Wow, what a crazy whirlwind the last couple of weeks have been! I can’t believe that Lola is two weeks old and I can already tell that she looks a little bit older from when we first brought her home (she’s lost that swollen newborn look for sure). She’s starting to keep her eyes open for longer stretches at a time and we can already tell she’s got the sweetest little personality.
So far the round-the-clock breastfeeding has been the biggest thing to get used to for sure. My milk didn’t come in until day 7 but our pediatrician said that was not uncommon since I had a more stressful labor experience and we weren’t able to be together for the first 24 hours with her in the NICU. We have had some easier and harder days for sure (and she may have a small tongue tie which we’ll have to look into a bit more to verify) but we’ll figure it out eventually! In the meantime having some of my registry items like my hands-free pumping bra, Undercover Mama nursing tanks, and nursing camisoles have made nursing around the house a bit easier. I also have a bunch of various nursing bras that I wear with deep V shirts to make boob access easier as well. I have been wearing a postpartum binder everyday since being home and I’m planning on getting a pair of high-waisted leggings like these once I retire the binder (or for when I want to go out of the house without it on…).
First bath!! She cried the whole time but looked so cute in her little bear towel!
We just got to a point where Lola will take a few of her naps in our DocATot and it’s been a lifesaver to have her spend a few hours self-contained without having to be held while sleeping. I also got this beautiful pink cover for it as well because, well, why not if it comes in pink too, right? PS. She only has a blanket over her legs if I’m nearby, otherwise we do a swaddle as a blanket…
My adorable parents have been here helping out and it’s been such a lifesaver for us. The tearing and stitches I had have made recovery harder so having help with meals and baby holding while I nap or take sitz baths has been such a blessing. My dad read a story to Lola a few days ago and she totally listened to the whole thing and looked at the pictures when he showed her too. So cute!
We had Todd’s 35th birthday this past week and while our new life didn’t exactly lend to a full-on celebration, we still made sure he had a few special things to mark the occasion (like his favorite dessert after dinner). We’ve had some of our wonderful friends bringing us meals this past week as well to help out and we so appreciate those kind efforts—if you ever have a chance to bring food for a new Mom and Dad, do it! They will love you forever!
So many big changes lately and while I’ve had some of the hardest days on record, there’s also been a new sweetness and joy added to life as well that I could never have quite imagined. I’m planning on writing out a birth story at some point and I’ll let you know what I used (and didn’t use) in my birth bag as well. We’ll see how many long naps it takes to get all of that done! 🙂
It’s so good to read your story ! As I look forward to being pregnant too, I really appreciate the truthfulness of your baby related articles. Thank you so much for sharing and keep up the good vibes with sweet little Lola 😉
I’m so excited to follow your journey. I’m due in September and can use all the advice and tips I can get. She’s beautiful – enjoy every second! xx
Same here! I’m due in August and following your story (with all the ups and downs) has been really encouraging, so thank you for sharing! I’m curious, when you mentioned it took 7 days for the milk to come in, did she feed off colostrum or did they need to give her formula?
She did two small feeds of formula in the NICU the first day but then it was all colostrum after that. We could tell she was getting enough by weight and amount of wet and dirty diapers so our pediatrician wasn’t worried about it. She was getting enough, just working a little harder to get it 🙂
Laura
Reading this put a smile on my face remembering how hard and yet so sweet those first few weeks are. Breastfeeding can be so hard, but it really does get better and easier. That’s so good you have had your parents there for support, too. She’s beautiful! Congrats 🙂
You are doing great! My daughter is 8 months old now, and I remember those newborn days so, so well. It was HARD!!! The two most difficult parts for me were (1) not sleeping and (2) breastfeeding. Unfortunately I don’t have too much advice for you on the sleep issue, since we are *still* having that struggle every day/night (ugh), but I will say that the Dock-a-Tot was a LIFESAVER for us for the first six months — so hopefully it will do right by you, too. For breastfeeding, here’s my advice: Visit a lactation consultant in person if you can, as often as needed — I found that each lactation consultant will give you different feedback/recommendations, which is sometimes maddening, but was also really helpful in making me understand that breastfeeding ISN’T a science, it’s an art. You and Lola are building a relationship and are both learning together, so it takes time. Try to push through the rough spots and it WILL get better, eventually — for us it took 8 (!!) weeks before I was breastfeeding without pain, but now we’re still going strong at 8 months and I’m so thankful that I was too stubborn to give up. Feed that baby when she’s hungry, feed her again 10 minutes later when she’s hungry again, then feed her AGAIN 10 minutes after that, repeat ad nauseam, and THEN, when you’re, like, 2+ hours into a non-stop cluster feeding session and are both crying from the pain and frustration, GIVE HER A BOTTLE OF FORMULA AND DON’T FEEL BAD FOR ONE SECOND! Sorry for the all-caps, but my point is this: Cut yourself some slack when you can, formula is a GREAT tool to have when your nipples just can’t handle another feed before morning, your supply will NOT drop from skipping a single feed, and, hopefully, you’ll both sleep a little better that night. This is hard work and you are doing a wonderful job! Good luck to you!
Congratulations on your beautiful baby! So good to hear that you are doing well – it has been so positive for me to follow your pregnancy and baby journey. I am 37 weeks right now, and am shopping for a postpartum support wrap. Do you like the one that you have linked?
I do! It’s a bit bulky to wear out under clothes but I’ll buy another slimmer one to wear out for a few hours (or wear something like those leggings I linked). It definitely helps a lot!
Laura 🙂
I’d never heard of a postpartum wrap! Does it have a medical function (maybe like a brace?) or is it mainly to keep the postpartum belly under control (and if so, does it work?)?
It does both, helps your muscles get back to where they need to go faster and gives you core support while all those muscles are still so weak 🙂
Laura
Loving your baby posts and congrats!! Lola is so adorable!! I have an almost 1 year old and those first couple of weeks/months were TOUGH/HARD/EXHAUSTING, and I just remember people telling me it gets easier and how I felt relieved to hear that… and it does! It’s crazy how much lack of sleep affects you. Oh but the cuteness and love is intense!
I laughed cause my little girl screamed her whole first bath too (the one where you could only clean her with a wash cloth). But once we moved to the tub she became a total water baby.
Love following your baby adventure 🙂
Everyone keeps saying that, so I hope it is true!! Trying to enjoy all the little moments while I can though 🙂
Laura
Congrats on the new baby- she is beautiful and I love the name!
As a reader of your blog, I’ve been dying to ask you what mascara you use?? Your eyelashes look amazing!! Especially in that first pic with Lola. If you get a free sec, I’d love to know!
Thank you!
Nicole
Ps I had a baby in September and our little guy had a tongue tie too. We had it clipped- it took 5 seconds, he cried for 3 and it got so so much better! Hang in there!! Xo
Thanks! I’ve been wearing false lashes lately actually, it just helps with a bit of confidence boost as I’m at home covered in breast milk and haven’t showered in a while 🙂
And I hope our experience is the same if we get it clipped! Thanks!
Laura
Congrats to you and your family! Thank you for sharing through your pregnancy and birth as a first time mama, I am due with my first a month after Lola was and it was wonderful to follow along! Also thank you for responding on instagram about the nuna stroller, I finally ordered it!
Enjoy your time with all your loved ones!
Best
p.s. I love your dad’s outfit, especially the birks!
Oh yay! Hope you like it too! And my dad is the coolest 😉
Laura