Happy Wednesday Y’all!
I’ve received tons of messages recently asking for tips on how to get through those first few weeks after having a baby especially once your husband goes back to work! I think I may have actually done a post like this when Hayes was a newborn but I figured I’d put another post together for y’all because, well, you can never have enough encouragement as a new mom!
I remember the day Kyle went back to work like it was yesterday…
Before I had Hayes I was SO scared of when that day would come.
Would I be able to handle him by myself? Would I cry all day and beg Kyle to come home? Would I be a good mom? What the heck were we going to do all day?!
Hayes was born on a Sunday morning (3:35AM) and Kyle stayed home with us for that first week, he had planned on taking two weeks off but ended up staying home the week before Hayes was born because our doctor had told us that he could come any minute..and being first time parents we took that VERY seriously and I didn’t want Kyle to leave my side in case I went into labor.
After Hayes was born we had visitors NONSTOP, like for real, it felt like every hour of every day someone new was coming over! Which was honestly, SO awesome… but also really overwhelming and totally exhausting.
I remember being a little excited to have Hayes all to myself and finally see what it would be like, BUT of course also very nervous about it. That Monday morning came quickly and I remember waking up and feeling totally fine, I wasn’t as nervous as I thought I’d be and I felt confident that we’d be just fine. I remember nursing Hayes in bed that morning and Kyle kissing us both goodbye, I was absolutely fine until the front door shut…I immediately burst into tears (HELLO hormones).
I wasn’t scared or nervous, I just missed Kyle already. We had just experienced the most incredible thing together and been side by side nonstop being a team and learning and growing together for two weeks straight. Our relationship grew and strengthened so much that week Hayes was born and gosh I missed Kyle SO much when he left us for work…
(For those of you messaging me about how our marriage has changed since having a baby, I talk about that on this blog post {HERE})
If you’re not a mama yet, but will be soon, you’ll learn VERY quickly that motherhood is full of ups and downs, there are really great days and there are really bad days…BUT even on the really really bad days there are still good moments, and I’ve learned that those moments are what you’ve got to cling onto when you’re about to lose your mind or start to consider selling your baby on instagram. (no joke, I literally told (shouted at) Hayes if he didn’t stop crying I was going to sell him…#momoftheyear)
There will be days where you will feel like superwoman and your child behaves perfectly, you shower and put makeup on, you clean the house and do the laundry, and you feel like you WERE MADE FOR THIS. And then there are other days where your baby won’t stop crying and the house is a mess and your dog won’t stop barking and you stink and haven’t had time to eat and you call and text your husband all day long in tears begging him to come home and help you.
We all have those days, all of us!
Motherhood can be extremely lonely and I know I’ve talked to y’all about this before but there are a few different things I did at the beginning that really helped me get through each day! I remember getting overwhelmed with visitors coming every day and I was honestly totally over it and couldn’t wait for Hayes and I to just have some time to ourselves! But once the visitors stopped coming, I’m not going to lie, I totally felt sad. So if people want to come hold your baby so you can shower, or want to bring you coffee or whatever LET THEM! Tips for surviving: #1 GO OUTSIDE – this is so so important. Fresh air is so good and it really does help when you’re feeling stressed, overwhelmed, sad, tired, you name it…do yourself a favor if you’re a new mom and go on a walk, or sit in your backyard or on your front porch because I’m telling you it is SO much better than being locked inside your house all day.
#2 Get in the car and listen to music – If you have a baby that loves the car and falls asleep as soon as you turn on the engine, TAKE ADVANTAGE of it! Even if you don’t actually go to a store or public place, get in your car and drive around and listen to music or get yourself a milkshake (you deserve it), I swear a car ride with some good music is good for the soul.
#3 Join a facebook group or some kind of community for new moms – If you don’t have friends that are going through the same thing as you or people that can relate to you, you will feel SO ALONE. I was extremely lucky and had a good amount of friends going through the same thing as me or friends that had just gone through the same thing but also having all of you on here and on Instagram to chat with or ask questions was seriously so incredibly helpful.
#4 Start your day with Jesus and coffee. In the beginning when I was extra hormonal and extra exhausted I would always start my mornings with worship music and I swear it would always put me in a better mood and make me feel so grateful no matter how tough our night was. And well, coffee is everything…
#5 Stop putting so much pressure on yourself to have it all together – This may be the most important tip, the absolute worst thing you can do to yourself as a new mom is compare yourself to other moms. Everyones story is different, everyones baby is different. The moms you see on social media with perfectly posed pictures and beautifully decorated spotless houses are a freaking hot mess too they just know how to hide it! Y’all should see the amount of laundry I let pile up each week, its absurd. And don’t even get me started on the dog hair all over E V E R Y T H I N G. I post cute outfits on Instagram pretty often but day to day? I’m wearing the ugliest/most comfortable granny panties with a huge tee shirt, no make up, and dirty hair. So embrace the chaos mamas, we’re all just doing our best, and YOU are doing great and deserve a really nice prize.
