Good morning, week old baby girl!
- Infants are supposed to feed every 2-3 hours, on demand. That means, whenever they seem hungry. She’s supposed to get 2 ounces of formula or breast milk at every feeding, if she’s getting fed 10 times a day…which is what we’ve averaged. I read online that a rule of thumb in figuring out how much to feed is to take your baby’s weight (Mia is 8 lbs) and multiply that by 2.5 ounces. This gives you the total amount of ounces to feed her in a day (20 ounces for Mia).
One week old
- At first, your breasts produce colostrum in the smallest amount, not milk. This is super healthy for your baby to consume and for us, it was really important to make sure she got it. As the days went on, if she was still hungry after feeding from the breast, we’d give her a little formula to satisfy her hunger.
One week old
One week old. She's already changed so much!
- Product recommendations: I love the Boppy! I’ve used it with each feeding because it puts her at the perfect level to reach the boob. It’s also great at giving my arms a break from holding her up when I just want to sit on the couch and cradle her. Another product that I think is great to have is a wipes warmer. I saw one of these when I was trying to decide what to put on my baby registry but thought it sounded pretty silly and more like a trendy item rather than a useful one. Mia is so much more calm during her diaper changes because her already cold little tushy gets all heated up by a warm, wet wipe. I used a cold one on her once and she hated it. I would, too! We received a warmer as a gift and I think every mom should have one. Also, a separate drying rack made specifically for holding bottles after washing them has been very convenient for us. The little parts that go to the bottles and also to the hand pump and electric pump get lost in the rack with all of our regular dishes. Another product that has been a life saver is a pain relief cream or ointment (natural) to rub on your nipples after breast feeding. Breast feeding has been painful, but I haven’t cracked or bled because I’ve used this stuff faithfully. I have 2 different kinds and prefer Medela’s Tender Care Lanolin. It’s not as thick and sticky as the other stuff I have.
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Craving a new post?
| April 30, 2012 | Posted by Dominic under "Hijacked" |
Hello everyone, I am sorry it has been a few days since we gave you a worth while post. Momma is still recuperating and baby Mia is getting adjusted to her new house and lets face it, I cant write a story half as good as Misty can so I will spare your time.
Here are a few pictures of the last couple of days.
Sorry but these are raw pictures… unedited, uncut.
- Priceless!!
- Proud Grandparents!!
- Snug as a bug
- We made it home!!
- I love my Daddy
- Im hungry
I hope this will help with your baby fix… Misty I’m sure will give a much more detailed post soon. Thanks for reading and voting. Please comment and don’t forget to “like” this post.
Fifth day??
| April 28, 2012 | Posted by Dominic under "Hijacked", Uncategorized |
Sorry we deprived you of a post yesterday. We check into the hospital around 8:15a.m. Long story short, misty gave birth at 10:55 pm to our 8lb. 4oz. 21″ beautiful healthy baby girl. Misty is healing and we all get to go home tomorrow afternoon.
Once we get home and settled down misty will write up a birth story and update you all with the last few days adventures, Dr. Visit, Roxi getting checked back into ASG and Fridays adventure. Thank you all for reading and check back soon.
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