Weight gain in pregnancy

I'm writing this to tell those mothers that seem to gain a lot of weight while pregnant no matter what they do to just ignore those who tell you otherwise. 

When I was pregnant with Litte E I worked out for an hour 5 days a week (I even ran until 17 weeks when it started to hurt). I ate well and I even cut things out of my diet. I gained 40lbs by the time I had him at 36 weeks. 

With Squirt I gained 46lbs even though I was active and I watched what I ate. 

Is it frustrating? Yes, especially since I'm used to always being in shape. I run, bike ride, etc when not pregnant. Even Little E loves going running or bike riding with me because I did so often with him (when he was old enough). 

I did, however, end up back into my size 4 jeans again after a few months of Little E being born, so I know I can lose the weight again. 

What gets to me are the ones that make it seem like if you exercise and eat right you shouldn't gain much weight. I'm here to say that that's not always the case. Everyone's body reacts differently to pregnancy and birth. Heck, I would have loved to have had a 30 minute birth like some people, but I'm not lucky like that. 

If you're one that's eating right and exercising when you can (when you don't feel sick or tired) then you are doing what you have to. You can get back into your prepregnancy jeans again. You can lose the weight. 

Quit stressing yourself out about something you only have so much control about. Enjoy your pregnancy, soon you'll have a newborn and will be tired but enjoying life. 

Jalee

Hospital bag: what I did/didn't use

Weeks before Squirt was born I had packed a hospital and diaper bags if you remember this post. I packed based on what I had found on other sites as well as what I remembered from the first time. Now I'm going to show what I didn't use that I packed and what I had wish I used.

The list from the hospital bag:

1. Always infinity heavy pads

2. Nursing cover

3. 4 sets of disposable breast pads

4. Lanolin

5. 2 sets reusable breast pads

6. Flip flops

7. Wallet and cash (for vending machine)

8. Small pouch with hair ties, bobby pins, 2 sizes of headbands, hair clip, chapstick, and lotion

9. Toothbrush and toothpaste

10. Hairbrush

11.Q-tips

12. Vaseline (for dry lips and skin if the lotion or chapstick isn't working)

13. Deodorant

14. Ponds face lotion

15. Heading home clothes (t-shirt and pants with a small stretchy band for early pregnancy)

16. PJs for hospital stay

17. Postpartum wrap

18. Underwear (that I can throw out)

19. 1 nursing tank and 1 regular tank (cheaper and I can turn it into a nursing tank)

20. Socks

21. Nursing bras

22. Slippers

23. Gum

24. Shower supplies (face wash, body wash, shampoo/conditioner, travel body puff)

25. Night time nursing bras

 

What I didn't use:

1. Pads: I ended up using the ones in the hospital (I asked for smaller size than the diaper kind). I did use 1 of my own pads for going home since it was a 30+ minute ride. So maybe pack 1 or 2 of your own.

2. Nursing cover: too awkward to add into trying to learn to breastfeed plus you can just ask people to leave. And I didn't care. I also wore a nursing tank under my shirt so not much was showing.

3. Disposable breast pads: I didn't leak at all in the hospital and I don't now (I use reuseable ones when I use lanolin now because it'll stain your clothes otherwise). If anything bring a set of washable ones in case.

8. Hair clip, chapstick, and lotion: I didn't need them this time. I did need the chapstick and lotion in the first hospital though, so you may need it.

11. Q-tips: I don't even know why I bothered with these

12. Vaseline: again, useless (though I could have used it during my first birth)

15. Pants: thankfully I thought to pack some maternity yoga pants the day of, because I didn't even feel like trying to put on pants, I just wanted to be comfy

17. Postpartum wrap: I honestly don't even use it now. I've worn it maybe 5 days.

18. Underwear: again, something I didn't even put on until I went home. You can just pack 1 or just forego it all together and use the mesh to head home in.

20. Socks: The day I went to the hospital I went in flip flops so I didn't even have sneakers to wear socks with

23. Gum: I didn't even bother with it.

 

So out of 25 items I brought I used only 14 of those items while in the hospital. Though there are a couple that I used when heading home, but they weren't desperately needed to go home in.

