If you have found my blog because you are experiencing postpartum insomnia, depression, anger, and/or hair loss (as I've written much about these areas), I am happy to share the best "cure" I have found.
TIME.
I am very happy to report that after 6 months of craziness, life is finally starting to get back to whatever excuse for normal I had prior to the insanity brought on by postpartum.
I still have some difficulty sleeping but not so much that it causes problems. I am still opinionated and have trouble keeping thoughts to myself, but that uncontrollable anger and intense frustration are gone. My hair is still falling out but not nearly as much as it was. It is also growing back! Finally! I did have to chop it off and color it darker because it changed so much after Emma was born. I am OK with that though. Seeing new hair growth where bald spots once were is well worth the shorter, darker hair.
When people would tell me to be patient a few months ago and "just give it time," I would get annoyed. I was at my last rope and needed to know how to fix my postpartum issues at that exact moment. I did try a lot of strategies, and I'm sure all of them helped, but the biggest factor is "giving it time." Don't lose hope, and keep trying everything you can to cope with your postpartum struggles. Just know that it does get better in each day that passes.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
The Bond Between a Little Girl and Her Daddy
This may sound cliche, but I was initially drawn to my husband because of his obvious "good dad" characteristics....
We were only 18 when we first met, and I had no desire to be a mother. I had created this image of a powerful businesswoman in a suit (who kept tennis shoes in her briefcase). I was going to go straight into graduate school after earning my bachelor's degree... yadda, yadda, yadda. Subconsciously, I must have been looking for a great guy who would eventually be an amazing father because that is exactly what I found. Right away, he told me about his 4 younger brothers and sisters. I could tell how much he cared about them by the way he spoke, but it was solidified when I visited his family for the first time. His youngest sister was only 2 years old. All of the kids are significantly younger than he, and he had clearly learned how to care for little ones. I had never met a guy with such fatherly instincts.
I was hooked. Not having had my own dad around much, I knew having a good father for my children was an area where there would be no compromise.
I am so thankful to have found such an awesome guy. When Emma kicks her feet and that crooked smile spreads across her face each time her dad walks in the door, I get those warm, fuzzy feelings inside. She loves her daddy. They're best buddies. She's a very lucky little girl. :-)
We were only 18 when we first met, and I had no desire to be a mother. I had created this image of a powerful businesswoman in a suit (who kept tennis shoes in her briefcase). I was going to go straight into graduate school after earning my bachelor's degree... yadda, yadda, yadda. Subconsciously, I must have been looking for a great guy who would eventually be an amazing father because that is exactly what I found. Right away, he told me about his 4 younger brothers and sisters. I could tell how much he cared about them by the way he spoke, but it was solidified when I visited his family for the first time. His youngest sister was only 2 years old. All of the kids are significantly younger than he, and he had clearly learned how to care for little ones. I had never met a guy with such fatherly instincts.
I was hooked. Not having had my own dad around much, I knew having a good father for my children was an area where there would be no compromise.
I am so thankful to have found such an awesome guy. When Emma kicks her feet and that crooked smile spreads across her face each time her dad walks in the door, I get those warm, fuzzy feelings inside. She loves her daddy. They're best buddies. She's a very lucky little girl. :-)
Two 6 Month Old Babies/Polar Opposites
This particular Christmas was an exciting one. Our family lives in Indiana; we live in Arizona, and in June, my sister and I gave birth to beautiful little girls within 3 days of each other. This Christmas vacation was the first time we were able to introduce the babies.
It is so incredibly interesting how 2 babies who are only 3 days apart can be so different. My gorgeous niece has beautiful, brown skin, dark hair (parts of it very long), dark eyes, and long legs. Our little girl has porcelain skin (a.k.a super pale), big blue eyes, blond fuzz for hair (if anything), short, stubby legs, and rolls upon rolls of chubbiness. My niece has an old soul and knowing eyes. She's calm, reserved, and rather independent. Our little one is a ball of energy, gets bored easily, and remains busy all day. Everything she touches goes straight to her mouth. Already a bully, she pulled the niece's hair and made her cry. The difference in cries is interesting as well. My daughter's cry could shatter glass. Well, maybe not, but it is loud and clear. The niece? Soft and muffled.