For those of you that will become a mama soon or are in that newborn phase, HANG IN THERE!
I promise you it does get easier, and as each month passes your baby will just get cuter and cuter and more fun!
I still learn new things every day but I also feel like I’m really getting the hang of this whole “mom” thing,
and heck I feel pretty proud of myself and YOU should too!
We are 5.5 months in and we are all sleeping through the night (since a few days ago, shout out to Jesus)
Hoping it stays that way, but not counting on it because as soon as we all get an awesome routine going Hayes decides to go through a growth spurt, or developmental leap, or starts teething or SOMETHING and throws us all off.
BUT, I wouldn’t change a thing.
Mom life is the best life.
Okay y’all,
The post that SO MANY of you have been waiting for!!
I really really hope this post doesn’t disappoint and answers all of your questions, BUT if it doesn’t, please feel free to comment/email/DM me if you have any questions whatsoever!!
Before I get started I HAD to show y’all my outfit from last weekends rehearsal dinner…
I felt more confident than I have in a WHILE and I figured that needed to be documented!
I’m completely obsessed with this rainbow dress and I’m going to wear it AS MUCH as possible while it’s still hot outside.
Can’t wait to dress it down and pair it with some cute sneakers soon.
Okay so, I really wanted to wait and do this post when I was 100% back in shape BUT I’m getting overwhelmed with all of the DM’s asking about what I’ve been doing to lose the baby weight SO I figured I would share a little about what I’ve been doing to slowly get rid of it and what my long term plans and goals are!!
First things first, I gained about 35 lbs during my pregnancy and I really didn’t do much working out, which I regret!
I did a good amount of walking and would very very occasionally do some body weight exercises at home BUT the next time around I really want to try and work out through my entire pregnancy…
Because working out again when you haven’t worked out in over a year is NOT easy… it actually freaking sucks haha
So the first 6 weeks after Hayes was born I really wasn’t even thinking about losing weight. I was in full on new mom mode and just soaking up everything and appreciating my body for what it had just done!
However, I swear breastfeeding helped me tremendously those first few weeks when it comes to weight loss! I started going on little walks as soon as I felt up for it just to get my body moving, but BE CAREFUL and do not overdo it in those first few weeks! I was super sore one morning and way overdid it on one of my walks so I had to take a break for a week or so. Giving birth is SERIOUS business and your body needs plenty of time to heal, so seriously y’all, do not rush into working out!!
As far as eating goes, I feel like my main food source was straight carbs the first 3 months of Hayes’s life,
I seriously couldn’t get enough carbs and they were the only thing that satisfied me.
Breastfeeding hunger is no joke!
I kind of just ate what I wanted and then as soon as I was cleared to work out again I continued to eat what I wanted but was way more aware of my portions and wouldn’t overdo it, especially at night!
I’ve worked out a good amount since having Hayes but I’m definitely not as consistent as I’d like to be!
I think the hardest part for most people is finding the motivation to get up and get moving…especially for new exhausted moms!
But now, on top of that, I have to find the TIME. Hayes is always pretty consistent with his morning nap so I’ve learned that I need to do my work out during that time frame or it most likely won’t get done!
I usually use that time for blogging or household stuff but in order to make sure I get a work out in I’ve had to switch up our schedule a little bit, but y’all, I am SO MUCH HAPPIER and more energetic on the days that I get a work out in!
Alright, WHAT WORKOUTS HAVE I BEEN DOING?!
Before I get started I just want to preface this and say I AM NOT trying to sell this to y’all.
I am “technically” still a coach (became one a few years ago so I could get discount on the shakes) and if you do order stuff through my links I will get a small commission, but y’all, I genuinely SWEAR by these work outs and this shake and I probably won’t ever get a gym membership again because I believe in the program so much.
Honestly, throughout my pregnancy I gained weight pretty quickly at first but I was NEVER worried because I knew exactly how I was going to lose it all afterwards.
Okay, so anyways…
A few years ago I decided to order a challenge pack from BeachBody and it completely changed my body.
After about 2-3 months of doing the at home work outs and drinking their protein/superfood shake for lunch every day I was legitimately in THE best shape of my life. Please don’t be confused though, I DID put in the work every day (5 days a week) and this is not some “miracle program” where you can drink some shake and get abs. This is a program that is designed to help you create a habit of working out regularly and living a healthy lifestyle, it provides you with awesome 30 minute work outs that can be done at home as well as a meal replacement shake that is packed full of superfoods. So basically, it’s teaching you to make better/healthier choices each day, which of course leads to a healthier body!
