Almost six weeks
Arabella is almost six weeks old. Did you know that after having a baby they advise you to have a six week recovery before doing anything such as swimming...or sex...because you are supposed to give that area time to heal and everything. Well today is my "six week check up" where they tell me if I'm fine and healing well and such.
The day that I had Arabella I was so out of it because of the lack of sleep. The only other times I've felt the way I did was a couple times in highschool when I went two nights without sleeping and everything around me seemed surreal and I wasn't always sure if the conversations I was having I was actually having or if I said what I meant to say. Well that night she slept basically the whole night through, the nurse came in and said that we had to try to feed her, but she didn't want to wake up, I don't blame her, after everything she went through...I wouldn't want to wake up for awhile either. Well then the next day I could function better, but that night she was up until 5:30 in the morning. Around 2:30 we called a nurse in because she wouldn't stop crying and I didn't know what to do anymore...they were really not much help. It was awful. I didn't know what to do and I just felt so helpless and my baby was so sad...awful awful.
The epidural that I got gave me a headache for about a week and a half. It was a possible side effect, lucky me...the doctors tried telling me to stay at the hospital a few more days to make sure it got better, but all they could do is let me lay down and stuff...so I was like, well I can lay down at home. I'm glad it got better because they would have had to do a spinal tap or something if it didn't.
Anyway, after having her, I got super emotional. The first couple days I was basically just in awe and so amazed and everything with her but then I started getting super super emotional and depressedish...my mom was here though for the first two weeks and for some reason I didn't want her to see how emotional I was. I've gotten mostly better now. I still have my moments though.
The thought of breastfeeding sorta freaked me out at first, when I was pregnant and thinking about it, I was sorta terrified and horrified with the thought, but it wasn't as disturbing as I thought it would be. That might sound sorta awful for a mom to say, but that's alright. It's not easy though. I have read books about it because originally I had an issue with feeding her on the left side, it was super super painful, but I had two different lactation consultant people watch how I fed her on that side and they said it was perfect...so I just sorta had to deal with it. It's started to get better, but the right one has started to hurt. Some of the ways I've explained the pain is that it feels like my nipples are sorta constantly on fire. When latching her it's like the video games when you are trying to get your character past claws moving up and down. It feels like a rub burn. Like needles, like something is trying to drag you somewhere else by the nipple...Like a cat licking an open wound...there are many other ways I've attempted to explain to Rudy the pain...I think he gets it lol. I hear that some people have no problem with it, that's lucky for them, so don't let my experience scare you if you ever plan on breastfeeding your child in the future. And honestly it seems to be getting better or I've just accepted the fact that I will just be in pain always.
I've started being able to do more than just take care of her as well. The first week Rudy went back to work I think the only thing I did besides take care of her was one load of laundry. Last week Rudy had a training at the airfield, and was able to be home a little earlier than normal, which was nice, but I still didn't get as much done. Yesterday I was able to do a little more, I've started going on walks and such again as well, when it's not too hot outside.
I sorta hate the way I look right now, which honestly usually I don't think I look too bad for just having a baby, but still there is a little pooch that I am not used to having, and a few stretch marks I'm not at all fond of, but apparently they will mostly go away, we will see. I also started doing a few more exercises starting yesterday, but I wont today because of my appointment and I think getting her there and everything is going to take a lot of my energy. I don't have any shorts that fit me (except for like pajama shorts and stuff) So I have to wear those or skirts every day since its so hot here. And most of my shirts that I wore pre-pregnancy don't fit quite right because my boobs are huge and so they are really short on me for the time. I was used to being a D or DD but now I'm like a G or higher. I don't currently own a bra that fits and thats irritating, especially with the constant pain.
For awhile I was basically hanging out without any top on at all. Rudy was a huge fan of that. I'd only put something on when going into the kitchen (the room we don't have curtains) Or when we went out. I've been trying to wear clothes more often, I figure I should start getting used to it.
She's done really well with sleeping though. For the first few weeks she slept from about 9 to 12, would eat, would wake up about 3, eat, wake up about 6, eat, and then 9...pretty much every three hours, which I thought was good, gave us a good amount of time to sleep sorta. Then she slowly started sleeping a little more. The last little bit she's went to sleep about 10 at night and sleeps until almost 5, which I think is absolutely amazing, and then after she eats she usually sleeps until about 8 but today has been sorta an off day, so she didn't sleep the second half but has slept from about 9 to noon, so that works I guess except I'm awake and didn't get the second half of my nap, but that's okay.
