Hey, new mom!
Hey new mom!
I see you and you are doing great! I know your teeth aren’t brushed your hair has been in the same pony top knot ish for the past 3 days… but you are killing it! There is so much to cover as new mom and the newborn baby phase. But today I am focused on you. Because I truly believe healthy mommy is a healthy baby. So, how are you friend?
Do you need a friend in this phase? Can I pull up next to you and give you a hug and look into your beautiful eyes and tell you yes it’s harder than you expected but you are doing great.
I have seen you, wonderful you, a dozen times over. You are literally days after having your beautiful gift of a baby. You are doing ALLLLLL the right things as a new mom. But you sit down and just let out a few tears you have been holding back. You’re safe here, no judgement, you’re a good mom. But I hear you.
Your body hurts, you went from pregnant to not pregnant now breast feeding, and things are happening to your body no one told you about. And the hormone adjustment just makes you so sensitive and tearful.
And then the tear triggers mom guilt, because you have such a beautiful baby why am I crying?!
But I see you, beautiful you, gather yourself, take a deep breath, snuggle your little precious one back in the carrier and bravely walk out into the rest of your day. Because that is what amazing women like you do.
Everyone told you about the baby preparation things you need, you read the books on what to expect while your expecting… yeah me too AND I am a nurse practitioner. Let me be honest here, my FRIENDS are medical providers, and no one told be about the right after I had a baby phase of my body! I literally told them why didn’t you tell me?! I am going to write a book about the after having a baby, I didn’t see a book on that.
Well girl, today it’s just you and me over coffee so let me tell you what no one told me about right after having a baby.
I didn’t know I would sweat soooo profusely I would literally soak my shirt and sheets.. those lactation hormones are not joke!
I didn’t know as my milk came in my boobs would look knotty and sooo irregular shaped…. It was sooo weird.
The first time I used a breast pump it was so so so awkward I mean so awkward. I had no I idea what I was doing and I honestly felt like a milking cow. But I got through it and you can too.. confession I was a certified lactation consultant at the time I had my baby! I had all this knowledge but the experience was way different than I expected.
I would get sooo thirsty and my blood sugar would drop very quickly breast feeding. You’re going to be so enthralled with this sweet baby… oh my goodness how I can still feel her little newborn cheeks against mine. I love newborns so much… but friend remember to eat love.
With all this in mind. These are the tips I give to every new mom I sit down with. Do you need more coffee? Yeah me too, I gotcha girl!
Ok now we’re ready. Deep breaths, and feel free to ask me anything you can interrupt me !
Water water water water! You know those big jugs they give you at the hospital? Yup that one, keep it full! Especially if you are breast feeding, breast milk is 90% water ... your water! Some best hydrating liquids are coconut milk (honestly I don’t like it, but if its your thing girl it’s a great option), Gatorade, Powerade if you need a little extra hydration. But plain water is just fine as well😊
Snacks for you in the nursery, in the diaper bag. Any place you nurse frequently. You lose a lot of calories and your blood sugar can drop quickly if you don’t have some healthy go to snacks on hand. I remember a few times I was nursing and just felt my blood sugar drop quickly. That’s when I started to keep granola bars in the diaper bag.
Lanolin ointment you can’t use too much of it. If you don’t know what it is. It’s an ointment you put on your nipples when your breast feeding. I used A LOT of it and I never had sore or bleeding nipples.
Warm showers to massage the milk ducts they get engorged as your milk comes in. It will help with comfort and milk let down and your production ramps up. A heating pad and help was well.. not while you are nursing but just before can be helpful 😊 A mechanical breast pump this can help if you get engorged and encourage milk production as well.
Keep taking your prenatal vitamin, your body still needs a lot of nutritional support.
Eat well balanced meals… take care of you girlie.
Let the dishes stay in the sink and laundry pile up… its fine. Look at me… it’s ok. It’s ok friend. You focus your baby, family, and their ma’ma.
Whew… ok wiping away my tears.
I see you friend, and you are doing great. Do you need more coffee? Me too snuggle your precious little one while I refill our cups 😊
Want my FREE Motrin and Tylenol Dosing Sheet the Pro’s Use?
*The not so fine print use all medications as directed by manufacture, do not use if you are allergic to medication, and please use under the supervision of a medical provider. Thanks, friend!
