To all my new breastfeeding mamas! Here are a few tips on how to get your milk production flowing in the first days of nursing your newborn. Hope it helps as it did me!
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Q&A: Advice On Becoming a Second-Time Mom From a Seasoned Mom
My older sister, Carolina, and I are both pregnant and not only are we rocking a baby bump, but we have the SAME EXACT DUE DATE! What are the odds?! When we both found out, we were elated since this had never happened to us before, and had not planned on being pregnant at the same time. Carolina is a seasoned mama (soon-to-be mama of 3) and she taught me mostly everything I know about being a first-time mom. So once again, I ran to ask her advice about being a second-time mom. Below is my Q&A with my role model mommy and best friend. Hopefully, her advice will not only help me, but any soon-to-be second time mom.
1. How can I prepare my first child to meet our new addition?
While I was pregnant, I would constantly have my firstborn son, Elijah, touch and speak to the baby inside my belly and would tell him he was going to be the best big brother. The day Elijah went to meet his new baby brother, we made sure we had a special gift “from his baby brother” for him. We also introduced him to the baby giving him attention and making him feel as important as the new baby.
2. What is one way to make the transition easier for my first child?
When we got home I made my older son part of the process like helping me out with the baby. I tried to involve him as much as possible. I also never stopped doing what I usually did with him, like tucking him into bed and praying with him.
3. As parents, how did you and your husband handle two kids at once?
Luckily my husband has been very helpful since day one. If we had to be somewhere early, I would be with the baby since I had to breastfeed etc. and he would get our older son ready so that we can leave on time. It’s very important to have your spouse involved as much as he can. And if any family member or close friend offers to help, don’t hesitate to accept!
4. When your husband went to work, what would you do to balance 2 kids and get housework done?
Honestly, housework can wait. My kids come first. And I tried my best to continue our eating routines together and other routines. But if anything would change, I wouldn’t make it a big deal and just always made the best of our days together. When I had some extra time I would try to get the housework done but it wasn’t always a priority.
5. Give a word of wisdom for all new second-time moms.
You learn new things with each child and remember every baby is different. Try not to stress out about the little things and enjoy the everyday moments. Being a mommy of two is obviously a bit more work but more fun too! There is no right nor wrong way of raising your two babies, simply find the way that fits and works for you. You will find it easier the second time around so don’t worry and treasure each moment.
Thanks Carolina for your words of wisdom! Love you!
Check out our photos together with our baby bumps:
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The One Thing Every Mom-To-Be Should Know
We’re 2 months away from welcoming our second baby, and I can’t help to reminisce on what it felt like being a first-time mom. Looking back, I remember thinking how everything from breastfeeding to changing diapers was easier than I imagined, but the ONE THING I had a tough time adjusting to was the LACK OF SLEEP during the first month.
Throughout my pregnancy, people would say things like, “Get as much sleep as you can now!” or “Sleep when the baby sleeps.” But no one ever told me that I would be getting 2-3 hours of sleep straight and never a full night’s sleep for at least a month.
Newborns feed every 3 hours and since I was exclusively breastfeeding, it took about 40 minutes to nurse, so by the time I put my son down, I was technically only able to catch some Zzz’s for about 2.5 hours! To top it off, my husband injured his foot a week before our baby was born which bound him to a cast and crutches for an entire month and a half! Not to mention, I had a c-section, but I was determined to breastfeed exclusively. I remember feeling a strength from within that would wake me up every time Caleb woke up to feed and change him, especially during the night. Now, I can’t help to feel somewhat proud of myself and thankful to God for giving us women superwoman powers in times like those. But I wish someone would have warned me what it actually feels like to not get at least 6-7 hours of uninterrupted sleep. I literally felt like a walking zombie. Truth is, there is no way to prepare for that. You can’t accumulate sleep when you’re pregnant so even if you do “sleep as much as you can” now, it won’t make you feel fully rested when the baby arrives (though it does feel wonderful to sleep in and rest while pregnant).
However, once your baby starts to sleep straight through the night without a night-feed or dream-feed, boy that night will feel glorious! If you start adapting your baby on a nighttime routine starting at least week 4, your baby will start to sleep through the night in no time. Caleb kept sleeping an hour more through the night week after week and by the time he was only 2 months, he slept 8 hours consecutively! By the time he was 3 months, he slept 12 hours (uninterrupted sleep with NO night-feed!) and he continues to sleep straight through the night from 9pm to 9am (however, you can adjust you baby’s bedtime according to whatever time you wish i.e. 7pm to 7am). Check out my sample bedtime routine HERE.
