True Life: I Have a Baby - Now What?

Before Holly was born and every day after, I found myself googling questions like, "What do newborns like to do?" and "How to make baby sleep through the night."  I would get hundreds of matches for my search, and while some gave good advice, others just didn't apply to my Holly.  There isn't just one cookie-cutter baby.  With that being said, I have come up with a list of things that I learned that I think will be helpful to new moms.

1.  Hospital Stay:  Your husband should pack whatever clothing he would wear in a snowstorm.  It will be very cold for him, while you will be sweating and kicking off the blankets.  For the Mom, I suggest over-packing your bag, but one thing I could not have done without was my nursing pillow and an additional head pillow because the hospital pillows are very thin.  After the birth, the nurses will bring you all kinds of items, including nipple cream, diapers, snot-nose sucker, mesh underwear, extra ginger ale, prune juice (by Day 2, all you will think about will be taking a poop), etc.  Take it all, and if you don't use it before you leave - stash it in your overnight bag and bring it home!

2.  Breastfeeding:  It is going to be painful and you will want to quit.  This is normal.  Keep it up.  You are not doing it wrong.  Well, you might be doing it wrong, so get some help from a Lactation specialist to ensure that you are doing it right.  Even if you are doing it correctly, it will still hurt for a few weeks.  I think it was painful for me for about 5 weeks or more.  It gradually gets easier, and then suddenly it doesn't hurt anymore!  You will want to use Lanolin on your nipples every time you nurse at first because it helps relieve some of the burn and I think it really helped me finally get past the pain.

3.  Paternity Leave:  My husband took leave the week we came home from the hospital.  BIG MISTAKE!!  My mom and my mother-in-law also took leave that week.  Additionally, all of my friends and close family took turns visiting that whole week.  They brought food and gifts, and for those first two weeks I was never alone with the baby.  My point is, if your mother is going to be around to help you with those first few weeks, SEND YOUR HUSBAND TO WORK.  He will have nothing to do all day and will be bored out of his mind.  Tell him to take paternity leave after all the visitors stop coming and when your mom has to return to work.  The first few weeks of having a newborn are pretty boring - eat - poop - sleep.  I suggest Dad take paternity leave when baby is 2-3 weeks old, which is right around the time that you start to get really tired from only sleeping in 2-3 hour spurts.  That way, you can help each other out to get more rest during the days when baby is taking naps.

4.  Keep Baby Warm, But Not Hot:  You will not want to use heavy blankets or hats when baby is sleeping because there is a high risk for SIDS if they overheat.  Get some swaddle blankets.  I really liked the "SwaddleMe" blankets because they Velcro together and baby can't easily wiggle out.  They keep baby at the perfect temperature.  If baby's hands get out and they feel ice-cold, that is OK!  Cold hands do not bother them, and can actually be a sign that they are the right temperature.  If you want to be sure they are not freezing, feel the back of the neck, and if it is warm, baby is perfect temperature.

5.  Baby Skin:  At first, baby's skin will be so soft!  Then, it will peel and flake off and be kind of gross.  Next, it will be sensitive and somewhat dry.  Get some Aquaphor for the dry patches and to put behind the ears and in other sensitive spots.  Baby's neck will probably get a little rash until she can hold her head up.  You can use Aquaphor, Desitin, or Lotrimin on it to help heal the skin.  I found that it helps most to wipe the neck with a warm washcloth each day, sometimes 2-3 times a day.  It's just a sensitive area, and milk will get stuck down there sometimes so it just makes things worse.

6.  Baths for Baby:  A bath is a great way to get baby to relax and wind down for the night, which is why we've made it part of the bedtime routine.  Sometimes we don't even use soap, but just the act of sitting in some warm water and gently washing with a washcloth is soothing to the baby.  Make sure you have soft washcloths and towels handy.  Also, I LOVE the "Munchkin Shampoo Rinser" (you can get it at Target) because it bends easily to rinse the soap off.

 

7.  Baby Monitor:  Oh you don't think you need one?  You do.  Think of this situation... You finally get the baby to take a nap in the crib/bassinet/whatever and you want to watch a movie/read a book/sit alone in silence in a different room but you are afraid to leave her alone.  Just get a baby monitor so that you can start living your life again.

8.  What Do Babies Want to Do?:  Babies don't need a whole lot of toys, but they do like to have different activities when they are awake, so I suggest getting three items for the first 3-4 months.  The first is a bouncy seat, so that baby can sit upright without being held.  It helps baby digest to sit up for about a half hour after eating, so a chair is a must-have.  The second item is a musical mobile.  A mobile will entertain baby while you take that 5-minute shower that you've been dying for.  Also, it helps with their eye coordination.  The third item is an "activity gym" - which is one of those little mats with the over-hanging items.  This will also entertain baby and help her develop her hand-eye coordination.  

