Postpartum fitness: Getting My Body Back

Seven weeks after my cesarean I had technically "lost" all my baby weight which to me seems pretty remarkable. I can really only credit that to breastfeeding seeing as for the first 5 weeks I did pretty much nothing, so for 35 pounds just to come off I am pumped about that, but on the other hand... my jeans still don't fit right. They do up, but there is a muffin top, so I refuse to wear them until I get toned up and get that back under control. So, this week, which is week 8 postpartum, I am dedicating myself to a two week clean eating "diet" and daily attempts at exercise to see if I can tone up!

I have to admit the hardest part of the first few weeks with a new baby was my body. I had tons of help, so I was sleeping & eating good and my baby was well cared for, but the one thing really out of my control was the look of my stomach, and for some reason it shocked me. Now when I look back and can see the progression and how fast you really do bounce back it amazes me what my body was capable of, so I've decided to share some pictures of the progress from very pregnant, to a very hard stage for me, and where I am now.

I also had decided to get and wear a Bellefit Medical grade C Section recovery corset that I wore from about from weeks 3-6 and I immediately could see my swelling going down and I should still wear it now, but most days I just don't. Maybe I will today...

Fitness: So far I am still keeping it pretty light. I go for a walk with my dog and baby in the stroller at least once during the day, I am trying to get through the entire video of Jillian Micheal's Yoga Meltdown Level one, but I've only made it halfway through every time because of Scotlyn needing me and being too tired to finish once I could, and I downloaded and really love the app 7 minute Work out which I think costs like 2 bucks but its great for mamas with little time to get quick work outs in during the day! Soon I am hoping to have enough energy to be all ready when Kyle gets home from work and start going for jogs because I HAVE to have serious jams to run and I don't want to be blasting music in my ears with just me and the baby home.

My meal plan moving forward includes things like:

Raw veggies. I love going to the farmers market and buying veggies like radishes, celery, and cauliflower, chopping them, and keeping them handy in the fridge for anytime I need a snack, or want to whip up a salad.

Greek yogurt + Pumpkin puree + honey + nuts

Salad dressing: Balsamic Vinegar, Olive Oil, Honey

Fruit Smoothies w/ground flax seed, yogurt, & soy milk

Chocolate Vega shakes + almond milk

Pureed Soups (butternut squash is my favorite)

Quinoa + tuna (I like the little flavored cans)

Broccoli Omelets

No carbs after lunch, lots of water, & minimal cheating haha

Picture Progress (Sorry these are such bad quality, I obviously snapped them with my phone not really planning to post them, but here they are & hopefully they will make other new mamas feel better with their post baby bodies!)

April 18th, 2015 ( Had Scotlyn April 25th)

 May 4, 2015 (9 days after delivery & the hard part on me mentally)

 May 25th, 2015 (Bellefit Corset & super sexy nursing bra)

June 4, 2015 (8 weeks after delivery before dieting & exercise)

Hopefully in a couple weeks I can add a much more toned looking and feeling good picture after some dedication to my fitness!

My Truths of Motherhood: 6 weeks postpartum

I am officially 6 weeks postpartum which feels like such a milestone for me because after my cesarean the general timing was that I would start to feel a lot better by 6 weeks and I do!

Scotlyn has started rolling from tummy to her back in the last week too- she does it at least once a day now which is both cute and scary because I still want to be able to swaddle her, so she sleeps good, but I don't want her flipping over in the night... conundrums. I will have to change from my Ollie wraps to the Zipadee-zips (which most babies don't start using til around 4-6 months, so we'll see how she does in them).

As for Motherhood, I found that during my pregnancy mostly what people talked about was how hard it would be. The sleepless nights, the difficulties of breastfeeding, the changed relationship with your friends and spouse, the resentment of the life you left behind. "Your life will never be the same" was the quote I heard most.

Sure, there have been days when it feels like she won't stop crying and when my husband asked to play golf that night I said No, because hell.. being a stay at home mom with a newborn is a full time job and some days it feels like your working back to back to back overtime shifts. Those are the days when I hold it together all day with patience I never knew I had, but the moment my husband walks in the door tears stream down my cheeks and when he asks what's wrong all I can say is, "I'm just so glad your home" and hand him the baby to take the evening shift of pacing the halls, the only thing that stops her screaming on that particular night.

Yes, it is harder to get ready to do anything and takes triple the time to get out of the house.
Yes, I smell like spit up and have to change my shirt and even sometimes my pants multiple times a day and yes, my hair doesn't get washed very much anymore. I've been projectile vomited on in the mall, the dark circles under my eyes are getting harder and harder to cover, and some days I like her a lot more when she's sleeping.

The truth is, I wouldn't change any of it. I love being a Mom more than I ever thought possible. Breastfeeding came really natural for us and I am so thankful for that. My relationship with my husband is about same, but I can see how other relationships could and will change, some for the better and some not. My husband  is thankfully very willing to help when he gets home from work (he's even started doing laundry!). I also make sure that when I need his help I am not afraid to let him know and I try to make sure intimacy still plays a significant role in our post-baby life which I feel helps us feel connected as a couple and not just as parents.

I also had 21 days of live in help and learned lots of tips from my mom, so maybe that kicked start my journey into motherhood because I never had the first month to get too run down, or frustrated, or too exhausted because she did so much for me and I am so thankful for that.