 

Out of the diaper bag I had packed:

 

1. Stroller straps and shoulder strap (they came with the diaper bag)

2. Binkies (AKA Pacifiers)

3. Pacifier strap

4. Hand sanitizer

5. Travel baby wipes

6. 2 size 1 diapers

7. 2 newborn size diapers

8. Cloth wipes (for covering boy parts during diaper changes)

9. Changing pad

10. Heavy blanket

11. Light blanket

12. 2 receiving blankets (for spit-up or whatever happens)

13. Muslin swaddle blanket

14. Wet bag (usually for cloth diapering but since we're not doing that as of yet this time I use them for dirty clothes)

15. 2 bibs (Little E constantly spit-up and I'd forever be changing him if he didn't wear a bib)

16. Winter hat

17. Gloves

18. 2 pair socks

19. 0-3 month sleeper

20. 0-3 month outfit

21. 0-3 month romper

22. Newborn sleeper

23. Newborn outfit with coat.

 

And since it'll be easier, what I did end up using:

 

12. Receiving blankets: used to cover him in his car seat

21. 0-3 month romper: he could fit NB size but wasn't too awkward in 0-3 month. We used the romper to bring him home in since it was hot outside and it was easy to dress him in. 

23. NB outfit: We didn't use the coat but we used the outfit to dress him in for pictures at the hospital.

You'll steal the diapers and wipes from the hospital anyway so you'll have some for the ride home. If anything a second outfit just in case.

As you can tell I could have fit everything in 1 bag and saved having an extra to carry down.

 

What I wish I had brought, however, was something else to wear in the hospital. I had cheap PJs from walmart and they weren't too comfortable. Something to sit on, Big E ended up bringing a boppy from home when he ran there so that I had something to sit on. Hospital beds aren't the greatest, even though mine had an inflatable pillow built in. Add someone that just took a beating on the end you sit on and it's not comfortable at all. I was in so much pain I was hunched over. The first night home was pure bliss compared to that. Bath towel the ones at the hospital were like a hand towel that it didn't do much.

 

 That's pretty much it for what I wished I had brought to the hospital. I'm not a very picky person and I deal very well with little, so if you like comforts than your list may be different than mine. This is just the bare minimum it seems like to me.

Jalee

2 week postpartum update

Week 2 has been fun to say the least.

Squirt had his 2 week checkup and is doing well. He wasn't up to his birth weight (8lb 11oz) but was close at 8lbs 10oz. He also grew 1/4" up to 21.5" long. I'm excited for my growing baby.

His sleeping is getting somewhat better. He's spent a few nights sleeping well (waking up every 3-4 hours, which is a nice change from Little E since he woke up every 2 hours until about week 6). He does have his moments where he wants to constantly eat for hours at night. I have a feeling I'm not producing much milk at night, I may have to start waking up at night and pump to get my supply to increase. He doesn't have this problem during the day with eating.

He's also been more awake. He still sleeps a lot, but he's spending more time awake and aware of his surroundings. I also swear that he smiles sometimes, but I doubt it since that takes till about 6 weeks usually.

Little E just celebrated his 3rd birthday.I can't believe it's been 3 years since the day he was born. He's getting so big. We built him a sand box (found plans on pinterest but we braced it better than them so it won't fall apart) and he loves it

Little E's sandbox

He also has a little stuffed pony doll that he has become attached to. He carries it everywhere and talks to it. When it comes to Squirt he's been great with him. I'm very proud, especially because I get worried that he's going to get jealous since I spend so much time feeding Squirt.

Big E didn't get the dream job he was trying for. He supposedly had it (a family friend works there and checked up on it) and then he didn't. The only guess is that someone higher up had a friend going for the job that didn't make it at first so the person wanted their friend there and it kicked him out of his slot. That just means it wasn't meant to be. So tomorrow he has an interview with the railroad and supposedly a security job is going to contact him. We're hoping something comes along. Especially one I'm applying for with the school here since I qualify. Which would be great since it doesn't start until August.

On my front I'm doing well. My pain has gone away. Breastfeeding is getting easier, but I don't think I'm producing enough at night. I've been pumping and am down to needing 284.5oz to store for the weeks I'm gone in June. I've decided to breastfeed until I go away in June and then I'll reevaluate what I want to do after that, whether that's switch to formula or continue breastfeeding or pumping. I'll have to see how the course is and if I can keep up pumping there so my supply doesn't tank.

