growing and growing

Story had her one month appointment at the pediatrician's today and it went wonderfully. She has yet again grown WAY more than either Tim or I could have guessed. Within the past week, she has put on a whopping 10 ounces and has grown two inches (though I think, in all honesty, that those two inches occurred over time.) But seriously, it's amazing that she went from barely gaining weight to packing on the ounces. Good job, daughter!

She's also started making little cooing and "uhn" noises, which is just the sweetest and cutest thing to behold. It's just so damned cool how she seems to do something new and different every day. I have to admit that I'm a bit sad to think that I'm going to miss so much when I go back to work. Tim is already sad in advance when he thinks of what he'll miss when he goes back to work in a week. I wish we had tons of money so we could both stay home and just bask in her awesomeness... oh well.

Best and Worst

There's a lot of crap that they market to moms out there, most of which is utterly useless. I have to admit that I fell into the new-mom trap of buying some gimmick items that I totally didn't need. I also was given some awesome stuff that I never even thought to ask for. So, I'm listing my best and worst mom items in this thread for the benefit of my mom-friends out there (and I've decided to keep this thread posted in the lefthand navigator bar for future updates.)

BEST

Born Free Bottles- These are the only bottles Story will use at this point (1 month old.) They are just the right size for her and the nipples give just the right amount of suction. I introduced these bottles at three weeks to give her some supplemental milk and they haven't interfered with breastfeeding that much. I notice a small difference, but nothing major. And I think this is because, unlike a couple of the other bottle types we bought, these look the most like real nipples. And I love the fact that they're BPA free and so sturdy.


Gillian O'Malley Nursing Sleep Bra- When I first bought this, I missed the "sleep bra" portion of the description. I literally picked it up in a frantic dash to Target after we brought Story home because I kept putting off buying nursing bras. When I got to Target, this was the only one they had in my size and I was desperate. So, after using it a few times, I was hating on it because it was so lacking in the support category and it made me look like Mrs. Ugly Saggyboobs. However, when I went to hate on it and checked it out on Target's site, I realized it's a sleep bra. Huh. Well then I love it, because it's so comfy and just perfect for sleeping. And yeah, if you're anything like me, you'll need a bra for sleeping. It helps contain the leaks and makes life much more comfy.

Itzbeen- My friend Casey got us one of these and it's amazingly useful. Though it seems so simple in its construct, it's brilliant. It times when you last changed the baby, fed the baby, how long the baby has been sleeping. It's been especially great for timing breastfeeding.

Kiddopatamus Swaddle Me Blanket- I LOVE THIS THING. LOVE LOVE LOVE. A wonderful coworker bought this for me and it's like solid gold. Swaddling correctly can be such a pain with regular blankets, but this one is so simple. Just tuck the baby in, wrap the two velcro flaps around em and you're done. It's so soft and the velcro is really strong, it's definitely worth way more than ten bucks! Plus, I'm a sucker for the bear velcro clasps.

Medela Freestyle Breast Pump- I haven't really ever used another pump to compare it to, so I can't say this one is better than any other. But I can say that this pump does a wonderful job, is fairly comfortable and allows me to walk around and do stuff, if I feel like it. It's relatively quiet (though I still feel like the motor sounds like it's saying, "Mooo, mooo, mooo...") and has these awesome attachments that fit my nursing bras to keep the pumps in place. Plus, it comes in a nifty bag that I use to cart it around in when we go visiting places so I can still pump regularly.
Pack n Play/Playard- I totally thought these were useless, but they have been such a lifesaver. Especially for those of you with multi-level homes or who spend time in your backyard gardening, bbqing or just hanging out a lot, these are a must-have. It's so convenient to have a combo changing table, playard and bassinet.

Target Nursing Tanks- I can't believe that a tank this cheap is this good. I bought a Bravado tank (see below) and, while it's nice and supportive, it SUCKS as far as ease of use goes. It kind of blows my mind that the "cheapo" tanks I bought at target, literally less than half the price of the Bravado tanks, are just as comfy and are WAY more convenient to use. These tanks are cute, nice and long in the torso and can be opened and closed with one hand, in seconds flat. They also aren't too thick material wise, so they don't ride up as easily. And for the price, I could get them in multiple colors without breaking my budget.

LovelyDuds baby wrap- We have every kind of carrier possible: baby bjorn, sling and then this thing, which is basically one long piece of fabric. And I love them all for their different uses, but this one is definitely my favorite. It keeps Story nice and close and is totally easy to use. Not to mention, it looks pretty on and can grow with her.

