Based on a true story:
Hasn't this happened to all of us one time or another?! Or how about when you go to work fasting and that's the day your boss decides to buy lunch for the office.
Happy Friday! Don't forget to smile :)
As you all know, I'm a new mommy so time is limited for hair time. I've had to work on getting down a hair care and styling regimen that works for this new phase of life! One of my absolute favorite styles has been mini twists. So I decided, why not make this a long term style?
Now when I say long term I'm talking months.. I'm talking like possibly a YEAR! Yes you heard me right.
Here's my game plan:
Washing: as needed. Lately I've gone up to 2-4 weeks before washing. After washing I will spend the next several days re-twisting my twists for a clean and frizz free look
Deep Conditioning and Hot Oil Treatments: about once a month but really as needed based on my hair and the weather
Moisturizing: with mini twists raw shea butter and coconut oil do the trick! Also a spritz of water to set a style goes a long way
Styling: I will still incorporate as many protective styles as possible! And don't worry I will throw some awesome create styles in the mix too.
I am super excited about this journey!! I can't wait to share my progress as time goes on.
Everyone has different labor and delivery experiences so the type of recovery needed can vary greatly from woman to woman. Thankfully recovery has been quite smooth overall for me. Whatever your experience here are my top 10 tips to caring for your body and getting back in the swing of things!
Tip #1: Accept Help
I am one of those I-can-do-it-myself types of women so this can be hard for me. But when it came down to it, I took everyone up on their offers to help. I knew that I wanted to dedicate most of my attention to Simon. I was tired, sore and learning how to care for my baby.
If anyone says, "if you need help let me know", let them help you! Here are some ways that people helped me:
-Cooked for us or brought over take out for dinner
-My mother in love came over everyday the first week and helped with EVERYTHING!
-My mother in law cooked and froze a weeks worth of main dishes for us.
-My sister in love and friend cleaned the house and did laundry for us
-My sister stayed overnight to run errands and go to the pharmacy for me
I can go on and on but all of those things were huge!
Tip #2: Wear a Girdle
My sister told me that I would still look about 6 months pregnant after I had Simon. This is true! Your uterus is still shrinking and your belly has been stretched to capacity during the pregnancy.
In my experience, the excess "baggage" (smile) felt very unsupported and uncomfortable. Wearing a spandex girdle gently held everything in and made me feel comfortable. It also helps to bring everything back in! My stomach went down dramatically in a matter of weeks.
Tip #3: Naps Are Your BFF
Nap, nap and nap some more. Your body needs the rest! My husband had to constantly remind me that my body had went through a major event! On top of that you are up every 2-3 hours with your baby at night. Be gentle on yourself and allow your body to heal. Snuggle with your baby, snuggle with your hubby and baby and get those much needed naps. If you have other tots running around, have a friend or family member come over to watch them for an hour or two so you can sleep.
Tip #4: Get Dressed Everyday
Once I came home, I made it a goal to have a shower and real clothes on by noon everyday. It kept me motivated not to get in the rut of being in pajamas and scrub clothes all the time. While you'll want to just be in a robe and slippers, it actually makes you feel better to be dressed. I didn't wear anything fancy but it was my way of reminding myself that I mattered and still needed to care for myself.
Tip #5: Epsom Salt Baths
I started this around 6 weeks postpartum and it helped immensely. I fill my tub with hot water and add in Epsom salt and 10 drops of lavender essential oil. I would soak for at least 10 minutes. This is amazing to safely draw out toxins (if you are nursing), and help to heal your body. It's also very soothing and relaxing!
Home alone with baby? Bring them in the bathroom in a bouncer, swing, etc. The smell of lavender will be soothing and relaxing to them.
Tip #6: Include Daddy
Let daddy help as much as possible. If you are nursing it's easy for them to feel left out because you are constantly nursing the baby. Let them hold the baby (and don't tell them how to do it!), pump an extra bottle for them to feed the baby sometimes, and include them as much as possible. The last thing you want is daddy feeling left out or that he's of no use. Be careful not to constantly correct him and tell him he's doing things wrong. This pushes them away! Keeping daddy in the loop creates a beautiful bond between mommy, daddy and baby. And trust me, seeing your husband loving on your little one is amazing. Melts my heart every time!!
Tip #7: Pray and Stay in the Word
Your emotions can be all over the place after giving birth. Thankfully I didn't deal with postpartum depression. But this is a very common and real thing that happens with women. Prayer and reading the word of God is so important as a new mommy. It helps to keep your foundation stable and it keeps your mind in the right place. You may have some nights or some days that are almost overwhelming, but when you have a word from the Lord to hold onto, it gives you peace and the grace that you need to make it one more day.
Tip #8: Don't Overdo Having Visitors
I was so happy to have a good portion of my family and close friends see Simon in the first 2-4 weeks of his life! It was a joyous time.
However I had tons of people who wanted to come see him. I knew that not everyone could come! I would be exhausted if that were the case. Don't be afraid to say no, or later. Your health and wellbeing is super important! Visiting takes energy! You have to entertain when you might just want to be sleeping. Don't be afraid to say, "I'm tired today how about next week?" Or "How about I let you know when I'm ready for visitors." This is very important in the early weeks. You need rest!