I am also a 100% believer in the theory "nap when the baby naps". The thought of two children kind of terrifies me right now because if she's up at 2:30 and then again at 5:30... when she goes back down at 7am I am snuggled right next to her either on the floor, or in our bed getting an extra hour. If that doesn't happen I am sure to drift off at some point in the day when she does, or else I know I will be too tired to function. So I give huge credit to the moms of more than one child because a baby and a toddler will be so tough.

Scotlyn is now 6 weeks and I feel like it just keeps getting better. This week has been full of real baby smiles and roll overs that just light up my life and even her cuddles feel more real, like she knows I'm her momma. I am so thankful for her.

New Mom & Baby Must Have & Have Nots

1:Colic Drops // 2. Soothie Wubbanub Soother // 3: Arbonne Diaper Rash Cream (contact your local dealer) // 4: Lady Bug Bath Sponge Cushion // 5: Aden & Anais Pyara Bamboo swaddles // 6: Ollie Swaddle // 7: Baby Elephant Ears


Okay lemme tell ya what I love about all these things.

1: I know there are a ton of colic drops out there and I haven't tried them all, but I have tried these and they work. Sure, they smell like dill and she hates them, but if she's crying non stop half  adose of this stuff, a couple of burps later, and she's quiet and at peace.

2: This is the soother she tried first in the hospital and now its the only one she will take. I hated the look of it at first, but with these cute animals attached who wouldn't love them and as she gets older and even now they make it easier for her to hold.

3: I don't know if she's just not prone to diaper rash, or if this cream rocks, but I never mess with a good thing, so I'm gonna keep using it as long as it keeps working because so far we're one month and zero rashes.

4: This sponge thing rocks. My in laws got us a little plastic tub which makes it so easy to bath her, but like any tub it's hard and cold and her head goes to the bottom so I always had to hold it and then we got this as a gift and it makes all the difference. It is soft, holds her head, and keeps her warm. I love it and it makes bath time so easy and she loves it way more.

5: I got myself some of these swaddles and made the mistake of not getting the bamboo version. Then we got these ones as a gift and oh my gosh they are so so soft and she rarely is far away from one of them. I use them to swaddle her, as nursing covers, as a car seat cover to keep sun or wind off her when we're walking in her stroller, or to the car. Its a must have in my books.

6: I splurged on getting two of these swaddles before she was born and she has not slept one single night without it, so thank goodness we have two in case one gets dirty there is a spare. You can read up on them more, but it keeps her the perfect temperature, has Velcro so its easy to swaddle and stays together, holds her in all night, has an elastic at the bottom, so you don't have to unwrap her for any night time diaper changes and she sleeps great, so it must be working!

7: I use this in her swing the most and also in her stroller. Her head was always dropping to one side and after reading an article about baby's suffocating that way, or getting soft spots on their heads I knew I had to get one. It keeps her neck perfectly aligned and is super cute!


So far, the things I know I don't love are:

Woombie Swaddles.. I find them too tight, too close to her neck, and they zip, so you have to take her out for diaper changes. Wasted my money on these for sure.

Although I do like Pamper diapers and the great stripe invention that changes color, so you know when she is wet I HATE their wipes. They leave this slippery gross coating on her and it makes it impossible to get cream rubbed on good. I hate them.

Onesies that zipper. They are okay for lounging around in during the day, but one way to wake a sleeping baby is to get her cold, so although button ones take longer to put on they are well worth it for night time changes because you can just sneak her legs out, change the diaper, and she stays warm and sleepy!

I think that's about it for my one month favs and least favs as a new momma! Let me know anything I am missing that you are loving!

Scotlyn: One Month update

At one month Scotlyn is 10lbs 11oz and 22inches long! She is in her 85th percentile for height and weight.

She loves tummy time. She can be crying and we will put her on her belly and she calms right down. I have to watch her carefully so that she doesn't fall asleep like that, but usually she's very active when she's awake and she's trying so hard to flip over and makes crawling movements.. this girl will be motoring around in no time! Eventually she gets frustrated that she can move like she wants and gets fussy and we have to help her. Her neck is so so strong and she lifts it really well.

This has been her most fussy week by far and everything The Wonder Week app predicts about this week is so true from wanting to feed more, crying more for no reason, only quiet when she's with us, wanting more physical contact. It makes the days hard, but the blessing is that she sleeps almost right through the night getting up only once around 3:30 to eat and half an hour later we're both back to sleep and waking her up at 7am to change her and feed her again and then she naps again in the morning around 8. She is still in her newborn napper next to our bed and I will leave her next to us, but move her to the bigger bassinet as a transition sleeper before her crib. My plan is to have her in her crib by three months if I can let go because I think I'll really miss her.

She takes a Soothie soother every now and then during the day, but she's not dependent on it and I try not to use it too much. She still eats really well and breastfeeding is going so good! The first week was the toughest and I had developed a blister, but after wearing shields and using nipple cream for two weeks everything went away and now I really love it! It's so easy and such great bonding time and it's helping me shed my baby weight.

I'll do posts later this week on my new mom must haves and on fitness/getting my body back post cesarean!

I did Scotlyn's newborn pictures with the help of my mom. The first set of pictures were done when she was about two weeks old and the tutu pictures are when she's one month and I can already see such a difference in her!