The niece is a little sturdier on her feet (probably because of the longer legs) and sits by herself with no problem. Emma still topples over (probably because of her chubbier torso) but is constantly on the move. She is figuring out how to crawl and the niece is perfectly content remaining still. The niece is quiet and introspective. Emma is a chatterbox and tells everyone how she's feeling. :-)
It was fun having the girls together. I'm excited to see how they grow and become best friends. :-) My point for this post, however, is to reiterate how different babies are. Every baby develops at his or her own pace. If you're a new mom and constantly comparing your little one to others or even to the milestone charts found all over the internet, don't obsess over it. We're individuals from birth. We all learn and grow in various ways and at various times.
It is so incredibly interesting how 2 babies who are only 3 days apart can be so different. My gorgeous niece has beautiful, brown skin, dark hair (parts of it very long), dark eyes, and long legs. Our little girl has porcelain skin (a.k.a super pale), big blue eyes, blond fuzz for hair (if anything), short, stubby legs, and rolls upon rolls of chubbiness. My niece has an old soul and knowing eyes. She's calm, reserved, and rather independent. Our little one is a ball of energy, gets bored easily, and remains busy all day. Everything she touches goes straight to her mouth. Already a bully, she pulled the niece's hair and made her cry. The difference in cries is interesting as well. My daughter's cry could shatter glass. Well, maybe not, but it is loud and clear. The niece? Soft and muffled.
The niece is a little sturdier on her feet (probably because of the longer legs) and sits by herself with no problem. Emma still topples over (probably because of her chubbier torso) but is constantly on the move. She is figuring out how to crawl and the niece is perfectly content remaining still. The niece is quiet and introspective. Emma is a chatterbox and tells everyone how she's feeling. :-)
It was fun having the girls together. I'm excited to see how they grow and become best friends. :-) My point for this post, however, is to reiterate how different babies are. Every baby develops at his or her own pace. If you're a new mom and constantly comparing your little one to others or even to the milestone charts found all over the internet, don't obsess over it. We're individuals from birth. We all learn and grow in various ways and at various times.
Procrastination...
I don't know if anyone actually "follows" my blog regularly; I highly doubt it. I am assuming my friends and family read it on occasion, but for the most part, random passersby stumble upon it through Google search boxes. Perhaps a mother or two see a post pop up on their Blogger dashboard and take a gander once in a while. However, if you happen to have been checking up on my blog over the past few weeks, I apologize for dropping off the face of the earth.
The first time I took a break from blogging was because of holiday travel. Then, my daughter got sick (for weeks), and I just continued to put it off. Once I get out of the habit of doing something and try to get back into it, procrastination overcomes me.
Alas, here I am. We are back from our 2nd round of holiday travels and finally settling into our routine once again. Honestly, I had no intentions of jumping back into the blog today, but my husband is watching football, the baby is asleep, and I'm pretty much caught up with my cleaning.
I've been thinking about this blog for days. I have many ideas for posts, but they aren't specifically related to the original purpose of this blog. When I started writing this, I wanted to help other moms who are in my shoes by organizing useful information. My daughter is almost 7 months old now. I think after about 6 months, you're not really a "new" mom anymore. I think I've gotten the hang of this, and I don't freak out or worry much about things. What I'm saying is, there aren't really any burning issues in the back of my mind when it comes to providing information to new moms. I've also managed to get my postpartum craziness under control. My hair is still falling out, but it's gotten much better. Plus, it's growing back! :-) I am no longer angry at the world. My motivation to write has somewhat decreased.
Because of all of this, my posts might be a little more random in content and timing. I do, however, still want to offer my advice (whatever it may be worth) to anyone seeking it. If you are a new mother and want my opinion on "mom stuff", please let me know.
The first time I took a break from blogging was because of holiday travel. Then, my daughter got sick (for weeks), and I just continued to put it off. Once I get out of the habit of doing something and try to get back into it, procrastination overcomes me.
Alas, here I am. We are back from our 2nd round of holiday travels and finally settling into our routine once again. Honestly, I had no intentions of jumping back into the blog today, but my husband is watching football, the baby is asleep, and I'm pretty much caught up with my cleaning.
