5 weeks old - Now begins the solo mama-ing

Hello everyone!

Our little Zoie is just over 5 weeks old now, and she has changed so much! She's right at 8lb (according to our scale), and her face is maturing more every day. She has gotten so good at breastfeeding, sleeps longer stretches during the night, and seems happier during her awake time. I'm so thankful that James was here for the first month of Zoie's life so we could work through the tough newborn issues together!

Now that James is deployed overseas for several months, Zoie and I are working on our daily schedule together. I'm learning to do more things one-handed while carrying Zoie, and we've been using our different wraps/baby carriers around the house. Zoie LOVES to be held! It pretty much soothes any fussing unless she's hungry.

Breastfeeding

I've learned the art of breastfeeding while carrying Zoie in one arm! This frees me up to walk around and do things around the house. Of course, I can't imagine this will work when she's older/heavier, but I'm enjoying our flexibility for now.

Breastfeeding has become sooo much easier - it might hurt for a second as she's latching on, but it's not uncomfortable once she's eating. One of the most frustrating obstacles we overcame was latching on when my breasts were too full. Understandably, Zoie would get really frustrated if milk was squirting out onto her face! She kept slipping around and couldn't latch on, which made me have to put her down (fussy and upset) to hand-express some milk into the sink. SO glad those days are over, she finally got the hang of it! She can latch onto a fire hose now :-)

Sleep

Sleep has improved a lot. Zoie suddenly changed from waking up every 2 hours to feed, to sleeping for 4-5 hour stretches! It's amazing, and the timing couldn't be more perfect now that I'm her only caretaker during the night. She's also getting better at falling back asleep after I change her diaper and feed her. Being less delirious at nighttime makes me enjoy our night feeds a lot more!

As much as she loves to be held, Zoie is pretty good about sleeping in her mini crib at night. Once she is nursed, swaddled, and rocked to sleep, I'll lay her down and keep my hands rocking her gently until she drifts deeper into sleep. This usually works (and she falls asleep fast!), but sometimes she'll wake up shortly after (sometimes several times...) and I'll need to sooth her again.

As of the past 2 weeks, Zoie has been waking up around 2:30am for a diaper change and feeding, and again around 6:30am. During her first wake-up, Zoie stays pretty drowsy and falls asleep quickly when I lay her back in the crib. The after the 6:30am wake-up, she's a bit more chipper and I'll pull her into bed with me, and she'll sleep on her tummy on my chest for another two hours. We usually get up around 8:30am, and head out on our daily 2 mile walk!

Diapering

We haven't started really cloth diapering yet, our Thirsties Duo Wraps are pretty big on her. However, we have four Tots Bots TiniFit Cloth Diapers, which I use every couple days when I do laundry. They're adorable, and they're made out of this plush minky material on the inside! They are all-in-one (cover + absorbent layer), so you use them like you would disposable diapers. Remove the diaper and toss it in the diaper pail. Wash them with Rockin Green detergent and you're good to go!

It's been about a week without James here, and it's definitely been a little more difficult. Luckily, my in-laws live 30 minutes away, and my parents are flying in soon for a visit! It's nice to have so much family around. I can't really complain when my life revolves around my baby, my family, and my puppy. Life is good :-)

Cheers,

Martha

The wonderful life of a newborn - Almost a month with Zoie!

Zoie is 4 weeks old! Where did time go? 

Sometimes having a newborn feels way easier than I expected, sometimes it's just as exhausting. Zoie is the sweetest little baby, and she's such a blessing to our family! She's pretty chill, easy to soothe, and has quite an appetite. She doesn't cry too much, but whew - she can go from 0 to 60 in 3 seconds flat when she decides she's hungry!

We feel extremely fortunate to have a generally happy baby - I've heard about the struggles of parents with colicky babies, and can't imagine the heartbreak of inconsolable crying! Zoie's fussing can be pretty cute (the bottom lip pout makes me awww every time!), and she responds well to simply a position change or a little bouncing.

Zoie in her daddy's arms

It's been so fun getting to know her little personality, and she's grown quite a bit since she was born! At 3 weeks, she gained about a pound. Her face is maturing (I'm so anxious to see what color her eyes become! They're dark blue/brown/gray right now...), and she is growing so strong! She has some impressive neck control already, and powerful legs that can scoot her body upward if she's laying on her tummy.

