How can you have the best day of your life and the worst all at the same time? Have a baby! I have been spit up on, puked on, peed on, and pooped on. And then he smiles for the first time and looks up at me with his beautiful blue eyes. For a split second. And it's the best moment of my life.
I've pretty much accepted two facts of my life: I am forever to be covered in dog hair and now- breast milk. Sexy huh?! For all those who don't know, because I'll be honest, I didn't- Nursing a newborn takes up 24 hours of every day for the first weeks. I literally nurse every 2-4 hours and at this point he nurses sometimes for almost an hour. By the time he's done I have maybe an hour and half before he wants more. And breastfeeding is not easy. Sure it's natural. But not easy. Babies have to learn to latch on, and you have to teach them. Oh and you need like 5 hands... one to hold the baby at the right level, one to keeps his hands down from slapping you in the boob, one to get him to open wide, and one to latch him on.. is that 5 I lost count.. sometimes it seems like I need 8. And then after all is said and done, and about 3 trips to the lactation specialist to see why I'm in so much pain we find out I have an infection. Geez, can I win at this or what? The lactation consultant said the first 3-4 weeks are the hardest and then it all gets easier. It better get easier or I'm going to need therapy. I have learned that though no one really talks about these issues they are common and most breast feeding moms have to get through them. Its still hard but gives me some comfort that I am not alone.
Then we have the sleep issue- some nights we get two stretches of 4 hours without a feeding in between. Not that this is recommended but if Lawson doesn't wake up to eat and were exhausted we all sleep, then try to make up for his feedings during the day. Some feedings, he stays up for two or three hours crying and squirming around. And if you didn't know- babies go through a growth spurt around weeks 2 and 3. UMM Lawson decided he was never full and wanted to eat for basically an hour take a break for an hour and nurse again. Of course all this requires me being awake. He cried all freaking day to be fed. Sounds like we've been having fun huh? Well actually, despite all this stress it has been wonderful cuddling with him and kissing him as he gazes up at me. But just in case someone ever tells you that birth is the hardest part.. take it from me, it's not! Pushing her out was a task and since he was stuck on my pelvis bone for over 45 minutes I truly thought that would be the worst part, but the past two weeks of sleep deprivation and constant nursing has been much harder! Here's hoping we get on some kind of schedule and get more sleep in the coming weeks.
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