View source for Diary of a First Time Mom

Author: [[Avendaella Tikvah]], [[February 2015 Tar Valon Times|February 2015]]
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[[file:TVT 6-2015 header-baby.jpg]]<!--http://i.imgur.com/CxRLfrb.jpg-->
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Congrats! You are now home with your baby. Life as you knew it has changed. You are feeding about every two hours and sleep is a distant dream. Now the one piece of advice (that I still hear today) is “sleep when the baby sleeps”. Yea right. All I wanted to do was snuggle my son and even though I wanted to sleep I found it hard. I am thankful that my mom was here to help. If you have someone that offers you should totally think about it. 

My biggest issue was not really wanting to eat or drink, with my mom here I had someone getting me to eat just a little bit at a time. This probably didn't help me since I was trying to breast feed (the me not eating part). I think with my mom stressing about me eating and having issues with my son eating for more than five minutes, it just all went downhill. 

Now it did turn out that my son couldn't process the milk protein, found this out when I had to switch to formula. This killed me, in my opinion Doctors, Nurses, and everyone needs to back off the “Breast is best” campaign. I seriously felt like a horrible mom and I am here to reinforce that you are not. No matter what way you decide to feed your child go for it. It took me a while to get to this point but I’m here and my son is a very healthy boy.

Ok so tips for you if you’re having trouble:

#Call your Lactation Consultant- you may or may not have met this person in the hospital. Even if you didn't see if they will see you. 
#Find your Local Le Leche League- these ladies usually meet about twice a month and have lots of info to help.
#Cut out dairy- I wish I would have known to do this. Things might be totally different if I tried this. I have read that it can take up to two weeks for the milk protein to get out of your system.
#Try lactation cookies-I hear these really work
#If you have a pump (watch for deals from the chain stores) try pumping to increase supply
#Hot showers/ hot compress will help your milk flow (and feel good too). Try to do this before you feed.

Now I know some of this seems like common knowledge but honestly I couldn't focus on anything other than my son those first few weeks home. You can make all your plans but some are just not going to stick. 

For moms that formula feed straight off, snuggle your little one as much as you can. I’m not going to sit here and say it’s easier. In some aspects I could see that (easier to take a shower or bath or to just go get a nap), but then you have to make sure you wash the bottles and have enough ready. 

A few tips :

#You can just put formula in a bottle and have it at the ready. For a while my hubby and I did this since my son wasn't on an exact schedule. It was a life saver to get out of the house.
#Grab a reusable water bottle from a store. We have one that comes apart to make it easier to wash. This way you always have water ready to add to the bottles.
#You don’t need a fancy bottle cleaner, the dishwasher works well for a good deep clean. WE wash ours by hand but at least once a week the bottles go into the dishwasher for a hot clean.

I hope this helps you as a First time mom. I really do, your life is changing for the better and some days it gets to you. You may cry, get mad, or zone out. It happens but do make sure you have someone to talk to during these first few weeks.

[[Category:Avendaella Tikvah TVT Articles]]
[[Category:Tar Valon Times 2015|3]]
[[Category:General Interest]]