postpartum Archives - Our Tiny Nest

0 In Motherhood/ postpartum

A letter to my second born

A letter to my second born…

Over the past 14 weeks, I’ve been trying to put all of my feelings into words. For you are already so different than your big brother and have changed our lives in the most incredible way.

You are truly a miracle. One we weren’t expecting, but the happiest of surprises. For you are our redemption. I can vividly remember the morning I found out I was carrying you. I was shaking with joy and disbelief. After agonizing over tracking my cycle every month and numerous pregnancy tests and trying to get pregnant with our first, we were prepared for a struggle when it came time for baby #2. But you came in and blessed us with ease.

Long before you were here, I was full of worry. I worried about how our lives were going to change. We had just gotten comfortable in our routine as a family of 3. I worried, “how can I love you as much as I do your big brother?” But you have taught me that my heart is capable of multiplying.

And though this pregnancy may not have been as magical as my first, you have given me the birth experience that I felt I was missing out on the first time. You’ve taught me to be more confident and trust my body.

You are my calm in the chaos. The peace I need to balance the wild child ways of our first born. The “go with the flow” to balance your strong-minded and willful brother. Most days I feel like all I do is yell, cook and clean and then look at the clock to see it’s only 9:30am. But as I hold you after your bath and get you ready for bed, you remind me these days are fleeting.

The other day I put away all of your newborn clothes and started folding all of your brother’s size 3 month hand me downs into your drawers. I couldn’t help but tear up. You have taught me to truly embrace every stage. You will be the last time I felt life inside me, my last “bump photo”, my last time home on maternity leave, my last first birthday, and last first Christmas. But yet, it feels right.

Thank you my second born, for you complete our family in every way.

October 18, 2019 By Nicolle

1 In csection/ postpartum/ pregnancy

8 tips for preparing for your c-section and recovery

This post is sponsored by Bio-Oil but all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

If you know you are going to be having a c-section or in the event that you may need one, there are some things you can do ahead of time to prepare. I just had my second c-section a few months ago and this one was definitely smoother since I knew what to expect. Knowing how to prepare for your C-section and recovery can help make it less scary and help ease your recovery.

Here are 8 tips on how to prepare for your C-section and recovery.

1.) Have a discussion ahead of time with your OBGYN.

Have them explain the procedure in detail from start to finish. Being familiar with what is going to happen ahead of time can help alleviate any anxiety or fears you may have.

2.) Make your wishes known.

Even when a csection is necessary, it doesn’t have to take away from your birth experience. If there are special things that you want, talk about it with your provider. Many hospitals now have clear drapes or a drape with a window so that you can see when baby is born if you wish. Ask if someone in the operating room can take photos for you so that you can capture those moments. And if skin to skin is important to you, ask if you can do skin to skin in the OR as long as baby is healthy. You can still make the experience as special and memorable as possible.

3.) Be realistic about pain management

A c-section is major surgery. I will say it again. A c-section is major surgery. The idea that you will be pain free is unrealistic. Depending on the type of anesthesia you receive, usually your pain will be really well controlled for the first 18 or so hours, maybe more. I remember my first day post-op, I had no pain, I felt like a million bucks. I got up, took a shower, walked some laps around the unit. My nurse had offered me some pain medication throughout the day and I declined since I felt great. Later that night, once all of the visitors left and the adrenaline wore off, I was hurting. Don’t wait to take pain medication until your pain is unbearable because then it can be hard to keep up.

It’s normal to feel some burning or a pulling sensation around your incision as well as cramping. This is especially true if you are breastfeeding or pumping. That cramping or “afterpains” as they are called, are due to your uterus shrinking back down to its normal size. If the cramping becomes unmanageable, try a warm pack or some over the counter pain medication.

4.) Bring comfortable clothes to wear postpartum.

I lived in these dresses throughout my recovery and still when I am just around the house . Not only were they loose and looked cute, but they were also great for nursing. You don’t want anything that is going to be binding around your abdomen. Check out my checklist of what to pack in your hospital bag here.

5.) Get moving

It’s important to get up and moving soon after surgery. I remember that first time I get out of bed I felt like all of my organs were going to fall out of me and I was slow, but each time got easier. Light walking and moving around not only helps with healing, but also to get your bowels moving again after surgery and to help prevent blood clots. But with that being said, you just had major surgery. Listen to your body. If you get tired, rest. And use your bleeding as your guide. Sometimes when you get home and you start doing more you may notice that your bleeding picks up. This is your body’s way of telling you to take it easy.

6.) Prepare your home

You may need to make some minor adjustments to your routine when you get back home. First, you will need to limit your use of stairs. I mostly hung out on our first floor in the living room. In there, I created a little changing station with diapers, wipes, and extra clothes for baby in the pack and play.

I also found it difficult to sleep in bed for the first week or so since lying flat really pulled on my incision. Sleeping in a recliner was the only way I could get comfortable. And once I was back in bed, having a co-sleeper that you can pull right up beside you is great that way you can easily tend to baby.

7.) Nourish your body

It’s important to eat a healthy diet. Foods rich in protein, Vitamin A and C are known to help with wound healing and repair. Also increase your dietary intake of fruits, vegetables and fiber. This will help keep your bowels regular. Be sure to drink plenty of water, even more so if you’re nursing.

