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Category Archives: Health & Well-Being

I’m getting back to normal…

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So during my pregnancy I looked forward to taking prenatal vitamins so my hair and nails would be great. But it never happened. I never noticed a change in either my hair or my nails. Fast forward to now, three months after the birth, and I guess the prenatals did SOMETHING for me—or maybe it was just normal pregnancy hormones—but my hair is falling out…again.

What do I mean by this?

Well, prior to getting pregnant, every time I washed or combed my hair, I would pull out handfuls of hair. After every shower, I had a huge glob of hair on the shower wall to dispose of (sounds gross, but I’d rather have it there than clogging the drain). It was no big deal—I considered it normal.

It wasn’t until waaaay after the birth that realized I hadn’t been pulling out ANY hair during washings OR combings…for most of my pregnancy!! And then my mom friends warned me not to freak out if I started losing my hair—it’s a common post-pregnancy hormonal effect—and by the power of suggestion (LOL) I started losing (pulling out) hair again!

In other news, I am finally pooping without the aid of pills and I have started taking birth control pills again.

So things are getting back to normal…

Good mornings!

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Mornings are nice (as opposed to nights, where I usually get frustrated). I love waking up and Owen is making noise in the crib—but not enough so that I have to rush in there to feed him. So I can leisurely wake up, go to the bathroom, and then stroll in there.

This morning he was just laying there, eyes open, looking up at me. I unwrapped him from the swaddle and he stretched soooo cutely… Then I put him on the changing pad where he just laid there and smiled at me. Then he started cooing and smiling and cooing and smiling…and my heart just melted. Like it does most mornings.

He’s such a sweet thing when he wants to be. 😀

Ugh. Periods.

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I seriously hate them now.

Well, wait. That implies I may have liked them before, which was NEVER the case.

But now? Yuck.

No one ever told me—not even the pregnancy books that claimed to tell you everything no one ever told you—that post-childbirth periods tends to be WORSE than you had them before.

❗

SURPRISE!

❗

So, add the surprise of actually getting my period again (because I was breastfeeding/pumping, I was thinking I wouldn’t get it for some time longer) to the surprise of how VASTLY different (i.e. read: heavier and messier) it is, and well, it’s just a big YUCKFEST. Worse than the post-childbirth bleeding, almost!

If there was any way to avoid this part of being a woman, I certainly would.

A Weekend of Firsts

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There were a lot of firsts for Owen this past weekend…

First (hee!) was his first long car ride—three hours north to Gramma Jean’s for his Grayling baby shower! (We tried to have it before he was born, but time just got away from us, plus it was winter…and we thought people would like to actually see him instead of just seeing me pregnant!)

Second, daddy took care of Owen during the night!! Tom and I slept in different rooms (it’s just very hard for us to both sleep in a double bed when we’re used to a king bed)…so one of us got Owen and one of us got Maggie. Tom was generous and took Owen, since he could sleep in! YAY!

Third, Owen got his first sitting-in-water bath (instead of just being soaped up and rinsed off):

Fourth, Owen had pictures taken outside! With ALL his grandparents! And his Grantie Marge (the name we came up with for Marge, since we couldn’t decide between Grandma Marge and Auntie Marge!)!! And his parents, of course. Since everyone was there for the shower—and it was SUCH a gorgeous day out—we decided (well, I strongly suggested) that we should take pictures outside!!

Grantie Marge Len, Grandma Marsha Hudson, Jen, Owen, Tom, Grandma Linda and Grandpa Mike Smith, Grandpa David and Gramma Jean Schwalm

Fifth, gramma Jean took care of Owen during the night!! I innocently asked if she wanted to and she said sure (that she could nap Sunday)!! OMG! YAY! So we moved the pack-and-play in there (where there was more room anyway :P) and mom and dad both had the chance for a good night’s sleep! Gramma confirmed the next morning that Owen is a little chatterbox all night long…well, not chatterbox so much maybe as a noisebox. 😀

And sixth, after a few weeks of maybe only pooping once every few days, Owen pooped THREE TIMES today! 88|

I had a first, too…after almost a glorious year of no periods (minus about the four weeks of post-delivery bleeding), my period started this morning. XX( Technically I should have been expecting it at any time, even though the books say if you are breastfeeding, it might be a LONG time before you got your period back… but I had just gotten SO used to not having it that it was a big surprise.

