The 4th Trimester

Being a new mommy is hard...

Everything from recovery to breastfeeding to just basic needs (yours and baby's) become monumental tasks.  For me, at least, the three items listed above still encompass the majority of my thoughts and time.

Let's start with recovery...  I know vaginal birth recoveries have their own special problems which I hope I will have to deal with someday, (I HOPE to have a vaginal birth the next time around), but for now let's focus on this c-section business. So on top of all the wonders of new mommyhood, I had to have major abdominal surgery.  I have read what they do to you (basically take your insides to the outside then put them all back in!) YUCK! Then you have this wonderful scar that you have to watch very carefully to make sure it doesn't get infected.  By the way... keep it clean (it was hard to get a shower between the trying to breastfeed and the narcotics that made me extremely sleepy), keep it dry (yeah that's easy to do when the wonderful extra pregnancy skin is hanging right over it and your hormones are making you sweat like crazy... oh and pile the little baby heater on top of all that. Sure, I'll keep it dry!) and let your Drs know if you notice anything "abnormal" about it (because I see these scars everyday...I'm sure I'll know exactly what "abnormal" looks like).  UGH! I took at least one extra trip to the Dr's office during the first 6 weeks and called multiple times and my incision really didn't heal until the 2 month mark.

"Breastfeeding was so easy right from the start", said no "sane" woman ever.  It was hard and even painful for awhile, which all the nursing books said was impossible and that basically if it hurt you were doing it wrong.  So apparently I was doing it VERY wrong.

Nice pillow after the exhausting work of feeding.

    Unless you've been having your nipples sucked on for the majority of a 24 hour period, it is going to take some getting used to!  My little one thought (and still does think) that it was his job to be attached to me... even while he slept.  But I guess it is his job so I'm not blaming him. There were definitely times when I felt like I'd rather run out the door then have him latch on again but I would sit down, hold him close, and use all my laboring methods of pain management to get through the feeding (Yes it hurt that bad, my toes would curl.)  I don't blame women who don't get through it and even more kudos to the women who have the pain plus other issues...  it is NOT easy at first but has gotten better.  I think before having a baby I took that statement to mean it was hard until your milk came in (3-5 days?) but unfortunately it will more likely suck (literally) for AT LEAST the first 6 weeks.  In the end, do what works best for you and your baby!

The last and the most all encompassing of the three (because there is no way to ignore them)
 basic needs...
First of all, your baby's needs will supersede your own 99.9% of the time.  Feedings, burping, diaper changes, sleep, bathing, feedings, burping, diaper changes, sleep, bathing, feedings... you get the idea.  Somewhere in there you will try desparately to feed, change, and bath yourself.  Hahaha, I forgot to add sleep into that list...subliminal slip?  Your favorite (or most frequent) topic becomes all bodily functions... gas, pee, poop, spit-up, acid reflux, muscle development, brain development, did I say poop?  Yeah, poop is often at the top of the list... how often, how much, what color, etc.

I am including some early pictures of the whirlwind that was the first 5 weeks here. A lot of it seems very hazy...probably my most clear memories are of the middle of the night when it was just Leo and I snuggling together.  He was, and still is, a snuggler which I hope will stay for awhile longer (even if I would like him to sleep in his own bed sometimes).
I am not quite done with this trimester and from what I've heard the whole first year is hard and everything after that is easy peesy *wink wink* ; )

1 week old- On the way back from a lactation consult Leo was very upset and we were sitting in traffic, I gave him my hand and was singing to him and he grabbed my finger and held it right next to his face then promptly passed out.  Oh my heart just melted. <3>