Postpartum Vlog Week 3 by Sarah Olsen
What week?
End of week three
How big is baby?
12 pounds 8 ounces
What’s something new this week?
Esmé has started smiling!! It’s so cute, I remember when Wyatt started smiling too.. Starts as this little half smile with one eye squinted, where they kind of look like a drunken pirate. I was talking to her while she was on the changing table and she smiled at me. That connection sends shock waves through my body. It’s a beautiful thing.
Most challenging moment?
We think Esmé has reflux. She has a hard time laying down, so we spend most of the day holding her upright in a carrier or in our arms and at night I hold her upright and sleep with her on my chest and belly. Challenging because of how tired I have felt at 3am when I have been feeding her and drifting in and out of sleep sitting up.
I am also loving this cuddle puddle. It’s short, reflux will pass and she will enjoy sleeping on her own, and this time of waking up all sweaty together with our mouths wide open will be a distant memory. The newborn faze goes by so quick it’s hard to even reference it. I could barely remember how I felt being up all night feeding and changing Wyatt.. Now doing it again it’s all coming back to me.
Something you loved this week?
There was a day where I left Esmé at home for an hour with our doula/nanny and took Wyatt to Starbucks for a date. We checked the mail, went to get coffee for me and “a bunny” for Wyatt. He calls those little Peter Rabbit organic pouches with fruit and veggies “bunnies.” Then we swang on the swing set and headed home. He first didn’t want to leave her at home but after thinking about it he said “just us mama.”
Funny side note: I am putting Wyatt in the car thinking about getting home to Esmé and I start feeling water drops on my sandals. I look down and then up and I’m like “what is dripping off my car?” I look back down again and realize my shirt is soaked and so are my feet and what has been dripping is milk from my boobs. I forgot to wear breast pads and just the thought of my baby made my “let down” pour out in full force. Breastfeeding Mom fail. This was not the first time and won’t be the last.
Mama time?
Oh these little naps, boy do I need them. If and when Eric or his mom or Sonya can watch the baby for an hour while I take a quick nap on my tummy I try to do it. It’s amazing how exhausted you get with two and this early on while still recovering it’s essential to try and sleep to keep from getting sick. My goal is to try and take a nap when Wyatt is napping, and if by some miracle I can get them both down at the same time (this has happened) I feel very accomplished.
What am I eating?
What am I not eating is probably a better question. Another beloved recipe from The First Forty Days is the ginger fried rice. It’s so delicious and comforting not to mention the health benefits from eating ginger.
Let’s rewind to day 3.
I came home from the hospital on day 2 and when I woke up day 3 Eric made me the most delicious smoothie from The First Forty Days.
It was the chocolate placenta smoothie. I will tell you when I had Wyatt the green placenta smoothie he made me full of veggies and very little fruit was not so yummy, it was downright gamey. This chocolate one completely masks the taste and made me feel great. I have craved it ever since and have even opened some of my placenta capsules and made the smoothie with them.
For delicious recipes and a beautiful book on self care and nourishing our prenatal and postpartum bodies you can find The First Forty Days here.
My body
Feeling recovered down below at this point. I do feel weaker than usual. I’m ready to start strengthening my arms and legs again. Wyatt has never felt heavy to me, and yet with the last couple months of pregnancy not holding him as much, I feel weak as I pick him up.
I was just introduced to Dr. Lindsey Matthews the Founder of Birthfit and I am thrilled to start her postpartum series program soon! I will keep you all updated with the progress. You can learn more about Birthfit here.
A description of the Postpartum series from the Birthfit website: Now that you’ve brought a baby into the world, it’s time to rehab your body, mind & soul. In this 8-session group training series, you will establish a solid core foundation, wake up your posterior chain, & enhance your posture through safe, effective functional movements that transfer into everyday life tasks. Come prepared to move, sweat, & connect with other new mamas.
Checking in.
Mentally this has been a good week. I am just overflowing with love for the new little one we are weaving into our family.
From the moment I birthed Esmé I have thought about my dad and all the jokes he would have made about her being 11 pounds and how excited he would have been to see her. She looks like me as a baby and she is well on her way to being the chunk I was. It brings tears to my eyes that I can’t FaceTime him when she smiles or record her little noises for him to hear. It’s something I know I will always feel as both of my kids grow, but at the moment with hormones in flux it’s a tender spot I’m trying to embrace and navigate.
Love, Sarah