Long time no talk, and I am sorry… I had huge aspirations that I would be able to maintain 2-3 blogs a week with a newborn, and that was just CRAZY talk. So on that note… I wanted to share what I have learned in the last 15 weeks about being a mom and life with a newborn.
I have learned SO much in the last 15 weeks. Life with a newborn can be hectic, sleepless and crazy, but is by far the MOST rewarding thing I could ever, EVER imagine. I am hoping that this post will help any new mothers out there get through those first three months with a bit more ease and assurance. 1) Breast feeding is by far the number one hardest thing I have ever tried to do in my entire life. If you decide that you want to breast feed your baby, bottle feed with your breast milk or use formula, this choice is yours and yours alone. Always remember that a fed baby is a happy/healthy baby. This decision needs to be yours, and yours only. I decided to breast feed Hudson, and I still am, so I am going to speak to breast feeding right now. You will get discouraged. You will be in pain at some point or another. I dealt with milk coming in to fast and engorgement, which led to mastitis (hello 105 degree fever = dying). You will have moments where you cant get your baby to latch and you want to cry. You will have weeks where you feel like the only thing you can get done is feed your baby, 24/7. BUT, you will make small progress day by day and it will get better. I am here to PROMISE you that it gets better. Hudson and I are 15 weeks into breastfeeding and we can basically do it anywhere, any position, in the middle of the night with no lights on or in the back seat of a crammed Tacoma. You will want to focus on getting the correct latch early on. That is what is most important. I can’t recommend enough talking with a lactation consultant while you are at the hospital. I had a few LC help me during my stay at the hospital and it was HUGE. After we got home, I went back to speak with the same LC at the hospital a few times to make sure we were on track. It was super helpful. 2) Sleeping is a thing of the past. And those words are coming from a VERY fortunate mama who has a baby that has slept through the night since we got home. (Except I had to wake him to feed every 3 hours for the first 8 weeks) I honestly think he slept so well because he is a big baby, 9 lbs. 9 oz. at birth. But, regardless I am here to tell you that sleeping a sound 8 hours at night is a thing of the past. So just own it. Get ready for it and certainly sleep while you can! Even when I was given the go ahead to let Hudson sleep through the night, I needed to get up to pump milk in order to avoid engorgement. If I am not up pumping, I am still half sleeping as I always have an ear listening for the little guy. I think its just mothers instinct. 3) Schedules are a lifesaver! I have to say, I found that introducing a schedule as soon as I could was a huge help. I had people tell me that you couldn’t possibly get a newborn on a schedule and I am here to tell you that, that is not the case. Sure, there is going to be fluctuations due to cluster feeding and growth spurts, but you can still get a good “idea” of a schedule down. Hudson is now soooo on schedule that my Husband and Mother laugh at how regimented he is (just like his mother ;-)) Here is a quick overview at what our schedule looks like… 7 am Wake & feed 7:30-8:30 am Play 8:30 am Nap time 10 am He wakes up and I feed him 10:30- 12 pm Play 12 Feed 12:30 Nap 2:30-3 pm Hudson wakes up and I feed him 3-5pm Play 5pm Last nap, this one I keep short - 45mins (some days he doesnt take this nap) 6pm Feed 7:30 Bath time followed by 3-5 minute infant massage 8 pm Bottle and book 8:30pm Bed time 4) Exercising! Getting out of the house can seem like SUCH a task , but I have to tell you… if you can get into a routine of bundling the baby up and going for an afternoon walk, or doing a 30 minute workout during the baby’s nap time in the morning, it will make you feel so much better. Being a mom is HARD work. You are taking care of every one elses needs all the time and it is easy to lose sight of yourself and your needs. When I got cleared to exercise (at 6 weeks) I was still dealing with post partum sciatic pain, so I really didn’t get a chance to start exercising till 10 weeks or so. I started with walks and working my way up to running and 30 minute weight circuits where I do a lot of plyometrics and light weight, high reps. That’s just what feels good for my body, and I refuse to do anything that doesn’t make me feel good at this point in time. 5) You are blessed. This is such a total gift. Before I became a mom, I never knew how life changing it would really be. It is such an incredible blessing and I am thankful for Hudson every single day. To wake up to his precious smile and go to sleep with the sounds of his tiny snores, I am so blessed and so are you! Don’t lose sight of that. The laundry might be piling up and the house may be a mess, but honestly… in the realm of what is REALLY important, you have Gods' greatest gift in your arms and you are totally blessed.
1 Comment
Susie Dow
7/25/2018 04:58:55 pm
Well said Kat. We are so proud of you!
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