Family page Q&A- Part 1
Hey guys! Hope your Friday has been fabulous 🙂 We met up with Kelly and Meara and their beautiful baby girls (Liv’s BFFS) for lunch. Liv was awake almost the entire time- she loved it!
Thank you so much for letting me know that we don’t have to worry about sunscreen for now –we’ll use a big hat or the sun protection shade on the stroller- and to those of you who left questions! There are a lot of good ones in there, so I thought I’d split it up into two posts and will do the other one sometime next week, along with a 2 month post-delivery body post.
Here we go:
Congratulations on your pregnancy! The reason why I pump so much is because after my ductal surgery, righty is basically broken. I can pump a little bit out, but she doesn’t nurse from the right at all since supply is so low on that side. She also got used to the faster flow of the bottle when we had to supplement early on, and will sometimes prefers the bottle during the day. When this happens, I’ll feed her and pump at the same time so she has more breast milk for the next feeding. Or if she does want to breastfeed, I’ll pump the right side while she’s drinking from the left. She gets almost all of her food from the left side, and while pumping is a pain, it’s nice to be able to see how many ounces she’s getting when she takes a bottle. The good news is that if you haven’t had any health problems or surgeries to affect your supply, hopefully you won’t have to pump as much.
Stephanie,
Thank you! I think she liked the Zumba 😉
I’m really excited about testing the cloth diapers out, but they’re still a little big on Liv. I bought the one-size option instead of the newborns so I’d be able to use them longer. My mom used cloth diapers with all of her kids, and also used a diaper service which was fairly inexpensive- they came to pick up the dirty diapers and replace them with fresh, clean ones every other day. Pretty amazing! We were hoping to use pre-folds and a diaper service from the beginning while we got into the swing of things, but they don’t offer that in Tucson anymore :/ So for now, we’re rocking disposables and will give cloth diapers a try to see if they’re a good option for us.
They’re so cute!!
Hey Katie,
From what I’ve noticed so far, working out hasn’t affecting my supply at all, but I also haven’t worked out to the capacity that I was pre-pregnancy or even while I was pregnant. While I do workout, I just make sure I take in enough extra calories and water for the day. I definitely feel more hungry, even more so than when I was preg, so lots of snacks throughout the day and lots of healthy fats 🙂 I haven’t weighed myself since my last midwife appt, but I do believe that the body holds onto excess fat while you’re breastfeeding. From what I’ve heard, it’s totally normal to hold onto 5-10 extra lbs to keep supply up. Two of my harcdcore runner friends, who also recently had babies, haven’t seen a decrease in their production at all, either. I think it really is a matter of hydrating yourself, fueling properly and of course, everyone is different. If you’re finding that you’re not losing weight the way you anticipated, maybe try bumping up your nutrient intake to see if that helps- you may be getting too little, and bfing uses a lot of energy.
Kristen,
Thank you so much to you and your hubby for the sacrifices and hard work on both of your parts <3
The hardest things for me were definitely the sleep deprivation and breastfeeding, but only because I’ve had so many problems with my right side and taking so long for my milk to come in. As far as sleep deprivation goes, it’s rough. Everyone tells you “sleep now while you can! Hardee har” while you’re pregnant, and while I knew we’d be up a lot, I had no idea. For a few weeks, I didn’t get more than 20-30 minutes of sleep at a time since Liv was eating so frequently. Just hang in there and remember that it gets better! Last night, she slept from 8-5.. and it was glorious.
The first time Tom was going to be flying the next day and sleeping in the guest room, it had only been two weeks, and I was horrified. I had anxiety all day about it, mostly because I knew I’d be awake all night by myself, and that I really didn’t want her to cry too much and disturb Tom’s crew rest. It’s scary to know that he has his life in his hands every time he flies, and I always feel a little better (but still worry like crazy) when he has a full night of sleep. I’m sure you know what that’s like, especially since your hubby works such long shifts.
Just as Britt said, it’s one of those things you just do. And you make it through it, and feel proud of yourself. Most days (anywhere from 7am until 9pm) and many nights it’s just me and Liv. I’m fortunate to have family nearby, but most of them work during the week, and the fact that I’ve been able to do many days and nights in a row with just the two of us girls makes me feel a lot more confident being stationed far away, or Tom being deployed when we have our next baby.
I know you’ll do an amazing job, and just take it day by day. You can do it- all moms are rockstars. And if you ever need someone to talk to, email me! <3
Ky,
I answered the first part of your question in Kristen’s above, but for the nighttime sleeping, she’s doing SO much better. I was pretty sure I’d never sleep again and then BOOM- she hung up her nocturnal pants and decided to join the rest of us 😉 We have a bedtime ritual that we started a few weeks ago: dinner, bath time, lotion, brush her hair, PJs, book, swaddle, and we both hang out with her in the nursery while one of us rocks her to sleep to the Jewel Lullaby CD. We also do something called “twilight feeding” that was suggested in the Baby Whisperer book. After she’s asleep (anywhere from 8-9), we feed her 3 ounces from a bottle at 11pm while she’s still sleeping. It’s the funniest thing: I pick her up, put the bottle close to her lips, and she latches on like a hungry monkey and drinks the bottle. I put her back in the bassinet and she snoozes so much better, since she doesn’t need to wake up for a feeding right away.
