14 Days of Baby
Newborns sleep a lot throughout the day and I have had plenty of time to blog, I just have been enjoying myself and life as a new mom that I don't have much interest in anything else. Natalie is doing well. She is a typical baby and her hobbies include eating, sleeping and pooping. She has been an absolute dream. So far she doesn't cry too much and when she needs something she just kind of fusses and makes little noises. She has been having some trouble with gassiness and that's when she does get upset and wail. I hate seeing her uncomfortable and really hope the problem gets better soon. Last night was particularly bad. She didn't want to sleep on her back so we held her on our chests tummy to tummy but while we held her we couldn't sleep out of fear of dropping her or rolling over. Matt took two weeks off of work to be with us and all day we adore her and anything she does. He's been such a big help. Changing diapers, feeding, burping, putting her to sleep. All the typical things a good dad does. We both have been working together to make sure the other one's needs are met and I think we're adjusting pretty well. There have been the rough nights when she doesn't sleep much but I am shocked at how little sleep I can run on and feel okay through the day without. I know everyone says to sleep when the baby does but once I'm up it's hard to nap during the day and usually I feel too excited to sleep. I definitely have more energy now than when I was pregnant. As much as I enjoyed housing her in my belly, it feels great to not have 7 1/2 lbs sitting on my bladder and spine and in my arms instead. Parenting seems to come naturally to me. It feels so right to be a mom and like nothing else is more meant to be. I do have moments where I feel a little lost and scared but thankfully I have people to turn to. Babies often breath either really slow and you have to watch their chest for movement or really fast to the point you think they're having trouble. Even though I know this is normal I always freak out a little, especially when she's too quiet. Matt is definitely going to be a little over protective of her but not in an annoying way like nothing is good enough for his baby. He just thinks she's so precious and fragile (because she and all babies are) and wants to make sure she is happy and safe. I obviously want the same thing but am a little bit more relaxed since I've been around newborns before. I can't explain how happy and lucky we feel to finally have her here. I'm also still so thankful about how well labor went. My body is slowing but surely healing. I still look like I'm about 5 months pregnant but I know that takes months to change. I'm not sore or in any pain which is the most important thing. Emotionally I am doing well too. I was terrified of postpartum depression and so sure I'd experience it. The first few days were a little hard. I had some crying spells and way too many feelings to process. The very first day in the hospital was the most exhausting day. All the excitement throughout the day drained me. I was really tired and never got a moments rest since giving birth. The hospital "encourages" moms and babies to be together at all times and never offered to take her to the nursery so I could sleep. This made me feel extremely guilty for wanting someone else to look after my brand new baby and by eight o'clock I was having a little breakdown. My mother in law was with me in the room when I just started sobbing. I explained to her how I felt and she took good care of me. She talked to the staff and they said they would take the baby while I slept that I night. I was so relieved but somehow the nurse seemed like she was reprimanding me for it when they came to get her. I was miserable in the hospital and felt like no one was of any help and not just because of this. They hardly checked on me and didn't teach me the basics like swaddling or how to change a diaper. (I knew how to change a diaper beforehand, just so you know.) All that's behind me though and I'm so happy to be home with my husband and daughter and to have gotten through these first couple of weeks pretty easily. Life is as good as ever!
15 Thoughts :
love it! so happy she is an easy going baby- we got lucky with an easy going happy little girl as well :) at least you know for the next time that baby can go to the nursery at any time YOU want. my hubby and i rcv'd some advise right before we had the baby saying "have baby sleep in the nursery every night while in the hospital- the nurses are FREE babysitting at night AND you have the baby for life" haha sounds mean but it was the BEST advise we took in. the nurses just brought baby in my room to wake me when she was hungry at night and i got a lot of rest- which i NEEDED with having an unplanned c-section. anyway, love your posts, keep enjoying every second of your little one! xo
First off- you are gorgeous girl! How can you look so good after giving birth ? Secondly, I am glad things are going so well! You seem like such a relaxed mom which is so great for a first time mom. I had no experiences with a newborn (similar to your husband) so I was very nervous! In terms of baby blues, totally normal!! I still get them and Zane is 8 months old. You are doing fantastic and that is one gorgeous baby! And I agree- sleep is overrated! :)
So happy for you guys! You have a beautiful little family and it sounds like you are doing a wonderful job!
I had my baby with me in the room basically at all times, but I really think they should keep the baby in the nursery the first night so you can recover. I was so exhausted the whole time I was in the hospital that every time I'd be sitting still feeding her, I would start to fall asleep. Not good. The staff at your hospital sound horrible. When I was in the nurses were all super helpful. So helpful that I just wanted to rest and be left alone at times haha.
I'm glad you guys are both doing well. There's nothing better than having a great dad to help out. I had help for the first couple of weeks, but after that Chloe's dad went back to his regular non-helpful self. So hard to be a single parent with no help so early on.
Awww - love the family photo.
Tay has been here 10 weeks and we only have one family photo and Tay looks silly in it. Sigh.
So, is that whole saying, "I don't know what I did before I was a mom" thing really true??
LOVE this post :) So glad things are going well! I am scared of postpartum depression, too...
And those nurses...oooo boy, I would have told her to make sure she loses the bitch-assness before she came back in my room...hehe :)
Congratulations!! That photo is so precious.
So glad to hear everything is going so well for you two! Can't wait to see some updated pictures of that little cutie!
Your feelings of love for your daughter take me back. You sound exactly like I did, so happy and in love, like it was always meant to be.
Sleep deprivation is the worst at the beginning but like you said, you actually get used to it. What kept me going was knowing that at 4 months my babies were going to cry it out.
Enjoy the magic. Nothing on earth compares to these moments. I am so happy for you and your husband. To see a child so loved literally makes my heart skip a beat.
So fun to read this...brought back sooo many memories of when my mine were newborns. :-) Sorry to hear about your not-so-great experience at the hospital :-( but I'm so glad that things are going well for you 3 now that you are back home...and that's awesome that your husband took off work for two weeks!
Where have I been?! Ah, she is so perfect and precious! I love the picture of your sweet family of 3! And I'm so glad life is as good as ever, you deserve it :)
What a beautiful family. Sometimes hospitals can be irritating, I guess it a compliment they didn't come in, they knew you had it under control.
So excited for your new journey!
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Summer-Raye
Merry Christmas
Awww sounds like life is going great for you with little Natalie! Leah would ONLY sleep on our chests for the first several weeks of her life and I surrounded us in pillows in fear of her falling! But of course we still couldn't sleep. :) I love the pic of you guys! So sweet!
Congrats on life with your little one! Sounds like she is an angel baby and that is so wonderful:). That picture is just precious!
Aww! Congrats, sounds like baby is doing great :D
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