Three weeks into my postpartum experience with baby # 2 and I feel amazing. Seriously. My body has bounced by so quickly (extremely thankful) and my energy is at an all time high. I've lost almost 29 pounds since delivering Miss Olivia and it feels like the pounds are shedding without me noticing. I haven't done any type of work out regiment nor have I gone on very many walks. The bulk of my time has been spent at home adjusting to my new normal as a family of four. My bleeding has gone away and come back in this past week, but the amount of blood is miniscule. I haven't had to use heavy duty pads for a couple weeks now... the hardest part now is honestly leaking. Ava has been the source of a lot of laughter in this house the past few weeks and thus... I have been leaking quite a bit. I'm really hoping continuing to do my kegels helps gets things back to normal really soon.

On an emotional note, I am doing far better than I expected at this point. I didn't experience any baby blues, I have been coping with the news of my mom's new life expectancy so much better than I ever imagined, and each day I find a new reason to smile. I stopped taking my placenta pills as I'm pretty sure they were the source of my hormones surging like crazy for a few days. It's true what I've read. A lot of women either have no effects from their placenta pills, some women have a crazy hormonal surge, and other women can't rave enough about them. I plan on sticking with my tincture when it's ready because it's just a few drops in a beverage. I might pick up the placenta pills again in the coming weeks, I just know I don't need them right now. 

As far as life with two kids, I'm pretty impressed with how quickly I've picked up on everything. The first week I was definitely overwhelmed and a bit nervous. Ava has always been the attention gal in this home and having to give her less of that made me feel terrible. We've since gotten over that issue because Ava loves having all eyes on her sister and she helps me out with anything I ask. Her tantrums are back to her normal two year old tantrums (thank you sweet baby Jesus) and I am so thankful our strange adjustment period seems to be over.... I have become a multi-tasking ninja and somehow still find time to spend with Justin and take time to spend alone for myself.

I haven't lost any sleep either (impressed to the max). I'm averaging about 6-7 hours of sleep each night and while they may not be consecutive, I never wake up tired. Olivia is a great sleeper and I am in total sync to her schedule. My postpartum appointment is just in a few weeks and I can't wait to see how my postpartum experience is in the weeks to come! 

♥- Leilani

Two Weeks Postpartum

I can't believe it's already been two weeks since I gave birth to Olivia. It doesn't seem possible that my sweet bean is already two weeks old. Things with my recovery have continued to be excellent, physically. I have actually been "coloring" with the mister since giving birth (I know, I know.. six weeks means six weeks) which was entirely unexpected. At this point after I had given birth to Ava, we were in the same scenario.. but being that Justin was deployed for 9 months... that was sort of to be expected considering how well my recovery went. I feel "healed" in my most sensitive areas and I can do everything I did prior to pregnancy, except carry Ava. I was instructed not to pick my 2.5 year old up, and for good reason.

30 lbs of toddler still makes me feel a bit winded, although I am not terribly concerned about hemorrhaging. When I imagined that most of my postpartum worries would be on an emotional level.. I couldn't have nailed that any much more accurately. This past week my mother was given a final window of life. Her team of doctors at UW have given her a MAX life expectancy of 90 days.. and that's putting it optimistically. I thought hearing the news would cause me to plummet entirely, but thankfully, I haven't. I'm pretty numb to the situation and I've kept my deep feelings at bay. I am still on cloud 9 due to the arrival of my second babe, and that has helped so tremendously. While I know I am no longer pregnant, I am breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is also a huge transfer of emotions between a mama bear and her baby.

I would never, ever give my sweet newborn even the slightest hint of worry when we are bonding. That's what keeps me sane. I can honestly say that my girls are without a doubt my saving grace through this entire experience. I'm not sure if I'll break down in a day, a week, a month, or a year... but I do know it will happen. Right now I'm trying to focus on finding a new normal as a family of four, making arrangements for my mother with her passing, and trying to bond with my family as we navigate through the inevitable at this point.

I've been taking prenatals, my placenta pills, and I'm anxiously awaiting my tincture. I'm hoping that all of these methods as well as talking and seeking support all around me helps with my postpartum healing. Speaking of, as of my two week mark the only constant use item I have is menstrual pads. My bleeding has definitely lasted longer this time around, but it has been light. I've had days with no bleeding, but then it returns the next day. Aside from pads, I haven't used any other type of postpartum item. I stopped using the perri bottle after week one, and have yet to use any other item as I am not hurting or in any pain.