Two-month checkup

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So Owen had his two-month checkup this morning. I was most intrigued to find out just how much weight he had gained—the doc had said last month that she wanted to see him gain one pound by this appointment. While I was CERTAIN he had gained at least two pounds (or more), Tom was CERTAIN he had maybe gained the requested pound.

Want to take a guess who was right? :>>

Mr. Piggy gained—are you ready?—3 lbs. 12 oz. since his last appointment! He went from 8 lbs. 1 oz. to 11 lbs. 13 oz!!! 88|

HOLY WAH!

Does a mom know or does a mom know? 😉 (Although, granted, even I underestimated how much he gained.)

He also gained about 1.5″ in length (although I joke that I swear he grew about eight inches!). If I recall correctly, he is currently in the 25th percentile for head size, 50th percentile for length, and 75th percentile for weight.

Then came the NOT FUN part…vaccinations. All five of them. XX( The oral one went perfectly fine—it’s apparently sweet and babies like it. So, one down, four to go. The next was a twofer (combination of vaccinations) in one shot in one leg and then two individual shots in the other leg. The nurse was wonderful and could not have been nicer or done the shots more quickly…but of course by the time she got to the second leg, he was SCREAMING. I have never seen his little face so red. She said it wasn’t really the needles that bothered them so much, but rather the actual medicine that hit their system. Poor little guy.

It actually wasn’t too bad on me, either—thankfully. But then, his screaming didn’t last all that long, and soon he was back in his carrier with his pacifier and then he was out cold. The doc warned us of all the possible side effects—including major crankiness and a potential 102° fever for the next two (TWO!) days—but so far, knock on wood, he’s just been sleeping. He did wake up long enough to take a bottle, but now he’s sleeping again:

I certainly hope this is his only side effect…

We hate hiccups!

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Okay, so maybe it’s just mom and dad that hate hiccups. 😐

It used to be Owen got them after EACH feeding, but they weren’t bad—just tiny things that easily and quickly went away after maybe 2-3 minutes of burping.

But now.

Ugh. XX(

He doesn’t get them after each feeding, but when he does get them, oh boy. Watch out. They are usually fierce. And they last. Anywhere from a few minutes up to as much as 15! :no: And he squirms and fidgets and fights and cries and it’s not fun for any of us.

The books say that babies don’t mind them but I don’t see how they can’t bother him. The books also say to keep feeding him, because babies can eat and hiccup at the same time without issue…but these horrible hiccups are too disrupting for him to even try and eat.

So needless to say last night wasn’t fun.

Awwwwwwwwwwwwww!

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Just so you don’t think this baby thing is ALL bad and frustrating, LOL, I wanted to share some good things…

For starters, how can your heart not melt when you see this?

And when he smirks in his sleep?

Or the cute sighing noises he makes while eating?

Or when he yawns and stretches?

And scrunches up his face and balls his fists?

Or when you can tell he’s looking at your face?

Or when he falls asleep on your chest?

Or when those cute little eyes look at you lovingly when he’s eating (okay, maybe he’s looking lovingly at the milk)?

So there are good things…just right now, a lot of the frustrating things overwhelm everything else.

Breastfeeding Update

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I think my breastfeeding days might be over.

I took a week or so off, since my nipples were terribly sore—raw, scabbed, and bleeding. (Well, it wasn’t as bad as that makes it sound when you put all three of those together, but all three of those issues were apparent in one way or another.)

So we introduced formula [mixed with breastmilk] and I continued to pump—with the notion that it would just be until I healed and then I would start breastfeeding again. And things went well. He likes all three brands of bottles we tried and the formula didn’t seem to bother him at all.

So fast forward a week or so when I tried breastfeeding again. And it didn’t go terribly well. 🙁

He is bigger now, of course, so the position I loved and that worked well before (football hold) doesn’t work so well now because his legs are long enough to reach the couch/chair and he can push off—taking my nipples with him. And I can’t seem to get any other positions to work because…he seems to be MUCH more active—twisting and turning and pulling and wiggling and just plain not settling down—which makes for a difficult latch. And speaking of the latch, that doesn’t seem to be great, either…as after two tries, I was already getting sore again.

I may try attending the LaLeche League meeting this week to see if they can help any…otherwise, I think I’m done. I hate to say it, but it’s true. Aside from the tenderness and latching issues, it just feels awkward overall. But since I am still pumping, he is still getting some breast milk…

I had a feeling…

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So I just had a feeling that last night wasn’t going to go well.