I have always struggled with eating junk or grabbing something quick (like an XL bag of hot cheetos) when I’m starving and having this shake on hand has been a total game changer, especially since becoming a mom. It’s full of nutrients and good things that your body needs and I have always sucked at making sure I get in all of my fruits and vegetable so I LOVE that I can quickly make a healthy shake after working out and know that I’m getting a ton of nutrients from it.
Now, yes I had heard of BeachBody before and I had even done some of their workout programs in high school and college, but for some reason I wasn’t a huge fan, they were either CRAZY hard or I just couldn’t get into it…but this one was different, no clue why, it just was…or maybe I was just super motivated. I don’t know what it was but it is hands down MY FAVORITE work out program.
So whenever I first started the program I decided to go with the 21 day fix challenge pack (work outs + shake) and after doing two rounds of that (6 weeks) I moved on to the 21 day fix extreme challenge pack and that’s really when I started noticing some muscle poppin’ and the love handles that I had been trying my entire life to get rid of finally disappear.
After having Hayes I just went straight into the extreme work outs again because they’re my favorite, did I have to modify some of the moves? YEP. Do they kick my butt? YEP. But I loved what they did to my body previously, so I’ve been doing those occasionally as well as drinking a shake for lunch every now and then.
(When I first did this work out program years ago I had AWESOME before and after photos but I can’t find them anywhere and I’m so disappointed…so I guess I’ll have to take some new ones for y’all!)
Since we have Hawaii coming up I really want to start being more consistent and get my butt back in shape.
I have lost the baby weight BUT my tummy is nowhere near as toned as it used to be and my booty is pretty sad right now.
So starting Monday I’m going to restart the 21 day fix extreme program and I’m super pumped about it!!
I’m going to do two rounds of it which means I have exactly 6 weeks to get my butt in shape for our trip!
I’m also going to start having the shake for lunch every single day instead of just occasionally.
BeachBody has TONS of awesome programs but the 21DF programs are definitely a favorite of mine AND I’ve done them before and know that they can change your body significantly if you’re consistent! I’ll be keeping y’all updated with everything and will of course let y’all know when I decide to try out a different program of theirs!
If you have any questions on the work outs or the shake or if you want to start a program with me and keep each other accountable just holler at ya girl!
As far as my diet goes, I definitely am not super strict!
I love a good queso + margarita night and pizza and I are totally BFFs.
But I really do try to eat “good” most of the time!
I typically have some oatmeal + an English muffin every morning (& fruit if we have any!)
Shakeology for lunch
And for dinner we’ve been doing Blue Apron!
It is SO easy and convenient and you can even choose your meals for the upcoming weeks.
I love it because I am NOT a cook and trying to come up with meals to cook every week totally stresses me out…
Bonus, the meals are usually super healthy and always delicious!!
I’m sure I’ll get asked this – I drink the Vegan Vanilla shakeology! and I get the bag instead of the individual packets.
I’ve tried both chocolate and strawberry but I like the vanilla because you can make so many different recipes out of it!
If you’re thinking about getting a work out program and also want to try the shakes make sure you order a challenge pack and don’t order them individually, you’ll save $$ that way!!
Okay y’all, that’s it for today!!
Love you and thanks for stopping by!
Happy Monday! Kyle and I attended our really good friends wedding this weekend and it was SO unbelievably beautiful. Weddings ALWAYS make me cry…
I have always been the girl crying whether I personally know the couple or not…
Mainly the moment when the bride walks down the aisle, it’s just such a special and exciting moment and I always think back to when that was ME and how excited I was to see Kyle waiting for me.
These days, weddings take on a whole new meaning, I no longer see myself as the bride,
I now picture myself as the mother of the groom and HOLY SMOKES, whenever the mother + son dance happens you better believe I am in the corner BAWLINGGGG like a baby.
Life is so different now, I am so different now, we are so different now.
And sometimes “different” is a really really really good thing.
So today I’m sharing how our marriage has changed since Hayes came into our lives.
I will never forget all of the little details and special moments Kyle and I shared together the day that Hayes was born and we became parents.
I remember seeing Kyle hold Hayes for the first time, I remember staring at him while he was staring at our son and just being in disbelief at how any of this was real life.
There are no words to explain the amount of pure joy I experienced that day,
I remember thinking that it was all too good to be true, how in the world did I get so lucky?!
My love for Kyle grew tremendously after going through the whole labor and delivery process together.
It’s funny because so many of us women, me included, don’t want our husbands to look “down there” when we’re having a baby. I told Kyle I didn’t want him too because I was scared he’d never be able to look at me the same…
Well, he ended up being down there, right in the middle of the action, front row seat…
He watched our son come into this world and I’m pretty sure he sees me in a completely different way now,
but you know what? That’s actually a GOOD thing. He witnessed firsthand what my body is capable of.