So, other that all of that news. We plan on being in the states from September 13th to October 9th. So if anyone is going to be around Washington, Idaho, or Oregon, you should let me know if you want to get together. Other than that, that is my huge update on life currently.
The day that I had Arabella I was so out of it because of the lack of sleep. The only other times I've felt the way I did was a couple times in highschool when I went two nights without sleeping and everything around me seemed surreal and I wasn't always sure if the conversations I was having I was actually having or if I said what I meant to say. Well that night she slept basically the whole night through, the nurse came in and said that we had to try to feed her, but she didn't want to wake up, I don't blame her, after everything she went through...I wouldn't want to wake up for awhile either. Well then the next day I could function better, but that night she was up until 5:30 in the morning. Around 2:30 we called a nurse in because she wouldn't stop crying and I didn't know what to do anymore...they were really not much help. It was awful. I didn't know what to do and I just felt so helpless and my baby was so sad...awful awful.
The epidural that I got gave me a headache for about a week and a half. It was a possible side effect, lucky me...the doctors tried telling me to stay at the hospital a few more days to make sure it got better, but all they could do is let me lay down and stuff...so I was like, well I can lay down at home. I'm glad it got better because they would have had to do a spinal tap or something if it didn't.
Anyway, after having her, I got super emotional. The first couple days I was basically just in awe and so amazed and everything with her but then I started getting super super emotional and depressedish...my mom was here though for the first two weeks and for some reason I didn't want her to see how emotional I was. I've gotten mostly better now. I still have my moments though.
The thought of breastfeeding sorta freaked me out at first, when I was pregnant and thinking about it, I was sorta terrified and horrified with the thought, but it wasn't as disturbing as I thought it would be. That might sound sorta awful for a mom to say, but that's alright. It's not easy though. I have read books about it because originally I had an issue with feeding her on the left side, it was super super painful, but I had two different lactation consultant people watch how I fed her on that side and they said it was perfect...so I just sorta had to deal with it. It's started to get better, but the right one has started to hurt. Some of the ways I've explained the pain is that it feels like my nipples are sorta constantly on fire. When latching her it's like the video games when you are trying to get your character past claws moving up and down. It feels like a rub burn. Like needles, like something is trying to drag you somewhere else by the nipple...Like a cat licking an open wound...there are many other ways I've attempted to explain to Rudy the pain...I think he gets it lol. I hear that some people have no problem with it, that's lucky for them, so don't let my experience scare you if you ever plan on breastfeeding your child in the future. And honestly it seems to be getting better or I've just accepted the fact that I will just be in pain always.
I've started being able to do more than just take care of her as well. The first week Rudy went back to work I think the only thing I did besides take care of her was one load of laundry. Last week Rudy had a training at the airfield, and was able to be home a little earlier than normal, which was nice, but I still didn't get as much done. Yesterday I was able to do a little more, I've started going on walks and such again as well, when it's not too hot outside.
I sorta hate the way I look right now, which honestly usually I don't think I look too bad for just having a baby, but still there is a little pooch that I am not used to having, and a few stretch marks I'm not at all fond of, but apparently they will mostly go away, we will see. I also started doing a few more exercises starting yesterday, but I wont today because of my appointment and I think getting her there and everything is going to take a lot of my energy. I don't have any shorts that fit me (except for like pajama shorts and stuff) So I have to wear those or skirts every day since its so hot here. And most of my shirts that I wore pre-pregnancy don't fit quite right because my boobs are huge and so they are really short on me for the time. I was used to being a D or DD but now I'm like a G or higher. I don't currently own a bra that fits and thats irritating, especially with the constant pain.
For awhile I was basically hanging out without any top on at all. Rudy was a huge fan of that. I'd only put something on when going into the kitchen (the room we don't have curtains) Or when we went out. I've been trying to wear clothes more often, I figure I should start getting used to it.
She's done really well with sleeping though. For the first few weeks she slept from about 9 to 12, would eat, would wake up about 3, eat, wake up about 6, eat, and then 9...pretty much every three hours, which I thought was good, gave us a good amount of time to sleep sorta. Then she slowly started sleeping a little more. The last little bit she's went to sleep about 10 at night and sleeps until almost 5, which I think is absolutely amazing, and then after she eats she usually sleeps until about 8 but today has been sorta an off day, so she didn't sleep the second half but has slept from about 9 to noon, so that works I guess except I'm awake and didn't get the second half of my nap, but that's okay.
So, other that all of that news. We plan on being in the states from September 13th to October 9th. So if anyone is going to be around Washington, Idaho, or Oregon, you should let me know if you want to get together. Other than that, that is my huge update on life currently.