It started with me trying to breastfeed—since my nipples feel much better than they did last week. But it didn’t go well—he just fusses too much (wiggles, stretches, kicks his feet, turns his head) and I just can’t seem to find a good position for him to lay in (he’s no longer a tiny baby!).

So I gave him a bottle. Which he then burped up probably half of when Tom laid him in his crib momentarily. 🙁 He’s been burping up more lately, which is frustrating. I would have guessed it was due to the addition of formula…except he’s been getting formula for a week now and the spitting up just started.

So then after another bottle, I finally got him settled, burped, calmed, and in bed. After this is when I pump for about 10 minutes. Except about three minutes in he decided to be cranky again so I had to stop (which is a pain). I finally got him down and…miraculously, he slept for about four hours!!

BUT THEN! At the next feeding he ate the entire bottle, I did the calming rigmarole, and he was fine. I went back to bed. Less than half an hour later he was crying loudly, letting me know he was hungry. Hungry! After he just had a full bottle and had been sleeping! So then it was back to the usually-30-minute process of getting him burped and calmed again.

After his 6:30 feeding, he decided he was up for the day, so I brought him downstairs hoping he would fall asleep on me on the couch. Which he did for about 1.5 hours!

Of course, he then spent the morning spitting up off and on. 🙁

And he’s much fussier overall than he used to be. 🙁

Chubby cheeks!

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Owen is definitely growing up and getting bigger!

He has lost that scrawny baby look and has morphed into a big (tall!) baby with chubby cheeks! Most of his newborn clothes are fitting perfectly-on-the-verge-of-being-too-tight and he fills out his 0-3 PJs much better now. Of course, he’s also heavier (although I won’t know his weight until his 2-month appointment in two weeks)—I’m guessing he will be close to 10#! (If he is, that means he will have gained 2# in a month!)

Regressing?

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I swear, Owen is regressing at night. 🙁

He used to sleep like 2-3 hours at a time and went to bed quite easily. Now, he has been sleeping more like 45 minutes to an hour (maybe 2, with a freak 4 hours every so often) and it’s a nightmare to get him to actually fall asleep.

You will be burping him after his bottle and he will seem to be out cold. Then when you go to swaddle him he wakes up a bit, so it’s back to the rocking chair…where he fusses for a bit then seems to be out cold again. I know it takes a bit for them to fall deeply asleep, but it really seems he’s out, so you put him in his crib…and within maybe three minutes he’s fussing and/or crying. I would say 8 times out of 10 you have to pick him up again and/or change a diaper and/or burp him again. The other 2 times he eventually falls asleep on his own.

I have apparently regressed as well and now I can no longer fall asleep as quickly as I used to…so after I take care of him and go back to bed, it could be anywhere from 20-40 minutes before I fall back to sleep. :'( And since he’s not sleeping as long anymore, I might only get 30-45 minutes of sleep at a stretch. XX(

I never thought I would say this, but I’d much, MUCH rather go through the entire birth process again (!!) than deal with the sleep deprivation that comes during the first few months…

Mom’s night out!

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I went out to dinner tonight with some moms that I met last week (the ones that meet to help people find carriers that work for them). There were four of us for dinner and then six of us at Starbucks afterwards. It was nice and I really like them (of course, I click more with some than with others).

We talked mostly about our kids and our birth stories, LOL, which was great because I learned that I really do have a great baby. (One girl’s baby screamed bloody murder all the time, hated riding in the car, and could not be left with others until he was like nine months old.)

They meet once a month, and I look forward to future events!

Oh, and it was nice to get dressed, put on makeup, and feel like a human being again!

Minor Milk Tragedy

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I don’t know what the hell happened. But then again, it was the middle of the night and I’m exhausted…so anything is possible.

So I went to give Owen his bottle. I took it out of the refrigerator (we have a mini fridge in his room—interestingly, the same one I had in my dorm room in college—thanks, grandpa Mike, for saving it all these years!).

Where was I?

Oh yes, I took the bottle out of the fridge and put it in the warmer. He will eat a cold bottle but it’s easier if it’s warm. So into the warmer it goes. Minutes later I take it out and tip it over to check the temp on my wrist and—

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

—the top comes off and the entire bottle spills all over me and the fridge and the floor!

I wanted to cry.

Granted it wasn’t all breast milk (it was 50/50) but still. What a waste! And of course I tried to think just what the hell happened.

