Mood Boost: What Kim Kardashian & I are popping to beat the baby blues.

There aren’t too many things Kim K and I have in common, but I just learned that the new mom and I are both popping a pretty odd pill to avoid the baby blues.

I didn’t realize I was “on trend” when I decided to save and encapsulate my placenta this go around. Yes, as crazy as it sounds, but Kimmy K and I are actually eating our placentas. At first, I was a bit taken a back by the idea, but after a bunch of research, I realized there were some pretty intense benefits to it, including shortening healing time, restoring balance back to the body and warding off postpartum depression .

While I didn’t necessarily get depressed the first go-around, I definitely got a few “baby blues” for a couple weeks (and a whole lot of “what the heck have we done!” thoughts the first sleep deprived month). I’m pretty open minded , when it comes to alternative remedies, and thought anything that might help me get back to my best was worth a shot.

So, how are they working? These days, I’m handling the sleep deprivation much better (relatively), and reveling my days with Brayden. There may be a variety of reasons for this, but perhaps the placenta pills are playing a part. However, unike Kourtney Kardashian, who raved about her placenta pills and lamented when they were finished, I can’t say I feel a huge difference– at least not one that I can directly contribute to the placenta. However, I am a bit more energized, and definitely enjoying this go around more, so whatever the reason, I’ll take it.

When considering placenta encapsulation, I did a bunch of research and eventually ended up going with Hudson Valley Placenta Service because of the wealth of info I found on their site, and the professionalism and good vibes I got when I talked to the owner. In follow up meetings, I also felt extra confident in my decision to go with them as Courtney (the owner) was super, answering all my questions, hand delivering my pills and even sending me pics of my placenta with her own comments (seems I had an extremely healthy/good one– take that doctors who worried it was deficient because I carried 42 weeks!)

The idea of eating our placenta may be unorthodox, but if you’re interested, I’d look into it. Placenta has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for centuries, as well as other many other cultures, and even a plethora of other species are doing it (natural instinct speaks loudly to me!) Who knows, it just might be worth a shot (or in this case, a pill).

 

 

Newborn Colds: Natural Remedies & Advice

 

So, one of the challenges I faced this go around was Braydon caught a cold at only 1 week old! His dad and big sister were sniffling when he was born, and despite me being a pusher of hand sanitizer, hands off requests and back off glares with every sneeze or cough, both Brayden and I caught it.

There is nothing worse than seeing a little helpless newborn battling a cold, especially when you know first hand how miserable he must be feeling. Also, the anxiety of knowing it could be RSV, or something more serious, can really put a new mom on edge.

There is little you can do for a newborn, but after research and trial, here are some of the things that helped us get through.

Breastfeeding: Despite me worrying he might catch my cold, the pediatrician said one of the best things I could do for him was continue to breastfeed. Firstly, because there is a lot of water in breast milk and it keeps babies nice and hydrated, and secondly because all the immunities that I was building to the cold, were being passed off to him.

Saline Spray & The Snot Sucker:  To help alleviate congestion, I turned to little remedies saline drops. A few in each nostril helped loosen up some of the snot, and often caused him to sneeze it out himself.  The NoseFrida SnotSucker also ended up being useful in assisting clearing up congestion (found mine in Babies R Us). Unlike all of those nasal syringes that don’t ever seem to work for me, this little device did suck out some of the snot. While it sounds disgusting, it’s totally sanitary and great because it doesn’t actually have to go in the nostril (but rather suctions around the outside), so it’s less irritating for baby.

Humidifier: A cool mist humidifier was also recommended to help with breathing and soothe baby (especially overnight). I used both a cool one in our city apartment where the heat is always pumping, and warm mist one at our weekend house since that is what I had there (cool is recommended for safety). Both seemed to help soothe our dried out throats, and make breathing easier. If no humidifier is had, you can also steam up the bathroom and sit in there with baby.

A Plug In Vaporizer: Little remedies also makes a plug in vaporizer that emits a little menthol/eucalyptuses scent (just the right amount for baby) to also help clear them up and soothe. Since you can’t put vicks on a baby, and don’t want to add too much menthol or eucalyptus to a humidifier, this little plug in is the perfect solution.

Elevation: Keeping baby slightly elevated also helps. I found myself laying Bray on my chest (while I sat up or reclined slightly) quite often so he could rest with a bit more comfort. I also had him sleeping in his  Rock n Play which kept him on a slight incline.

While baby has a cold, you’ll also want to keep tabs on their temperature and make sure they are still feeding (and peeing and pooping regularly). So long as they are and have no fever, it’s just a matter of the cold running it’s course. For Bray and I it lasted a little over a (miserable) week, but we got through.

 

**Disclaimer: This is not medical advice. A doctor or pediatrician should always be consulted for medical advice.

Four weeks In: Sleepily savoring every moment…

WOW! Have four weeks really passed since this little one arrived? It’s already flown by, but looking back been filled with excitement, anxiety, plenty of love and adoration, and, of course, SLEEP DEPRIVATION (definitely now set in).

My mantra these days

Why would I sleep in the middle of the night, when I can get your undivided attention, Mom?

Amazingly, this go around, I’m not nearly as agonized by the lack of my most favorite commodity (yes, I’m the girl who needs 8 hours a night, and struggled through years of working in morning news). Somehow with this little one, the love seems to surpass the drudgery of being tired all the time.

I recently went back and forth with a fellow blogger on Instagram, who had similar sentiment. We both marveled in how these little demanding people can have us completely exhausted, and yet still so in love (cries, cluster feeds, gassy bellies and all!)  I can only conclude that God gives us all these feel good hormones and this overwhelming love to help us deal with the trial of the first weeks of newborn life.

I must admit too, that the second time around seems SO much sweeter. I did not have this positive outlook with Aria. Perhaps it was because my body was in shock. Back then, what I was actually thinking was ,”Yikes, life as I know it is over. What the heck have we done?!”

Yet, this go around, I’m savoring every second.  It’s in part that I now know how temporary the tough time is, and also how fast the sweet parts go. That scrunched up little body laying on my chest, those funny little milk drunk faces….ahh. The fact that this baby is most likely my last also has me holding on to every little mushy, gassy, crying, funny faced, sweet, lovely newborn moment.  I also am now well aware of just how much love and happiness these little people bring, and how as they grow, that love and happiness does too.