I do see myself using the following items in the future (as I am taking an iron supplement soon in addition to prenatals)

Things I Will Use

• Colace
• Miralax
• Preparation H

If you are a mama, you know exactly why those three items are essential to my future.

♥- Leilani

Postpartum Care

A lot of the questions I've been asked about my labor and delivery experience have also included a ton of questions about my postpartum status. I mentioned in my previous post that I had no tears, abrasions, or cuts from delivering my sweet Livy bean, and that factor in and of itself is truly a blessing. I didn't have any type of tears with Ava bug either, so I'm extremely glad the physical aspect of delivery between both girls will be fairly the same. I haven't really experienced inflammation either, but I did prep myself for all types of care that I could potentially utilize after delivery. Here is a list of things I have used consistently, and some of the things I haven't used at all.

Constant Use

• Perri bottle
• cold pack pads (only during the first night at the hospital)
• large maxi pads + mama cloth postpartum pads
• placenta pills 

Things I Haven't Used At All

• arnica
• medi honey 
• witch hazel
• colace 
• earth mama angel baby bum balm

I also thought I'd be using my earth mama angel baby nipple cream a lot more as well.. I have only used it once. I haven't experienced painful nipples, engorgement, or any other breastfeeding discomforts this time around. The only pain I truly felt after delivery was in my tailbone, but I've been told this is due to the metal rod in hospital beds... and the slight pain when using the bathroom. Other than that, I've felt pretty amazing. My uterine contracting back down to size didn't bother me at all and I think that's why I didn't use arnica at all. Olivia is such a great eater, and nursing truly is the best way to get that uterus back down to size faster (at least for me). I'm only eight days postpartum and I am starting to feel more like myself each day. 

I was concerned about my mental health after delivery as well, but I'm pleased to report I don't have the case of the blues, I'm stuck on cloud 9 at the moment. I'm not sure if the placenta pills are working exceptionally well, or it's just my demeanor after having a new babe... either way, I can't complain. I did have one instance where I tried to pick Ava up (big mistake), but other than that there  haven't been any hiccups in my postpartum road to recovery. 

I never really track my weight on a scale, but for amusement, I did hop on one a few days ago. I am 27 pounds down from what I was at delivery. It's insane to me how much weight is added to our bodies when growing a baby. My diet has been fairly bland (don't want to irritate Olivia's new digestive system), and I've been chugging fluids like you wouldn't believe. My snacks consist of yogurt, fruits, and a lot of noodles. 

Justin has been completely amazing with assisting with my needs and the needs of our girls and I know he's a big reason why I am doing so well. He's been cleaning the house, taking care of Ava bug pretty much all the time, and allowing me to rest as often as I need to. The support I'm receiving from my other half during this time has definitely been needed and oh so appreciated. 

I definitely plan on updating you guys on how things are PP at the two week mark and again at the six week mark when I have my PP appointment. Hopefully things continue to be smooth sailing.

♥- Leilani

Mama Cloth

With this being our second baby girl, I have noticed that there are some differences in my preferences as I prepare for labor/delivery. One of those differences includes reusable "mom cloth" pads for menstrual, postpartum, or just panty liner care. My initial thought when I looked at mama cloth a few years ago was: Why on earth would I want to reuse something that I'm bleeding on? Having cloth diapered for over two years, my thoughts on mama cloth have changed tremendously. It really is a smart investment on my end, and the best part? Being able to wash, and not waste a ton of cash on disposable pads. I researched for probably six weeks of this pregnancy with Olivia, I watched youtube videos, read blogs, etc. I have found a brand that is highly rated, super affordable, and that I'm extremely excited to test out. I purchased pads specifically for postpartum, so when they arrive, I'll make sure to blog about the overall quality, feel, etc.

