1 Month Update

Carter is one month old today!  Things have changed so much from the first few weeks.  After about the second week, he was capable of being awake and not crying, which was wonderful.  I have definitely gotten the hang of taking care of him during the day while my husband is gone during the workday, but the first few weeks were extremely trying... extremely!

Weight/Length: 9.2 lbs./22"

Clothing Size/Diaper Size: A few newborn clothing items fit, but mainly 0-3 month/Newborn diapers fit for about a week after birth but we quickly switched to Size 1 once he started leaking through everything (my boy has an abnormal amount of pee!)

Likes: Fisher Price My Little Snug-A-Bunny Swing (which he hated until now!), Boppy Newborn Lounger, being outside, riding in the carseat, riding in the stroller, being held (usually), bathtime (which he used to hate... until his umbilical cord stump fell off and we were able to submerge his lower half to keep him warm),  peeing during bathtime, Cloud B Sleep Sheep, kicking around on the changing table, nursing, screaming :)

Hates: SwaddleMes (which he used to love!), being naked.

(First few weeks)

Likes/Hates: Pacifiers, napping, tummy time.

Milestones: "Coo"-ing, smiling, flipping from stomach to back, sleeping through the night.

Note: Our new bedtime routine that has been working consists of a diaper change, bathtime, putting on PJs,  swaddling him in his SwaddleMe (the only time he is swaddled now), giving cuddles, putting down a heating pad to heat up his crib for a few minutes (then removing it before he is laid inside), turning on the Cloud B Sleep Sheep, and Dad giving him his only bottle of the day.  The bottle gives him about 3 ounces which helps him stay fuller than if I was just nursing him to sleep - I use pumped milk or milk that I have saved while nursing by using the Milk Saver (mentioned here).

Mom Scares: He stopped breathing in the middle of a crying fit and his limbs froze - his little face had a terrified look on it and I panicked.  I was ready to try all of my CPR tricks that I'd learned in our class, picked him up frantically, and - thank God - he started breathing again.  Talk about a scare...  Another one was when he was napping in his bassinet and I was in the bathroom and heard him screaming.  I ran out and he had lodged himself into the top of his bassinet and couldn't get out. He is normally swaddled in his bassinet, so now that I know he can get lodged, I don't let him sleep in it unswaddled.  We also bought a Pack 'n Play that he physically can't get lodged in that we use for naps.

Happy 1 Month, Carter!

Body After Baby - Recovery

Breastfeeding:

Yep, it's painful.  Yep, I've cried while feeding the baby many times - mainly in the very beginning.  I had intense contractions while nursing for the first few days due to the uterus contracting back to its normal size.  I did not expect this side effect!  It has gotten much better since then, but I am still always at least a little sore.  I am pretty dedicated to sticking with it, but it's been a trip.  I've used my breastpump (Medela Pump In Style) which wasn't very pleasant, but it's something I will have to get used to once I go back to work.  When Carter had his one week checkup, he'd already gained back his birth weight and an additional ounce - go me!  By the way, any breastfeeding moms out there - this contraption is awesome!  I can save at least 1/2 to a full ounce per feeding if I use it, and I can reduce the number of nursing pads I have to wash.  Soaking wet nursing pads drive me CRAZY.

Milkies Milk Saver Breast Milk Collector Storage

C-Section:

My scar is pretty large and is significantly raised above the skin.  I had dissolvable stitches reinforced with steri strips.  I was able to peel off the steri strips after about a week.  I thought I'd escaped the lochia (blood, tissue from the uterus, and bacteria) since I didn't have a vaginal birth, but no way.  I was bleeding for over 2 weeks.  In the beginning, it was a lot... I mean a LOT... but tapered off after a week or two. The first time I got up from my hospital bed was not fun.  My insides hurt and I hunched over to avoid stretching my incision for a few days, which ended up hurting my back.  The nurses helped me get out of bed the first time to use the restroom and then my husband helped me every other time.  I'll just say we bonded a lot and he saw things that probably scarred him for life... thanks, babe!  He was in charge of changing the baby's diapers and I was in charge of nursing until I was able to get out of my hospital bed.  

I didn't shower or go #2 for 2 days which was just awful.  I also had extreme gas buildup in my stomach, I guess from air being trapped inside when I was cut open.  They gave me pills to help, but it was quite painful.  It's been about 2 weeks and I feel pretty much recovered, but the only activity I've done is a mile or two at a time walking with the stroller.

Weight:

I lost about 5 pounds a day for the first 5 days. and after that it slowly melted off.  My swelling has gone down and I can wear my wedding rings again... woohoo!  I gained 32 pounds while pregnant and still have about 5 left.  I've heard that breastfeeding makes you hang onto a few extra pounds, so I'm not too worried.  It looks like I've lost the weight everywhere but my belly.  When I left the hospital, I still looked about 7 months pregnant, but now I just have a little pooch.  Each day, my belly shrunk significantly, but now it seems to be staying the same.  I've been surprised how nicely my belly has gone down, but it's going to take some work to tone back up.  I look forward to getting back into the gym in about a month.  In the meantime, I've been putting a firming lotion on my belly after I shower and hoping that helps.

All in all, recovery wasn't easy, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be considering I had major abdominal surgery.  I'm excited to get my pre-pregnancy body back sometime soon!