I've been thinking about this blog for days. I have many ideas for posts, but they aren't specifically related to the original purpose of this blog. When I started writing this, I wanted to help other moms who are in my shoes by organizing useful information. My daughter is almost 7 months old now. I think after about 6 months, you're not really a "new" mom anymore. I think I've gotten the hang of this, and I don't freak out or worry much about things. What I'm saying is, there aren't really any burning issues in the back of my mind when it comes to providing information to new moms. I've also managed to get my postpartum craziness under control. My hair is still falling out, but it's gotten much better. Plus, it's growing back! :-) I am no longer angry at the world. My motivation to write has somewhat decreased.
Because of all of this, my posts might be a little more random in content and timing. I do, however, still want to offer my advice (whatever it may be worth) to anyone seeking it. If you are a new mother and want my opinion on "mom stuff", please let me know.
Friday, December 3, 2010
I lied.
Two days ago, I wrote that I would be posting many new pieces over these next few days. My daughter has been really sick, but I had no idea I was going to be punched in the face with a sack of yuck as well. It's bad enough having a sick baby to take care of but trying to take care of her when I feel as though I've been run over by a semi truck is rough. Honestly, I doubt I will be posting much until I'm feeling better. She's a little better today. Thank God.
RSV, Bronchiolitis, and Baby
My 5 month old has been sick for weeks. It is most likely that she developed RSV a few weeks ago which led to the Bronchiolitis she currently has. What do I do to help her?? The truth is, there isn't a whole lot I can do. We just sort of have to wait it out.
RSV, Respiratory Syncytial Viris, is a common virus among infants. The symptoms are similar to that of a cold. A stuffy nose, cough, and perhaps a fever are the symptoms we're used to when it comes to the common cold. Difficulty breathing and bluish skin color are probably the symptoms that lead us to freak out and rush our little ones to the doctor. However, as antibiotics do not cure RSV, the hospital will most likely provide additional oxygen to the baby, keep him under a humidifier, and/or provide hydrating fluids through an IV.
Bronchiolitis is most often caused by RSV. With bronchiolitis, the cold-like symptoms may worsen, but the noticeable difference is going to be the increased congestion in the chest. Again, antibiotics are not going to cure Bronchiolitis. Reasons to take the baby to the hospital would be obvious difficulty breathing, bluish skin (as with the RSV), increased wheezing, flared nostrils, and/or suddenly worse cold symptoms.
I have chosen to write about this because my daughter has been on a roller coaster of sickness for (literally) the past 3 weeks. It started with what seemed to be a cold. We all know when small children are in a room together and one has a runny nose, they're all leaving with a runny nose. Our little Emma must have picked up a cold. I blamed it on the other little kids with colds and assumed it would go away within that first week. When it didn't get any better, I began to get a little worried. She seemed to be well enough to travel, so we embarked upon our journey to California for our Thanksgiving break. The entire day we traveled was cold and rainy. Obviously, this did nothing to help our daughter's symptoms. We finally arrived in CA, and not only had Emma experienced a stressful, rainy day of traveling, but she was suddenly surrounded by many family members. As the week progressed, her symptoms got worse. When she started coughing (a terrible sounding cough, mind you), we decided to take her to a doctor just to make sure everything was OK. The doctor took a quick look and diagnosed her with Brochiolitis. We left with a prescription for Amoxicillin and Tylenol. The doctor said the antibiotic may or may not help but advised us to use it anyway. I called our pediatrician (as we were out of the state) just to confirm what we had been told by the other doctor. After 6 days on the Amoxicillin and still no improvement, I needed reassurance that she was still OK. I've talked with the professionals (my mom, mother-in-law, a nurse/super-mom friend, and other moms) and have learned that it honestly may just take a while before this is out of her system. I've also learned many tips for helping our little one that we can use at home.
At Home Treatment and Tips
RSV, Respiratory Syncytial Viris, is a common virus among infants. The symptoms are similar to that of a cold. A stuffy nose, cough, and perhaps a fever are the symptoms we're used to when it comes to the common cold. Difficulty breathing and bluish skin color are probably the symptoms that lead us to freak out and rush our little ones to the doctor. However, as antibiotics do not cure RSV, the hospital will most likely provide additional oxygen to the baby, keep him under a humidifier, and/or provide hydrating fluids through an IV.