My weight has been going down. In my picture from last week and this week I look less round but I still have work to do on weight loss.

1wk pp/ 2wk pp

It's a little depressing seeing my body like this since I'm used to being in shape, but I've lost the weight before. And when I look at my 2 week postpartum picture from Little E and the one from Squirt I'm doing better this time.

2wks pp Little E / 2wks PP Squirt

Exercise I haven't done much. Was planning to start a very easy jog/walk exercise this week (jog 30 sec and walk 2-5 min for 30 min) but the weather or just the timing hasn't been great. Will maybe try to start it on Monday.

Current weight: 177.5 (total loss: 18.5lbs)
To go: 27.5lbs

Jalee

One week postpartum update

Even though 1 week postpartum was Thursday and I'm late on this I still want to update. I really wish I had measured my waist before I had Squirt and after, but I don't have a measuring tape to do so. Or I did have one at some point but it's disappeared.

Postpartum this time around has been a little more difficult, though I think the birth was easier. I ended up with an episiotomy, which didn't seem to bother me much after. The worst was the cramps after. I still had some cramping a couple days ago that would be horrible at night to the point I needed to take 600-800mg of Motrin to deal with. Which is really weird for me because I have a pretty high pain tolerance. But since I wasn't running a fever I didn't call the doctor or go to the ER.

Breastfeeding has been going ok. He hasn't figured out how to latch on still so I'm having to use a nipple shield, which makes having to feed him in public a little more annoying but not impossible. I hope he eventually gets the hang of it. I did begin pumping to try to get a storage before having to leave for 2 weeks in June. I figured I'm going to need about 336oz of milk, and so far I'm at 18.5oz with pumping twice a day. I'm hoping to start getting more at once.

Body-wise I feel like I'm shrinking a lot faster than I did the first time. But I'm still pretty big.

38 weeks pregnant

I know some of it is the weight gain (I gained 46lbs all together, even with feeling sick and watching what I ate).

17 hours postpartum

I'm down to 180.9lbs after a week. Which is kind of a bummer since I was up to 196lbs when I went into the hospital.

1 week postpartum

I need to get down to 150lbs to be where I was at pre-pregnancy. Which means diet and exercise again, I don't think I'm going to be one of those lucky people that loses the weight just breastfeeding.

Tomorrow I'm going to start tracking what I eat. I'd start today but I'm sure the candy I ate already ruined that. Tonight I'm going to start some very easy leg exercises and exercises to help my diastasis recti. Though I don't think my muscle separation is severe since it's only 2 finger widths apart, which is normal enough to start doing ab exercises. I just don't want to push it and end up hurting myself. I just need to start off very easy right now, though I'm dying to go running.

So to keep track of my weight loss and exercise in the coming months.

Current weight: 180.9 (down about 16lbs)
Exercise: Light on legs and abdominals.

Jalee

P.S.
Happy Easter!

Welcome to the world Squirt

Squirt made his appearance into the world April 10, 2014. He was 21.25 inches long and 8lbs 11oz.

He's such a good baby so far, except for the up-all-nighters constantly feeding. But I don't mind. Though we had to supplement with formula 4 times already due to the pain on my side.

Breastfeeding is going okay. Squirt didn't figure out latching so I'm having to use a nipple shield at the moment. We will get it one day however.

Little E is already interested in Squirt and hasn't shown jealousy... Yet. I do get a little sad because due to feeding Squirt and having just had a baby I feel like Little E gets ignored sometimes by me. Just like last night I went to put Little E to bed because I didn't spend much time with him one-on-one yesterday, but in the middle of reading him a very short book Squirt wanted to eat. Other nights I didn't even get to tell him goodnight, I just had to go in a kiss him goodnight while he was already asleep.

But Little E is doing so well. I can't wait to get over this bump and be able to spend more time alone with him. Even if it's just spending time while Squirt sleeps and not spending time trying to clean or feed a baby instead.

For now Little E and Big E went out and I'm going to get the laundry folded, use the bathroom, and clean up the living room a little before Squirt wakes up again. Next time I'll try to update on my weight gain during pregnancy and loss after. As well as what's going on on my side of childbirth.

