Wednesday, March 11, 2009

different is different

39 weeks, final belly shot

41 weeks

rings still don't fit


post-delivery, everything about my body is different. my fingers are still so swollen that i can't even get my rings past the second knuckle. matthew's wedding band, however, fits. i've heard that sometimes your ring and shoe size never goes back. i hope the swelling goes down soon, i haven't worn my rings in over two months. i might give my mom back her diamond (top ring) and have my original wedding set re-sized if they still don't fit come summertime.

i lost about 10 lbs immediately following leon's birth, which means i have about 8 lbs and 3 inches off my waist to go. even though i can fit into my clothing (more or less), my belly is soft. right now the extra skin and fat is welcome because i can rest leon on it while nursing. all those boppy pillows stress me out more than they help with positioning. plus, he's into snacking, so my arms aren't killing me--yet. i am counting down the days until i can jog again, but even with my mom's cooking, breastfeeding seems to be burning the calories. and oh yes, proper posture is essential. my back is killing me. having never needed to wear a bra before, i feel like i've embarked on a strange new relationship with my body. that and the need to feed leon at least every 3 hours or else i have to pump just to get some relief. hopefully my milk supply and leon's feeding schedule will eventually reach a happy medium.

i sleep 2-3 hours at a time, but after the first two nights, i don't mind so much. it's amazing how quickly i've adapted to nighttime nursing. leon doesn't cry too often, although yesterday he whined all day long because he was tired and cranky from the previous day's activities (pediatrician and postpartum support group). i've learned my lesson. leon is staying home and napping until he's a little bit older. yesterday was super hard. i thought i could start working on my dissertation again this week, but dealing with a cranky inconsolable newborn set me straight. he's usually very alert and accommodating, but yesterday he discovered the power of crying and fussing. i don't think i left his side for more than 20 minutes.

we're still fond of him, even at his crankiest.

9 comments:

melissa said...

you look so great! i am carrying pretty small, too, so i hope i won't have too much to lose either. how much did you gain overall?
i'm glad things are going well for your little family!

erica said...

i gained 18-19 lbs. i think i'm carrying a bit of fluids, still. it shouldn't be too hard to lose the rest once i start going outside again.

it seems all i wore were stripes, too!

Meagan said...

I had a son in August and it took about 3 weeks postpartum for the extra fluids/swelling to disappear. Just keep up the nursing and you will be back to your old self & shape in no time.

evencleveland said...

I'm sorry yesterday was a rough day ... hopefully it's sunny there today, in all things, weather and temperment :)

Margaret said...

your baby is ultra adorable!
at the beginning, breastfeeding is literally a fulltime job, so don't expect too much of yourself outside of that.
you are super lucky to be back to your old shape so fast...i gained a lot more & it's slow but steady.
but i really wanted to post that it took me about 8 months to be able to wear my wedding rings again! be patient if necessary.
and enjoy the baby!

Catherine said...

Sounds like you're navigating this mothercraft caper wonderfully! Well done, both of you.

As for feeling as if you're coping with lack of sleep, did you know that mothers who nurse produce hormones that enable them to get into a deeper sleep much more quickly than those who don't? That might explain why Brendan wakes up declaring he is dog-tired (broken sleep), even though it is I who has gotten up throughout the night.

Catherine said...

Oh and as for the swelling, Audrey was a month old yesterday and I would say all swelling went within three weeks too. I did wonder up until then though!

The Spicers said...

He's adorable, and you look great!
I gained 18 lbs with my second child and didn't have any trouble losing it after. You won't either once the swelling goes down. Thankfully my feet didn't get any bigger than their original size 10 and my rings all fit again.

erica said...

i am hoping to start doing core exercises soon, and light jogging once my mom lets me leave the house. i don't feel i've lost any more weight since the initial drop, thanks to the 3000+ calories my mom is feeding me. 'eating for two,' um maybe, but my midwife recommended only 300-500 extra calories, not 1000+!

the swelling is starting to improve, which is great, but i am itching to get out of the house!