9.  Breast Pump:  You will want to have a breast pump starting Day 1 of being home from the hospital.  If your milk hasn't come in yet, you can help encourage it to come in.  If your milk has come in, and your baby is extremely sleepy at times, you will want it to relieve the engorgement.  Store any milk that you can, because after about two weeks of being at home all day, everyday, you might want to leave baby at home with Dad and take a trip out of the house.  As long as your baby nurses with no problem, she can take a bottle once in a while.  Holly took her first bottle at 2 weeks old, and she did just fine.

10.  Getting Baby on a Schedule:  Don't bother.  You already have a schedule, and she can learn to live on your schedule.  As you get closer to going back to work, start getting her up to eat around the time that you will need to get ready for work.  "Start" her day by changing her into day clothes and a clean diaper, and feeding her.  Keep the lights on during the day so that she knows that it is day-time.  At night time, keep the lights low and don't talk loudly.  Think of day and night as 12 hours each, so if you wake her at 7AM, then day-time is 7AM - 7PM, and night-time is 7PM - 7AM.  She won't sleep the whole time at night, but you will be training her circadian rhythm, and eventually she will sleep longer and longer during the night hours.  "End" her day with a bed-time routine, such as low lights, a bath, changing into pajamas, quiet activities like whispering or singing.  Don't get discouraged if she doesn't fall asleep when you think she should.  Eventually she will get tired and sleep.

38 weeks, 4 days

Ten more days to go until the official due date.  I have been having some cramps today, a few sharp ones, but mostly dull achy ones near my lower pelvis.  It is so painful along the top of my belly, where my bra line is, that I almost feel like I am being stabbed with a knife sometimes.  It really hurts!  The only relief comes when I am lying down, and even then the pain still lingers.  It hasn't helped that I have been sitting in meetings for the past 3 days on hard student desks.  Today I get to finally spend most of my day at home.

Mom and I went grocery shopping this afternoon.  I stocked up on easy to make items and frozen foods, so that I don't have to do much cooking for a while.  I've washed clothes and packed most of the hospital bag.  I still need to figure out how to hook up the car seat properly.  We met the pediatrician yesterday - a place in Germantown that comes highly recommended on reviews online.  I am feeling pretty good about where I have left things at work.  There are still a few more things I could do, and I plan on getting those things done next week during leadership week.  All in all, I feel secure enough with getting prepared that this baby could come at anytime - I am ready - I hope Mark is ready!  Mark is playing golf today and hockey all weekend, so he will be gone.  I wonder if this baby might just decide to come soon and ruin all his fun plans!  That would be a rude thing to do, but definitely possible!

So what am I going to do this weekend to pass the time?  Well I think napping is the first activity, and possibly the main activity for the next 2 days as well.  Hopefully next time I get around to posting a blog, I will have survived labor and delivery!

33 weeks

Tomorrow will be exactly 33 weeks - 7 weeks to go (no more hopefully).  Here is a picture of me a few days ago.

I am feeling better, after recovering from my 4th cold this year, but the indigestion and heartburn has been pretty terrible.  Last night my food didn't sit well with me, and I woke up at 1AM coughing so hard and with such terrible indigestion that I vomited everything I had eaten.  I should really learn to be very careful about what I eat, but sometimes it is very difficult when I am going to barbecues, parties, showers, etc, and the food isn't always the healthiest selection.

Speaking of showers, Benae hosted a shower for me to celebrate with work friends.  It was great fun, and I received some really great gifts.  Baby girl has a ton of onesies now, along with shoes, socks, hand-knit sweater set, wipes, swim gear, piggy bank, swaddles, and so much more.  It was so exciting to get new stuff.  I purposely had not shopped for any clothes, because I knew that other people would be able to find cute stuff.  I am washing all the newborn size stuff right now so that it will be ready when she comes.

At my recent Dr appointment on Thursday we got another sonogram to check on her growth.  Dr Laurin estimates that she is about 4lb 10oz already.  I believe it!  When she moves in my belly, it is strong and sometimes it really stops me in my tracks!  I think she is going to be a nice size baby when she finally arrives.  The doctor also said that my amniotic fluid was "on the low side of normal," so I will have another sonogram in 2 more weeks to check on it again.  

Other updates include that my belly button is starting to poke out a tiny bit, and I've started to get some things together that will be included in my hospital bag.  Mark set up the crib on Friday night, and it looks great.  Next time I update, I should be done with school for the summer, and hopefully just resting and getting the last few things in order!

29 weeks

In two days I will be exactly 29 weeks pregnant.  I'm struggling with my third cold this year.  It seems as if I have no immune system!  I am taking Sudafed and Tylenol, but the combo is not making me feel much better yet.

