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@runnerd: Sooo happy sweet F is home with you

@chibee: the thing i didn't realize about childbirth: after you deliver the baby and the placenta, they have to do something called fundal massage- basically they push down on your uterus and try to massage out any ram aiming blood/clots. I had to have this done a lot, because I had excessive bleeding. It honestly was worse than the labor for me, because the epidural had worn off by that point.
The thing I didn't realize about having a newborn: hearing her cry physically affects me in a way i had no idea was a thing. I can feel my blood pressure getting higher and my heart rate increase if she's crying for longer than a few minutes and I can't make it better. It's completely bizarre and made a lot of the testing they has to do for her jaundice impossibly stressful for both of us.

Good luck next month!!

ETA: to answer your over all question, the lack of sleep and the day to day routine so far has been much easier to handle than I expected, but the emotional aspects of having a newborn are much more intense and difficult than I would have thought. Hopefully that makes sense.

How's newborn life going with everyone?? (As far as I know all our regular posters have had their LOs, right?)

Things are good over here! LO is sleeping and eating pretty predictably still. We have been going on daily walks, and got brave and took him out to restaurants twice this week.

@chibee: Breastfeeding is waaaay harder than I ever thought! In my head it was all glamorized and about bonding with my baby and super serene. In reality, it's difficult for him to latch some times, it HURTS, and it's something I think about constantly. Every 2-3 hours goes by so fast and at first it took so long that I would not look forward to it at all. Now, he is a bit faster, and will get faster still but it's still always on my mind that I have to nurse again soon. I feel like i'm on a short leash. And I dread having to nurse in public, not because I'm modest but because what if I have trouble and he starts crying and it just becomes too stressful! UGH!

Other than that, the sleep deprivation sucks but it was more expected. My husband and family are amazing, and I feel so lucky to call my baby my son. He's absolute perfection. I'm just exhausted all the time and am trying not to rush this period of time but he's only 6 days old so we are still learning!

Hope that answers your question!

@MrsCDH: I've also had my low moments, thank you hormones!! We got a medela pump through insurance although I don't like to use it anymore (we pumped while waiting for my milk to come in and because he was jaundice at first). I don't care to BF and then pump, it's too much for my nipples!

We'll introduce pumping and bottles around one month ideally.

And what were your struggles like? We ended up with a nipple shield thanks to a nurse at the hospital and now I have to see a lactation consultant because I guess they are not ideal? He just wasn't latching without one. And I also have pain sometimes but not every time I nurse. Everyone I talk to says it gets better though so I'm banking on that!

@princessandthebee: You described the way I feel about feeding very precisely! It's truly something I think about constantly and everything is measured in relation to it... what his output is like, how long he's been asleep and when he should be feeding, how long he's been outside and is he dehydrated etc... I am enjoying the closeness and bonding of it, but I feel the pressure of it all being my responsibility despite having an incredible support in my husband.

In saying that, we are very lucky as he hasn't had any latch issues. We had some stress as he had Jaundice and the culture of where I am currently living is not pro breastfeeding at all and I was terrified that I would be pressured to give it up, but thankfully we were able to handle it through outpatients and eventually his bili levels started decreasing. They were probably never dangerously high, but my new mommy instincts went into overdrive!

Our biggest problem so far is that he is having trouble with the output end! He's pooping enough that I'm not worried that he's constipated, but it so much work and causes him pain to do so - which is heartbreaking to watch. The pain also sometimes wakes him up as he is straining so hard.

Anyway, 13 days in and it's been the wildest ride so far! We truly adore him in a way I was not expecting to fall so head over heel in love so quickly. He is very adorable, which my husband and I agree is a good thing at 4am

@LEMONLONG: Thanks a million for the recommendation. As with everything baby related, the choice is overwhelming. I think I'm leaning towards an electric so I will check those two out!

Anyway, this is baby Andrew a few days ago in his Daddy's arms...

MrsCDH x

Hello ladies! Omg, I can't believe it's been 5 months since I last posted here! I did a crazy thing and started a new job in February so I was super busy juggling that, along with my toddler and other duties (Wonder Woman wannabe here).

Well, my beautiful baby boy E was born on 6/24/14 (a bit early at 36w 4d) via emergency C/S due to variable decels. It was the most terrifying experience of my life, but I'm happy to report that both he and I did well. Thankfully, he was able to avoid the NICU and we went home after staying 2 nights in the hospital. He's now 5 weeks old, breastfeeding like a champ, and growing like a weed (he's about 10 lbs now)! It's been challenging caring for a newborn with a 2 yo demanding a lot of attention too, but it's all worth it. I just love my boys so much... my heart is so full.

Anyway, trying to catch up with everyone's birth stories... Congrats to all!!

@Mrs. Amethyst: congratulations!!!

@Mrs. Amethyst: thanks for update - congrats! Glad everything ok despite the scare!!