Postpartum care isn't really something I spent a whole lot of time focusing on while I was pregnant with Ava. Thankfully, I had a swift and extremely easy recovery, so I didn't have to do too much anyhow. Now that I'm more informed/educated on postpartum, I've been through it, and I know what to kind of expect, I want to be a lot more prepared this time around. Looking back on my last experience, after delivering Ava,  I had zero tears, I didn't require stitches, or anything other than ice packs to help with swelling. I do believe I used witch hazel moistened pads for like a week, and I used the peri bottle for almost two whole weeks. Other than that, earth mama angel baby nipple cream was really the only thing I used consistently. I didn't even have a full 4 days of postpartum bleeding after delivering.

Because I don't know what type of postpartum experience I'll have with Olivia, I want to put together a postpartum kit for myself. I'm going to include the mama cloth, I'm also going to make "padsicles" which is essentially spraying down a pad with witch hazel, then storing it in the freezer until needed. This eliminates the need for huge ice packs, and I'm sure it'll provide relief a lot quicker. I also want to check out Arnica Montana which is a homeopathic pain reliever for those cramps you feel when your uterus is shrinking back down to size. I did make the decision to birth in a hospital, per the request of my husband. We did look into birth centers, home births, and ultimately, the thought of me having to be transferred via ambulance to the hospital pending complication... it scared him tremendously. I respect the way he feels, and I'm okay with being at a hospital. This will be Justin's first time being in a room with me while I deliver, and I'd like to have my partner be confident, supportive, and have minimal fears while he's alongside me. I do think pending all goes well with Olivia's delivery that once we start making plans for baby # 3, we can discuss other birthing options.

We literally have less than 90 days until our little girl is due to arrive, and I still feel like there is so much we have to cover. I have postponed writing up my birth plan (just so Justin can be included), I haven't submitted any pre-admission paperwork to the hospital, and I haven't gone through our "baby # 2 checklist" (although I'm sure that we have about 98% completed). In the back of my mind I'm also thinking that we'd be better off packing up hospital bags and installing the car seat sooner than later. Granted, we still have about 12 weeks or so until my due date, but with traveling around the holidays.. I really just want to be able to relax when we come home. That being said, when did you pack your hospital bags? If you are a first time mama, or pregnant with another sweet babe, give me some feedback! Did you make a postpartum plan? If not the first time around, did you make one with another pregnancy? I'd love to hear from all of my mama readers! Leave me a comment below, on facebook, or by email.

♥- Leilani

Check Up Time !

Ava had her two week check up today. She weighs 6.5 lbs and she's a healthy sprout! The nurse called Ava's name to come back, and the first thing she did (after weighing) was take measurements of her. Her length, head measurements, etc. They were all relatively the same as birth. The second thing the nurse did was check her vitals for a full minute. Ava was so fussy because we had to undress her for all of this to occur. Daddy tried to console his little girl.

The PEDS doctor came in at this point. She asked Justin and I how we were doing. (that was a nice change from the usual care I've experienced at this Army hospital) She then had me fill out the Edinburgh test for postpartum depression. My score was a 4. Relatively low. The doctor checked Ava's hip joints, her jaundice records, and overall physical appearance. Everything looked great. She did notice that Ava has this strip of white on her tongue, she explained to us that It's called thrush. Apparently It's very common in babies. It's yeast. Their little immune systems aren't that strong, to fight off yeast in the air, home, etc. but it's easily treated and the PEDS doctor prescribed a medication for it. The doctor also prescribed vitamin D to be administered through a syringe for Ava. She told us breastfeed babies sometimes don't get the same amount of vitamin D as formula fed babies. After we were all finished with the physical part of the check up she tried to discuss Ava's metabolics with us...Unfortunately they haven't made their way back to the hospital yet. The newborn testing was suppose to arrive back to the PEDS department two weeks after birth, but the doctor said it's been taking closer to three weeks. That was frustrating for me! At the end of the appointment she explained that she wanted to check Ava's hemoglobin level to make sure she wasn't anemic and that everything else with Ava was perfect. We are due to have Ava's next appointment when she is two months old. Then vaccinations will come into play. An overdue conversation that Justin and I will have to have AGAIN.

** ON A CLOTH DIAPERING NOTE**

We used Ava's bumgenius AIO and her FuzziBunz XS pocket diaper! she fits into both of these now and they work great ! Love the absorbency, the soft materials, and the ease it presents for diapering needs.