Did Tom not screw the lid on tight when he made the bottles? Did I unscrew the lid without thinking? Neither one seems likely, but obviously it had to be one of those! (Of course, my bet is on me screwing it up, being half-asleep and exhausted and all.)

At least it was the first middle-of-the-night feeding and there was another bottle ready to be warmed. And then I pumped afterwards (as I usually do) so I could use that milk to make the second middle-of-the-night bottle without having to go downstairs.

So now we really should clean the carpet. I did my best to soak it up with burp cloths (in the dark) but I’m sure it’s going to be sticky and/or smelly soon. 🙁

His first formula

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Part of me feels guilty :'( and part of me feels like a load has been lifted :. but the boy got his first formula today (mixed with breastmilk).

He’s just been SO hungry and I have just been SO sore (even pumping is uncomfortable) that we felt it was best. It stressed me out to no end to have him screaming for more food and I didn’t have any milk thawed (and what little we had stockpiled was dwindling quickly) and I couldn’t bear to put him on my breast.

I know I’m not a failure, but it sure feels a little bit like it. I just have to remind myself that formula is fine (and he’s not getting 100% either) and he will be fine and everything will all work out.

Breastfeeding Issues

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It’s official—I have started taking Fenugreek to [hopefully] increase my milk production. It’s not so much that I am having serious (or clinically worrisome) production issues (because Owen seems to have no digestive issues and is definitely gaining weight) but rather that I am afraid that he is getting hungrier and hungrier—and I want to be prepared, because I sometimes already feel that he isn’t getting quite enough.

What’s also frustrating is that my nipples are very sore right now—I am 99.5% sure his latch is okay (because he is eating and gaining weight) but I think maybe he’s eating so feverishly because he’s so hungry—which is leading to the sore nipples. (He also tends to get really fussy and wiggly during feeding, and he pulls and stretches my nipples—which is painful.)

And what’s even more frustrating is that he really DOES NOT LIKE the nipple shield. :'( He will use it maybe one time, but not twice in a row for sure…he will fuss like mad and avoid the nipple even when you know he’s hungry. I also don’t think he sucks hard enough or well enough to get enough milk. (We had to resort to pumping and then giving him a bottle tonight.)

So, we’re keeping our fingers crossed that the Fenugreek works well. We want to have a major milk stash in the freezer so Tom (or grandparents!) can take over some feedings when necessary (or, say, if we want to go away for the weekend!), without having to resort to formula. Wish us luck!

Breastfeeding.com

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http://www.breastfeeding.com

The #1 site for breastfeeding advice.

Beginning a family is without a doubt the biggest life change that any woman goes through. Gone are late night parties, spur of the moment trips, and houses that stay tidy. Now it’s late night feedings, diapers, responsibilities, and a house that increases in clutter at a incredible rate. Of course, there is also a joy and fulfillment that can’t be matched.

At Breastfeeding.com you’ll find that whatever challenge you have, it’s shared by thousands of women who are eager to help you through the best and the worst with their hard-won wisdom. If you have some of that hard-won wisdom yourself, join and help others, and make the world just a little bit be

WHY?!?!?!?!?!?

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Why is it that he can be dead asleep in your arms or on the couch, and you go to put him in his crib and he wakes up and cries bloody murder? |-|

It doesn’t matter what time of day it is, either… and it’s SOOOOO frustrating! Just now, for example, he was sleepy so I took him upstairs, put him down, and turned his mobile on. He was fine. Eyes open, but fine. I stood there for a few minutes to make sure all was well, and it was. Well, he fussed for a moment, so I gave him his pacifier and all was well again. I stood a few more minutes…and all was well.

So I left and went downstairs.

Less than three minutes later, he’s screaming.

🙁

Ahhhhhhh, relaxation.

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I have the best husband.

He scheduled a 3-hour spa session at Nordstrom for me today…because he knew how exhausted and stressed I’ve been. :.

So I left Owen with the grandparents and fully enjoyed my salt-scrub massage and facial. The only thing that would have made it more perfect is if I would have been able to stay there on the table and sleep for about 12 hours.

Two hours.

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Two hours.

Two STINKING hours is all I get to see my husband on his long days. He gets home around 7:30 and then either I am (or both of us are) in bed at 9:30. Owen might get to see him an extra half hour if Tom feeds him a bottle in the morning (if the timing works out right).

No, it’s not like that every day… but for at least the first week (or two) of every month it is. And Saturdays until 4 or so.

