Upside down in crazy town
Do you want to know something weird? Despite all the exams and dildo cams of TTC, I did not have one internal exam my whole pregnancy and was only wand-ed twice. I don’t know about you but that just strikes me as bizarre.
Just over 3 weeks post c-section and I’m starting to feel better within myself… note I said better, not normal, nothing will ever be the same again and I of course wouldn’t change things. I look fabulous, really, really good. I lost a lot of weight during my pregnancy and the weight I put back on was all baby, placenta, fluid etc, etc so apart from the puffy belly I looked pretty awesome 2 days post partum, add in breastfeeding which seems to be sucking the fat right off of my frame and I’m looking better than I have in years… well I would be if it wasn’t for the giant bags under my eyes and the slightly vacant look I give anyone who asks me a question that requires an answer outside of yes/no. I can’t wait to be able to start exercising and toning up.
Breastfeeding is going ok… other than the awesome side effect of weight loss, I will never understand how something so ‘natural’ can be so difficult, heartbreaking and just plain painful.. and that’s just dealing with the baby, not to mention the opinions and advice everyone seems to have for you. Some of my mums group ladies have it really bad with bleeding, cracked nipples or mastitis but I’m pretty lucky, D attaches well and only rarely bites me although I do have to watch him when he’s sleepy because he lets most of the breast slide out of his mouth and ends up just sucking on the nipple which hurts like buggary and is a surefire way to damage the poor things.
I’m not hating feeding him this way, I’m not loving it either, I don’t feel like it’s this huge bonding experience that everyone goes on about (there’s only so much mutual gazing you can do) and I find nothing productive about feeding him for an hour umpteen times a day but at least it reminds me to spend some time with my feet up… the alternative for me is to pump and feed him and although I do pump daily because I refuse to breastfeed in public and like to be mobile enough to leave him with family, attaching myself to that mooing machine a zillion times a day would drive me mad!
It is nice, to spend some special time cuddling D, he cracks me up when he feeds, he’s always so ravenous and he makes the funniest sounds plus I’ve always been well blessed in the chesticular area and it is hysterical to watch a tiny baby nomming away on a boob more than 4 times as big as his head – I have some of the funniest photos ever.
We’re adjusting slowly to the lack of sleep and the fact that everything we do now is wrapped up in that tiny little guy, I could stare at him all day and like nothing better than having him cuddled on my chest as I read or watch telly. We’re creating a monster but what’s the point of finally getting your dream if you can’t spoil him rotten?
sounds like things are coming along nicely, i’m still pretty uncomfortable five days post c-section and hoping that i’ll be feeling better next week. how long did it take you until you were comfortable enough to do things like wear pants and go shopping?
i thought i was going to breastfeed too but after the surgery i was so uncomfortable that i couldn’t handle the added stress and pain of trying to make milk where there was none. louise has been bottle feeding and doing really well with it. i guess my milk finally started coming in yesterday because my boobs are really hurting, hopeully they will feel better very soon!
I went out to coffee/ lunch at around 1 week 4 days and was shopping by 2 weeks but honestly I’m only feeling good the last couple of days and I’m still in pain in the evening if I overdo it during the day.
Weirdly at my hospital it would have been more stressful to formula feed – it’s a WHO baby friendly hospital and they take breastfeeding VERY seriously – you should have heard what the midwives said when I told them I was planning on expressing, it was like I’d killed a puppy or something. IMO the breast is best message is way overdone, my sister formula feeds and her baby thrives on it. Good to hear Louise is too
yeah there are a lot of people who are very serious about breastfeeding, i think it’s best as well but it was just too much for me, i’m glad i wasn’t in a hospital that made me feel guilty for not doing it.
I’m amazed at how they promote breastfeeding here so aggressively. Glad you’re doing so well post c-section – I’d probably be still laid up if I had one.
xoxo