Sunday, May 22, 2016

Post-Partum: Day 40

Motherhood.  It's finally happened to me. I'm tired, frustrated, happy, and feeling very grown-up.
 Baby V is my world and puts me into a new generational timeline, I'm no longer the child, but the parent, my parents are the grandparents, and time presses on faster than I want. She's a month old already.  I thought it was time to open the blog up again as both a journal and presumptive guide for any new moms who are interested. Today I want to talk about my pregnancy and being post-partum and bequeath any knowledge I gained during this time.

10 Things That Got Me Through Pregnancy

1.  Nutella

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This should be fairly self explanatory but personal to my pregnancy.  Indulge in your cravings but make sure you are walking every day to stay healthy and get ready for labor. My husband sings my praises about how I handled labor but I wish I'd been in better shape, especially during the pushing...

2. Belly Band

 

I didn't wear this all the time because it's a little warm for under pants but this helped me feel comfortable when wearing dresses and gave me extra belly support when I started getting bigger. I liked the BellyBandit Flawless Belly, but there are probably others that would be just as good.

3. Maternity Pants

Still wearing them.  Soo comfortable.  Get a bunch and enjoy.  Invest in a good pair of maternity jeans because you will wear these the most and you need a pair that can take a belly beating. 

4. Mother's Oil




















Don't hate me too much, but I have zero stretch marks on my belly.  Zero.  I had an 8 lb baby and nadda.  I'm going to give 50% credit to my genes and the other 50% to this product, Mother's Special Oil. Used in tandem with drug store cocoa butter, twice a day, I definitely got nothing.  Also it smells amazing.  Use in combo with the Flawless belly and you are go to go!

5. Fitness Ball

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=pregnancy+ball&view=detailv2&&id=D8F333B9A4BB1965EAAEA3D6CFCC21EBC30DCA92&selectedIndex=36&ccid=dIdXwwgV&simid=607996185610096476&thid=OIP.M748757c30815f5e7c7b6f5ffba6e3264o0&ajaxhist=0

This was so helpful in dealing with back pain, which you WILL get.  And it sucks.  I used this alone and instead of a chair sitting at my desk.  I still had back pain, lots of it, but this helped.  Any ball will do, make sure you get the right one for your height, this is the one I got.  I did not end up using it in labor, I honestly don't think it would have helped, but I did bounce on it a bit during early contractions.  Also good for postpartum exercises.

6. IKEA Elephant



I bought a pregnancy pillow. I didn't end up using it, for whatever reason it just didn't work for me.  I got really stiff.  So, I used this to snuggle with, to help with side sleeping, and it worked great.  To each their own though.  Plus the elephant is adorable and it was a gift from my husband when he went off to basic training.

7. Pregnancy Chalkboard



I was really unhappy with the peel and stick variety I bought for this purpose but ultimately making little drawings and tracking the belly progress was a joy and fun for both me and my husband.  Invest in a good one, it's fun.

8. Ovia Pregnancy App

 

I loved getting updates every day about what changes my baby was making as well as having a place to track milestones, find medication and food safety info, and information about doctor appointments.  Perfect for the type A expectant Mommy.

9. Belly Buds



Seems silly, but as a musician these were an essential in our house.  It was so fun having the baby react to different types of music, or in our case, different classical composers.  Also, baby's first kicks came at 17 weeks with Handel on my belly.  It was amazing.  Belly buds isn't an essential, but it was so much fun.

10. My Husband

My rock. My step stool. My chef. My housekeeper. My best friend. My lover. My coach. My support. My mirror. My comfort. My masseur. My chauffeur. My baby daddy. My partner. My life. I don't know how single women do it alone...