post-birth update

Just as my pregnancy, labour, and delivery of Oli was quite different than with Lily, I'm finding the same goes for after the fact. Here's some deets!

Pain following birth was substantially less this time around. Could also be by comparison to the pain during birth (that's right, my epidural didn't take and I.felt.everything. but more on that later...)

Pain peeing, passing gass, and going number 2 (you know you were wondering!) was substantially less this time too, if at all.

Post-birth contractions (brought on by nursing) were far worse this time around. And are lasting far longer (as in still goin' strong. ouch.)

Engorgement with breast milk was severe this time. Much more painful, inhibited ability to latch and nurse for days (thankful for a hospital grade pump allowing me to still offer breast milk), and lasted longer

Breast milk production so far has been higher (praise God!), especially now that I'm nursing and/or pumping every 3 hours and engorgement has subsided.

Fatigue is still a huge challenge but also easier this time. Probably because of perspective. Lily needs me and daily naps aren't promised to me, so you adapt.

Emotions are more stable too. Everything was slightly less emotional (in a good way) from labour to birth to adapting to the first week at home. We knew what to expect, we were more prepared, we'd been there before. All huge assets in parenting and in change.

Baby bump is vanishing, far quicker than last time. Not the newly added stretch marks that didn't make an appearance with Lily. I think they're here to stay. Joy. 

But my baby bump is nearly gone. Maybe since the uterine contractions are so much stronger? I've heard those contractions are why breastfeeding mothers find their bumps disappear a bit faster.

There you have it! All in all, I'm doing well. Many have asked and I appreciate that so much. We're all working together to make this transition possible but it's definitely hard. I blogged about that over at {our nest in the city} today, check it out if you like.

I'll keep this blog partly because of our desire to adopt (and thus, chart that journey just as we've done so our pregnancies), and partly because though we're 99% sure we're done having biological kids, you never know what God has in store. Thank for following along with me the second time around!

xoxo

Lily & Oli's Mama

Oli

Olivier (spelled the french way)

Michael (Brad's middle brother)

Robert (Brad's younger brother)

born October 29th @ 7:41pm

thank you Jesus.

aka Oli.

Votes Are In!

November 2nd is everyone's best guess for LG's arrival and I know some people who couldn't be happier about that - 

If LG is born that day, he'll share his birthday with his Poppa - My beloved father in law, Jim :)

(here's Jim and Lily when she was just a few weeks old - what a birthday gift LG would be to him!)

All along when we were given a November 6th due date he's been pulling for that and I think it would be super sweet for his first grandson and he to share a birthday.

We'll see!

glory days

I've all but forgotten about the elements of pregnancy that are bearable and even fun, and I think it's time I get back there... for the sake of the next 9 (potentially 9+) days.

The 2nd trimester. Ah life. 

With a little bump that's big enough to get you positive attention from strangers in stores (such nice people!) and a free seat on the Metro, but small enough to still wear most of your clothes and look super cute. 

With a baby who you may have just found out the sex of, so all you're doing is thinking about the far-off future and planning, but you're also still fit enough to put plans into action (garage sale shopping, sewing, running around, etc).

With energy and mobility and general good feelings (not all moms feel this great in their 2nd and sometimes when you do, the anxiety about the future robs the joy from these weeks, but for me it was happy times).

It feels like forever ago! Look how tiny I was (and how chubby Lily was haha)!

{me @ 20 weeks}

Too bad those blissful weeks are sandwiched between the 1st and 3rd trimesters, amen?

Poll closes tonight @ 12!

Back when I made the poll on my sidebar for when y'all thought LG would be born, I couldn't imagine him going more than a week early.

Then it was made and I had all of these problems.

But it was too late to change the poll since peeps had already started voting.

And it was just as well, because I'm still pregnant, and tomorrow is October 29th - the first day I'd put up as an option to vote on. So, the poll closes as of tonight at midnight, when the clock strikes October 29th aka midnight. Though who is reading baby bump blogs at that hour anyway? So I'll just say today is the last day :)

source, source, source

My vote is still Oct 31st as I'd LOVE an October baby and a Halloween baby (how fun would that be!?) but you can also change your vote up until midnight tonight. Also neat tidbit to keep your fingers crossed for - my OB whom I love is working all day/night Saturday, so if I went into a longer labour tonight or just plain 'ol labour tomorrow at any time, she would deliver LG! It's so rare to actually have the doctor who has been caring for you all these weeks and months when the time comes to deliver since, well, doctor's don't live in the hospital (though Grey's anatomy makes me think that...) and baby's don't come on schedule most of the time.  

So this weekend or Monday, I'd really love to give birth, but whenever he wants to come is okay. *really hard to say, but I promise you, I believe that today*