My friend Stacie, her two daughters,Riley aged 4 and Sadie age 11 months, Sydney and I went to the zoo today. It disappoints me to say it was a bit too much for me. Syd still demands to be held most of the day whether she needs to be nursed or not, so I had to carry her and push a stroller around the zoo.
While I was changing her in the picnic area a bird pooped on me. Here I am with a screaming 4 week old, trying to change her explosive diaper in public and a bird comes along and poops on me as if the bird is saying to me "sucks to be a new mom, doesn't it?". I did laugh once I cleaned off my shirt.
Sydney was crying hard - the kind of cry where her little chin quivers and she couldn't catch their breath. Riley came over to sing to her Twinkle Little Star - a song she sings for her little sister when her sister cries. I was surprised that it worked, but Sydney's cries did become quieter. It was very touching and cute.
I continue to plug away at trying to get the hang of things. Mark only had one week of paternity leave so I've had to learn things a bit more quickly than the lucky moms whose partners/husbands have had the four weeks they deserve. Or maybe I haven't had to learn more quickly, but I certainly feel like I have had a steeper learning curve than others.
There are days when I don't get out of my pajamas. I know this will not be the case every day until she goes away to college (although some days I wonder if it will get easier), but I really find a nice retreat in a short, but hot shower. Unfortunately, this doesn't happen until Mark returns home from work so many a delivery person has caught me in a scary state - hair stuck in a pony tail, no make up, typically in sweats and almost always with a nursing bra pad stuck all crazy like.
She truly is a good baby - she only fusses when she needs to be nursed or to have a diaper change, naturally. I hear she'll want to be held less as the weeks go by making my life much easier. I have learned to brush my teeth while holding a nursing baby.
I have lost half of my pregnancy weight; a pleasant surprise. To lose the other 20 pounds I'll have to work out and I hope I'm "approved" to do so soon. Although I'm sure physically I'm okay to begin my step aerobic work outs but finding the time will be my new challenge.
Sydney seems to grow every single day. She is much more animated than she was even last week. Her cries are more persistent as well.
I can't believe that four weeks ago tomorrow I became a mom. I spent so much of my pregnancy wondering what she was like that I didn't even bother to think about what I'd feel like to hold my daughter for the first time or to realize that she is part of me. I am beginning to realize that when the doctors removed her from me every part of my world changed just as I intellectually I knew it would. There are not words to describe what this is like. I can tell you it's hard, and I can say I'm exhausted and hormonal, but I can't actually put in words how much love I have. It permeates every cell. There are days when all I do is cry because yes, this is hard and I'm exhausted and hormonal, but really because I feel so...whole.
As a dad Mark is very different, as well. He makes eye contact with his daughter as he comes from work and his face lights up. And when I see that connection, I think every time "this is what makes the long nights worth it". I can't even imagine how much happier he'll be when she's able to smile back or say "dada" for the first time.
He changes her diaper in the middle of the night. Usually, she cries and kicks her legs about especially when the cold diaper rash cream is applied. He tries to change her diaper as quickly as possible, but with all of the kicking it can take a few more minutes than he'd like. I am rarely in such a deep sleep that I can't hear him try to calm her. To keep from waking me he often walks her around the apartment as if she's made of delicate glass. He picks her up in the same gentle way he did when she was first born, always making sure her head, although stronger now, is supported. He has infinite patience with her even when her cries are persistent and tells her he loves her every single day. It's awesome to see.
One strange thing I've noticed is that I get nauseated andnearly vomit whenever I nurse. I thought maybe the culprit was the pain medication or the antibiotics, but I haven't had either in two weeks. I'm unsure what the cause is. My appetite hasn't returned and that could have something to do with it, but this strange "side effect" isn't listed in any of the eleventy million books I've read on breastfeeding. I asked Stacie what she thought and she mentioned it could be the surge of hormones. It's perplexing.
