Topic Archive: postpartum

August 7, 2011

Documenting Your Child: Pre and Postpartum

PREPARTUM DOCUMENTATION

One of my goals this pregnancy is to document my growing belly.  Unfortunately for Henry, my first born, I never took any pictures of myself during my pregnancy with him (not that HE expressed any sorrow).  I think I was just more consumed with getting through work and preparing for baby than enjoying and documenting the whole pregnancy process.  Although I thoroughly enjoyed my first pregnancy, I didn’t take time to really consume myself with it.  But this time around – after trying to get pregnant for a while – I have tried to take a step back and think of what I want to do during this special time.

Although I must admit, I’m a creature of habit and have been in a mad rush to get work done (two cases to write, two to edit; a half bathroom build-out….),  I also have been trying to be more conscious about stepping back and taking special care to remember this time.  So, as a start, a few weeks ago, I started pricing out photographers to document my growing belly.

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March 28, 2011

The Four-Month Slump

The honeymoon is over.  I have entered a period I like to call the “four-month slump.”  It’s a little phase that I never knew existed before I had a baby, and one that I always forget about until my hair starts falling out around four months after giving birth. Literally. By the handful.  Pretty gross, right?

I hit the four month mark, and I hit a wall.  I think it’s a perfect storm of hormones shifting and exhaustion taking its toll, but three times over, I’ve had the same experience. It’s not depression, by any means. It’s just a feeling of being a little down and overwhelmed, and it always begins with the postpartum hair loss and ends about two months later.

My hair might be falling out by the handful on its own, but I’m also ready to pull the rest out! (more…)

February 28, 2011

Do As I Say (not as I did)

At the end of pregnancy, we tend to be very focused on the “plan” to make sure we have the labor and delivery we want for a hospital birth.  Looking back after the birth of my son 3 months ago, I wish I had thought of a plan to assert the care I wanted during the rest of my hospital stay, a “Postpartum Plan”, if you will.

For all the things that I wish had gone differently, the thing I am most disgruntled about is my own lack of assertiveness.  I’m a nurse for pity’s sake, I should know how to get what I wanted as a patient and I shouldn’t have been shy about it either! Maybe Teague’s early and rapid arrival threw me off my game.  Maybe I expected to receive the nursing care I know I would give(not all nurses have good bedside manner).  Maybe uncomplicated deliveries just push you off the postpartum radar. Maybe it was insanely busy with a skeleton staff on the weekend…excuses, excuses.  Bottom line–I should have spoken up when I needed something and I would like to encourage you to think about how you will speak up after you give birth, too. (more…)

February 12, 2011

Lost in the Momosphere

Sleep deprivation.  Hormone imbalance.  Low hemoglobin.  Oppressive winter weather.  Colicky baby.  Advanced maternal age.  These are the ideal conditions in which the mental haze I call “Mommy Mush Brain”, or “Baby Brain” can manifest itself. All I know is, I am lost in the momosphere and can’t seem to find my way out.

My beautiful baby boy was born November 19, 2010.  While my birth story will hopefully be the topic of another post one day, suffice it to say that all things considered, I  had an easy labor and delivery–Teague was born 9 minutes after I got into the hospital bed.  As I always say though, there is no free lunch.  For me, pregnancy and delivery are relatively easy, the postpartum period? Not so much.

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January 2, 2011

My Experience with Placenta Encapsulation

When I heard of this my first thought was, “Gross!! People actually pay for this?! That was at least a year before I even got pregnant. As time progressed I slowly got my mind around it, but it still wasn’t for me. Then I heard a few stories of women who have seen success in encapsulating their placentas. I became more and more curious. This gradual process led to me doing it with my first pregnancy a month ago and let me tell you, I’m glad I did it.

I had a very traumatic labor, birth and first month. I labored for close to 2 days, pushed for 5 HOURS, all without drugs. Then when my push prize finally came out, he was taken from me immediately because he was not breathing. He spent 5 days in the NICU, while I spent my days sitting at the hospital on a doughnut, and my nights thinking of how soon I could get back there. My recovery was slow, my heart was broken, and my motherly instinct disjointed. I cried. A lot. He has then spent the last 4 weeks crying almost non-stop. It’s enough to make anyone go insane. Then I cried some more for his traumatic entry in the world and this non-stop pain he was feeling. (more…)

Episode 196 | November 29, 2010

Exercise Myths: Prenatal and Postpartum

During pregnancy, exercise can help you stay in shape and prepare for labor and delivery. And after your baby is born, those extra endorphins can improve (more…)

Episode 190 | October 20, 2010

The Placenta: Encapsulation and Other Benefits

Have you thought about what to do with your placenta after the birth of your baby? Did you know your placenta can continue to provide both you and your baby essential nutrients for weeks after (more…)