Zippered Sleep n Plays- These are literally the best articles of baby clothing ever. They're cheap, cute and so easy to get our girl in and out of. They cover all the basic needs- ease of use, warmth, cuteness and affordability. I LOVE THEM. I started off using a lot of the snappy onesies that were given to us, then, after getting a few of these from Target, I promptly went back and picked up tons more. Between these and sleep gowns, I'm set.

WORST

Bravado Nursing Tank- As I mentioned above, I am not a huge fan of these tanks. I'm really impressed by the amount of support they offer for bigger ta-ta ladies like me (I'm about an E now.) These tanks definitely feel like you're wearing a very supportive sports bra and that's definitely a plus. But even the wonderful support and fairly flattering form don't make up for its issues as far as ease of use go. First off, they have these odd circular clasps that are very hard to fasten with one hand. Sure, I can get them off easily, but getting them back up is a real pain to do one-handed. And then there's the issue of pumping. Though my pump comes with several bra-style attachments, the Bravado circular clasp style seems to be proprietary, wherease the cheapo Target tank is standard. So, I have to do this crazy jury-rigging to get the Bravado tank to work with my pump. NOT fun. And finally, the material is such a thick stretch material that yeah, it does do a bit of shaping... but it also rolls up easily and feels kind of cloistering. And at fifty bucks each, these just don't seem worth it.

Snap Up Crawlers/Sleep-n-Plays- I don't know why in this age of zippers they still make these things. Trying to snap a squirming, upset baby into one of these is like hell on earth. Picture this: your kid is already annoyed at being stripped down and having its nice, warm, poo filled diaper removed so you can wipe them down and force them into a new one. They are kicking, squirming, crying and complaining. Now, try to get those legs and arms into a snap up sleep-n-play. Yeah, hell. You want something that can zip up in a flash so that your baby can be nice and cozy again, not some article of clothing you have to keep snapping and re-snapping when they kick and unsnap the whole damned thing. URGH.

win baby legwarmers!

Win 20 Pairs of Baby Leg Warmers from babySNAZZ!


had to post this nifty contest shared by Amy on her blog. Thanks!

waiting game

It's so frustrating waiting to be cleared to do higher impact exercise. I understand that I had major surgery and I respect that. I'm not saying that it makes sense for me to be so frustrated right now, but I do. Before getting pregnant, I was a very active person- I danced, taught dance, did yoga, pilates and the occasional jog/run. Now, I spend most of my time sitting on a coach, feeding my daughter, watching way too much tv and knitting when I can. I know, TOUGH LIFE, but it actually is a bit like torture. I see my bellydance dvds and I yearn to get up and dance for hours, I see my yoga mat and I daydream about doing an intense yoga practice. But I can't do either of these things, as my surgery involved separating my abdominals and cutting through tons of layers of flesh, fat and uterus.

My body just feels antsy. This is only made worse by staring at myself in the mirror and not recognizing the flabby, stretch-marked belly and body that stare back at me. I've always been a curvier girl, but I've had very well defined abdominal muscles and strong things and arms from dance and yoga, so this body doesn't feel like my own. It feels like someone else hijacked my body, took it for this wild nine month spin and dumped it back on my doorstep, all odd and stretched out.

I understand that this, too, will all pass in time and I'l be back to my old self before I know it... but for now I feel like I've got cabin fever in my own skin.

I think I'm going to call my ob/gyn tomorrow and see what exercises I am cleared to do for now. Maybe I can do some low impact yoga? I'm already walking when I can, even though it's gotten pretty gross outside. I just don't know how long I can take being so sedentary.

gettin fat!

Woohoo!

Just came back from the pediatrician and Story is up a whopping 11 ounces from her last weigh in a week ago!!! She's back to her birth weight and all is going fabulously. Just goes to show how odd babies are with their growth spurts. I also am quite happy to find that my new feeding/pumping techniques have worked!

I have to admit that I wasn't surprised that she had gained weight. In the past few days, she's all but outgrown a bunch of the newborn onesies we bought for her. It's really cool, but also a but stunning to notice that one day your baby fits into something and the next you can barely squeeze them in. Human growth is so amazing!

It's also been great to have Tim be able to feed Story via bottle. It's really wonderful to watch him bond with her in that way. It's also nice that I can now get a 4 hour block of sleep in once in a while at night.

Speaking of which, off to go be lazy while Story takes a nap. It's rainy, so I feel a hot drink and internet surfing fiasco coming on.

My best advice... pt 1 (or something)

First off, thanks Rachel for the kind comment about my honesty on this blog. I have found that the honesty that other friends of mine posted in their blogs really helped me to get through some rough spots in the pregnancy and motherhood department, so I'm trying to follow suit. Oh and nice to meet ya via internet.

Now, for the BEST ADVICE I can give to any of my friends who are pregnant or are planning to be pregnant in the future...

