FAQ

Alright, this will hopefully be my last post about motherhood. I mean obviously I'll share a funny story or awesomeness if it happens but lets be honest; me having a motherhood blog is like Richard Simmons blogging about how to be manly. So this post is just to answer the questions that I get a lot.

• How's being a new mommy?   I LOVE it. Heston is amazing. He makes it sooo easy to love him.   He's a very chill baby... not sure where he gets that? me and Casey are both so high strung (heavy sarcasm). I'm still BLOWN AWAY by how much time he takes. every one said all they do is sleep, eat, and poop, so I figured I'd have plenty of down time... nope! because he came sleeping through the night and he needed 7 feedings a day (we just changed to 6 yesterday) I've been having to feed him every 2-2 1/2 hours... which sounds like a lot but it's totally not!

• How's breast feeding? you'd be surprised how often I get this question. The answer is I'm not breast feeding. I'm pumping. So Heston is getting breast milk but it's from a bottle. The follow up to this is always: WHY? It started because we had to get him out of the NICU. And since he'd already had a binky he had nipple confusion and if he didn't latch on for at least 10 minutes AND keep his blood sugar up they wouldn't let him out. We got frustrated and did a bottle with formula since obviously I wasn't producing much. We continued to give him formula and whatever I pumped until I was producing enough milk to switch completely to that. Now let me say that I'm not sure I would do it differently. Yes, it sucks that I have to feed AND then pump. You're thinking "no wonder you don't have a lot of time" but he's a pretty quick eater and I'm a pretty quick pumper. the reasons I like it; We can track how much he's eating, I've discovered my left breast produces 1/2 of what my right one does, when he has growth spurts we have have more milk ready to go instead of having to feed more frequently, any one can feed him, and the main one is IT'S EASIER TO GET HIM ON A SCHEDULE! I don't have to worry all the time that he's hungry or that he's not getting enough. Yes, I still worry about the nutrition content but all in all it's been great! especially as I'm discovering I'm not creating more milk. I've been trying to build a stock pile but no matter how long I pump for after the milk stops coming I can't seem to increase production. So far I'm still making enough but I feel like he's catching up fast...

• What are you doing about work? I was very worried about quitting my job. I didn't think I could hack it as a stay at home Mom. But, after this time with Heston I think I'll go back for the mandatory 2 weeks and that will be my 2 weeks notice. I can't imagine leaving him... and lets be honest; my job wasn't satisfying. Heston is. 

• How's he sleeping? As I mentioned above, he was pretty much born sleeping through the night. once the doctor told us it was ok to let him go more than 4 hours he's just progressively gotten longer. However, he also hates bedtime. He'll go to sleep, then wake up about a half hour later and cry and won't go back to sleep for at least another half hour. Sometimes he goes in ten minute cycles. It can take up to 2 hours to get him down for the night. But, he's getting better. We're not sure why this is, I think it's the lack of noise. During the day there are dogs barking, running, wrestling, me talking, the tv is pretty much always on and then at night... silence. We've read in order to self soothe he shouldn't go down for the night to a white noise type object because you don't want him relying on that. So that's a slow process but really... I can't complain. My 5 week old slept for 8 hours last night. AWESOME!

• How are YOU doing? They always emphasize the "you" like they pity me. I feel really bad when I tell people that I'm great. I know this sounds like bragging. It's not, I SWEAR! It's just honesty. I feel great! I have the whole time. I was a little sore for 24 hours after he was born but I was walking all over the hospital the next day. I had a bit of a bleeding issue 5 days after his birth  but after that I've been great! He's sleeping so good that I think it's safe to say even the first week he was home I got more sleep than I did when I was at Snow! Also, I thought mentally I would be going crazy. I'm not. Casey said the other day "you know everyone said our world would change completely. Well, I don't think it has at all!" my response to him was "yeah, for YOU!" Casey still goes to work, comes home, goes to dinner with his work buddies occasionally. Me on the other hand, my life is VERY different. I can't tell you the last time it was over a month since I had a girls night, went to a movie, or could count on one hand how many times I've worn jeans in the last month (basketball shorts. every day. LOVE.) 

Well I think that about covers it... and since the chair I was sitting on just broke I suppose I'll wrap this up! (and maybe take that as a sign that I should do another round with my elliptical...) Sorry this post is long and boring!