Postpartum Week: 3
Total Weight Loss: 21 (gained 3 pounds back! eek!)
No picture this week. The batteries in the camera are dead and I'm too tired to find new ones. Instead I'll just tell you that I can button my fat jeans. Score! Buh-bye maternity pants!
After a day of horrific cluster feeding every hour, I woke up the next morning to a 4 pound weight gain. I don't know if the two events are related, but it sounds better than "I ate a Snickers."
Turns out breastfeeding isn't the All You Can Eat Buffet Pass it was over the last two weeks and now I'm going to have to watch what I eat.
Elodie may or may not have colic. I can't decide because she isn't screaming as bad as Elizabeth did--and to call normal fussiness "colic" is an insult to every parent who has a real colicky baby.
I do know that the crying drove me to furiously stress eat two king size candy bars in two minutes. Then the thought that maybe I should go purge before the chocolate caused even more fussiness? actually crossed my mind and I finally woke up from New Mom Insanity.
Screw it. I'm drinking a cup of coffee in the morning. I'll have an iced tea if I want it. Spicy food? Why not? She's going to cry anyway! Beating myself up over every little bite of my diet and taking on loads of false mommy guilt isn't going to help anyone--in fact, it will only make me stressed out and resentful.
I can't wait to reach the 6 week mark. According to the literature, breastfeeding will ease up then and I can be more than Elsie the Sleep Deprived Milking Cow.
14 comments:
Have you considered reflux? Two of my kids had it. Zantac worked for one and Prevacid worked on the other. There doesn't have to be spitting up to be reflux.
I am all for eating pretty much whatever you want when you're breastfeeding. :)
Just so you know, capsaicin comes out in breastmilk... so if you're going to eat spicy food, make sure to slather Elodie's booty for awhile to protect it from irritation. (And I mean -major- diaper rash.)
Good luck!!
Also, my son got really fussy for about an hour at night when he was ~3 weeks. It passed after a week or two. What helped us what propping him up and just letting him doze on either my or my husband's chest. (Maybe reflux like Amber said?)
And hey! You're halfway to six weeks! :)
don't hit me....maybe food allergies/intolerances causing an upset tummy? I know...like you need something else to think about in your sleep deprived milk producing state. K-man had horrible colic until we put him on a hypoallergenic formula (I'm talking screaming for hours on end with no let-up colic and then had reflux). And I'm not suggesting formula...just thinking that if there's a food intolerance/allergy then it would be a diet modification for you.
You know what? I'm going to shut-up now cause I remember those first few weeks and I'd be slapping me right now.
YAY WINE! GO COFFEE! RAH RAH RAH!
As a first time mom, I didn't believe the 6 week hype about breastfeeding...BUT it does get better. Hang in there. By the way, it is nice to meet you Elsie my friends call me Bessie.
"Elsie the sleep deprived milk cow..." = hysterical. Sorry you feel that way, but it gave me a good laugh :)
Drink the cup of much-deserved coffee!
dude, do not hesitate to email to bitch about colic/flux/whatever.
MOO! (As I sit here nursing my 10 month old back to sleep).
The only food I avoid when breast feeding is broccoli. Yes, it's a super food. But it gives me gas, and there for it must give my baby gas. And who really loves broccoli anyway?
Drink your coffee, eat your spicy food, have a glass of wine! Enjoy it during the lucid hours when you can.
Hang in there!
The spicy food thing... eat it if you want. I ate Indian food and jalepenos while nursing. No ill effects on my little guy.
learn to sleep and nurse...i went back to work after 6 weeks. and continued to nurse until she turned a year. i'd doze while she ate while in bed, she'd pop off one side, i'd flip her to the other and she'd feed until she went back to sleep. couple hours later, we'd do it again. not having to get out of bed to get her helped me not be completely awake at night feeding her.
i know it feels like you're constantly having the baby on the boob...keep at it. and keep in mind, about a week before a growth spurt (4 weeks is a spurt, 6 weeks is another), the baby cluster feeds and seems like he's always hungry because nature is telling him to prep the breasts to make more milk to feed his soon to be growing body and calorie needs. And, if you're gonna add caffeine, keep it consistent. think of how you feel without caffeine - you'll do the same to your baby if you give it and then take it away...sucks to have caffeine withdrawal as an infant and no way to calm the jonesing. :) I accidently did this to my newborn - had pepsi all pregnancy, she was born, i nursed and guzzled water adn she was PISSED. dawned on me later that she wanted some caffeine. duh! i had a headache, too and never thought about the effects on her.
also, look into the Happiest Baby on the Block book - it does work. :)
Good luck to you!! I say eat what you want while breastfeeding!!
My twins are nine months old now, and I still haven't lost the baby weight...and I'm not breastfeeding so I have no excuse!!
Swinging by while blog hopping...I'm following you now!
She could be having a growth spurt! And do not beat yourself up about what you eat! I did that and found myself either starving or going crazy or both.
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