Bronchiolitis is most often caused by RSV. With bronchiolitis, the cold-like symptoms may worsen, but the noticeable difference is going to be the increased congestion in the chest. Again, antibiotics are not going to cure Bronchiolitis. Reasons to take the baby to the hospital would be obvious difficulty breathing, bluish skin (as with the RSV), increased wheezing, flared nostrils, and/or suddenly worse cold symptoms.
I have chosen to write about this because my daughter has been on a roller coaster of sickness for (literally) the past 3 weeks. It started with what seemed to be a cold. We all know when small children are in a room together and one has a runny nose, they're all leaving with a runny nose. Our little Emma must have picked up a cold. I blamed it on the other little kids with colds and assumed it would go away within that first week. When it didn't get any better, I began to get a little worried. She seemed to be well enough to travel, so we embarked upon our journey to California for our Thanksgiving break. The entire day we traveled was cold and rainy. Obviously, this did nothing to help our daughter's symptoms. We finally arrived in CA, and not only had Emma experienced a stressful, rainy day of traveling, but she was suddenly surrounded by many family members. As the week progressed, her symptoms got worse. When she started coughing (a terrible sounding cough, mind you), we decided to take her to a doctor just to make sure everything was OK. The doctor took a quick look and diagnosed her with Brochiolitis. We left with a prescription for Amoxicillin and Tylenol. The doctor said the antibiotic may or may not help but advised us to use it anyway. I called our pediatrician (as we were out of the state) just to confirm what we had been told by the other doctor. After 6 days on the Amoxicillin and still no improvement, I needed reassurance that she was still OK. I've talked with the professionals (my mom, mother-in-law, a nurse/super-mom friend, and other moms) and have learned that it honestly may just take a while before this is out of her system. I've also learned many tips for helping our little one that we can use at home.
At Home Treatment and Tips
- Humidifier
- It is particularly dry in our area, so we have 2 humidifiers running at night when Emma sleeps. The humidifier is supposed to help loosen all of the gunk built up in her sinuses and chest.
- Extra Water
- Giving Baby a little water throughout the day (not too much) will help loosen the mucus as well. Plus, it will help Baby stay hydrated.
- Sit in the Bathroom with the Shower Running
- Run a super hot shower and sit with Baby in the bathroom. My mother-in-law advised this yesterday. I actually set up a humidifier in there for an extra boost. We played in the bathroom for about 20 minutes (until I thought she was getting too hot). She is honestly much better today. I wish I would have started doing it weeks ago.
- Vicks VapoRub (for Babies)
- Try to have Baby sleep in a slightly upright position. Unless fastened securely in some sort of baby seat or sleeper, Baby will need to be monitored.
- Boppy Pillow
- Pillow placed under one end of crib mattress
- Pillow placed under one end of playpen mat
- etc.
How to Get Baby to Swallow Medicine
The first time I tried to give Emma her antibiotic, I attempted to insert it directly into her mouth. I don't know what I was thinking. That would taste terrible; naturally she was going to spit it out. My husband's aunt was with me at the time and suggested masking the taste with a little diluted apple juice. I was nervous about the sugar in the juice, but it worked. I advise finding the healthiest apple juice available, matching half (or less) apple juice/half (water, and adding the antibiotic. It takes about an ounce and a half total for Emma to tolerate it.
In conclusion, if you're in my shoes and are a first time mother with a sick baby, I hope this information helps a little. Having never experienced this before, I was worried about my little girl, but I'm pretty sure things are going to be fine. We just have to be patient as there isn't much to do when they're this young.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
OK... I'm Back
I am back from a week-long, Thanksgiving visit with family in California and have finally forced myself to start posting again. I plan to make up for the posts I have missed by writing numerous entries over the next few days. An entire week away from home with a 5 month old has given me many ideas and discussion topics.
Oddly enough, I've checked my stats, and readers out there in internet land have managed to find my blog even while I wasn't posting. Thank you to everyone who continues to read my stuff and shares their own experiences. :-)
More to come tomorrow....
Oddly enough, I've checked my stats, and readers out there in internet land have managed to find my blog even while I wasn't posting. Thank you to everyone who continues to read my stuff and shares their own experiences. :-)
More to come tomorrow....
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