New Mom Survival Tips

Man, does time fly when you have a new baby! Little miss is 7 weeks old today! However, her 6 week growth spurt is still going strong. Hopefully one day soon she will return to her awesome power naps. Until then, we are up every 90 minutes. This growth spurt isn't nearly as bad as the 3 week growth spurt though. That one I wasn't getting any sleep and I'm pretty sure I went a little nuts. Thankfully, my mom was visiting and could lend a hand. Thanks mom!

I also managed to snag a picture of her at one month on her super awesome blanket that my sister-in-law got for her. It has her name on it, so I've blocked it out for now. I'm still not really sure how I feel about divulging personal details about my child to the world wide web. So for now, no name sharing.

She was just really not into giving me smiles and stretching out full length to give you an idea of her size. I plan on using this blanket for all her monthly growth pictures (whether I get them posted on time is another matter entirely.

Above is baby E giving some serious side eye at my attempt to snag a picture.

And here she is being Super Baby. I either get Super Baby smiles or side eye frowny face. Oh well. I'm sure she will learn to ham it up for camera in no time.

I'm also back to my pre-pregnancy weight! This took about 4 weeks, but I'm still not back to my pre-pregnancy muscle definition. I have no idea if that will ever happen, but I'm working on it. The top picture is 3 weeks postpartum, the bottom is 4 weeks postpartum.

I plan on running a 5K tomorrow, so we will see how that goes. I ran 2.8 miles without stopping yesterday, so I should have no problem with the 5K. Stroller friendly activities for the win! I've been pleasantly surprised with how much of my endurance I retained. I'm only running at about a 10 minute mile pace, but considering I haven't run in 4 months and I'm pushing 50 pounds of stroller, infant car seat carrier, and baby, I feel pretty good about it. I seriously love my Bob jogging stroller.

3 weeks PP

4 weeks PP. Are those abs? No? Dammit. Maybe one day they will return.

Since my last blog post, baby girl has learned to roll over from her stomach to her back. Whether this is because she is a genius or because she really, really hates tummy time, we will never know. But since I'm her mom, I'm going with she is a genius.

Also, in my 7 weeks of mommy-hood I've discovered a few tips and tricks that are vital to survival. Maybe I'll make an actual guide for new moms. Then again, that is assuming that what works for me will work for other people. Assuming is bad. Anyway, this is what I've got so far:

1. Invest in dry shampoo

Showers are not a given with new babies, especially during the periods where I'm flying solo. Instead of looking like a grease monster and smelling like a dumpster, I use dry shampoo and get creative with braids. I also shamelessly steal my daughter's baby wipes. A stinky, dirty mommy is not a happy mommy (at least for this mommy), so dry shampoo and wet wipes do wonders on the days that showers are not an option.

2. Breastfeed or pump BEFORE a workout

I got cleared around 3 weeks postpartum to return to light exercise (elliptical and light upper body weights). However, starting at 6 weeks I was cleared to return to all previous exercise including running and other high impact work outs.

I made the mistake of not feeding little miss before going on my first run...so much ouch. Never again.

3. Invest in better sports bras

I still need to do this. I currently only have one sports bra that can support my newly inflated chest balloons (boobs, whatever). I have another sports bra that can hack it if necessary, but I am not thrilled with it.

It's like when you wanted cake, but someone gave you a fig newton instead. It's still sweet and resembles a dessert, but it is not a dessert. It is not cake. It is inferior and you will only eat it begrudgingly. This is how I feel about my second so-so sports bra. It is fig paste where I need icing. I need a lot of icing actually, as only having one cake bra and one fig newton bra is just really not cutting it.

/food metaphor

4. Always have snacks within reach

I said end food metaphor, not end food discussion. I am so hungry all the time. The amount of food I eat is kind of terrifying. On my last visit home, I kind of freaked out my dad with the quantity of food I ingested on a daily basis. As he put it, "You eat dinner...and then you immediately eat second dinner."

I am a hobbit.

But seriously, breastfeeding makes me SO HUNGRY. Snacks are a must. I am like a weird squirrel storing snacks all over the house instead of in one hidey-hole. And don't you dare touch my snacks.If you find snacks anywhere other than the fridge or pantry, they are not for you. I may or may not throw a gigantic tantrum to rival that of a toddler denied a lollipop if you move or eat my snacks. You have been warned.

5. Make noise while the baby sleeps during the day

I do not even try to be quiet when little miss goes down for a nap during the day. I watch TV, I type out my blog loudly, I open bags of chips, I vacuum (lol, no I don't. Ain't nobody got time for that), I run a box fan, etc. I also tried to be around a ton of noise while pregnant as well to get her used to the sounds. Now she sleeps through door bells ringing, the phone ringing, the cat knocking crap off the table because she is an asshole a cat, and so on. This has been a life saver. This is how I manage to take showers. Sometimes.

6. Put the baby to sleep in numerous sleeping devices

I have a crib, a bassinet, a Rock N' Play, a Moses basket, and an Ergobaby carrier. She sleeps in all of these things. She always has, since day one. Now I can pretty much put her anywhere and she will go to sleep. It is fantastic. I have no idea if this will last or if she is just too young to care about where or what she is sleeping in, but I don't care. I currently feel like a genius, so there.

7. Stay off the internet

Well, just don't ask it anything. Just as WebMD will always tell you that you are dying of incurable toenail cancer, the interwebz will tell you that you are doing everything wrong as a parent. The interwebz is an opinionated ass and will only convince you that you are terrible and should probably return your baby to the stork. Or WebMD will tell you that your baby is in fact a tomato or something else equally ridiculous. Seriously.

If you absolutely must turn to Google, stay away from WebMD and anonymous mommy forums. I don't know why, but anonymous moms on the internet can be a vicious lot. Some can be truly helpful, others are just in it to be mean. Tread carefully.

8. Write it down

Get a journal. Even if you blog and take twenty thousand pictures of your wee little one, keep a journal. By the time I get around to my blog, I've forgotten half of the things I wanted to write. My journal has details I won't remember years from now (or maybe even hours from now) and it has details that a picture cannot capture. Sure, the picture is adorable, but do you remember why you took it? Was your baby just being cute, or did she just pull off a major mile stone? Write it down. Get a journal.

Those are my pearls of wisdom. Good luck to all my fellow new mommies :)