He got to witness how strong I am. I can’t tell y’all how many times he told me he was proud of me that day,
and honestly I have never been more proud of myself.
Having a baby is the hardest, most intense, scary, painful, amazing, wonderful, empowering thing in the world and I’m so glad Kyle was there with me every single step of the way.
Fast forward to our first few days home, I was SO incredibly emotional.
Those first few nights/weeks are definitely the sweetest but also the most challenging.
I remember Kyle would walk into our room and I would just be staring at Hayes and sobbing uncontrollably because I was so in awe at this beautiful life that Kyle and I created and that the Lord blessed us with.
This sounds crazy, but the happiness/thankfulness that I felt was almost too much for my heart to handle.
Now that my hormones have settled down a bit I’m able to handle those feelings much better haha
But goodness I just could not keep myself together those first few days // weeks!
The first week or so was definitely hard but when it comes to our relationship we were still in that “honeymoon” phase of the whole new baby thing. Kyle took a week off work to stay home and help,
he originally planned on taking two weeks off but he ended up staying home the entire week before Hayes was born because we thought he was coming any minute!
That week while Kyle was home was hands down one of the best experiences of my life.
We grew so much together in that week and Kyle was SO helpful and encouraging.
I remember just crying all the time when I would look at Kyle because I knew I wouldn’t have survived that first week without his support. When you’re breastfeeding it’s honestly hard for other people to help you because you’re doing it NONSTOP and it’s kind of just something that you and your baby have to figure out, but gosh Kyle went above and beyond to make sure he was there for me in whatever way possible that first week and it was AMAZING and much needed. He changed WAY more diapers than I did and was always asking me what I needed or what he could do to help. It made me see Kyle in an entirely different way. He knew how fragile I was and he was extra gentle with me and my emotions and went out of his way to speak praise over me and tell me how great I was doing.
(literally crying right now thinking about all of this)
The first week home with your baby is a complete learning experience, not only just trying to figure out what the heck to do with this tiny human but also figuring out your roles as parents and who does what.
Gosh, I remember my first meltdown like it was yesterday, Hayes was probably 4 days old and I really hadn’t been sleeping whatsoever at night and my hormones were all over the place.
Hayes was crying… screaming really. I had changed him, fed him, done everything I could to soothe him and NOTHING was working.
I remember being SO upset and so frustrated and just feeling defeated.
It’s extremely discouraging as a new mama when you can’t calm/soothe you’re own baby.
I just started sobbing and angrily yelled “JUST TAKE HIM!!!!” and basically threw him at Kyle.
I wish I could say that was the only time I did that, BUTTTT it wasn’t…
{For those of you that won’t have any help, the best advice I can give you when situations like this occur is to set the baby in a safe place and step outside and take some deep breaths.
If you’ve already changed, fed, made sure the baby wasn’t hurt or being pinched and attempted your best soothing methods and the baby is still screaming and you are about to lose it, set the baby in the crib or a safe place, walk outside, take some deep breaths, and just give yourself a minute to breathe and calm down and then go back in and try again!}
One thing I found interesting was that Kyle and I both would have our “melt down” moments, but they were never ever at the same time.
If I was super frustrated and losing it and hysterical Kyle was calm as a cucumber and would immediately take Hayes and would be super patient and soothing to him.
Whenever Kyle would get frustrated and angry and just be “done” I was always there to happily take over.
I don’t know if that was a coincidence, a God thing, or just what happens when you’re parents.
But anytime one of us would lose our cool the other was perfectly fine and in good spirits and would be able to take over.
In those moments it would be a bit chaotic because one of us would be at our wits end but it was also always really beautiful because if we looked past all of the stress we were able to see how great of a team we are and it was such an awesome feeling.
Every time one of us was struggling, the other would always be there to carry the weight until the other was strong enough again, I can’t tell you how many times during those HARD and LONG and frustrating first few weeks we’d just look at each other and say “we make a really good team…”
It definitely hasn’t all been rainbows and butterflies when it comes to our relationship as new parents though.
It was a huge adjustment for us when Kyle went back to work.
I remember his first day back, I was SO excited for him to get home and I had these super high expectations. Hayes was really good that day and I managed to clean the house and even make myself look decent! I figured as soon as he got home he would just run up to Hayes and grab him and love on him because he missed him so much all day and then he’d be amazed at how good the house looked and ask me how the day went and tell me how proud he was of me etc etc….
Well, Kyle got home and of course said hi to us but immediately sat at the table, got his computer out, and had to do more work, didn’t ask how the day went, didn’t notice the clean house and just wasn’t as excited as I thought he would be to see us. I remember my feelings were SO hurt and I felt so disappointed.
I was so used to him being extra sweet and fully present and energetic and willing to help in any way possible and that’s what I was expecting when he got home…of course he was still sweet, but it was just different.
