I thought this would be a good wrap up to my pregnancy journal. There is so much that goes on after having a baby and I wanted to record it, if for no reason other than to glance back and remember what this week was like. It has been a week of adjustment and recovery and absolute bliss. I will warn anyone who reads this that I will speak frankly about what life is like for a mommy who is just recovering after giving birth. If any of that would gross you out, I would stop reading now. :)
Recovery: I am recovering well, but it certainly does take time. Although my labor was relatively easy (compared to the last time I had a baby) the delivery was very long and difficult. Baby A never quite got into the right position and entered the birth canal at an angle. I pushed for a very long hour and twenty minutes and still required vacuum assistance to deliver her. So I am very sore. Also, I dealt with some SPD (Symphysis Pubis Disorder) during my pregnancy and expect that it will still be a few weeks before things get better in that regard. Fortunately, though, I didn’t tear at all so my recovery seems much better than last time.
Belly: My belly looks about the same size now as it did when I was 18 weeks into my pregnancy. For me, that is not too bad! I have already noticed that it is smaller than it was the day after Ariani was born.
How I’m Feeling: I am not feeling quite “human” but getting better each day. I have had a lot of muscle soreness all over my body (probably from pushing for so long) and of course have soreness from the delivery itself. I am moving pretty slowly. I have tried to stay on the ibuprofen the doctor prescribed to help with that but haven’t taken anything else for pain.
Nursing: Nursing is going great for Ariani! For me, it’s a little harder. Without going into too much detail I will say that my nipples are not ideal for nursing. So the baby latches on perfectly and nurses well but I have been dealing with cracking and bleeding. So I took a day off and pumped and bottle fed baby A, and now I am alternating between pumping and nursing until I am able to nurse exclusively again. I dealt with this exact same issue when Penny was born and I remember that around the two week mark I was able to breastfeed exclusively and never had problems after that. Looking forward to reaching that mark again!
Sleeping: I think Ariani already has her days and nights figured out. She usually stays awake between her first and second meals of the day. So she wakes up between 7:00 and 8:00 and stays awake until she eats again around 10:00 or so. We are working towards a 3-hour nursing schedule (allowing some flexibility, of course) and she is doing pretty well there. Her last meal is usually around 10:00 or 11:00 and she only wakes up one time between then and her 7:00-ish breakfast. That’s not too bad! Since I’m pumping some, I have been pumping around 9:30 and going to bed. Then my husband feeds her the last meal and puts her to bed. I have been able to average 7 hours of sleep each night (interrupted once, of course) with his help! I haven’t even needed a nap every day, although when I can get one I take one. :)
Baby’s Personality: For now, Ariani seems like a pretty happy baby. When she is awake she is very alert, keeping her eyes wide open and looking around like she is taking everything in. She doesn’t fuss much at all, but what does make her fussy is having her diaper or clothes changed. She absolutely hates that! Getting her dressed is so difficult because she just flails her arms and legs the entire time I am putting her clothes on. We have also learned that she doesn’t like to be swaddled because she likes to put her hands in her mouth or keep them on her face. (She always had them on her face when we saw her during ultrasounds!) And it looks as though she will be a paci girl. I tried a couple of different pacifiers, but she prefers the Soothie or Gumdrop pacifiers. We’re only a week in; I can’t wait to see what else we will learn about her!
Big Sister: Penny loves her baby sister. She asks to hold her several times a day. She loves to pat her and kiss her. She has been behaving much better than I had anticipated, but has pushed the limits some. I knew to expect that. Her routine has been demolished this week, not just by the arrival of her baby sister, but also by staying the night with different family members while I was in the hospital and then by the constant stream of visitors in our house this week. I will be glad when we settle into our new normal. It’s nice to have the people you love come share in the excitement and joy of a new baby, but it’s hard to relax and recover with so many people in and out of your home. This next week should be a good chance to get back into our routine.
Daddy: David has some paid paternity leave from his work. Can you believe that? He has been the biggest help this week. He kept everything organized in our hospital room because he knew that was important to me. And since we have been home he has done dishes and cleaned and straightened up. He has spent extra time taking care of Penny so that I can feed the baby without being bothered or take a nap when I need it. I cannot imagine making it through this week without him! We would be hungry and living in a pile of junk, that’s for sure. :)
Our First Days at Home: We stayed in the hospital for 24 hours and then came home on Monday evening. David’s family brought dinner that night and stayed to eat with us. The Dars came to see us for a little bit that night too. Tuesday night the Boleys brought dinner and stayed to eat with us. It was nice to catch up with them and was a nice low-key evening. Wednesday was a day full of visitors! My mother-in-law came by with Jenna Roberson and then I took Ariani to her doctor’s appointment. Not long after I got back home David’s co-worker Kalley came by. And then a little while after she left Jade and Cole came, and while they were still here Ai and Kayla came by. During the evening my parents came and brought pizza for dinner. (Three meals in three nights - how nice!) Thursday was a quiet day at home. David took Penny up to his work for a little bit and then got some groceries while I stayed home with Ariani. During the evening his Uncle and Aunt came by for a bit. On Friday we had no visitors. We did go out to breakfast and to the hospital to meet my new niece Ralee (a cutie!) Today has been an easy day. Penny went to the circus with her Nana & Grandpa and her cousin Jase. David and Ariani and I stayed home and watched football and just hung out. I am looking forward to a more “normal” week next week!
I am still beyond thrilled at this new addition to our family! When she was born I cried so many tears of joy and gratitude. Every time I look at her I am reminded that my God loves me dearly and chose to answer my prayers with this special little girl. I am looking forward to watching her grow and be a special part of our family!
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