Hey girl,
First of all, don’t feel bad, it’s common for many midwives and birth class instructors to tell you how important it is to get some alone time with your hubby and the baby when he/she arrives. To be real, your boobs are out 24/7, you’re exhausted, and there’s a lot to learn and take in. We knew that as much as we’d want to see everyone, it would be easier and more fun to have visitors stay with us after we had things figured out and settled down a little. Tom asked his family if they’d mind waiting a little while to come see the baby and it ended up being perfect- they all stayed with us, we had breastfeeding/pumping/bottles down (and they could give her bottles and help with feeding if they wanted to), we weren’t stuck in the house and could take them to do some Tucson things, and Liv was still teeny tiny newborn, but old enough to smile at her aunt, cousin and grandparents. If your hubby talks to his family and just tells them that you guys would like some time to figure out everything before having visitors, they should understand. As anxious as they will be to see the baby, they’re parents too and know what you’re going through. If they want to be there right away, a hotel is a great option so that you’ll still get some downtime, which is crucial while you’re recovering. <3
Congratulations, Annitra!! I’m so excited for you <3
We love our carseat and stroller: the Orbit G2 Travel System. It’s extremely easy to use –the carseat part snaps onto a base in the backseat, and also snaps onto the stroller base- and I love their dedication to producing environmentally-friendly products, the safety ratings, it’s lightweight and can fold up with one hand, and is easy to drive and maneuver. Livi never cries when we put her in the “bucket” as we call it, and when we ordered the system, the basinet was free.
The only bummer is that it’s very expensive (we both agree it was totally worth it) and you have to purchase a toddler carseat and stroller seat for when the baby is bigger.
I hope you guys enjoyed this post! Thank you again to those of you who asked questions, and as always, feel free to ask away in the comments section.
Have a great weekend <3
![Right [not] on schedule](https://fitnessista.com/wp-content/uploads//2012/06/photo4-150x150.jpg)
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Look at that little peanut!!! Seriously, I can definitely see her mama in that picture!
what a cutie!! this is a great post, thanks! im 13 weeks now so 1 trimester done woo hoo! its great to hear people’s experiences and advice. thanks!
OH EM GEE! Olivia is beautiful! Keep the pics coming. 🙂
Good Lord. she is precious!
She is gorgeous. Simply incredible. That photo reminds me of a picture of my niece that was taken by a hospital photographer in South Carolina. Was yours a photographer as well, or just your own skillz?
thank you! nope i didnt take it- i wish! we had her photos taken a few weeks ago 🙂
I’m still a couple of years out from having children, but I absolutely love reading about your journey through the pregnancy and being a new mom. Also, she is so flippin’ cute!! 🙂
Oh my goodness, she is just beautiful! Congratulations, Gina. I love reading your blog and am so happy for you and the Pilot.
I love that you’re already given out pro-tips… you seem like such a natural at this 🙂 I’ve always, always wanted to be a mom…so much it’s a little crazy… but I’m in total awe of you (and all the other momma’s out there!).
aww thank you, lovely!
thank you for the sweet compliment- being a mom is the most natural and “i have no idea what the heck i’m doing” thing at the same time 😉
What a gorgeous pic of Livi !!
Oh my god, she is so sweet!! So precious.
Gina- in the next Q and A post next week, could you please include include some fitness and nutrition questions for those of us looking for that? The pregnancy and new mom questions are really interesting but for those of us who aren’t ready for that, we’d love to see a few QAs on your diet and fitness. :):)
Thanks so much!
of course!
i’m saving those for the 2 month post baby body update next week 🙂
xoxo
What a sweet picture! I bet Ms Livi a very proud mama and daddy!
She is so precious!! Love reading all the questions. I’m currently 30 weeks and getting anxious to meet this little girl but I feel like time is starting to go so slowly.
I was wondering if you have been using any of those abdominal binders? I’ve read that they are supposed to help shrink the uterus back faster and just get things back in place. Have you heard any good things about them?
ahh she’ll be here so soon! 🙂
YES- i’ll be posting about those next week!
This is so helpful, especially your response about how you asked family to wait a few days after you arrived home to adjust. Our little guy is due in 3 weeks! Our family was all under the assumption that they’d be traveling to us at the first hint of a contraction. I really want some time for the 3 of us to bond and for me to get used to breastfeeding when our little guy arrives. I think we’ll use what Tom said to his family when we talk to ours.
That picture is so sweeeeet! ADORABLE!!! It looks like one of those Anne Getty baby photos!!
Ahh she looks so much like a little babe from those ann gedes (sp?) calendars! I’m very far from having a baby, but these posts are still interesting. Thanks lady 🙂
Love the pic! She’s sooooo beautiful! These posts are great. Thanks for doing them!
thanks for reading them 🙂
the picture of olivia is absolutely adorable!
What a comprehensive post! Thanks for sharing and although I’m past your stage of life with mine, reading it makes me feel like I was just there…like, a second ago. Time flies!
