1st week as new parents...

We checked out of the hospital after we got our 24 hour clearance. We didn't want to sleep in the hospital another night and were super excited to bring Lainey home to meet Colbie! However, from the picture below, she wasn't happy about the car seat, but once we started moving she was sound asleep :)

Our first night home was the hardest. Lainey hated her diaper changed and didn't like any ounce of her skin exposed to air, she screamed bloody murder...being in the womb for so long, babies have a rough time adjusting to the outside temperature. And she didn't want to be put down to sleep in her bassinet. I was exhausted, and needed sleep badly...I took the first shift, and Kevin the second. He took her out to the living room and got her to sleep in her swing around 3am, while he slept on the couch. We finally got about 3 hours of shut eye.

Thursday (4/25) we were zombies! We went in to see the pediatrician, since we left the hospital so quick (24 hours) they wanted us to follow-up to check her weight and check her risk of jaundice. Her weight was now 5lbs 8oz (typical loss of 5% birth weight) and her jaundice level came back real low, so there was no concern. I hated watching her get her little foot pricked. Her thyroid level came back good too!

Lainey did well latching on to breastfeed right from the start in the hospital, however, as days went on, as she would drink, she'd stop & start, fall asleep or startle herself, and wouldn't re-open wide enough to latch back on correctly, she just wanted to keep sucking, which hurt very badly! By Friday (day 4) my milk came in and by Saturday I was extremely engorged. Holy cow engorgement is painful!! As Kevin would say, I went from a "B" to a "D" over night. It feels like rocks inside! It hurt so bad I was sick to my stomach! Kevin went to Target and got me a cheap manual pump (since an electronic pump isn't covered under our insurance until June 1). The manual pump worked very well actually. Took me only about 8 minutes to drain out both sides...a workout for my forearms :)

Lainey took my breast milk in a bottle right away - Avent bottles. Since then, I have been strictly pumping and bottle feeding. This has helped me get through engorgement, and easier for us to switch off feedings, and during the days, we have been having so many visitors, its been nice that I don't have to step away to nurse. It has also allowed me to heal. I knew these first couple of days as a new mom were going to be hard taking care of a newborn baby... sleepless nights, crying,  pooping, peeing, soothing, bathing, feeding...but I didn't realize how much healing I have to do for myself as well. I am not use to using my abs again yet, and sitting on my tailbone hurts, my "birthing area" is still healing. So needless to say, its hard to move about, but each day gets better and better. Warm baths are awesome - if you can find time! Kevin goes back to work tomorrow...