I've gained about 19 lbs at this point.  I feel her kicking and moving all the time now.  She is especially active when I go to bed and lay on my side.  I can feel her kick and press against the bed, and it wakes me up during the night too.  Mark finished installing all of our new blinds today.  Now we just need to think about buying some real baby furniture.  I really just need a crib and a play-yard bassinet set.  I don't want to go overboard with buying stuff.  We've already acquired some "hand-me-down" baby swings and seats, and even some summer "onesies."

I go back to the doctor in about a week, at 30 weeks.  After that I am supposed to see the doctor every two weeks.  I feel pretty good so far about the doctors and hospital situation, although we haven't done the "tour" that they suggest you do of the hospital.  I don't know if I really need all that - I don't plan on being there that long!

I'm too sick for a picture today, so I will have to update later with the latest belly shot.

24 weeks pregnant

Well, really 2 days until I'm 24 weeks, but it's easier to round up.  I've gained 16 lbs, and I am feeling tired, especially during the mid-day hours.  Baby is kicking frequently, and I can feel that she is getting stronger.  Sometimes I can even see my belly is a little lop-sided, as if she is hanging out on one side.  It's pretty weird.

This past week was Spring Break, and I used the free time to clean out the room that will be her nursery.  That included moving a few pieces of heavy furniture including the queen bed and large desk.  Also, Mark has kept a bunch of heavy textbooks that I moved all the way down the basement.  I probably had to make 15 trips up and down the stairs to move everything out.  I took my time, rested when I got tired, but I finally got it all cleaned out and vacuumed, and I feel so much better about the space now.

Yesterday I bought a can of "ballet pink" spray paint, and I painted my old shelf that used to be in my room when I was little, and also a mirror that we've had in storage for years.  I'm happy with the way they turned out, although the mirror could probably use one more coat of paint.

 

Craving for cinnamon rolls motivates me in the kitchen

Two sleeps ago I had a dream about cinnamon rolls.  The thought of eating one has taken over my thoughts ever since.  Using yeast intimidates me, but found this delicious recipe online by searching for "cinnamon rolls no yeast."  I call it a hit.  Here it is...

Prep Time:	30 Min
Cook Time:	25 Min

FOR THE DOUGH:
2 c	all purpose flour
2 Tbsp	sugar
4 tsp	baking powder
1 tsp	salt
3 Tbsp	butter, softened
3/4 c	milk
FOR THE FILLING:
4 Tbsp	butter, softened
1 c	brown sugar
3 tsp	ground cinnamon
FOR THE GLAZE:
1/2 c	confectioners' sugar (powdered)
1/4 c	milk

Directions

1

 Filling: In a small bowl, combine the softened butter, brown sugar and cinnamon to form a crumbly mixture. Sprinkle half of the mixture over the bottom of a 9x9" pan.

2

 Dough: In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in softened butter. Stir in milk to form a soft dough.

3

 Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle about 1/4" thick.

4

 Spread the remaining filling on the rolled-out dough. Roll up the rectangle, and with a sharp knife slice into 18 small rolls (or 12 if you want them bigger).

5

 Place the rolls in the 9x9" pan and bake in a pre-heated 400-degree oven for 20-25 minutes.

6

 Glaze: combine powdered sugar and milk in a small bowl and stir until smooth.  Add a small amount of vanilla extract if wanted.

7

 When the rolls are done, drizzle on the glaze and serve warm with hot coffee or a cold glass of milk.

20 weeks pregnant - Halfway!

I'm carrying around an extra 10 lbs now.  Its tough to put on weight, even though I know its for a good cause.  Its scary to see the scale tip higher and higher.  I wonder how long it will take to come back off again.  I'm being careful about eating healthy meals, and making sure that I eat things like fruit, vegetables and yogurt each day.  I've been a little lazy about the gym, mostly because it has been rainy and cold, and I just don't feel like going out in the weather after I get home from work.  I feel pretty good - no nausea since the first trimester.  I got my first cold of the winter and it has lasted a week already.  Sudafed and Tylenol have been my meds of choice (and about all that I am allowed to take).  

At 18 weeks, we had our sonogram to measure the baby's development.  The sonographer took about 15 minutes, but the baby's legs were crossed indian style, and she was not able to get all of the measurements - including determining the gender - so we have to go back and have another one on March 18th.  We are very eager to find out the gender.  Then we can finally talk about names and such.

In the last two days, I think I may have felt the baby move inside of me.  It was a weird little quick punch - like nothing I have ever felt before.  Each time I was sitting or laying down, very still, and it felt like a foot or a hand just lightly knocking into my uterus.  Then nothing.  It happens so quickly that each time I am left feeling unsure, thinking that maybe I imagined it all!  I can't wait until the next sonogram.  Because I'm not very big yet, and because I can't feel the baby all the time, sometimes I get a little worried about what is happening in there!  Hopefully I will have more interesting news in another two weeks.