Plan on having a c-section.

OK, that sounds crazy. No I don't mean to plan for one like, demand your doctor delivers you via c-section. I know that some women really prefer the idea of a c-section versus vaginal delivery and, honestly, I can't hate on that. I respect every woman's right to do whatever they'd like with their own bodies, period.

But what I mean is that you should research what c-sections involve, know the process behind them and be aware of the risks and recovery time.

I can honestly say that I have been so ill-prepared and kicking myself with my body and the whole c-section thing. I had planned on having a totally natural birth, no drugs no nothing and even went so far as to delay going to the hospital to ensure as little interventions as is possible (note: for those of you going WHA??? to this, it is suggested that you wait until your contractions are approx 3 minutes apart or so before heading to the hospital if you want to have a natural birth. This ensures that you'll be laboring in the hospital less and have less chances to 'accidentally' say yes to meds during a bad contraction... but I digress.) The thing is, I was so anti-intervention birth that I did very little studying up on them. Meaning, I was completely in shock and ill-prepared, both mentally and physically, to deal with a c-section.

So, how can you prepare?

First off, go read up on them. I HIGHLY suggest reading the Mayo Clinic's Guide to Pregnancy, as it has a very good section (which I read after the fact, LOL) on c-section birth. Get a good idea of what they involve, especially the procedure itself and recovery time. Another good thing to note is that if you plan on breastfeeding, understanding the impact of post c-section recovery drugs and different feeding positions to manage pain.

Secondly, and this was a really big one for me... PACK like you're having a c-section. Even if you're one hundred percent sure you're having a vaginal birth, like I was, pack for a three to four day stay in the hospital. This is as simple as making sure you have a couple of nursing bras, a couple of nursing tanks, some toiletries and a good good nightgown or two. I was severly under-packed and found that I had to beg my saint of a mother to buy me a nightgown because I couldn't wear pants with my incision. And honestly, by the second day of wearing it I was a bit ripe. The only regret I have as far as packing was the lack of clothes, because if you do have to have a c-section you'll be so full of IVs, catheters and wearing sad, old lady like underpants/pads that having some nice, fresh clothes will do WONDERS.

Finally, give yourself permission to heal. I've had to relinquish a lot of my mommy duties to ensure I heal properly and it has been tough. At first, I wanted to do so much for Story- I wanted to change her, bathe her, take care of every little need. But I'm lucky I have a husband who knows about my tendency to overlook my own body's needs who laid down the law for me. The hard truth is it takes at least 6 weeks to heal in the first stages of a c-section, then up to a year to fully heal. It's major surgery. I've had a hard time realizing that I will have to be very careful with my dance studies after six weeks, that I am not an invincible wolverine woman. But knowing and accepting that what I'm doing is for the best for my body and, in turn, for my family has definitely helped me a lot mentally.

And that's the end of this session of best advice. Hopefully, none of you who want to have vaginal births will have to go through the wackiness I did. But honestly, be smarter than I was and read up on the alternative. It'll give you piece of mind and managed expectations.

I Has a System

A bit of a warning here... you are about to learn so much about my lactation, it will make your head spin. If you have breast issues, read no further. Though honestly, if you DO have breast issues, you should get over them... b/c boobs rule.

Anyways...

Tim and I talked about my breastfeeding concerns on Sunday and we decided on a system for helping my sanity. My main concerns are making sure that I have enough milk supply to feed Story effectively (you establish your milk supply in the first four weeks and I had spent so many days in the hospital, I am a bit worried about not producing enough) and that I increase my supply effectively before the four week point.

So, we came up with a plan. As of Sunday, I have been pumping at least four times per day, about 1/2 hour after feeding Story for twenty minutes. We've then been giving her that extra milk via bottle at night so Tim can have some feeding/bonding time and Story gets an extra feeding per day. Now I KNOW that lactation consultants usually tell you to wait a month before introducing any form of bottle, but Story has been latching so well that I'm following my own gut here. I figure it's better to increase my production and give Story a caloric boost via breastmilk in a bottle than to go to forumla.

And I am happy to report that it's working! I just did my first pumping session this morning and I have seen a good jump in production. At first I was only getting 1 ounce total from pumping both sides at once, what seemed like a piddly amount. It's only been about one full day of increased pumping and I'm already getting three ounces total! The funny thing is that lefty is a severe underachiever to righty, so I think I'm going to have a few sessions today only pumping lefty to try to get it up to snuff.

I have to admit that I'm crying as I write this, because I had become so hopeless. But things are definitely looking up! Big shout outs to Amy C for all your help and suggestions! Especially a big thank you for suggesting Breastfeeding Made Simple, as it's a great book for understanding lactation and solving breastfeeding issues!