Mommy Monday: My First Month of Mommyhood

Wow! I cannot believe that it's already been a month since little Jack was born. It has been both challenging and incredible at the same time. I feel like although I spent countless hours googling what to expect and asking everyone I could what no one tells you, I was still so surprised by so much! I wanted to spend this update talking about all of the highs and the lows of my first month of mommy-hood.

Little Jack is already 10lbs 6oz and 21.25 inches long and healthy! We went to the doctor today for his one month check up and the doctor had nothing but great things to say, which for new parents is the best thing to hear. I had been really nervous about his weight since I switched from breastfeeding to pumping exclusively. This decision was really hard for me because I had so many people tell me that I just needed to keep trying and not give up on it. I even had a family member tell me that they "couldn't believe that I would be feeding from a bottle because he obviously didn't like it" (mind you this was while he was gladly eating from the bottle). When this family member told me this I immediately
questioned my decision to switch to pumping as if I was failing as a mom because I chose a different method. Then, once I really starting thinking about it I reminded myself that there isn't a "right" way to do anything with a baby and every circumstance was different. I found that instead of having Jack throw up insane amounts every time he ate that I would try pumping to slow the flow down for him so that he could get the proper amount of nutrition and it worked! Now I pump everyday about 4-5 times averaging in about 10-12oz total. This is great because he eats about 4oz every 3-4 hours and sometimes an additional 2oz about an hour after eating. I even sometimes have extra that I can freeze!  Although pumping is really time consuming because of all of the dishes that come along with pumping and bottles it has been worth it. Also, for those of you that have been reading my posts this has helped so much with my problems I had with leaking and overproduction. I can finally go out and not worry about leaking through shirts and I can even stay out longer because I can just bring a bottle with me. Freedom at last!!!! Just a side note on pumping, I have the Tommee Tippee breast pump found here and it has been fantastic! The tubing sometimes will detach if I am not paying attention but overall I love it!

Dealing with body changes has been difficult. For the record, if I could say one thing never to say to a new mom, or any woman who has just has a baby, is "stop worrying about your weight you JUST HAS A BABY!" It is so beyond frustrating! Yes, I understand that my number one priority is Jack and yes I want to focus on him but I have spent the last 9 months putting on weight that I am frankly ready to get off!!! I was in a fitting room the other day (for the record, I highly recommend avoiding all dressing rooms and shopping for at LEAST 6 weeks after having your baby unless you're super

woman and already have your body back) and I was shocked that nothing was fitting. To my surprise it wasn't fitting not because my waistline was larger but holy toledo my boobs were giant! I wasn't naive in picking out sizes but when a loose fitting size large is tight across the chest I was shocked. So leaving the dressing room I joked with my mom about how terrible of an idea it was to attempt shopping so soon and the lady working the dressing room saw Jack and looked at me with a complete serious face and said "you just had a baby..." I was so irritated (hormones--yikes!). Obviously I was aware that I just had a baby but it wasn't yesterday! I believe that if mom's are making sure that they are eating a healthy diet for breastfeeding and they want to start exercising to get back to their pre baby body-- more power to them :)

There have been a lot of hard things that no one tells you about when dealing with a newborn. For example, spit up. Before I was a mom I always thought of spit up as being a little bit of spit that would come up occasionally. I would have guessed maybe a quarter size amount. You can imagine how panicked I was when Jack had his first major spit up moment. Chad and I were convinced that he had just spit up about 5 gallons. It was all over me, the chair, the floor and about everything in arms distance it seemed like. I was so afraid that he was sick or something was wrong. When we went to his 2 week doctors appointment I told the doctor that he was spitting up HUGE amounts on a regular basis and to my surprise the doctor said it was completely normal and in fact it probably wasn't nearly as much spit up as we thought. This spit up problem was the main reason I switched to pumping and occasionally the flood gates will open but for the most part he only spits up a "normal" amount now.