Tip #9: Skin to Skin Contact
Get in as much skin to skin contact with your baby as you can. Studies show tons of positive benefits for mommy and baby! It's great for bonding, encourages breastfeeding, helps mom to produce more oxytocin (which promotes good milk supply), babies are more content, regulates the baby's temperature, heart rate and sugar levels, etc. I could go on and on! I'm a strong believer in this!
Tip #10: Be Nice to Yourself
It bothers me when I hear women talk negatively about themselves because of the changes in their body after childbirth. Yes your body changes in many ways, but it's beautiful. You carried a life inside of you and gave birth. Now you are a mother. Every scar, stretch mark, and extra pound was worth it! Don't you dare look in the mirror and criticize yourself. You are beautiful!! I remember being in awe at what my body accomplished. Own it momma! You had a baby :) That's something to celebrate.
When a boxer wins a match, he has swollen eyes, maybe a broken nose and some cuts above his eye. But when he's wearing the gold medal for winning I guarantee he isn't thinking about the damage done! Sure he'll have a road to recovery but that's the least of his worries. So don't spend time thinking of how long you have to go to lose the weight or anything of the sort. It takes time. Slow down and just enjoy your baby. Celebrate your accomplishment! Be confident in who you are at that moment.
Those are my tips! What helped you make it through the postpartum period?
For the past 3 weeks I have been getting back into the routine of exercising. The first day that I started working out, I propped Simon up on the bed in his boppy pillow and started my workout. As I'm getting my sweat on I hear a gurgling chuckle...
I look up and Simon is laughing! He continued to smile and laugh at me though the whole workout. Geez, I guess I'm more out of shape and look more ridiculous working out than I thought!
Who would have though that mommy's pain, sweat and efforts would be so funny to her little one?
It's Friday, don't forget to smile!
Your alarm goes up but you hit snooze hoping that the extra 10 minutes will benefit you somehow. When the alarm goes off you hit the ground running, mentally making a to-do list while you brush your teeth, verbally reciting tasks for the day as you brew your coffee and stressed by the large list by the time you shower. Sound like you?
"She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness." (Proverbs 31:27)
This is one of the characteristics of a virtuous woman. We go through life determined not to eat the bread of idleness. But sometimes we can go way overboard and silently punish ourselves. We can pass through our days, weeks, months and years feeling a certain sense of guilt that we didn't accomplish all of our goals. Ever consider breaking them down to make them more attainable?
One thing that has helped me feel accomplished and productive are small victories. Breaking large tasks into smaller more attainable tasks.
I can set an unrealistic goal of spring cleaning my entire house in a day. Or I can celebrate my mini accomplishments - small victories, if you will- of finishing laundry, breast feeding for an entire day, cleaning the kitchen and making dinner. See what I mean? Maybe a few rooms are still untidy but when I see what I did accomplish I can still feel good about what I've conquered. It's similar to the analogy about the glass being half empty or half full.
Breaking down small victories:
-Keep a list in your phone (whether through an app or just notes) of small tasks to complete.
-Be task specific. For example: Clean the kitchen vs wash dishes, wipe counter, empty dishwasher, etc.
-Check off every task you finish by the end of the day
-Reward yourself when a certain number of tasks are done. Treat yourself to a nice coffee, a pedicure, a new book, a much needed nap, etc.
You will be amazed at the sense of accomplishment you will feel seeing all those tasks checked off! You won't feel nearly as stressed as time goes by. Remember that the work of the world is done by busy people. We just have a way of balancing it all out. It's all about balance!
Wow this little boy is growing and progressing more and more everyday! He is so smart, alert and active.
Some Current Loves:
Eating, bath time, music, when his daddy talks to him, cuddling, story time, listening to Adventures in Odyssey, playing on his play mat.
Some Current Dislikes:
Being in his car seat, getting bored, and nap time
Sleeping Habits:
Simon is a pretty good sleeper for a breastfed baby. Breastmilk digests faster so they don't stay full as long as they would on formula. Consequently, he won't be sleeping "through the night" for a whole. Generally he sleeps for three to four and half hours, wakes up and eats for about 20-30 minutes and goes back to sleep for another two to three hours. Since he sleeps next to us in a little portable rocking crib, I pull him up to the bed, feed him laying down and put him right back once he's done. This has worked out the best for us because everyone gets more rest! I'm not disturbing Brendan by leaving the room or waking Simon up by taking him to the nursery to eat.
However, during the day I have him nap in his crib at least once so that he is familiar with it. To date he has done several nights in his crib in his own room but we prefer having him next to us for now.
Some Challenges:
Cluster feeding in the evenings. This is when a baby eats constantly for several hours to store up for night time. Initially it was pretty hard to adjust but now it's part of the schedule. He begins cluster feeding around 5:30pm, takes a break for bath time around 8:00pm and continues to until between 9:30pm-10:00pm which is when he goes to bed. When he first started doing this I was convinced that something was wrong with my milk supply and that he wasn't getting enough. However, after looking into this I found that cluster feeding is very normal for little ones. And if it means more sleep for everyone- I'm game!
Mastitis. I will dedicate a whole post to this soon but I had a breast infection that was horrible. Thank God it didn't stop us from nursing. But lemme tell you- what a wild deal!!
Milestones:
Simon is really beginning to recognize faces and voices. He also interacts vocally now! He smiles and laughs, tries to imitate facial expressions and sounds. Language acquisition at its best! We try to encourage this as much as possible by talking to him, reading to him, singing to him and playing with him.
We just love this little boy. He is the sunshine in our lives ♥
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