We've definitely had our struggles with breastfeeding, diaper changes, sleepless nights, and trying to get things done around the house, but overall, parenthood is pretty much the most awesome thing ever.

It's getting easier as we figure out what works and what doesn't, and James and I wanted to share a few tips from our experience so far... 


Laboring at the hospital:

•  Toilet paper - bring your own! Drinking so much water to stay hydrated and receiving saline fluids through IV makes you pee like crazy. You don't want to use the hospital's cheap thin paper...
• Yoga mat - I spent a lot of time standing, swaying, kneeling, bending into squats, and doing whatever felt comfortable during labor. Definitely bring a comfy yoga mat!
• Bose® SoundLink - load your labor playlist on your iPhone, and play it on a Bluetooth music player! Listening to music was relaxing, empowering, and made time go by more quickly (Florence + The Machine albums were my favorite)
• CamelBak - it's nice to have a spill-proof bottle you can toss around. Hubby can keep it refilled for you.
• Big loose gym shorts - after a vaginal delivery, you're going to be wearing a sandwich of [awesome] disposable underwear, a cold pack, and a huge absorbent pad. It's big and awkward, and you'll want to conceal your bulk with something loose and comfortable. I ditched my own running shorts and ended up wearing James' gym shorts!
• Your own pillows - much more comfortable than hospital pillows. Make sure your husband brings his too!
• Your own towels - for some reason, our hospital didn't have regular-sized bath towels. Only tiny ones. Bring your own just in case!
• Lanolin - your breastfeeding experience will be much better if you use lanolin on your nipples right away! They can get sore pretty quickly.
• Diapers - you don't need these! The hospital supplies all you need.
• Snacks - easy, quick snacks are great for keeping up your energy. Nuts, dried fruit, and coconut water are favorites. There's no way I could eat more than a few bites here and there during active labor, but have some meal arrangements for your husband if labor is long!

Recovery at home:

• Tucks - The hospital gave me a tub of these soothing witch hazel pads, but I definitely bought more. They are great for the first few weeks!
• Pads - I made the mistake of buying intensely absorbent bladder-control pads... A little overkill, and they sucked up so much moisture that my sensitive skin stuck to the pad! Ouch... Stay simple with Kotex or something.
• Senokot-S - stool softeners are clutch for the first week.
• Peri bottle -  If you have stitches, use this bottle to squirt water on your perineum while you pee (urine is salty!) to avoid the burning sensation.

Breastfeeding:

• Medela Lanolin - thick, soothing ointment for your nipples. Use it after every nursing session during the first two weeks to prevent soreness.
• Medela Disposable Breast Pads - I think these keep you feeling dryer than the Lansinoh brand. They're thinner too.
• Milkies Milk-Saver - I just started using this, but I'm impressed by how much milk I've been collecting from my other breast while nursing Zoie. Empty it into milk storage bags/bottles, and there you go!
• Comotomo Natural Feel bottles - Zoie sucked down an ounce of pumped milk on our first try! It's shaped like a boob.
  

Diaper changes:

• Pampers Sensitive wipes and Pampers Sensitive diapers - we love the wetness indicator on the diapers! These wipes are nice and soft too.
• Line of fire - don't stand in front of your baby's bum during diaper changes... newborn poop is better to clean off the wall than off yourself!
• Coconut oil - it's a wonderful moisturizer for baby bottoms (and smells so good!) between diaper changes, and helps prevent diaper rash.

Sleeping:

• Aden and Anais swaddle blankets - the ones made from bamboo fiber are the best. They are SO soft and breathable! Zoie loves to be swaddled in them every night.
• Graco Travel Lite Crib with Stages - we ended up buying this mini crib as soon as we brought Zoie home. After the first night, we realized our little bassinet co-sleeper didn't really fit in our bed with both of us. Having this mini pack 'n play right next to our bed solved our problems!
  

This is only the tip of the iceberg as far as what we've learned over the past month, but this covers most of our current important topics. I'll dive into other subjects on future posts. Caring for a newborn is such a learning process! It's such a different experience than anything we've ever dealt with before. It's so completely rewarding - I wouldn't trade it for the world. I love being a mom!

Cheers,

Martha