Ugh.

>:XX

One month check-up

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Owen had has one-month check-up today…and he’s doing well. He now weighs 8 lbs. 2 oz. which is an increase of just over 1# since we had him weighed two weeks ago! The doc was happy. His head size, weight, and length are all in the 25th percentile.

I asked her opinion on how to get him to sleep more at night, and all she basically said was “He should be sleeping between 3-4 hours at a time. Make sure he eats enough before you put him down.”

Ooookay, that didn’t help much. You told me what he should be doing (which he does sometimes sleep 3-4 hours at a time) and something I am already doing (making sure he eats enough). Interesting.

She asked how long he feeds and I said anywhere between 15 minutes an an hour. She said that was not good—he should feed for a max of 20 minutes (each side) and should never eat for an hour. Ooookay. So, we’ll try it and see.

She said she is okay with the pacifier.

I mentioned he sleeps well on his stomach sometimes (like for a nap, or after belly time) and she said he should never sleep on his stomach. Ooookay. 🙄 I mean, I know technically it’s not recommended, but I don’t think doing it here or there is going to do any harm. I mean, a few years ago, sleeping on the stomach was recommended. That said, I know she is just telling me her opinion…and she is being nice about it…but I still feel like I’m getting a mini lecture and it kind of irritates me. 😐

His next appointment is in a month and she expects him to gain another 1.5#. At the piggish rate he’s been eating lately, I don’t see that being a problem.

Quick, while he’s sleeping!

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I feel like that’s my motto now. :yes:

He’s sleeping…

Quick, let me throw in a load of laundry.
Quick, let me take a shower.
Quick, let me grab a bite to eat.
Quick, let me write a thank you.
Quick, let me change the laundry.
Quick, let me pay a bill.
Quick, let me sanitize the bottles.
Quick, let me refill the wipes.

And last but not least…

Quick, let me try to grab a nap.

TMI: Will I ever be able to…

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…poop normally again? 😮

I never thought I would take pooping for granted. But I did.

They gave me stool softener in the hospital and I have been taking vegetable laxatives every day since I’ve been home, and it’s still not easy. Swear to god it’s almost like I’m giving birth again. If I can even do it. XX(

(Hey, I warned you it was TMI.)

Needless to say Tom has instructions to get me something different at Target tonight.

The joys of parenthood, right? 🙄

Surprise! I can’t get anything done.

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I guess it should be expected… but then again, I thought once he was sleepy or napping in my arms (or on me) I could move him to the crib or swing and be able to get stuff done around the house.

NOT.

He will be perfectly content—sleeping and snoring away, limp as a rag doll—so I will get up and place him in the pack and play or the swing… and I literally have less than two minutes before he’s SCREAMING bloody murder. On a bad day, it’s less than 10 seconds. On a great day, it might be 20 minutes. But more often than not, it’s two minutes or less.

Don’t get me wrong, I looooooooooove holding my baby, but I also hoped to be able to get something done during the day. (As I’m writing this, he is laying next to me, screaming at the top of his lungs. He is fed, burped, and has a freshly filled-and-changed diaper, so nothing is wrong other than he wants to be held.)

And at this point I’m not asking for time to scrub the kitchen floors or organize my closet—we’re just talking something as simple as going to the bathroom or refilling my water or grabbing three bites of food for lunch…or writing a quick blog entry. 😉

I try to let him cry, but it just kills me to hear it…so I don’t last too long.

Oh, the crying.

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He’s not even colicky, but I can see how the crying would drive someone insane.

Wait, I mean INSANE.

I am pretty patient and thought I was dealing well with the crying—because he really IS a pretty good baby—but the crying has started getting to me (egads, and we’re only on our third week).

He will eat and eat and eat and eat and be falling dead asleep and nothing I do will wake him up to eat more—so I assume he’s satiated. He has burped and pooped and has a fresh diaper change, so that part is taken care of. So what’s left? Nothing. I mean, maybe it is gas or another burp…but I keep burping and waiting…and nothing ever comes, so he must be crying (SCREAMING) because he wants to be held. Which sounds great, except it makes for a looooooooong night when I am already exhausted and just want to get back to bed.

And then I think “Hey, let me just try feeding him again, just in case.” And he will suck it down like he hasn’t eaten in days! GRRRRRR!!

I know these frustrations will be over soon (and new ones will take their place) but in the meantime, let’s just hope for some silence. 😛