Glad that the 3 of you are finding your groove 🙂
Thanks for answering my question, Gina! I was so excited to see it in your post 🙂 I agree, cloth diapers are adorable. That’s so impressive that your mom used cloth diapers with all of her kids. I know that one of my grandmas used a diaper service, but I haven’t heard of anyone recently using one. They seem so intimidating to me, but I definitely love the idea of them. My mom actually convinced me to potty train when I was little by telling me that disposable diapers sit in a landfill and never go away, so I guess I was always environmentally-conscious, haha. Good luck when you do start using them, and I hope they work out!
Such a beautiful picture!
I LOVE this post and all of your baby posts, Gina! Thank you for sharing so much! We are going to start trying later this year and your posts are so informative!
Love this post! And that last picture is precious.
I have a question for you: is Livi the baby that appeared to you in your dreams when you were pregnant? Based off of what I remember from your dream recaps & the pictures you post of her, it seems like she’s very similar, but it’d be nuts if she was the exact baby that you saw!
Loving reading your perspective! We have a Baby Jogger City Mini stroller and its one of my favorite things in the world. It’s so easy to close up (you can do it with one hand) and it’s light weight and simple to put in and out of the car, which is important since I’m 5’1″. It’s not bulky at all, which is a major complaint I’ve heard about Graco travel systems) and I can wog with it pretty easily.
I just wanted to share for the person that asked about the stroller, just for another opinion 🙂
Great post, Gina! Mine are 4 years old now but I still enjoy all posts baby-related, etc. That photo is so precious! She’s adorable!
Those lashes!!! Manus says hey little lady 😉
I just loved reading this post. I followed your blog before, during & now after my pregnancy…my baby boy (my first) just turned a month old & I’m still having SERIOUS issues with breastfeeding…AND pumping! We’ve had to resort to supplementing with formula but I still pump & nurse just so he at least gets SOME breastmilk…some is better than none at all is my philosophy. But it’s nice to read (from you) and hear from some of my other mommy friends that I’m not the only one who’s had issues with feeding. At first, I felt like a complete & total failure as a mom to know I couldn’t solely give my boy all the nutrition he needs, but I’m doing my best & that’s all I can do…
PS: Keep up the great posts, on both the family & regular page. <3 reading them all! 🙂 (And your daughter is just super precious!!)
PSS: Like you, I kept up my workouts throughout my entire pregnancy and by 2 weeks post-partum, I'd lost all my 22lbs of baby weight, without doing any exercise (just starting exercising again last week). So to all the expectant moms out there, keep up your workouts (safely) and it WILL pay off 🙂
thank you, rebecca, and congratulations on your baby boy!
and you’re totally right- all you can do is your best, and there’s no point in beating yourself up over it. especially because breastfeeding is HARD WORK- all day and all night, a labor of love for our little ones 🙂 at first i was really, really upset that my boob wouldn’t work from the stupid tumor. i felt like my body had failed me and was hoping i’d be able to sustain her on my own without formula (but it ended up keeping her nourished while my milk supply was coming in). I eventually realized that I was doing everything I could (feeding, topping her off with a bottle, pumping, repeat), there was nothing i could do to fix my right side, and livi was still getting breastmilk, which is really important to us.
i couldn’t agree more about working out during pregnancy. even though my body isn’t 100% back to what it was pre-preg, i lost almost all of the weight without exercising and eating more than i did while pregnant. sticking with it definitely pays off!
xoxo
I was reading about you not wanting to wake Tom up when he really needs his sleep and i just had to leave a comment. My husband is in the military also. So, when my kids were babies I could not “just let them cry” at night unless he was gone. It may have taken longer for them to sleep through the night but it was the best for our family.
BEAUTIFUL picture of Liv!!!!
Ah precious post Gina! You are going to love the cloth diapers, they are so much more fun than disposables. It looks like you have the fuzzibunz brand? If so, they are awesome. Can’t wait for that post!
So happy to hear things are going beautifully!
yep, the fuzzibunz are so soft! can’t wait to try them out
Thanks!!! Love the picture…she’s adorable 🙂
Aww I love that picture of Livi’s little face, so precious!
I adore the name Livi, did you always plan to call her that even though her full name is Olivia right? Is Livi short for another name?
no, tom came up with that one, and i loved it 🙂
livi- sweet lil’ munchkin!! She resembles u a lot!!!
Gina, i was just wondering if the family posts are archived?…it would be a great help, currently we have to click on ‘previous entries’ while searching for a specific post.
Thank you, friend!
Not yet but we’re going to redo the fam page so the posts are easier to navigate
Xoxo
I have a question… are you still using the Snoogle? 😉 I must know! I love mine now and can’t imagine giving it up.
When we got home from the hospital, tom banished it to the storage closet haha
As someone who is hoping to have a child soon-ish (?!), I really appreciate your posts and pictures. She’s just adorable!!
We exclusively breast feed here too 🙂 Lovelovelove cloth diapers! We use Sprout Change covers with hemp inserts and Thirsties covers. They contain every mess our daughter has, big or small 🙂