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1 Month Update (With Bonus Assvice!)

Happy 1 month birthday, Whoorlita! You are such a sweet little baby.

(On the eve of her birthday. She has enormous eyes just like her brother!)

Things I’ve learned (or re-learned) about new babies that I desperately feel the need to share with you:

1. Breastfeeding – Engorged boobs are ridiculously huge and hard. Letdown can be painful. Be sure to wear pads at all times for you can never predict when letdown will occur, especially in public places. Taking Lethicin daily can help prevent plugged ducts. Your nipples might kill. Don’t believe the experts that say your nipples shouldn’t hurt after the first week. Believe you me, I don’t have thrush and Wita’s latch is great (confirmed by the greatest lactation consultant ever – if you are looking for one in the OC area shoot me an email), but I STILL wince when she starts to nurse. Some people are more sensitive than others and that’s just how the cookie crumbles.

You are probably going to feel like the baby is attached to your body all the time. In fact, just last night, I looked down from my second-story bedroom window at my husband and son having a great time outside with all the neighbors. I felt a little like Rapunzel, locked up in my tower. It’s worth it, though! (Plus, that’s why cute nursing covers were created!) Nothing’s better than seeing your baby chub up before your very eyes and know your Very Painful Nipples played an integral part.

You are going to feel frumpy – most likely stuck in between your maternity clothes and your regular clothes. Yes, it sucks. I personally do not belong to the Breastfeeding Makes Me So Skinny Camp. With Wito, I didn’t lose the last 5 or so pounds until I stopped breastfeeding. Your body needs to keep an extra layer of fat to help produce all that milk you are feeding your baby. Don’t sweat it, mamas!

2. Sleeping – To parents of more than one child, if you are lucky enough to get all children napping at the same time, for the love of Christ, TAKE A NAP. Sure, your online pursuits and domestic duties are going to suffer, but honestly, no one really cares. Get some sleep while you can! (I am assuming all parents with only one child are napping already. Right? RIGHT?)

Newborns make all sorts of crazy grunting noises while sleeping – don’t assume they are waking up and/or need to be picked up. Most likely, they are just being insanely loud sleepers. If I could get back all the minutes I spent this month staring at Wita and wondering if she was going to wake up at that very moment, I could spend two full weeks drinking fruity cocktails in Bora Bora. I find that a white noise machine helps me to sleep through all of the racket.

Accept the fact that you are not going to get a full night’s sleep for awhile. Even if your significant other does the night feedings, you will still need to wake up to pump in order to keep your boobs from becoming rock hard torpedoes. Sexy! (If you are breastfeeding, that is. If your baby is formula fed and you aren’t doing the night feedings, well, ENJOY YOUR LENGTHY AND RESTFUL SLEEP, DAMMIT.)

(Sorry, that’s the sleep deprivation talking.)

3. Words With Friends makes 3am feedings infinitely better.

4. It’s so tempting to wish for the newborn phase to fly by, but try to revel in the little things that will soon be a distant memory. It won’t be long before your little one won’t curl up on your chest and snooze for hours. Smell their precious tiny heads on a daily basis! Before you know it, the lingering scent will most likely be grungy toddler sweat. Awesome.

Hmmm. What am I forgetting? Did anything surprise you about parenting newborns?

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42 comments
  1. Angella

    July 27, 2010 at 1:13 pm

    I’m thinking I need to start making my annual California trip a bi-annual one – I need to cuddle that sweet baby girl!

    Every morning when I wake up and see that you’ve played your turn in WWF, I smile. :)
    .-= Angella´s last blog ..Being A Tourist In My Hometown =-.

  2. joslyn

    July 27, 2010 at 2:13 pm

    oooh yes to that last one. i regret not having sniffed the girlies’ heads enough.

    man she’s freakin cute lady.
    seriously

    xox
    .-= joslyn´s last blog ..Loving =-.

  3. Andrea

    July 27, 2010 at 2:46 pm

    ugh, thank you for your commentary on painful nipples. I had thought I had thrush b/c it almost felt like burning pain when latching. doc and lac consultants said everything is fine and just gave me a compound cream that helps somewhat.

    was so excited to see you were having a 2nd babe, too. I’ve been reading your blog since just after you had Wito when I had my boy and I just had my lil’ girl 3 months ago :) yay for girl clothes and girlie things!!