Something else I wasn't prepared for was baby acne. My poor little angel was quite the pizza face for about 2 weeks. It wasn't just little bumps either. They were huge yellow zits that we had to do everything in our power not to pop. It was so sad because I felt like they had to have hurt with how big they were. We tried everything to help clear it up-- breast milk (gross I know but the all-knowing google said it would help so it was worth a shot right??) baby powder, warm washcloth on a regular basis-- everything! But, for the moms out there worried about their precious little pizza faces it goes away on it's own. Also, the doctor said that there isn't anything we can do about it and it will eventually clear up.

On a more positive note, there have also been many incredible things that have happened that I haven't expected. The precious most wonderful thing in the whole world is when your baby smiles. Although people claim that its just gas for the first month I choose not to believe them. Jack loves to smile HUGE gummy smiles in his sleep and it is the most incredible thing in the whole entire world. People aren't joking when they said that all of the screaming and crying along with the dirty diapers are worth it the second you see your sweet baby smile.

Another amazing surprise has been how much I love my little boy. I know this sounds obvious but I was really nervous about this. It seemed like when I was pregnant I would always hear other pregnant women talk about how they could just cry thinking about how much they already loved their baby and I felt like an awful person because I didn't have that experience. I talked with multiple people about how I was afraid I was going to be a terrible mom because I wasn't having these feelings like everyone else seemed to be having. But I can honestly say, I am a little over one month out and I love him more

and more every day. I don't consider myself to be an overly emotional person but I have honestly found myself feeling emotional in the middle of the night while I am feeding him because I can't believe that he is mine. When your baby is eating and looks up at you and just stares it is the most precious thing in the world.

Life in the first month of mommyhood is full of ups, downs and tons of surprises. It challenges you in ways that you never thought possible while filling your heart with love more than you've ever experienced. If I could offer any advice to a new mom it would be-- don't worry it's probably normal and don't rush through the first few weeks. I know it is hard at times but you should do your best to take in every second of it because you will never get this time back.

Weekly Update Wednesday: 3 Week Postpartum Update

Mommy's Recovery

This week has been a little all over the place as far as getting better. Although I have felt significantly better around my insicion area, I got a kidney infection! On Thursday I started feeling really cold which I blamed on the cold weather that came through. Come to find out I was running a fever. After not being able to break the fever all day I called my doctor and went in the next day. By the time I went to the doctor I was having really bad back cramps. Good news is that my doctor gave me antibiotics and I started feeling a lot better by Saturday.

Future sooner!

Body Changes

Not much has changed since last week. I lost about 2 pounds total which means I have lost 28lbs total and now I have 15lbs to go! I am anticipating that the weigh loss is going to start slowing down with the last little bit to lose but I am okay with that! I want to make sure that I am eating good for baby Jack. :)

Sleeping

Sleeping has been going really well once we can get him to fall asleep. He is sleeping a lot more during the day and sleeping completely through the night unless I wake him up. 

Eating/Feeding

Feeding is going well. I have decided to start pumping because feedings are so messy that it really restricts what we are able to do during the day. Since I have started feeling more adventurous I have really wanted to go out but haven't been able to since I can't feed in public. To my surprise, pumping has been really great! I have a tommy tippy double electric pump that works like a charm. Sometimes I will pump if I feel like my breasts are really full otherwise I just pump the side he isn't feeding on. I haven't decided whether or not I want to exclusively pump but as of right now I am still attempting both.

First restaurant adventure!

Grandpa loves Jack!

Sizes

He is still fitting in newborn onesies but they are getting tight! He is still fitting in his 0-3 months clothes.

Milestones

We had lots of milestones this week! Jack went to church for the first time and did amazing! He also went out to his first lunch experience at Texas Roadhouse where he also did great. He went through what I think was his first growth spurt where he was feeding for an hour at a time every other hour. This lasted for around 2-3 days. Another milestone that was more for mommy was that I left him for the first time with Grandpa for a quick trip to Walmart. Although I was a little nervous about it I knew he was in good hands and evidently he just slept the whole time :)

Grandma snuggle time!

