Having a baby has definitely been a wake up call.....literally:) I can honestly say that being a mom is a lot harder than I imagined. I wish that weren't the case, but I think most moms that are honest would agree. I think the array of emotions I have felt is just all over the place. I couldn't have imagined just how much I could love little Amelia and just looking at her can make me cry. She's our little miracle and I'm just so thankful for her and that she arrived healthy and beautiful. But, I also wasn't prepared for just how tired, frustrated, guilty, anxious I would feel either. For the 1st 2 weeks, my hormones were quite insane and I was pretty worried that I would have postpartum depression. I just couldn't snap out of feeling so anxious and feeling like I could cry all the time and I did cry way more than Amelia:) Thankfully at exactly the 2 week mark...which is what my midwife said is the timeframe in which they would think it's more than just baby blues.....I started to feel much more like myself. There have been a couple obstacles that have made things kind of hard. My back has been really bothering me and it's starting to get better, but there for awhile I could barely put any weight on my left leg and certainly couldn't carry the baby carrier. Also, we are having quite a bit of trouble with breast feeding. It's crazy that something that seems like it should be so natural just doesn't come natural at all. I've been working with a lactation consultant at Vanderbilt and she seems to think Amelia is "tongue tied" which means her tongue doesn't come out of her mouth enough to get a good latch. So, we are trying to work through that and I'm hoping we can get this figured out.
So, that along with sleep deprivation has made for quite a few tears and lots of "We're gonna get through this" from my wonderful and encouraging husband. I'm so thankful for him and how understanding and supportive he is. We've found, too that once we open up about how we are feeling about things to other people, they open up and are honest about how they felt, too. It feels good to know we are not the only ones that are going through this. We will make it and in the mean time we are just cherishing how sweet our little Amelia is. She melts my heart. I'm looking at her now sleeping so peacefully in her bouncy seat. It's so cute...she's swaddled all tight, but has wiggled her little feet out of the bottom of the blankets. Nothing cuter than little baby feet:)
We would love your prayers for us as we are making this leap into parenthood. It's a wonderful and scary experience:)
Pre-Pregnancy Weight: No Ifs, Ands, or Big Butts
8 years ago
3 comments:
I completely sympathize with you. Even now, I still feel overwhelmed at times. I faced obstacles with Fox and breastfeeding. I'd be happy to share my experiences and what worked for us, if you want. You can email me anytime at karla.gladstone@gmail.com. I'm not much of an advice-giver but I'd love to be a shoulder to lean on! That was probably some of the most challenging times during the first couple of months. We had one week where he wanted to eat around every hour. That doesn't leave much time for yourself. Please take care of you too!
Amelia is so beautiful and healthy. You two sound like fantastic parents. Don't be hard on yourself - you're doing a terrific job being a new mommy. =)
We want to see you guys whenever you're up for company. Let us know a time and we'd like to stop by.
Hi Jen,
This is Ali - Chad's friend from Universal. First of all , congrats on Amelia - she is beautiful and I'm so glad everyone is healthy.
Just wanted to share from one Mom to another the best advice people gave me which unfortunately I did not heed and that is first and foremost take care of yourself! Breastfeeding is just plain HARD! I think it can be especially frustrating when it's sold to you as such a special bonding experience but feels like anything but. I nearly killed myself over trying to nurse Wylie. I do agree that it is best for your baby but if I could do it all over again I'd probably give it my best shot and wouldn't feel guilty in the least about supplementing if it meant I got to get some sleep and keep my sanity. All I'm saying is take the pressure off yourself to do everything perfect. Get as much help as you can and take care of YOU too. It is hard but I promise it does get easier! If you need anything you can email me at Ali.snyder@gmail.com. Hang in there!
Boy have you hit it. You know, by the time you have your baby you're so tired of hearing everyone talk about their first child and how things were. You just want to figure some things out for yourself and you also don't want added stress. However, since you bring it up, yes it's tough and boy was it ever a wake up call. As much as you love them it's tough and your world just changes. You want to figure things out for yourself (and need too since all babies are different) but it's just hard. You're sleep deprived, you're trying to do everything right and all in all you sortof feel like you have to be this superhero of a person. But all of this will get better and will pay off as you all get in to the groove of things and get to know each other even better.
The breastfeeding was a crazy awakening for me too. I thought the VERY same thing. Not only did those hurt, but my back, neck and entire body seemed to hurt from it. =) Natural? My foot! For who are they talking about? heeheehee. Crazy times. Hang in there though because it truly has been worth it. I never had a nurse come out, but did call their number quite a bit and yes I was in tears a lot. They were so encouraging and helpful.
If there's ever anything you guys need or just have questions (like, is this normal?) don't hesitate to call or email me. I'd love to help in any way I can.
Darn, sorry for such a long post. Perhaps I should have just emailed you? You just rolled back some pretty fond memories. =) People say it all the time but MAN does time fly. Soak it up . . . soak it up.
Love you guys! You're such great parents and are doing great!!! Hang in there.
What a lucky little girl.
m, j & s
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