Dear first-time moms: It is worth every sleepless night! It will be tough but it WILL go by sooner than you think. Simply endure and try to enjoy those moments of intimacy with your new bundle of joy.
Check out a few photos from this past weekend with the two loves of my life and my baby bump. (Floral print Maternity dress by ShopPinkBlush.com):
2 Secrets for a Mommy-To-Be
I’m currently 6+ months pregnant and am a mama of a recently turned 1 year old! I’ve heard a few mamas “warn” me about the arduous work that comes with being a mom of two babies. Though I know in the first few weeks, it may be tiring (especially since I’m planning to breastfeed again!) but I believe that it will be easier than expected. From my first pregnancy to now, I have been using 2 secret weapons that I’ve learned through my pastor: Prayer and Declaration.
- PRAYER. In my first pregnancy, I learned to place my trust in God COMPLETELY. The thought of being a first-time mom scared me probably like most women. Even thinking of the whole pregnancy and then the delivery filled my heart with fear. It was then that I began to pray for my pregnancy and delivery. God began to remove fears I had and many of these fears came from things I read in the past, movies, and other women’s experience. Most of it was negative. Through prayer, God removed my fear and I was able to have a peace and assurance that I would have an amazing pregnancy and motherhood experience.
- DECLARATION. The power of our words can make us or break us. I wrote down exactly how I wanted my delivery to be, and began praying and declaring day and night! Every night I would pray over my pregnant belly declaring positive things. Mostly everything I declared became a reality! I learned not to use negative words like exhausted, I can’t, etc. etc. Of course in the beginning I was tired, but new moms seem to have an innate supernatural energy that wakes us every 2-3 hours to feed our babies. And I did this with joy in my heart.
And now in this second pregnancy, I am practicing the same two principles of prayer and declaration. Though some may say, “What are you going to do with your Irish twins? – I simply have a peace in my heart because I have an assurance that God will guide me to be the best mom and manage my time wisely. Plus, my firstborn, Caleb, is such a good baby boy and when his baby sister comes, he will be the best, obedient big brother. And I have my husband’s unconditional love and support and we have a great supporting family.
Take a look at our day in sunny South Florida (Maternity dress by ShopPinkBlush.com):
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The Key To Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night
Our baby boy has been sleeping through the night as early as 2 months (by sleeping through the night, I mean 8 hours straight without waking up to eat)! We read a few parenting books and Baby Wise by Gary Ezzo taught us about having set baby schedules. Although we do not practice word for word, we did follow a few tips that helped us especially as new parents. We practice a mix of attachment parenting, with baby wise parenting and it has worked like a charm! So what has been the key to help our baby sleep through the night? Have a bedtime routine! We started Caleb on his bedtime routine when he was 5 weeks old and he slept an hour more week by week. At 2 months he slept 8 hours and at 3 1/2 months he slept 11-12 hours! He currently continues to sleep 11-12 hours straight. This is our bedtime routine.
- 8.30PM Bath time
- 8.45PM Massage, PJs, daddy time (interacts with his dad)
- 9PM Set the night time mood & feeding time (see below)
- 9.30PM Baby falls asleep. Put down in crib
Feeding time
- Turn off lights. Babies need to learn to associate light with day and darkness with night. This is not innate, it must be learned.
- Have a nightlight or TV on (I like to have the TV on so that it’s not totally quiet that way he gets used to sleeping around slight noise).
- Do NOT interact with baby. Sleep time is not play time. If you talk to your baby, they may think it’s time to play.
- Make sure your baby is full. This is most likely the key for a baby to sleep entirely. A hungry baby WILL wake up every 3 hours. Newborns will be able to hold more food as weeks pass by. Usually when they are 5 weeks old, it’s believed that they will be able to sleep 5 hours, and at 6 weeks, 6 hours, and so forth.
- If you are nursing, nurse for at least 25-30 mins. The ultimate goal for newborns is 20 min. on each breast. Babies easily get comfortable in their mother’s arms while nursing, hence they may fall asleep quickly. In order to prevent your newborn from falling asleep, gently touch his or her feet until you feel suction again.
A baby that sleeps through the night is a happy baby and also has happy parents! Caleb is the happiest baby – he only cries when he is hungry, needs a clean diaper, or is overtired. Having a bedtime routine for our baby was the best thing for him and for us because we are all able to sleep through the night. And who doesn’t appreciate a good night’s rest?
There are exceptions when we have not been able to proceed with his routine for instance, the holidays. He continued to sleep through the night however not as long as usual. Also keep in mind, every baby is different. What worked for us may not work for others.
If you have any questions, feel free to leave us a comment or email us at hello@ARaadStory.com. We’d love to hear from you!
