Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Postpartum Ponderings and Pointers

An extremely random and rambling post on all things Postpartum!
  • Its amazing how quickly all that pain goes away - as in like immediately. Literally, no recoving. Placenta delivery=return to normalcy!
  • As quickly as the physical pain ceases, your memories of said pain do not. Am I the only one who still has nightmares, 3 months out from the delivery. I wish I was kidding. 
  • I am sure the fact that I only had a 6 hour labor to deliver a 5 lb baby has something to do with this, but I had very little discomfort of any kind in the days and weeks following Ellie's delivery. I took motrin every few hours for about a week, and that was it. Tore up my narcotic script as soon as I got home.
  • You know that "Pain Scale, 0-10?" Well, what was once a 10 before, becomes a -2 after natural childbirth.
  • This has the tendency in some ways to make you less then sympathetic for husbands those with minor aches and ailments.
  • Who knew you sweat like a pig during the night those first few weeks. I don't think my internal thermal dynamics changed much at all during pregnancy... they definitely did post-baby. Like sweat through every piece of clothing you are wearing; putting on sports strength deoderant after brushing your teeth for bed; and possibly requiring pj changes after the 3 am feedings
  • I find it beyond incredible how quickly your body changes after the baby is born. You walk into the hospital looking like you have giant beach ball having been blown up in your abdomen, and leave looking like you just ate quite a bit too much over the holidays.
  • You feel somewhat schizophrenic in regard to your new body - one second you feel great about how quickly you are returning to your previous body, only to put on a prebaby pair of pants and realize how far you have yet to go... and may never return.
  • Those first 6 weeks you feel a major confidence boost - you have obtained some serious new assets up top, while losing weight more rapidly then you ever have before. Then you step on the scale at your 6 week pp appointment, and realize just how far you still have to go.
  • No one told me that during the first few showers you take after delivery, when the water hits your newly vacated abdomen, it reminds you of the sounds of water hitting the beach ball your dad was rinsing off at the beach shower when leaving the beach of the day. Disconcerting to say the least. My advise, keep your back to the water streams those first few days.
  • Don't buy many nursing bra's before delivery. The girls are going to undergo a massive transformation during the next month. What works one day, won't work for weeks to come. Get one regular nursing bra and one or two sleep-nursing bra. Add on as you go.
  • I wish I had only purchased one nursing cami. After postpartum week 1 or 2, they were way too big around the middle. I wish I had found these make your own nursing cami's earlier. Genius!
  • If you thought shopping for your maternity wardrobe was challenging, just think of it as preparation for nursing wardrobe H-E-Double Hockey Sticks! Ugh... especially heading into summer.
  • Speaking of heading into summer, while it was great not having to deal with physical discomforts of being big and pregnant during the summer, I think I would now choose that over having to display your new "postpartal"body to the world in the spring. Its good for the pride I guess?!
  • I was told to sleep when my baby slept. It definitely didn't happen! I wanted to look at her all the time.  And hold her. Plus, my adrenaline was going like crazy! Even a few weeks ago, I was still finding it difficult to take naps... unless someone else was at home with me. I never feel like I am anxious about keeping an eye on Ellie... must be some subconscious underlying vigilance. If my mom shows up, I fall asleep almost immediately!:) 
  • Video monitors are life savers, unless you don't have them mounted up on a shelf above the crib, allowing you to see the length and width of the crib. And your daughter starts getting mobile in her sleep. When that combination happens, you wake up to a screen displaying an apparently empty crib, causing you and your hubs to race into her room, with thoughts of abduction swirling in your head. Only to find your baby still swaddled and sound asleep at the foot of her crib.
  • Don't go out and buy a whole new wardrobe for your post baby body. Give your body some time. Jeggings were my pant lifesavers. I also bought 4 mens long sleeve t-shirts. Jeggings, t-shirts, cardigans, and a pair of cute boots can almost make you look normal.
  • From the moment Ellie came out I have craved processed simple sugars - empty calorie packed junk. I never liked junk before!?! During my pregnancy, some fruits were even too sweet for me.
  • Why on earth am I craving chocolate, and mainly chocolate chips. And don't say its cause I am female - I don't like chocolate!!!
  • Keep your camera handy all the time. Random moments are often the best to capture.
  • Capture simple, every day activities with your camera. They have become some of my favorite pictures.
  • Talk to other moms about their experiences with newborns. This assures you that you are not an alien exploring a new planet.
  • Don't let other mom's experiences leave you feeling inadequate either.
  • And finally, take lots of time to just sit and watch your baby's eyelashes grow.

Babies grow up too darn fast!

2 comments:

  1. Thanks for sharing this. I'm 3 weeks pp and agree with several of these points.

    So glad I'm not the only one!!

    Your daughter is adorable.

    ReplyDelete