Her two older sisters are now almost 4 1/2 and 2 1/2, so one would think that I could recall the newborn stage with ease; that isn't quite so.
I get a flash of memories here and there, but I still find myself overwhelmed with questions. So I've been trying to grab hold of those short clips of memories in hopes that I'll remember more...
Ten Tips for New Moms (and Moms Who Can't Quite Recall All Those Details)
1. Hunching over for a few days after a c-section is normal, but to heal well get up on your feet AND stay on top of the Motrin.
2. Wiping away the yellow poop with a very wet wash cloth is much easier than wipes, and how diaper rash doesn't happen when I use water in place of wipes.
3. Patience for the initial days when a newborn's latch has the strength of iron jaws, desperately sucking for the milk to come in, or when a newborn's latch is still a work-in-progress until he or she finally gets the hang of it.
4. The c-section incision is kind of icky, so try to keep it clean AND dry despite the "Mother's Apron."
5. The second best thing to the nipple: my pinky finger, often useful when driving in the car with a baby who won't stop crying.
6. Phantom kicks may occur within the belly after the baby is born; this always makes me wonder if another baby is still secretly in there.
7. A touch of olive oil rubbed into cradle cap softens it, so it can come off if you wish for it to.
8. Layers! We learned with our first baby that she slept so much better dressed in layers at night.
9. Sometimes a baby will cry, no matter what you do and how you try to stop it. Our first baby was colicky for 13 months, crying all day and night due to built up gas we think (she never would burp or spit up or fart). We tried everything and it stressed us out the entire time. Now I wish I had just tried to relax more and felt like it was okay to hold a crying baby, soothing her, but being okay that she was crying.
10. Soak up the skin-on-skin time. I got so much of it with my first baby, but when my second arrived it was hard to connect in that way. Still I loved holding her close to my body as much as possible.
Thanks to Cookie's Chronicles for a great topic this week!
And thank you to Stasha for her wonderful Monday Listicles, the one thing I find myself looking forward to doing on my blog these days as I near the end of my pregnancy and the end of this deployment. I am happy to say that when I post the next Monday Listicles my husband will finally be back home!!!
20 comments:
One more month! I'm so happy for you. Enjoy the good things that are coming your way :-)
It will all come back to you. enjoy the time, you have felt, because your world is about to change forever, in a good way of course! :-)
My oldest was colicky. He would only be quiet if we listened to 80s music at peak volume or if I vacuumed with him in the baby Bjorn. My house was spotless for weeks, and I still hear A-Ha's Take On Me in my subconscious. Good luck!
So excited for you!
Great tips, all of them. #2 - a midwife taught me that too. She said, nothing better than just water and a clean wash cloth for them tushes :)
Wow! You remembered a lot, actually! I never knew about phantom kicks.
And yay! One more week!!
Ahhh, I can't believe only one more week and your husband will be home! That's great!
And great list too...I got so excited, I almost forgot to tell you that I like your list ;)
In one more month you'll be experiencing these again! So excited for you and your hubby back next week - a double joy for you! I think I did remember getting phantom kicks...or it just might have been gas or something. I should try #2 if I ever have another. And with my second I really didn't panic that much with the endless crying. Great list Kim!
A week to go, this is so exciting. I wish I could be there to take a picture of you all when Daddy gets of the ship!!
I sit here, trying to remember, and all I can think of is happiness. Funny how easy it is to forget all the challenges of being a new mom and only remember the fun bits.
Yay, Kim, you're in the home stretch now! I always had those phantom kicks, too, but I've never heard of anyone else who did until now!
So happy for you that your husband will be home in a week! Enjoy all the wonderful parts of new mommy-hood - you're in the home stretch :)
You new baby girl is lucky, sounds like a very experienced mommy to me! And just think all these awesome bloggers are here to help if you forget something or need to cry or after reading todays list if you need a realy good laugh! Your tips are great!
You are so close! I love all of your tips!
It seems the major things, you have rememebered. One more month! And I'm glad to see that you are still here, writing away!
What a fantastic list! I always used the warm wash clothes instead of wipes when my boys were newborn babies. Worked so well.
Oh and the Phantom kicks...in a strange way, I miss those!
So excited for you!
Thank you everyone for all of your support and cheer for me :) It makes me feel better. I'm slowly pulling away from the Internet (well, blogging and Facebook; still using email), as I feel myself too excited and consumed by my husband's return and the upcoming birth of our baby. So I really appreciate you coming to my blog and writing comments even though I have been absent on your blog. Thank you!!!
You're remembering the important things! Yay for your husband's and baby's imminent arrivals!!
Sorry...my name got cut off!
I also had c-sections with my two. The second one was much better than the first. All I remember with my first one was that shooting pain in my abdomen every time I'd laugh or sit up those first couple weeks. Not fun.
Good list - visiting from Listicles.
Staying ahead of the pain is HUGE when recovering! Also with the layering... someone once told me that it's all in the feet... cold feet meant colds would be right behind them. Great list!
My girls are 10 and 7, so I managed to forget almost everything about having a newborn by the time my baby came along. Most of it came back though, and I'm sure it will for you :) The phantom baby kicks makes me laugh - I felt that way sometimes. I'd even try to get my husband to feel them to see if I was crazy!
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