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1 Month Postpartum: All the Things |
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How do I describe my first month postpartum?
Endless cuddles. Sleep deprivision. Breastfeeding. Becoming a family. Navigating a new life. Body changes. Questions. Recovery. More cuddles. Diapers. Pumping. Bonding. Cleaning - so - many - bottles. Pediatric appointments. Questions. The unknown. A love that is indescribable. Purpose. Worry. Excitement. Motivation. Intentionality.
Everyone's experience is unique and that is a beautiful thing. At the same time, if you are a new mom or soon to be a new mom, here are some tips and tricks that helped me navigate this last month.
We are capable of the amazing miracle of
creating new life!
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MENTAL STATE
Week 1: Adrenaline
The whole first week with our girl was filled with adrenaline. That is the best way to put it. It was almost like I didn't feel tired or exhausted because I see this newborn and realize only I can keep her safe/alive. It's a surreal thing and it literally kept me going on fumes. I would spring into action at night when she would grunt because I knew she needed me. She woke up on her own every 3 hours at night so that helped us stick to a schedule and not worry as much about feedings/developing.
Week 2: Reality
By the second week, reality started to settle in a little more. I would say week 2 was the hardest week for me so far. The lack of sleep caught up to me and my husband (our conversations were deliusionly funny), my body had not started healing yet, which was frustrating. Breastfeeding HURT bad and I wondered how life could possibly feel 'normal' again. Our sweet girl and her cuddles made it ALL worth it, but I definitely had some moments during this week of feeling drained and exhausted.
Week 3: I see the light
There is something magical that happened for me between weeks 2 and 3. I started to see my body heal (finally), breastfeeding got easier for me/I started pumping, and the night routine got more structured. Due to all of these positive changes, I was able to start brainstorming about structuring a routine post-baby. My walks started to get longer, and I started stretching more and feeling like myself again. Our girl was growing before our eyes and already starting to look bigger, which is sad and amazing at the same time. This is the week I started to seriously prioritize ME again in small quiet moments. It was a game changer and allowed me to refuel myself to be the best mommy and wife.
Week 4: New life with a baby
By week 4, I started to see what our new life would look like with our baby. Her naps, feedings, and night routine started to have more structure which allowed us to plan out our days/evenings. She started sleeping every 4 hours (instead of 3) at night, which made a major difference for us. My body was almost completely healed at this point, which allowed me to take longer walks, stretch more and get excited about my 6 week appointment to be cleared to workout again. I took more steps this week to prioritize myself when I could, which came in form of morning protein smoothies, daily vitamins, stretching, long walks with my girl, buying wooden gua sha tools to help with lymphatic drainage, and drinking a ton of water.
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My MUST HAVES
I have linked everything below
For baby:
- SNOO (Works like magic but also she doesn't love it every night because she likes her hands to be free. I would say the first 2-3 weeks we used it A LOT for sleeping at night)
- 4MOMS MamaRoo4 (Great to have in the living room while you do things. It rocks and has sound effects. Very soothing)
- NESTED SACK (Game changer for long night sleeps because it is lightly weighted and will put baby back to sleep when she wakes up in the middle of the night. It makes her feel like she is being held. She will do 7 hour sleep stretches now at night!!!!! I owe it all to this)
- ONSIES (These are great for under the nested sack for bedtime. Our favorite)
- BOPPY (Great for tummy time or on her back to observe this new life)
- DOCK-A-TOT (Use this every night for sleep if she is not in the SNOO. It's great! We got an off brand one too but it did not come close to the Dock-A-Tot. Perfectly snuggles her in)
- FLASHCARDS (We love putting black and white flipbook flashcards in front of her and she just stares forever! Great for development and calming her down. Couldn't find exact ones we have but linked similar)
- HATCH (Sound machines WORK. We also use Spotify on our phones for white noise but the Hatch has great calming lights too)
- PACIFIERS (She loves these the most out of all the ones I've tried. They're lightweight and don't fall out easily)
- COZY SOCKS (Love putting her in cozy socks at night in her nested sack)