Kyle going back to work was really hard on me because his personality changed, mainly because he was just exhausted and his desire to help at all hours wasn’t quite there anymore because he knew he had to get up early and work all day, which is totally understandable and I don’t blame him one bit, but goodness gracious it was hard!
I kept my feelings to myself at first
(& by at first I mean the first hour he was home, then I broke down in tears…surprise surprise lol)
I was honest and told him how I felt disappointed that he wasn’t SO excited to see us when he got home and how he didn’t notice the clean house etc and he apologized and of course said that he’s ALWAYS excited to see us, that he was just completely worn out.
Communication is extremely important in relationships and even more important when you become parents. You’ve got to be on the same page with your partner and you’ve got to be open and honest about your thoughts and feelings, it’s so easy to get overwhelmed or stressed or disappointed so being open with one another about that will only make things easier.
Once Kyle got used to being back at work he was back to himself, it just took him a few days to adjust.
There also comes a time when you may feel resentment towards your husband, particularly if you’re breastfeeding. I can’t tell you how many times i’ve been up all hours of the night nursing Hayes and Kyle is snoring next to me and I seriously wanted to just throat punch him hahaha
I maaaayyyyy or may not be guilty of “accidentally” elbowing him while changing nursing positions in the middle of the night.
Oh, and if your husband ever complains about how tired he is you will most likely start thinking about all of the different ways you could murder him…totally normal.
Having a newborn comes with a WHOLE lot of extreme feelings for us mamas, you will either be so in awe and in love and thankful for your husband or you will want to whack him across the head with a stick.
All normal, as long as you don’t actually harm your husband…
however “accidentally” elbowing him to wake him up when he’s snoring and you haven’t slept in 4 days is fair game.
There really isn’t an easy way to explain how your relationship changes when you become parents.
It’s so special having this little human that’s a part of both of you and it’s so special having this little human that you both love more than you ever even knew your heart was capable of loving.
Having Hayes has definitely brought us closer as husband and wife,
of course Kyle and I love each other SO much and we love our families SO much…
but there really is nothing like the love you have for your child, it’s definitely a special kind of love.
As parents you both play very important roles in that sweet babes life, but there’s definitely a BIG difference in the way a mama thinks and the way a dad thinks, this can make things hard because men and women think so differently so it’s hard for men to understand why us mamas do or don’t do certain things.
I am on high alert at all times, I can’t tell you how irritating it is when Kyle says “just nap when Hayes naps!!!”
I FREAKING WISH it worked like that. My mind never turns off during the day, so when Hayes is napping I’m thinking about all of the things around the house that need to be done and I’m thinking about when he’s going to need to eat next and constantly checking to make sure he’s comfortable and breathing etc….
Another thing that’s changed is my want and need for affection/cuddles from Kyle.
Don’t get me wrong, I still love to cuddle on the couch every now and then.
BUT I have a baby on me or my boob pretty much all day long so once Kyle gets home I just want some time to myself, which is something he’s definitely had to get used too. Physical touch has always been extremely important and necessary to me but now that I’m being touched nonstop by a baby I am desperate for 10 minutes where my body is just my own and not being used for the comfort of others! haha
There have definitely been a lot of changes to our relationship since having a baby but I really think they’ve mostly all been positive. I actually think we get out and go on more dates now than we did before Hayes was here! Of course we bring Hayes with us but I still consider that a date, he’s still little so half the time we forget he’s there lol
We have our good days and bad days and we are so imperfect.
We still learn new things every day but the most important thing is that we’re learning and growing together, I think Kyle is hands down the best dad in the world and Kyle is constantly telling me how lucky Hayes is to have the best mom around. I can’t tell y’all how important it is to praise your partner and tell them they’re doing a good job, because being a parent is hard work. It’s physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausting and to hear your partner tell you that you’re doing great is the best thing in the world and also just makes you feel more confident as a new parent.
Having a baby will definitely test your relationship but it doesn’t have to ruin it.
Work together as a team and make it clear what you expect from one another.
Be open and honest about your feelings.
Don’t expect your husbands to read your mind {guilty}, tell them what you need from them.
Don’t forget to love on your husbands, ask about their day, talk about things other than the baby.
and MAKE FRIENDS WITH OTHER NEW PARENTS.
I swear it is life changing being able to hang out with people who are in the same stage of life as you and can relate to ALL THE THINGS. This has been the most helpful thing for me especially, having new moms to talk too and hang out with and relate too. Being a new mama can be very lonely, having even just one friend who’s a mom is seriously so important and will make your life so much better and help you feel more sane.
Well guys, Hayes is waking up from his nap and we’re going to go get some fresh air and hang out in the backyard. I hope y’all enjoyed this post and I hope it helped you realize that becoming parents doesn’t mean your life is over or your relationship is doomed!
