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