The first 24 hours with Popcorn

I get the distinct notion that this blog will be morphing into a breastfeeding journal for the time being.  I don't care how many kids you have, each one is almost like the first one because they are all so different.  Popcorn is about 36 hours old now.  It seems like she changed so much already. Her features aren't so "new" anymore. I am one of those weird people who thinks newborns look kinda funny so this is pleasing to me.  She's beginning to look more like Side Salad, which is interesting because I thought she'd look more like Squirrel (they are her full blood siblings).  She's such a sweet little thing and loves to spend time just looking around.

Yesterday, it felt like all I did was feed her.  Because all I did was feed her.  My uterus is going down quickly, though the after pains are something serious when she nurses on the left-yeesh!  Some of them feel almost like contractions and believe you me, I've had enough of those.  I have an abdominal binder that I wear because I have allergies and sometimes I need to cough or sneeze.  I was holding a pillow against my belly until one snuck up one me and made my whole side hurt. My organs are still floating around in my jelly-like midsection and must be reminded where to go.  I slept on my tummy a little. Win!  I look about 6 months pregnant without it and about 4 months pregnant with it.

Last night was a blur of feeding and sleeping. Though she nursed about every 2 hours all day, she actually slept in 3 hour stretches from 2 am to 8 am, which I didn't expect. Of course, she slept with Mommy and Daddy.  All of mine do in the early days.  It makes feeding and changes so much easier.  I also took a shower this morning, a super long one, while Lettuce held our baby girl.

Again, with the weighing?

My midwife Lisa came by for her 24 hour check-up (just because you go home doesn't mean they cut you loose to the wind). My little cricket is doing well. According to DHEC, every infant has to submit a heel stick so we did that today. It really angered my baby girl and she took a TWO HOUR NAP IN THE CRIB!  This may actually be the high point of my day.  It's amazing what somebody smaller than a sack of rice can reduce you to.  Anyways, we talked about breastfeeding and the fact that my clever baby (because aren't all of our babies, geniuses?) may be using me as a paci. She won't take a paci and I'm semi okay with it as long as she's awake. I won't let her sleep at the breast.  Sometimes, I give her a finger to suck on, which she likes. I don't want my nipples to be sore or cracked so I am adamant about making sure her latch is right. That's not always an easy thing with a noob because their mouths are tiny.  I sometimes have to pull her chin down to help her but usually she manages by herself.  Lisa was surprised that my little one has already had about 5 bms.  She is really sucking up a lot of colostrum. It's not even black anymore, more brownish. She lost weight through all that pooping but pretty much all breastfed babies loose weight until your milk comes in.

One thing that has truly shocked me today is how sore I am. And I don't mean in my girly parts, where you'd expect it. I shocked my midwives by not tearing with such a fast labor and I've resumed my Kegels already. My lochia is the lightest it's ever been. I am shocked.  I am still taking alfalfa because we opted not to have Vitamin K administered to her.  This soreness is in non birth related parts.  I don't remember chopping any firewood but my shoulders and back are telling me otherwise. Was it always like this?  That's really why my shower was so long. That hot water was so relaxing. I wish I'd asked my midwife to bring that doTerra blue something cream for my aching arms and back.  It's hard to relax when you feel so crappy. Getting up is an ordeal and I'm afraid sometime that my arms will give out from sheer exhaustion. I can't imagine having to hold bottles like this.

I have been trying to sleep when she sleeps but it sucks with 4 other kids in the house. The big ones are as helpful as they can be. Princess fixed them hot dogs, baked beans, and macaroni for dinner.  When I need a minute to go potty or something, they hold her.  They bring me drinks and stuff, and try to wrangle the littles.  The little ones have low impulse control so my main goal is to keep them from waking the little one.  Side Salad keeps telling me all the things he's going to buy for her: shoes, a new bed if she breaks her crib, candy when she learns to talk-it's really cute.  Squirrel wants to hold her but she's so flighty and bouncy that it makes me nervous. I let her lay next to the baby but then she wants to lean over her and I don't want the baby squished.

Well, now the little one is up and needs some love and attention, so gotta go....