Watching my husband become a father has been one of the most beautiful things I have ever witnessed.
I have never loved Kyle more than I do in this moment and I know as we continue on this whole parenting journey I’m only going to continue loving him more and more and more.
It’s funny because you think your heart is only capable of loving someone so much and then you experience something new with them and it’s like you fall in love all over again but even harder than the last time.
CHEERS TO ALL THE NEW PARENTS OUT THERE,
YOU GOT THIS.
Today’s post is all about swimwear & beachwear for the new mama who should be PROUD of her body,
regardless of what it looks like.
I remember the first few weeks after giving birth I was on a complete high, my body definitely wasn’t pretty, but I was SO incredibly proud of what it had just done that the last thing on my mind was “bouncing back” or worrying about losing the baby weight.
I knew that I would eventually lose the weight, with time and hard work…but honestly, the first 6 weeks postpartum I didn’t even stress about the extra pounds, I mean I wasn’t even allowed to work out yet so WHY be hard on myself about the way I look, right?!
Well fast forward to 7/8 weeks postpartum…I was able to work out now, but I didn’t have the time or the energy.
My tummy was still sticking out and jiggly and I didn’t look at all how I had pictured I would.
I’m officially 8 weeks and 5 days postpartum and I have good days and bad days, I’m human.
Some days I seriously don’t even think about my body or the way that I look.
And other days I dwell on it and pick out every flaw or imperfection and I’m hard on myself and tell myself that I should look better and I shouldn’t be this jiggly etc…
Thankfully I have an amazing husband and good friends to snap me out of it when I start to let the negative thoughts take over…
So for those of you who have a beautiful new baby and also have good days and bad days like myself,
Please remember on those tough days what your body has accomplished,
know that you are amazing and you are beautiful!!
Even though your body may not be in the best shape right now, it’s so important to love it through
every stage of life! You WILL get back in shape one day, but for now, when you see that tummy pooch or feel that extra jiggle, let it be a reminder of what your body has created!
Now, with all that being said I’m sharing some adorable swim/beachwear items for y’all!
So check them out, do a little shopping and CELEBRATE your body!!!!!
I think the highlight of my “postpartum journey” was at our first pediatrician appointment…
When the doctor said to me,
“you really don’t need to worry about eating a bunch of vegetables,
you need to focus on eating a good amount of carbs to keep up your milk supply”
and it was in that moment that I knew I was made for this.
I always knew I wanted to be a mom,
but the whole “necessary carb loading” thing really just sealed the deal for me.
Okay, y’all BEGGED for this post, so here it is!!
Now, please keep in mind, I’m a total newbie. I’m a brand new mom and this is me just sharing my experiences, not what’s “right” or what works for everyone.
And honestly i’ve just been winging everything when it comes to breastfeeding and pumping.
My lactation consultant at the hospital wasn’t helpful whatsoever and I didn’t have the energy to ask for a different one…
{However, if this happens to you, I definitely recommend asking for a different one!}
Throughout my entire pregnancy I was so nervous about breastfeeding and how hard and painful and exhausting it was going to be…I read countless blogs and articles about breastfeeding, what to do and what not to do and how to get “the perfect latch” and how to prevent mastitis and ALL the other painful things that can happen while breastfeeding.
I had pretty much prepared myself for the worst and had already told myself that if breastfeeding didn’t work out that I wouldn’t beat myself up about it!
(which you should tell yourself too, fed is best!)
Thanks to the internet, I planned on breastfeeding being miserable and so incredibly difficult.
Well, I’m here to tell you that YES some people do have bad experiences with breastfeeding,
but some people have wonderful experiences, and I can say that overall my breastfeeding experience so far has been amazing. So if you’re currently pregnant, PLEASE do me a favor and stop scaring yourself reading horror stories about breastfeeding! Everyones baby and everyones experiences are so different, there’s absolutely no need in worrying/torturing yourself…Once your baby arrives y’all will figure it out together. And if it doesn’t work out, that’s OKAY!!
So let’s start from the beginning…
A few minutes after Hayes was born I decided I wanted to try to feed him and he latched immediately,
it was the easiest most natural most beautiful thing I’ve ever experienced.
After that happened, all of those scary articles and all of that worry just disappeared and
this new mama confidence came over me and I was just like, “YES, I got this”.
Of course things haven’t been that easy every time and I’ve already learned so much during my first two months, but I’m happy to say that breastfeeding has been such a positive experience for me.
{Before I really go into my experiences with breastfeeding I have to share this story with y’all in case any of you experience the same thing! It could save you a trip to the hospital and a wrong diagnosis that could keep you in the hospital and away from your brand new baby.
Six days after Hayes was born the 3 of us decided to take a midday nap in bed.
I woke up FREEZING and shaking uncontrollably.