Jalee

39 week update

Well, here it is. 39 weeks and I'm still pregnant. There was no change at the dr on Tuesday. If by next Tuesday I haven't gone into labor we'll discuss getting an induction. Which, by now I'm fine with. 

There have been a couple of signs of labor, but nothing has come of it. It gets frustrating every day that goes by that I have false labor. I really think that I'll end up over due. 

This is such a different experience than what I had with Little E. Instead of worrying he's going to come early I'm worrying over if every symptom is time for him to come. It's kind if nice. Though the end of pregnancy pains aren't as fun, but I'd rather them than having a premie baby. 

Today Big E is getting surgery so he'll be out of commission for a couple days (it's an out patient procedure). I'm hoping if Squirt does come he waits till tomorrow when my mother-in-law has off and can not only drive us to the hospital but also help with Little E. 

And I'm awake early again. I've been waking up around 4am every day lately and can't sleep again until about 6:30am. So here it is 6am and I'm updating. I'm thinking of jumping in the shower really quick so I don't have to do it later when I'm trying to do everything else. Though sometimes I hate showering. I just hate shaving, sometimes I wish I didn't worry about shaving so much because then showers would be so much faster. 

Jalee

A trip to the hospital

Why do I feel as if every time I make a trip to the Dr. or the hospital it's just a huge waste of time? Probably because it is. 

Last night Big E brought me to the hospital. I had been so nauseous since the day before I have been barely eating or drinking. Then starting from when I woke up yesterday morning I was feeling so dizzy I almost passed out from it. So we went to the hospital to have me checked out after all day of debating whether or not to go. 

In the hospital they just took a pee sample, which if you looked at you could definitely tell I was dehydrated by the color. Then they monitored me and Squirt for an hour. 

It was a wasted trip. All I was told was that I was being released and that dizziness is part of being pregnant. Glad to know that. The nausea I've had almost the entire pregnancy but the dizziness was new and sudden. 

I guess next time I'll just lie down in bed and sleep all day like I wanted to. 

So we left and got some drinks. I probably should have got a water but I couldn't even stomach the idea so I just got a powerade to drink. Then we headed home where I ate some food and came to lie down. After a little while of that and drinking some water my dizziness turned into a horrible headache. So I ended up giving in and taking some Tylenol. 

In the hospital there were absolutely no contractions. I feel as if this pregnancy is going to last forever now, and I don't even feel like he's coming soon. Although I was hoping by today because tomorrow Big E has a job interview 3 hours away so I'll be alone with Little E all day after my appointment. Then Wednesday is the WiC class I was hoping to just send Big E to because I'd have a newborn, but I'll be going to that now myself. And Thursday Big E has a surgery (outpatient so not too bad) so I'll be alone again with Little E that day and I'm sure he won't be up for driving on Friday either. 

It just scares me because the hospital is at least a 45 minute drive away and I'm terrified that I might be driving myself while in pain. I guess I can head that way when it's not horrible and just walk their walking path at the hospital to see where things go. My mother-in-law works a block away from the hospital and she can get off to help with Little E thankfully. 

Otherwise I'm just hoping he either comes today or he holds off till Saturday. 

Jalee

38 week update

Or it would be an update if there was anything to update on. I'm still sitting at 2cm dilated. 

I did have contractions yesterday at 4am but 2 hours later and they were done. 

So now we sit and wait. I went to walmart and got a maxi dress, shirt, and stretchy pants because the maternity pants I have are so uncomfortable. I need something that doesn't fall every 5 seconds. And at least I can wear them after giving birth (plus they're easy to tailor). So I basically have 3 outfits to wear the remainder of my pregnancy. That's enough since we don't go out every day. 

I'm also done with being pregnant. I know Squirt is going to come on his own terms, but I'm so ready. I'm tired of the false labor or having signs like I'll go into labor soon and nothing happening. It's also getting irritating when people ask if I'm having the baby or when he's going to come out. If I had any say I'd go today. Plus I'm not trying castor oil, something that'll make you sick does not sound appealing to me. 

I just want to meet my new little boy already. 

Jalee