While I was changing her in the picnic area a bird pooped on me. Here I am with a screaming 4 week old, trying to change her explosive diaper in public and a bird comes along and poops on me as if the bird is saying to me "sucks to be a new mom, doesn't it?". I did laugh once I cleaned off my shirt.
Sydney was crying hard - the kind of cry where her little chin quivers and she couldn't catch their breath. Riley came over to sing to her Twinkle Little Star - a song she sings for her little sister when her sister cries. I was surprised that it worked, but Sydney's cries did become quieter. It was very touching and cute.
I continue to plug away at trying to get the hang of things. Mark only had one week of paternity leave so I've had to learn things a bit more quickly than the lucky moms whose partners/husbands have had the four weeks they deserve. Or maybe I haven't had to learn more quickly, but I certainly feel like I have had a steeper learning curve than others.
There are days when I don't get out of my pajamas. I know this will not be the case every day until she goes away to college (although some days I wonder if it will get easier), but I really find a nice retreat in a short, but hot shower. Unfortunately, this doesn't happen until Mark returns home from work so many a delivery person has caught me in a scary state - hair stuck in a pony tail, no make up, typically in sweats and almost always with a nursing bra pad stuck all crazy like.
She truly is a good baby - she only fusses when she needs to be nursed or to have a diaper change, naturally. I hear she'll want to be held less as the weeks go by making my life much easier. I have learned to brush my teeth while holding a nursing baby.
I have lost half of my pregnancy weight; a pleasant surprise. To lose the other 20 pounds I'll have to work out and I hope I'm "approved" to do so soon. Although I'm sure physically I'm okay to begin my step aerobic work outs but finding the time will be my new challenge.
Sydney seems to grow every single day. She is much more animated than she was even last week. Her cries are more persistent as well.
I can't believe that four weeks ago tomorrow I became a mom. I spent so much of my pregnancy wondering what she was like that I didn't even bother to think about what I'd feel like to hold my daughter for the first time or to realize that she is part of me. I am beginning to realize that when the doctors removed her from me every part of my world changed just as I intellectually I knew it would. There are not words to describe what this is like. I can tell you it's hard, and I can say I'm exhausted and hormonal, but I can't actually put in words how much love I have. It permeates every cell. There are days when all I do is cry because yes, this is hard and I'm exhausted and hormonal, but really because I feel so...whole.
As a dad Mark is very different, as well. He makes eye contact with his daughter as he comes from work and his face lights up. And when I see that connection, I think every time "this is what makes the long nights worth it". I can't even imagine how much happier he'll be when she's able to smile back or say "dada" for the first time.
He changes her diaper in the middle of the night. Usually, she cries and kicks her legs about especially when the cold diaper rash cream is applied. He tries to change her diaper as quickly as possible, but with all of the kicking it can take a few more minutes than he'd like. I am rarely in such a deep sleep that I can't hear him try to calm her. To keep from waking me he often walks her around the apartment as if she's made of delicate glass. He picks her up in the same gentle way he did when she was first born, always making sure her head, although stronger now, is supported. He has infinite patience with her even when her cries are persistent and tells her he loves her every single day. It's awesome to see.
One strange thing I've noticed is that I get nauseated andnearly vomit whenever I nurse. I thought maybe the culprit was the pain medication or the antibiotics, but I haven't had either in two weeks. I'm unsure what the cause is. My appetite hasn't returned and that could have something to do with it, but this strange "side effect" isn't listed in any of the eleventy million books I've read on breastfeeding. I asked Stacie what she thought and she mentioned it could be the surge of hormones. It's perplexing.
posted by Swiftyjess at 5:23 PM
2 Comments:
Well, I know nursing stimulates hormones in your body. That could be the culprit. Try getting a ginger ale, and some saltine crackers and sip/munch on those while you're nursing. Good luck!
I'll try those things Maribeth and I'll mention to my ob/gyn at my 6 week post-partum check up. He'll probably think I"m crazy and have no idea what I'm talking about but that's how he is...
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