At first I thought I was just shivering from being so cold, but once I realized the feeling wasn’t going away I started to panic. I woke Kyle up and told him I couldn’t stop shaking and felt like something was wrong. He bundled me up and cuddled me to try and get me warm and calm but nothing was working and I started freaking out. I had a really bad headache as well and my entire body just felt super heavy and achy. I immediately had this awful gut feeling that I had the flu.
Now, the flu sucks…but when you’re a brand new mama and have been loving on and cuddling and kissing your baby nonstop and realize that YOU could have possibly given your brand new baby the flu….it’s absolutely devastating and terrifying. We ended up checking to see if I had a fever and I did…needless to say I went into full on emotional breakdown mode.
I’m not going to go into full detail of this story, but I called my doctor and texted a friend telling them my symptoms and both of them immediately asked if it was mastitis, it wasn’t.
{Mastitis symptoms are also very flu like, as well as red spots on your breasts/pain/swelling etc}
We ended up at the urgent care to get tested for the flu. I was an absolute MESS. I couldn’t stop crying, the thought of Hayes having the flu and getting it from ME was the worst feeling in the entire world. For those of you who aren’t aware, the flu is BAD right now, tons of people are dying from it, mainly babies and older people…so to say my stress level was high would be an extreme understatement.
I remember sitting in the urgent care waiting for my test results just crying and praying nonstop that my baby would be okay. The doctor came in and told me that the test came back negative, which was a HUGE relief. But then she said that she was still going to prescribe me Tamiflu because she thought it might just be too early for the results to show up positive…which was not a relief…
We ended up chatting a little more and I had randomly mentioned that my lower back was hurting.
She decided to have me do a urine sample, and LONG story short, I ended up having a UTI and she put me on some antibiotics, and I was better within a day.
I tell all of you this because if she wouldn’t have checked my urine and I would have been mis diagnosed, the infection would’ve ended up getting worse and worse and gone into my kidneys and I could’ve ended up in the hospital for a week or more without being able to see or hold or feed my baby.
So if you happen to have these symptoms not long after giving birth and your boobs seem fine, it’s most likely a UTI, especially if you had a catheter during labor!
Okay – now back to breastfeeding..
Hayes has loved to do this SUPER annoying thing since he’s been born while he’s nursing, and apparently it’s pretty common!
He will just bob his head around my nipple and attempt to latch and will literally be right on top of it but won’t actually latch and then he’ll get extremely upset or fussy and sometimes start screaming while doing this and it is SO irritating to watch because you just want to yell,
“DEAR GOD IT’S RIGHT THERE JUST FREAKING LATCH ON”
At the beginning when he would do this I would let it drive me insane and we would both end up crying and just so unbelievably frustrated.
When he does this now, I take him off, will throw him over my shoulder and see if he needs to burp.
The majority of the time he will, but not all the time, but usually when we “try again” following that, he latches pretty quickly.
No clue why that is, but it seems to work every time.
The first few days of breastfeeding are interesting because nothing really comes out.
Of course everyone is different, but for most people their milk doesn’t come in until a few days after baby is born. But Lord have mercy when it comes in, it COMES IN.
And yes, it can be painful.
It’s funny because if someone were to ask me how breastfeeding is going or if it’s been painful,
My immediate response would be, “It’s going great!! Nope, not painful at all”
Because overall that’s 100% the truth.
BUTTTTT when I really think about it, there are definitely certain aspects of breastfeeding that are painful.
Like when your boobs get SUPER full and rock hard and feel like they weigh 93702 lbs.
This can happen if baby waits too long to eat in between feedings, or if you’re over producing.
I also dealt with some cracking/pain at the beginning, I think just because my body wasn’t used to what was going on and I wasn’t using nipple cream consistently like I should have been.
I also got mastitis when Hayes was about 3 weeks old, and yes it was pretty awful.
I had asked Kyle to give Hayes a bottle one night so I could get some rest,
I woke up about 5 hours later in SO much pain.
My boobs were so dang full I seriously thought they were going to explode…
That next morning I had noticed a small red spot on one of my boobs but didn’t really think anything of it because it wasn’t painful or anything.
But then that evening I started to feel like crap, flu like symptoms and chills.
I immediately knew it was mastitis (because I felt exactly how I did when I had my UTI),
and the red patch on my chest started spreading.
Thankfully it only lasted about two days…
Honestly, I think the worst part of mastitis is the flu like symptoms, at least it was for me.
I didn’t go to the doctor or anything, I just pumped and nursed and massaged as much as possible to clear the clogged duct.
I also used {THESE} & {THESE} and {THIS} religiously to help with healing/pain.
Okay y’all I’m going to go ahead and apologize because this post is totally all over the place and completely unorganized, sorrrrryyyyyy…
Anyways, when I think about my experiences with breastfeeding I’ve definitely had more positive moments than negative, and the more Hayes and I learn about each other the easier it gets!
