happy wednesday! in case you missed last weeks post, i’m doing a weekly series for the near future on the fourth trimester [read more on what that entails here]. i think it’s something that isn’t really thought of/talked about, and as a new mom now, i’ve [twice!] been looking for more info on “what other experiences did new moms have?” and wanted to provide my own. again, it’s my experience, but i know that it helps to hear what other people are going through.
physically: i’m feeling better every day. i’ve since pretty much weaned myself off of the tylenol/motrin regimen i was on, only taking it when the incision + underlying areas really hurt. i declined to take any pain meds for personal reasons with both c-sections, and while everyone has different pain tolerances, take it from someone who has a very low pain tolerance, it’s totally do-able! that being said, to each her own 🙂 i’ve been out on a few walks, and it is crazy how fast i have slowed down since giving birth. it’ll be a while before i’m up to my normal pace again, but i am planning on walking a 5k with one or both kids later this summer. i haven’t lost much more weight, which makes sense, since my appetite is OUT OF CONTROL. it is a combination of nursing hanger, lack of sleep, and the fact that my stomach is no longer squished, so i can fit so much more in it. i’m doing my best to keep healthy snacks on hand, but then m&ms came out with a hazelnut filled one, so … balance, right? 🙂
breastfeeding: i’ve been nursing cole ALMOST exclusively, but we did give him a bottle once he hit two weeks old. i had joey do it while i was gone, and it sounds like it was successful. i’m lucky that both my kids have been easy to nurse/take bottles, so i’m very thankful for that. i also have been pumping half a bag per day [give or take a couple days] so i can keep building up my freezer stash. i’d love to start adding another pumping session into the day, but considering how much he’s eating that’ll likely have to wait a week or two.
sleeping: i think i own every baby sleep apparatus with the exception of the snoo at this point, so expect a review on all the sleepsacks/swaddles at some point [i just CANNOT with the snoo’s price point and the cost per use being so high. i’ll tough it out for now!]. cole’s a chill baby, so even if he’s not sleeping at night, he’s usually not screaming his head off, and just awake. i really can’t complain. not to mention i have the opportunity to take an ‘early morning’ nap [i’ll get up around 5/6, feed him, and sleep again until 8/9 sometimes. not always, but the days i am able to, it’s really nice].
emotionally/mentally: i really underestimate how amazing the sunshine is for the psyche. if anything, i feel like i identify more with SADD this post-partum period than anything. i mentioned DMER last time, and thankfully that has drastically decreased. we try to stay busy and get out of the house everyday, which usually results in a target trip – ha! i was worried about not finding all kinds of cool target finds for my tarzhay thursday posts, but if anything being on maternity leave has given me more time to find cool new arrivals + awesome sale items.
i will say that i do start to dread the evening sometimes. i remember that with logan, too — i know i’m going to be getting broken sleep, and the thought of that causes as much anxiety as the actual broken sleep does. i’m working on just accepting and appreciating the fact that i don’t have to get up at a certain time or be super functional during the day, and that helps significantly.
overall, i will say that having this blog to continue to pour my creative energy into + having taken up cooking since having logan has given me a lot more to do with my day. v, v thankful for this little outlet i have!
thanks a million for reading! i appreciate each and every one of you 🙂