Jack's Favorite Things

What seems to be Jack's all time favorite things this week is sleeping and eating! However, he has really been into his swing. The swing we have has a mobile and he really enjoys watching it.

Mommy Monday: Keeping Life Organized with my Erin Condren Life Planner

Last Wednesday I was so excited to see a beautiful box on my doorstep. It was my new Erin Condren life planner. I had been seeing friends post about these planners and I was a little skeptical. Why on earth would someone pay that much for a planner?! I didn't even feel like I had enough to write in one... oh was I wrong!

Unpacking the box was exciting alone! I am a very visual person and the attention to detail was incredible. Everything was wrapped with tissue paper and perfectly placed. I was also very surprised to find that they included some freebies (fun stickers and labels). Then, there was the planner itself. It has tons of writing space and neat details like separation of morning day and night. Also, it may just be me but the bright colors and positive quotes everywhere make me want to stay organized! Being a new mommy I had NO idea how much of a scatter brain I was going to become. When you're so consumed with timing feedings changing diapers, etc you forget about everything else it seems like.

So how do I use my planner? I love using it to write down little memories each day, almost like a scrapbook. If Jack has something big happen or just summarizing what our day looked like helps me not forget any fun details of the firsts in his life. It's also really fantastic to have a place to take little notes on any breastfeeding updates or changes. This is great because when I go into the doctor and he asks all of the questions about changes or what he's been doing I don't have to rely on my memory to think back on days. The planner is also a great way to write down my weekly goals (it has its own section each week). That way I can plan better around feeds and feel more confident that I will get everything I need to get done. For instance, it's been a huge challenge keeping the house clean. It's really frustrating because everyone says "don't worry about your house just focus on the baby"... yeah right!!! I don't know about anyone else but I am not interested in living in a house that hasn't been tended to especially with 2 labs! I'm not saying I am going to be OCD and constantly cleaning but it is nice to set small goals each day to stay on top of things.

This planner has been so great for the first week I have had it and I know for a fact it is going to be a LIFE SAVER when I go back to work. When I originally got it I anticipated that was all i would be able to fill it with was work related things but now I really feel like I am getting way more use out of it. I am amazed when I Google other bloggers use of the life planner and I feel like I am barely scratching the surface of its potential.

All I know is one thing I didn't plan for when I became a mommy was how busy I would be. You barely have time to shower so having a tool to help keep life in order has truly been fantastic. I highly recommend this planner to anyone and everyone.


If you're interested in getting an Erin Condren life planner you can use this link to receive $10 off: https://www.erincondren.com/referral/invite/aubreeshupe1209

Weekly Update Wednesday: 2 Week Postpartum Update

Mommy's Recovery

This week I have felt significantly better than week 1, although I am still pretty far from 100%. I am off all pain medications aside from the occasional ibuprofen. Just like any muscle ache, when overworked my incision hurts really bad. For instance, Chad and I decided to get out and about on Sunday. We started the day off with brunch with family, went to Target and then I went to my parents house while Chad went to the Broncos game. By the end of the evening I was barely walking. The next day I went to the doctor for my 2 week and everything checked out great! I even got the okay to drive and to finally carry Jack in his carrier... as long as my body agrees :) Overall, I am feeling really good I just have to remember that I am still recovering and not to overdo it.

Body Changes

I am happy to report that even in just a few days I have noticed a big difference in my stretch marks. They aren't gone by any means but they are definitely fading. I have just been using Palmer's Cocoa Butter lotion after the shower. It's really difficult after a c-section because at this point I am getting pretty restless to start exercising to get back in shape but it's recommended to wait until after you get approval at your six week appointment to start any type of routine. I can walk and do light lifting so that will have to do for now. This week I lost 5 pounds which means I have lost a total of 26 pounds since little Jack's birth and I have 17 pounds to go! I continue to tell myself--- it took me 9 months to put the weight on... it's not going to come off over night. My number one priority right now is Jack and making sure I am doing everything I can to make sure my milk supply is great for him so he can grow big and strong :)

Sleeping

Jack is a pretty great sleeper overall. We have our routine of trying to go to bed around 10 and then feed him around 2 and then we are up around 6:15 for another feeding (which we typically just start our day after that). There have been a few nights where he is either gassy or just fussy and the nights aren't as smooth. But typically that just means that it takes a little longer to get him to bed but once he's asleep he stays asleep good.