And honestly, i’ve forgotten a lot of the hard patches we went through.
I definitely went through a phase of panic that I wasn’t producing enough for him,
the first time Hayes started cluster feeding I was prepared for it, my doctor had warned me that he may do it but it didn’t stop this new mama from being SO worried that my baby was starving and not getting enough milk.
Cluster feeding happens every now and then, and it is a total pain in the ass and exhausting and makes you feel like a literal cow and it will make you have irrational thoughts and this is all normal because,
well, cluster feeding sucks.
I’ve had good days and bay days when it comes to breastfeeding,
the majority of my “bad days” aren’t really days, more like moments!
Breastfeeding is a lot harder in the middle of the night when you’re exhausted and hormonal.
Especially when your husband is sleeping soundly next to you and you feel like you haven’t slept in weeks.
You will contemplate murdering your husband regularly, this is also normal.
But gosh, in all honesty, those first weeks were TOUGH, I definitely had a good amount of emotional breakdowns from being frustrated, or overtired or just wanting FIVE FREAKING MINUTES to shower without my child needing my boob! And I still have those moments every now and then!
One thing I wasn’t fully prepared for was the leaking, sure I knew it was going to happen.
But I didn’t realize just how much and how often my boobs would leak…
OH and sometimes your boob will literally shoot milk out like a water gun,
I’m not exaggerating this is a real thing and it blows my mind every single time.
Nursing in public is still something I’m getting used too, I’m not one to just pop my boob out.
I like to at least have a little cover. However, Hayes is SUCH a messy eater so it makes nursing in public difficult. We typically both end up covered in milk, and well that’s just the look i’ve been sporting these days. #momlife
I was all about getting Hayes on a nursing schedule at the beginning
but this kid is exactly like his daddy and is hungry ALL.THE.TIME.
Attempting a nursing schedule just wasn’t realistic for us.
I’m not going to lie, sometimes I do wish he would just eat at the same times every day so I could schedule my day better and it would be easier for me to block out times to get things done BUT I tried that and it honestly was more stressful for me…why? Because I would put SO much pressure on myself to force him to eat at certain times and would get frustrated/disappointed when he wouldn’t, and he just was not about that life at all.
This boy is stubborn, and he’s gonna eat when he wants to eat and he’s not going too when he doesn’t wanna.
So I’ve just been feeding him on demand and I’m hoping by 3 months it’ll be a little easier for us to try and get on more of a schedule, but for now, we’re just taking it day by day.
I can’t imagine trying to follow a schedule when Hayes is going through a growth spurt…
Honestly, each day is just so different so feeding on demand has been the easiest and most stress free way for us!
Us mamas gotta do what’s best for our babies and what works for us might not work for you and that’s perfectly fine!
Hayes is 7 weeks old and is eating about every 2-3 hours during the day (sometimes more)
and about every 4-5 hours at night!
Thank God for those longer stretches of sleep at night, they are AMAZING.
We have introduced him to a bottle and it actually made me really sad at first,
I LOVE nursing him and spending that time with him so I was super scared he was going to want the bottle over me. Well, that definitely wasn’t the case, he 100% prefers me over a bottle and it actually takes him way longer to drink a bottle which is so weird.
Apparently I have a fast “let down”, which is good because he eats fast BUT it also sometimes chokes him because the milk is coming out too fast which can be scary for a new mama.
I’ve gotten used to it now and when that happens I’ll immediately sit him up and pat his back.
While we’re on that topic, it seriously blows my mind every time I feel my “let down” happen,
I remember reading articles and people saying that the feeling disgusted them and it scared me.
But y’all, I think it’s the freaking coolest feeling in the world!!!
Like, my body is producing milk for my baby, and MY body is providing him with pretty much everything he needs to survive, how incredible is that?!
Anyways, I started pumping at the beginning and have just done it randomly, never on any kind of schedule. I just wanted to have a little stash in the freezer. Well, now that he’s getting bigger and I’m getting more comfortable leaving him I want to get on a pumping schedule so that I can really build a good stash for when other people watch him!
I’m in the middle of doing research on that right now and if y’all are interested I’ll definitely do a post on
a pumping + nursing schedule once I get that established!
This post wasn’t really meant to be “extremely helpful” it’s moreso just me sharing my experiences,
and hopefully calming the nerves of those of you that are going to have a baby soon and have been super nervous about breastfeeding!
If it was helpful I’m SO STINKIN’ glad!!
It’s been so much harder for me to get blog posts up lately since Hayes is awake more during the day
(and needy as all hell)
Please please leave comments or message me or comment on my instagram with blog topic ideas!
I love writing about things that y’all are curious about or interested in!