8.) Accelerate healing

It takes time for your incision to heal. Keeping it clean and dry will help prevent any infection. Once your incision has healed completely, Bio-Oil can also be helpful in reducing the appearance of your scar as well as any stretch marks from the pregnancy. (You can read more about Bio-Oil in a post I previously published here.) I used Bio-Oil throughout my pregnancy to help keep the skin on my growing belly hydrated and to help reduce the appearance of any stretch marks. I have continued to use it twice daily and while it has not taken away my stretch marks, they are definitely less noticeable.

For more posts related to pregnancy and postpartum check out

What to eat to increase your milk supply

What to pack in your hospital bag

My experience with postpartum depression and anxiety

Must haves for your second baby

Pin for later

September 28, 2019 By Nicolle

5 In breastfeeding/ Motherhood/ postpartum/ Recipes

What to eat to increase your milk supply

This post contains affiliate links meaning I make a small commission.

If you are breastfeeding or pumping, you might be searching for ways to increase your milk supply. I have always struggled with supply issues and it’s something that every nursing mama has experienced at one time or another in their journey. One thing that I learned is that diet plays a huge role in milk production.

I’m sharing what to eat to increase your milk supply plus my favorite recipe for lactation boosting overnight oats.

Galactagogues

If you have been doing research on ways to increase your milk supply, you may have seen the word “Galactagogue”. What is a galactagogue? A galactagogue or latogenic food is any food that can help increase lactation. You may have heard your friends say that eating a lactation cookie or drinking a beer has helped increase in their milk supply. This is because there are certain foods that contain milk boosting ingredients.

Here is a list of some of the more popular galactagogues:

What to eat to increase your supply

Eating a balanced diet is important not only for enhancing your supply, but also for making sure that your baby is getting all those vital nutrients as well. In the beginning of my breastfeeding journey, I was eating healthy, but I found that I was not eating enough to maintain a supply. Once I started adding in more nutrient dense foods and incorporating a galactagogue at each meal, I noticed a boost in my supply.

(It’s important to note that this does not replace the importance of frequent feedings or pumping. Remember when breastfeeding, demand = supply!)

1.) Breakfast

Overnight Oats – I’ve seen those mason jar recipes floating around pinterest but never ventured to make them until I was breastfeeding. Not only is this recipe filled with milk-making goodness, but it’s also super easy to make the night before and keeps me feeling satisfied.

Here’s my easy recipe:

Overnight Oats

Ingredients:

-1 cup of rolled oats

– 3/4 cup of almond milk (I like my oats a little thicker, but if you like yours to be a little thinner, add more)

– 1 banana

– 1 tbsp peanut butter

– 1 tbsp of ground flax seed

– honey

Directions:

1.) In a mason jar add your oats, almond milk, banana and peanut butter. Mix well.

2.) Store in fridge until the next morning.

3.) Top with ground flax seed and drizzled honey to taste.

2.) Snack

Yogurt with a handful of almonds

3.) Lunch

Spinach salad with grilled chicken

Fruit

4.) Snack

Veggies and hummus

5.) Dinner

Some kind of protein over brown rice

Asparagus or broccoli

6.) Dessert/Something sweet

Berries with chocolate hummus

Chocolate milk made with almond milk

Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate!

Since your milk is composed of 80% water, it’s also important to stay really hydrated!

I find that I drink more water if it’s always on hand and I have a straw. I love my Yeti and these stainless steel straws.

I’ve also seen success with Mother’s Milk tea which contains many lactogenic herbs. Shoot for at least 3 cups a day.

Be sure to stay tuned for my tips on how to get the most out of your pumping sessions!

And if you liked this post, please share with your all of your friends who are breastfeeding.

August 26, 2019 By Nicolle

10 In Motherhood/ postpartum/ Support

Learning to love my postpartum body

We were on our first vacation as a new family of three. I was getting ready for the beach and putting on my new one-piece bathing suit when my husband said to me “You look so beautiful.”
“Seriously can you just stop?” I replied as I gave him a look of disgust.
“I wish you were more confident in yourself and could see how incredible you are” my husband said to me. Looking back, I have always struggled with poor body image. I’ve never been comfortable being in a bathing suit or wearing shorts. Even when I was fit and toned when I was younger and in high school, I had pictures of thin celebrities plastered everywhere as a “motivator” to myself of how I should be.

Now motherhood has made my skin sag in certain places, I have a permanent scar on my bikini line from my c-section, my stretch marks on my breasts are like a road map, and I still have lumps in my behind from all those fertility injections. I remember being freshly postpartum and feeling how jiggly my belly was, grabbing my skin that hung over my incision and thinking “I hope breastfeeding sucks me back in”.

But I am learning to love this new body and starting to change my perspective.

Instead I look at all the amazing things this body has done. For 9 months it was a vessel, growing and nurturing a beautiful life.

Instead I see my postpartum body as a beautiful reminder of my strength, all that I went through to get pregnant and bring my precious son into the world.

When I look at my saggy tummy I remember how incredible it was watching my belly swell as life grew and how it felt to feel life moving inside.

My breasts deflated and nipples calloused are reminders of the sleepless nights nourishing my baby and the sacrifices I made.

I see selflessness of a mother and how I continue to put the needs of my son first. Instead of sessions at the gym I’m home doing endless loads of laundry, preparing meals or snuggling my sweet boy.

But I think the most important thing about learning to love my postpartum body is I can teach my son to respect women’s bodies and that this is what normal looks like – not those photoshopped images of women in magazines. I can be an example of a woman who is comfortable in her own skin and for that I am grateful.

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September 25, 2017 By Nicolle