It (slowly) Gets Better

My last post was true, raw, and a bit disheartening to any expectant first-time mothers. Although I definitely don’t apologize for sharing my first week story, I am happy to share a somewhat different story from week two. It was better.

Home together all week, we had plenty of Mommy and Me time

First of all, my own health immediately improved after beginning the antibiotics for mastitis, my nipples healed, and after several exhausting days, Briggs finally learned to latch! Breastfeeding is one of those topics that I previously thought little about, other than, “well of course I will breastfeed my baby!” After all, my sister makes it look so easy, and the literature is ripe with the benefits, basically suggesting that new moms who have difficulty breastfeeding should never stop trying. What the literature largely lacks is the honest truth about the tedious, painful, and exhausting road some babies and mothers embark upon in order to reach the glorious “pleasant and enjoyable experience” of breastfeeding.

Ugh. It was NOT pleasant or enjoyable for me, even in week two. Especially when I contemplate that I spend AT LEAST 8 hours a day with Briggs at my breast, it makes sense that the amount of time people pour into full-time jobs was basically the amount of time I spent demoralized about our latching issues. Now shortly into week three, I am thrilled to say that we are getting the hang of it. So I say kudos to the breastfeeding experts who acknowledge that what may be natural is certainly not easy, or necessarily enjoyable. It’s hard work, perhaps harder work than I’ve encountered in quite awhile.

But on to the positive. My mother (who, by the way, helped out immensely my first week at home and is the reason AJ & I stayed sane) said my last post lacked anything positive, so here goes… Here are a few things that made week two better than week one:

1.       I could move around with less thought regarding stitches, pain, etc.

2.       I took a few walks that did not end with me out of breath after 5 minutes.

3.       I was able to discontinue my pain meds.

4.       I received more sleep (not enough sleep, simply more) than week one.

5.       I established a routine of sorts for when, where, and how to care for myself.

6.       I lost a considerable amount of weight- always a plus!

7.       My appetite improved, although so did my intake of junk food. Oops!

8.       I had more energy to put toward celebrating the beauty of Briggs’ creation with my husband.

9.       AJ & I went on our first date away from Briggs (Although I admit it felt weird).

I 0.    I spent a considerable amount of time staring into the eyes of the baby God gave us.

Week two was better.

And week three is off to an excellent start. Here’s to living into the words that many mothers have shared with me- it gets (slowly) better.