Eating/Feeding

Jack is still eating great. His feedings average around 7-10 minutes long and he eats around every 3 hours during the day. My milk supply is still crazy but I am thankful that I can provide enough food for him. But, in all honesty-- it will be really nice to have less of a mess every couple of hours. He is spitting up a LOT but we talked to the doc about it and he says it's totally normal. Evidently Chad was a spitty baby too :)

Sizes

Sizing hasn't changed much at all. He is still fitting in newborn onesies and his 0-3 months clothes.

Milestones

Milestones for this week include: getting back to birth weight and staying awake longer during the day!

Jack's Favorite Things

Jack is still obsessing over ceiling fans, looking at faces, his wubbanub, laying on daddy and being snuggled!

Mommy Monday: 1 Week Postpartum Update

I can't believe its already been 12 days since Baby Jack was born! I thought it would be fun to keep track of Jack and I's changes over the next few months. I will be doing a weekly update that will normally post on what I will be calling "Weekly Update Wednesday" and "Mommy Mondays" will be all things mommy! I figured since I missed the one week mark I would just use today to post last weeks updates :)

Mommy's Recovery

One week after my c-section I was still very much on pain killers. I feel like if I were to give any advice on how to recover quickest it would be take your meds!!! I've heard that a lot of people are
afraid that taking medication during breastfeeding isn't worth the effects on the baby. However, from my experience and from the instruction of my doctor this really isn't the case. I didn't notice anything in baby Jack that seemed to be related. As far as moving around, getting out of bed is by far the worst. It's amazing you don't realize how much you use your lower abs until you cut into them! I have been doing my best just to take it easy and not do a ton of activity. I definitely notice when I walk a lot, even if it's just around the house, it aches really bad. But, I am moving around and functioning pretty well considering the circumstances...not to mention I have a superstar husband who has really stepped up and helped me more than I could have ever hoped for.

Breastfeeding has been going really well overall. I was given a nipple shield in the hospital to help with his latch and it's been a miracle. However, I am convinced I produce more milk than any human on earth. I started leaking colostrum around 20 weeks of pregnancy, so I should have known it was going to be a river when my milk finally came in (which seemed to be fully in by the second day in the hospital) As thankful that I am that I am producing tons of milk, it can be really hard at times. It's really discouraging to feel like I won't be able to feed anywhere other than the comforts of my own home because of the mess it causes. I talked to my doctor about it and he said that hopefully around 6 weeks it will all level out.

Body Changes

Holy stretch marks! It's so funny I didn't have ANY stretch marks my whole pregnancy and all of a sudden within the last couple of days they all appeared. I am not super worried about them though because for one I know they will fade and if not who really cares :) 

I think if I were to tell any first time pregnant girls what to expect (with a c-section) is don't expect just because a baby is coming out that you're going to lose weight! With all of the fluids they give you in the hosptial you feel like a tick! My face was so swollen and my hands and feet were just ridiculous. When I got home I weighed and had only lost 4 pounds! Which made no sense since Baby Jack weighed over 8. But have no fear-- the water weight will come off. I would say I finally felt "unsowllen" after about 3 days at home (6 days pp).

During my pregnancy I gained a total of 43 lbs. This is what I looked like at 38 weeks pregnant, almost exactly one week before my c-section and then what I looked like 1 week postpartum. At one week I had lost about 21 lbs. I really do think this is mostly because of breastfeeding because my diet hasn't changed much at all. I also wore an abdominal binder that the hosptial gave me that helped support my incision and back and was wonderful! It's now a little too big and I have transitioned to my belly bandit (I'll talk more about on my 2 week update)  

 

Jack's Weight

When Jack was born he was 8lbs 8oz and he lost a lot of weight at the hosptial. I am pretty sure the lowest he got to was 7lbs 8z. I think this was mostly because we were trying to figure out how to deal with the latching problems I was having. But once they gave me the shield (made by Medela) it solved my problem! By one week Jack was already up to 8lbs 3oz!