For Momma:
- NIGHT GOWN (anything with easy buttons for breastfeeding/pumping)
- DONUT (game changer for sitting post-baby)
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HOSPITAL BAG
WHAT I UESD:
- Non-stick socks (wore them the whole time)
- Cozy go home outfit (sweat set)
- Slides (for going home)
- Cute custom blankets and outfits for baby (for pictures and go home outfit)
- Vaseline (lips are always dry and I use it under my eyes too)
- Clips/hair ties (hair was up the whole time)
- Adult diaper to go home in (they provide what you need while you are there)
WHAT I DIDN'T USE:
- Bath robe (Wore the hospital gown 99% of the time)
- Baby diapers (they provide everything for baby and you can take home what you don't use)
- PJs (wore the hospital gown the whole time and didn't change until I left the hospital)
- Pacifiers
- Face wash (I was only there for one night and did not even care to wash my face ha)
- Cozy socks (The non-slip socks were perfect because I was able to wear them in bed and to walk around so I didn't use any other kind of socks)
WHAT THE HOSPITAL PROVIDED:
- Hospital gown
- Snacks, water, meals
- Diapers, wipes, swaddle, hat for baby
- Adult diapers and peri bottle post baby
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PHYSICAL BODY CHANGES (the real deal)
After giving birth for the first time, I was unsure what the healing process would look like and what to expect. With the whirlwind of emotions that comes with taking care of a newborn, your body is not a priority right away; however, it is good to know what to expect post-baby.
For me, it took 2 full weeks for me to start to see proof of the actual healing begin. The first 2 weeks were a lot of bleeding, so having adult diapers or large pads is a must. By the end of week 3, I was still healing but it was still uncomfortable to walk and sit. By week 4, I was able to go on walks without feeling uncomfortable at all, and I began to notice a huge change.
For my physical body, the first couple days I still looked like I was pregnant, and I had no ab strength whatsoever. It hurt to cough or sneeze, and it felt very tender. By week 3, I was able to cough without it feeling tender or hurting. I still have a small lower bump but almost all of my water weight is gone. I definitely had gained weight from the pregnancy, so that is something that I will need to work towards when I get cleared to workout, but I am not worried - I am actually excited to have new fitness goals!
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Mentally Strong
There are so many emotions that come with having a baby. The physical changes, the mental changes, the lifestyle changes with no sleep and providing the nutrition for your baby. It is beautiful and overwhelming all at the same time. For me, pregnancy was HARD, so I made a promise to myself that post baby I was going to bring back my motivation and lifestyle that makes me my best self.
Before the baby even was born, I was focusing on being positive post-baby by talking and journaling about it, and by writing out an action plan. I think those exercises made it easier to stay so motivated these first 4 weeks because I was training my mind to look at every situation in a positive light before the baby even came. Everything is harder and takes more time with a newborn, but it IS POSSIBLE to still have personal goals to work towards through it all. Everyone's journey is different (just like some pregnant women are able to workout all of pregnancy and I wasn't) so don't base your journey solely off of mine.
Just remember...
YOU ARE CAPABLE and giving time for yourself to feel good is the best thing you can do for you and your family!
Start small with walks down the street and back. That was all I could do through week 2. It was uncomfortable, so I wouldn't push myself, but just getting outside was refreshing and moving my body helped me get over the mental barrier of not feeling like myself yet. I also started really prioritizing healthy eating. Since I couldn't control moving my body yet, I focused on what I could control: the fuel I put into my body for me and my baby. By week 4, I was walking over an hour and feeling GREAT. I don't think my progress would be this fast if I didn't start small and steady.
Our bodies are amazing and it is all about perspective and small wins. You got this!
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I have to end with giving a personal shout out to my husband, Reese, because my sanity would NOT be the same without him. He has helped me every step of the way and is a natural with our sweet girl. He is more calm then me (lol) so he has also brought a very calm presence to our home with the craziness of having a newborn. I love you baby <3 |
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