Surviving Month 1 of Mommyhood

I wrote this blog post last year after 1 month of being home with my son, Jackson. He is now 9 1/2 months old and I am still surviving!

My handsome little man made his grand entrance into the world on September 27th. The first month has been amazing, tiring, fulfilling beyond belief, frustrating and the best month ever, all at the same time. It was full of so many exciting firsts for our family, as well as many unexpected occurrences. I felt like I could have read every article, book, blog post, and gone to every class, but still… would never have been prepared for what I was about to experience. With that said, there are some things I found super helpful in making my first month as smooth as possible (it was not smooth).

Nipple Shields: Say what?! What a start! So breastfeeding hurts and little ones can tear your shit up! I was offered these in the hospital to help with the pain and ease the baby latching on…. best thing ever. They’re pricey when you consider what they actually are but can be reused. (Update: I stopped breastfeeding at 3 months due to low supply and Jackson wasn’t gaining enough weight. We started supplementing with formula and made the full switch in February. Breastfeeding is not easy for moms or babies, so take it easy when someone says they formula feed – I tried everything under the sun and it didn’t work for me.)
Pads: So, I didn’t know you bleed like forever. No one tells you these things?! When I say forever, I mean close to 6 weeks. I’m amazed I’m still alive. Be sure to pick up some overnight and regular maxi pads before you go to the hospital because when you send your husband they NEVER get the right kind, and that’s after you convince him to buy them for you.
YETI cup: You gotta stay uber hydrated and these cups are amazeballs. They keep your bevs super hot or cold, and you can’t feel the actual temp when you’re holding them. I had mine with me at all times and even by my bedside table. (Update: When you are formula feeding – fill this cup up with boiling water before you go to bed, portion your powder formula in a bottle and take it to bed with you. When that 2 am feeding comes, you just have to pour your now warm water into the bottle and voila! Obviously check to make sure it’s not too hot for the baby – they really hold the temperature for awhile!)
Baby Feeding App: My SIL suggested this one to me and it’s very user-friendly, has an easy format and helps track feedings (breast and bottle), diapers and sleep of your babe. Since you’ll be a zombie, you’ll need to track it somehow. Otherwise, you’ll be sitting there thinking… “When did I feed them last? What time is it right now?!”
Sleep Nursing Bra: I got this at Babies R Us while perusing the aisles one day. The nursing bras I had weren’t comfy around my ribs. This is a nice cotton, easy pull-down design for nursing, just enough support and only $19.99! (Update: I sometimes still put this bra on because it’s that comfy and I’m no longer breastfeeding. I linked one from Amazon that is actually cheaper.)
Younique BB Flawless and Younique Eyebrow Pencil & Maybelline Colossal Mascara: For all the visitors you have in the first few weeks, you don’t want to look like death, I mean people were taking pictures! A few products helped me feel more presentable and were a 2-minute makeup routine. Younique’s BB flawless is a great moisturizer and foundation in one, with just enough coverage. The eyebrow pencil gives me an even and not too dark filler for my patchy brows and the pencil is very skinny, so you can make hair like strokes. Finally, the colossal mascara gives me good length and definition of my pathetic lashes. If you can even out your skin tone, put on some brows and mascara, you’ll look and feel like a new woman!
Freezer Meals: About a month prior to baby’s arrival, the hubs and I prepared 8 freezer meals (with multiple servings of each) for when we just don’t feel like cooking in the first few months. We have an extra refrigerator in the garage, as well as a chest freezer in our basement so storage wasn’t an issue. They have been our saving grace! Many nights we could’ve just been eating Wendy’s or Dominos (as my husband suggested several times), but I just plopped the freezer meal in the crockpot and we were good for a couple nights worth of dinners. Highly suggest spending an afternoon doing this!
Swaddle: I tried to watch the nurses in the hospital and mimicked their every move while swaddling, but I failed miserably. No worries – they have snap and velcro ones that make it so easy to swaddle your little one and keep them snug. The velcro ones by Swaddle Me ended up being my favorite.
Group Chat: If you’re taking maternity leave, whether it’s 6 weeks or a couple months, you’ll need to interact with adults. Even if it is on the phone, you need people to bounce ideas off of and to just talk about what you’re experiencing. Avoid the “Highlight Reel” of Facebook and comparing yourself to others. It is ok to be an emotional mess, think of what your body just went through! It is ok to feel like you have no idea what you’re doing, 99% of other moms (first time or not) also have no idea. It is ok to call the doctor multiple times in one week, that’s what they’re there for! And a group chat with your gal pals will help confirm that and give you a couple laughs to get through the day! If you don’t have some friends to chat with – check out the MeetUp.com app and see if there’s a moms group in your town, that was one of the best things I ever did!
Online Shopping: Amazon and Nordstrom were my online stores of choice while on maternity leave. Oops. I’m not even a big Nordstrom person (I love Lord & Taylor), but I was reading all kinds of blogs and following new moms, who were all sharing stuff from Nordstrom. I may have gotten a few deliveries from them. Then Amazon, it’s just SO easy! One thing that is a good to-do is the Subscribe & Save. Think of things you use for the baby on a regular basis – diapers & wipes. I currently get a box of diapers each month (make sure to update the size as needed), and wipes every other month. There’s nothing worse than realizing you have a handful of diapers left, and having to leave the house with a newborn to get them!

All in all, the first month is rough. You get home from the hospital with this new baby and they sleep and eat a lot. You start to feel like you’re just their food source (esp if breastfeeding). The first two weeks you’re getting all these visitors and you just want to sleep! If visitors bring food, it makes their visits a little better. Just know, people survive the first month all the time. Each day gets better and then each month. You can do it strong mamas!