  4. Carrie

    July 27, 2010 at 3:09 pm

    She is totally fantastically gorgeous and incredibly SMART. I can just tell.

    I don’t know much about breastfeeding and rock hard boobs and all that so tried to read lightly and not get too freaked out for if I ever have a kid. I don’t have boobs now, so am rather interested to see what could potentially happen…but not so interested that I want to have a child immediately.

    Enough about me. Back to you. So what’s up with Bethenny Frankel being 2lbs after having her kid? Girlfriend you know that ain’t right…

    So happy to read your post and get some giggles. Sense of humor still intact? Check Check!

    Enjoy your sweet girl! (and boy)

    xoxo,
    Carrie
    .-= Carrie´s last blog ..Cleaning In Style- Alice Supply Co =-.

  5. Mama Bub

    July 27, 2010 at 3:17 pm

    I had a conversation with someone who told me that her clothes were TOO BIG after a few months a breastfeeding and that she just couldn’t stop losing weight. That is not my problem.

    She is gorgeous!
    .-= Mama Bub´s last blog ..The Nursery =-.

  6. Siera

    July 27, 2010 at 3:20 pm

    I can relate to most of what your saying. The newborn grunts and squeels OMG I don’t forget that. I couldn’t sleep because of that and had my son in his own room at a month. It was right across the hall, and I felt bad but I was going insane due to lack of sleep. Whoorlita is a cutie. Savor it.
    .-= Siera´s last blog ..Not At This Time =-.

  7. am'ti b

    July 27, 2010 at 3:22 pm

    chest sleeping is still my favorite! boobs are great and in 4 months it won’t hurt as much.

  8. Mary Sue

    July 27, 2010 at 3:37 pm

    Sorry the joy of the new babe also comes with some hard stuff – it will get better! If you ever want a new Words with Friends game, play me! msfordham

  9. Gabriella

    July 27, 2010 at 5:04 pm

    Thank you for this list!! Having my 2nd in December and after 5 years in between I needed to read this for a reminder!!!
    She is a doll!

  10. kat

    July 27, 2010 at 5:24 pm

    she is so freaking cute!
    .-= kat´s last blog ..a love letter to you =-.

  11. Sarah

    July 27, 2010 at 5:35 pm

    Great list, and your girl is beautiful! Nursing moms should know about the cluster feed–those days where they nurse all day every hour or hour and a half. The cluster feed nearly sent me to the looney bin but after surviving I was very proud that I stuck with it and nearly ordered a “I Survived The Great Cluster Feed of 2010” t-shirt.
    .-= Sarah´s last blog ..Shootin’ The Shit =-.

  12. Melissa

    July 27, 2010 at 5:50 pm

    Oh my gosh. If you want to play wwf, my name is melissac916. I have my own little one that gets me up!

  13. Gabrielle - Design Mom

    July 27, 2010 at 7:21 pm

    Oh! You are brilliant. This is a great list. I laughed when I read “wince”. So true. A friend of mine once described the painful latch-on period as “curl-your-toes-painful”.

    Also. Little Wita couldn’t be more beautiful!
    .-= Gabrielle – Design Mom´s last blog ..Haircut =-.

  14. HollyLynne

    July 27, 2010 at 8:56 pm

    I never once felt my letdown . . . still haven’t! And I was spared the awful engorgement you’ve experienced, but only because I didn’t have a full milk supply until Rhys was 3 1/2 weeks old. Now I just get engorged when he sleeps 8 hours at night, but we can’t have EVERYTHING, now can we? :)

    And thanks for the free pass on those 5lbs :)

    Malou is absolutely precious . . . huge eyes indeed!
    .-= HollyLynne´s last blog ..Baby Gets Around =-.

  15. HollyLynne

    July 27, 2010 at 9:19 pm

    You also speak the truth about latching for those first few weeks. I hope it gets better for you . . . it did for me!
    .-= HollyLynne´s last blog ..Baby Gets Around =-.