4 posts tagged “postpartum”

For those of you have had a hospital (or outside of your home) birth, what were some of your favorite or essential items to pack?

As usual, I started to write a comment for someone's post and it just got way too long. So, I decided to write my own post.

My favorite hospital bag items:

• Carmex - my favorite lip balm, my lips always got so dry
• Snacks for Dad - "Don't you dare leave this room to go to a vending machine!"
• Cash - for who knows what (there's always something) just in case
• iPod & compact iPod Speakers - I'm not a fan of the headphones during labor and I didn't like just bringing CD's, because I didn't know what I wanted to listen to until I got there.
• Tube of Lanolin - I'm a firm believer in preventative nipple care. I don't wait until I start to feel sore. I use it after every feeding for at least the first 2 - 4 weeks. I've had difficulty with breastfeeding and that stuff has been a lifesaver for me.
  
• Preemie Clothes - I had big kids (two 8 lb, 14 oz, one 8 lbs, 9oz) and none of them fit in their 0-3 months clothes until about 6 weeks, and definitely not at the hospital. I have no idea what actual preemie moms do for clothes. After my first I made sure to bring preemie clothes to the hospital so the baby looked cute in all the pictures.
• A Gender Neutral Coming Home Outfit - Maybe it's just me, but I was always paranoid of being surprised on delivery day. So, I bring, as an extra outfit, a simple white sleeper for the baby (for pictures) just in case.
• "Adult Diaper" style underwear - I know this sounds weird (and TMI), but there can be a fair amount of blood for a time (6 weeks after my first, 2 weeks after my last) after you give birth and basically I just got sick of things leaking (on my underwear, clothes, sheets, etc). I read somewhere on a mom message board a recommendation to use these and they worked great, much better than any pad, etc. combination I could think of.
• Forgiving Clothes Home - No one really knows what they are going to look like or what size they will be immediately postpartum. So, bring clothes for you to wear home that are stretchy (like elastic waist stretchy, not like leotard kind of stretchy) and forgiving. When I went home from the hospital I always looked like I was still 5 to 6 months pregnant. Also, don't be afraid to wear your maternity clothes for as long as you want to/need to postpartum. My youngest is nine months old and I wore a maternity shirt just yesterday (and no one gave a second glance). The idea of still wearing maternity clothes even though I wasn't pregnant gave me a lot of heart ache after my first birth, but after my third I just embraced it and was much happier as a result (btw, I'm now about the same weight as before I started having kids, so it's not necessarily a weight issue, it's a how the clothes fit issue).

I got my first postpartum period recently. So, I'm starting my first month of Natural Family Planning. I'm a little nervous and a little excited about it. I've read two books and taken a course. I should be able to do this, right? I will say that I was pretty sure when I was about to start my period this go around by noticing the body signs stuff I learned through NFP. My prediction was only off by one day (early) for when I would start. Not too bad for someone who has never done this. I decided to use the rules in The Art of Natural Family Planning book, but use the chart from Taking Charge of Your Fertility. I'm kind of bummed my postpartum amenorrhea didn't last longer, but I will admit that I did (do) use a pacifier and I didn't get to have a daily nap-feeding as often as I would have liked, which are both things that help extend your natural infertility after giving birth. For those of you interested here's the full list:

1. Do exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life; don't use other liquids and solids.
2. Pacify your baby at your breasts.
3. Don't use bottles and pacifiers.
4. Sleep with your baby for night feedings.
5. Sleep with your baby for a daily-nap feeding.
6. Nurse frequently day and night, and avoid schedules.
7. Avoid any practice that restricts nursing or separates you from your baby.
source: The Art of Natural Family Planning by John F. Kippley and Sheila K. Kippley

This go around I was really trying to avoid the pacifier. Not because I think it's bad for the kid, but really because I was interested in prolonging my postpartum amenorrhea. And, I thought, it doesn't harm her by not having a pacifier (some would argue it actually benefits her to not have a pacifier). I tried, I really tried, but as strange as it may seem, there were times that she did not want to be pacified at the breast and in a moment of desperation I gave her a pacifier and she liked it. So I would remove the pacifier and try to give her the breast, and she would cry again. I tried that a number of times, but had the same outcome. So, I figured, I understand what I'm doing and there are worse things in life than having your period come back early.

I have a personal blog that has been grossly neglected since I started up my vox blog. I recently got the bug to resurrect it (especially with the cross posting plugins for MT4). In the process I ended up rereading a lot of the old entries.

Wow, I was in a really bad place for some of those entries. Reading them just now makes me want cry. I want to go and give my old self a hug. I know this doesn't really make sense, but I want to tell her "I'm sorry." I'm sorry she went through that. I'm sorry I didn't know better to help her through those times. I'm sorry I didn't have the presence of mind to research ways to better help myself. I'm just sorry.

A lot of what I was reading was stuff that if a friend of mine came to me and told me she was going through, I would try to give her a little perspective and a lot of self forgiveness. I was pretty hard on myself at times. Thinking about it now, so much of it seems so unnecessary. Most of what I was going through were infertility, pregnancy, postpartum and new motherhood (new SAHM-hood) related. Lots and lots of other women have gone through what I went through. I shouldn't of had to feel so lonely. Why do we pretend like nobody goes through these things? 

Former Self: you are not alone, it does get better, I think you're doing a fine job and you are a good mom...now give me a hug.

I've had a crazy whirlwind of a first six weeks postpartum.

• My husband and I are the registrars for a summer camp. Every Sunday afternoon while the camp is in session we are out at camp to check kids in for registration. This year Emma went with me. She's visited the camp every week of her life since she's was born. Two of those six weeks were almost entirely spent out at camp. This will be her first entire week away from camp.
• I was never much of a baby wearer with my other two kids, but out of necessity I've been wearing Emma a lot and now I'm loving it!
• For someone that was never much of a baby wearer I have a surprisingly sizable number of baby wearing devices. I have Baby Björn (I also had a Infantino baby carrier, but I gave it away), a Maya Wrap style ring sling, a Moby Wrap and three Slinglings pouch slings.
  
• Lately I'm loving the pouch slings.
  
• Breastfeeding is thankfully going well. And because of camp, I've had a lot of practice nursing in public. It's more nerve wrecking than it should be. Thanks America!
  
• I love Belly Huggers! Turn any shirt into a nursing shirt.
• I've had a few baby blues and crazy hormonal moments, but thankfully so far nothing that looks like postpartum depression.
  
• Our family took a mini vacation to the Lipscomb Lectureships (now known as the "Summer Celebration"). It was a bittersweet experience. The campus is beautiful, the people are very friendly, staying in the dorms (for super cheap) was fun, the organizational flow of the classes and keynote speakers was great, the children's programs were wonderful... So many reasons why I would love to participate in an event like this every year, but the teachings in the classes were saddening to hear. In spite of what people tell you, you still think it can't be as bad as it's made out to be, but I was really saddened by the teachings I heard.
  
• My postpartum healing has gone very well and pretty quick this time around.
  
• Movable Type 4 will be coming out soon and I'm incredibly excited! I'm hoping the beta testing will be finished up before the new school year starts so I can install the new version for the student blogs. Seriously, I get all giddy thinking about all the stuff I'm going to be able to do with the new version. I'm a complete and hopeless geek. I can't deny it.
• And last, but not least, a gratutious baby photo:

Emma 6 Weeks

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