 Sleeping

I feel like I am a grandma when it comes to my sleep. Before Jack, Chad and I were always in bed and asleep by 10. But, if we are being completely honest, we were in bed by 9. Now, sleep isn't that   

easy to come by. What's funny though is that it's not because we are waking up to a screaming baby like people always make it seem. He sleeps amazing but we have to wake him up to feed since we aren't supposed to let him go more than 4 hours. So the routine we've started is going to bed around 11 and waking up at 3am and then again at 7am.

Eating/Feeding

During the first week, Jack was eating about every 2 hours during the day and every 4 hours at night. In the hospital he ate probably around every 2 around the clock but once we got home he jumped into a routine really fast. He only eats for about 5-10 minutes a feeding on one side and then only about 2-3 minutes on the second. According to the doc though, he's gaining weight great! So whatever we are doing to keep doing it. 

Sizes

Jack is wearing 0-3 month clothes. He has a few onesies that claim they are 3 months but there's no way! So he can fit in a few of those.  Otherwise, it seems like just about swallows him! But, no worries he has his bronco gear that fits :)

Milestones

His umbilical cord fell off on day 6 and he had his first doctors check up on day 7. He has lots of sleeping smiles and one heck of a grunting face. He's also starting to lift his head quite a bit!

Jack's Favorite Things

Currently Jack's favorite things include: staring up towards ceiling fans, being swaddled, riding in his car seat and his wubbanub....oh and mommy and daddy of course! 

Overall, baby Jack and I are doing great! After my first full week of post c-section I can confidently say that I don't regret the decision at all. Yes, it is difficult but it isn't impossible. If I can offer any advice I would say if your doctor recommends a c-section because you or your baby could potentially be at risk-- don't be afraid! Remember good health is worth it!!!!

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My Labor Story

 Arriving at the hospital at 5:50am our hearts and minds were filled with anxiety and excitement. We got hardly any sleep the night before because all we could think about was that in a few hours we were going to meet our little bundle of joy.

 When we got to labor in delivery we picked up the phone to check in. I was so nervous! I had convinced myself that baby Jack was going to come on his own. So when we arrived at our scheduled c-section date I was scared out of my mind because I didn't know what to expect!

 Once the nurse called my name we went back to triage to get prepped for surgery. They checked all of my vitals and checked in on the baby and everything looked great! This is also where I got my IV, which all I can say about that is OUCH!

Finally, around 7:30am I went back to the operating room. This was kind of bizarre because they had me walk back to my own surgery. Chad had to wait behind and get in his scrubs. Once we got into the room I got in position to get my spinal block. Everyone had told me that this was the worst part but honestly it didn't hurt at all! I thought the IV hurt way worse.  The nurse told me I would probably get nauseated from it and to just let her know. It only took a few seconds for it to kick in and boy oh boy was that nurse right! I got sick almost immediately (but at least I didn't throw up!) She gave me something to help with it and it helped tremendously. By that point Chad was able to come in scrubs and all and before we both knew it surgery was well on its way! So many people tell you that you can feel tugging and pressure and they were right! It was the strangest feeling having your whole body moved but not actually feeling them move it. It only took about 7 minutes for our little baby Jack to be born at exactly 8am! They wisked him over and we were able to have our first moments with him. 

 Baby Jack was 8 pounds 8 oz and perfect! Honestly, I felt bad because prior to this experience I wasn't sure if I was just insensitive or what but I felt like theres no way I would cry or get emotional in this whole experience. However, the second I saw my sweet little boy tears instantly fell from my eyes because I couldn't believe that God chose me to be this incredible boys mommy.

 It's been one week since little Jack was born and we are loving every second of being parents. Sure, we don't sleep much anymore and our lives have changed so much but it has been worth every ache and every pain. I can't wait to see what's to come :)