New Year, New Flow

Hello! It's been a minute.

Maggie has officially been with us for two months now and it is a new year, new decade, new life. My sleep deprived brain stays in a fog much of these days, but I've been knocking around a few ideas for my first postpartum blog post (try saying that three times fast).

I hate birth stories. Or I did. They are a tad more palatable with a point of reference, but a strong stomach I have not. Needless to say, I won't be sharing that here. Or anywhere. If you ask for details I can give them, but I'll start gagging a little when I get to the part about the second (yes, second) epidural, so consider yourself forewarned. In short, it was twelve and a half hours full of many surprises and firsts, ending with the most beautiful baby girl I've ever seen and a room full of new besties.

I will share what I wish I had taken to the hospital with me. It's not a huge list, and I won't be sharing one of those fun collages I've seen all over Pinterest, but I would have been a bit more comfortable with these items.

1. Eye drops. Something I'd never thought about and had never been told, but hospital air is quite dry and cool, so even with my glasses (not contacts) my eyes were still terribly dry at all hours of the day and night. (Spoiler alert, you will see all hours of both the day and night.)

2. My own pajamas. Everyone does include those cute hospital gowns with the floral or chevron prints in their Pinterest collages and blog posts--maybe they're even monogrammed, maybe you have a matching one for your new little (or littles)--but I seriously would have loved something not made of paper in that 24th hour. It felt so good to shower and go to the bathroom for the first time alone, only to put on that stupid gown again. Oh, how I wish I'd just had a pair of classic pajamas from Walmart with blouse and shorts. Shorts, because plastic wrapped mattresses are ridiculously hot, FYI.

3. Newborn clothes. This one I hesitate to share and is, admittedly, debatable. My girl hates, hates to be swaddled. Cannot stand it. From day 1. She was fussy and scratching the mess out of her tummy in there and bustin' a move to get free from that blanket jail. The second we got home and put her in her first onesie, she slept four hours straight. Of course I took an outfit for her to come home in, and they were constantly taking both of our vitals so I never even considered dressing her there (nor did I ask if I could or should), but I would ask if your little is not enjoying the swaddle life either.



Once we got home, there have been a few items that have helped me tremendously, which I will also share here. (Again, this is my personal experience as an ignorant, non organic, Amazon prime loving, first time mom. I am no expert, I don't know you or the children in your life, and this might not work at all for others' situations).

This is not a blog worthy photo, per se, but there it is.

1. Plastic tub. We took the one they used to clean the pump between uses in our hospital room and I happened to have a few at home for doing dishes while camping, but the ol' soak and rinse method comes in real handy these days. Toss those used bottles, pacifiers, pump parts, etc. in with a bit of gentle baby wash, rinse, and let dry. We keep a constant cycle going at our kitchen sink and it has proven to be only a quarter of the nightmare I had anticipated.

2. Pacifiers. I know there are many schools of passionate thought out there on this subject, but our girl is a sucker. It was the only thing that brought her comfort in our hospital room and she constantly sucks on her own fists to self soothe now. So, we have tried many different brands, styles, designs, and my personal favorite are the MAM Pacifiers. I didn't research them all or anything, people just gifted us with many and these are the ones that will stay in Maggie's mouth, glow in the dark, and come with a really convenient case, which is a lot easier to find swimming in the diaper bag than a lone pacifier in a crisis.


3. Sound machine. The photographer who did Maggie's newborn photos in the hospital had an app on her phone (of course), which we both immediately downloaded before leaving the room. Once we got home, I ordered this one on Amazon and have been quite pleased. It's small, compact, we hook it to everything, toss it in the diaper bag, and Maggie loves the water and the lullaby. Winner.

4. Carrier. I can't find the exact one we were given, but it most closely resembles this one on Amazon. It's lightweight, secure, easy to use by yourself, and buckles. I love a good scarf as much as the next girl, but there's no way I'm coordinated enough to tie my baby to myself with one and feel good about it. As I sit typing this Maggie is strapped to my front, sleeping soundly. I have also done laundry, checked the mail, washed dishes, had lunch, and taken the dog out--twice. If not for the carrier, these things could not happen.


A few other favorites:

• These onesies (found at Walmart, Target, and Amazon)
• These bibs (total game changers for a babe with reflux)
• These wipes (sounds dumb, maybe, but I love 'em!)
• The best stroller (in our opinion)
• This car mirror (some of them just aren't helpful)
• The DockATot (this is a pricey item, but Maggie hates to be horizontal and she will actually sleep in this gift from family members. Hallelujah!)

I may keep updating this list as we enter new phases, I'm sure there are things I've forgotten. We really don't use much just yet. Life with Maggie takes a lot of energy, but its beauty lies in its simplicity and its brevity.

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and have a joyful and prosperous 2020!

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Best,

Emily