happy friday friends! the last installment of my faq’s is around being a mom, pregnancy, and parenting. i don’t share as much about motherhood on my blog as some might think, partially because i’m very inspired by style and wellness, and partially because i don’t necessarily think i have advice to offer that isn’t already out there. basically, i feel barely qualified to care for the two greatest gifts that i have 🙂
anyways, i did want to share some of the questions i have received repeatedly during both of my pregnancies + post-pregnancy as well as some parenting questions i get.
how were your pregnancies?
my pregnancy with logan was great – barely ever sick, and really just hungry for carbs all the time. my biggest complaint was that my ribs popped out of place. random, but totally manageable. my pregnancy with cole was a little less … well, great. i was sick with him and had back pain pretty consistently. it’s so funny because you forget, but the minute you deliver those babies all the pregnancy symptoms go away.
product recos for newborns and new moms?
i wrote a whole post on it here and here as well as everything you need for c-section recovery here.
parenting philosophies?
“surviving, occasionally thriving.” no, but seriously. most days i feel like i’m just keeping my head above water. i also do my best not to judge other families for what they do. i’m not perfect, but i’ve found that being a parent is one of the most humbling experiences; we are all just trying our best. if that means i’m slinging pouches and hippeas at her for dinner while feeding cole a bottle of formula, so be it.
thoughts on breastfeeding/nursing?
with logan, i was DEAD SET on nursing for a year. i made it 10.5 months, and beat myself up about it. with cole, i didn’t have a goal, and because i went easier on myself, we supplemented with formula after 4 months. i’m still nursing, but adding formula in has taken the pressure to pump all the time off. it’s much more relaxed and i’m able to be a better mom instead of being constantly worried about when i’m going to pump next. fed is indeed best!
how did you lose the baby weight?
honestly, i never lost 100% of it with logan, and i’m still not back to where i was pre-cole, either. and my body will NEVER be the same after those two pregnancies. and you know what? that’s alright. i’m getting there, and more importantly, i’m staying healthy so i can be there for my family. honestly, though, i want to fit into some of my favorite clothes, so that’s also a motivator to get back to at least close to where i was pre-kid.
you opted for a second c-section – why?
honestly, my doctor recommended it. logan was a big baby and didn’t end up being born naturally, and with all of that, my doc recommended another c-section. she’s the expert, and i’m glad i trusted her, because cole was breech and had the cord wrapped around his neck. we avoided what could have been a v traumatic delivery and instead had a beautiful birthday for cole. i also knew what to expect with the recovery, and let me tell you — a planned c-section is a MUCH better recovery than laboring and having it end in a c-section.
are you guys going to have more kids?
ask us in a few years! i’m definitely not saying no … my kids are amazing and while if we had a fussy second baby i might have been done at two, cole has been a dream baby and logan is SO MUCH FUN. they are just so cool, and i love that i’ve been lucky enough to literally build my own home team. will that team expand? who knows, but don’t rule it out! 🙂