Tips And Tricks To Recovery

There are a few things that can help speed your recovery and make you feel back to normal, sooner!

View my recovery post to read about what happens just after birth. Here are some other things from the hospital and through my own research to use to help speed recovery.

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. These are from my own experience and personal research. If you have any questions please ask your doctor! And as always, please wash your hands before and after you use the restroom when recovering as you are healing and to avoid any possible infections.

Hospital Will Provide: 

Dermoplast: The hospital will have this for you. It is a numbing spray. Spray after you use the warm water bottle to rinse you off. It is awesome!

Tucks Pads: Also the hospital will provide these for you. Put a line of 3 on top of the pad which is on top of the mesh undies.

You Provide: 

Depends:  Yes, I am recommending these! Use them when you get home instead of the mesh undies. But put your pad on them and then the tucks pads on the pad.

Maxi Pads I use: Kotex Overnight pads for the first 2 weeks and heavy days/nights. Then Seventh Generation Ultra Thin Pads for the lighter days. You will need some pads when you get home too. Make sure you have these on hand before you arrive home from the hospital. Postpartum bleeding can last as long as 6-8 weeks! You never know how long your will last for. Amazon makes it easy for reordering though!

Earth Mama Angel Baby Bottom Balm Spray: This was my first pregnancy recovery using this and it was awesome. I sprayed it before the dermoplast. Used this every time until 10 days or you run out /it stops working well. I took this to the hospital and started using it right away!

Earth Mama Bottom Balm: I started using this in addition to the spray after 10 days. To allow the stitches to heal first and to avoid the possibility of infection because you have to slather it on yourself. It is not hands free like the spray.

Ibuprofen: Have plenty on hand at the house because you will have good days and bad days. It is ok to take these. You don't have to be super women and suffer silently.

The biggest tip and trick to a speedy recovery is rest, rest and more rest. Seriously. If you do more in the day, you will bleed more. Allow your body time to recovery from the crazy experience it just went through. Have people at the house to help you, to take care of your other children for you, to cook for you, clean, and just help out around the house. I'm over 2 weeks out and yesterday and today are the days where I really felt more like myself! But I have been waking up/getting out of bed around 8am, taking a 2 hour nap everyday and going to bed around 9pm. And resting or sitting on the couch and just taking it easy. The days I didn't take it easy I would have a step back in my recovery the next day.

This recovery has been more difficult for me but that was an internal pain I was feeling more from the traumatic birth of Collin. But I did these other tips and tricks and they have helped the external healing speed up. Hope these help you!

National Running Day!

If there is a National doughnut day, or National pancake day, you better believe that there is a NATIONAL RUNNING DAY! TODAY! So Happy National Running Day Today!

Great things about running:

Everyone is friendly: I have made so many friends in the running community both on and off the web! I am so excited to see my friends a week from Saturday at the 4 miler training program! I can't wait to meet my friends I have made over the web!

Races are addictive: When you do one race, you are GOING to do another. Humans are competitive by nature and we want to do better each time we do something. Running is purely a progressive exercise. You can literally see how much you improve with each race through your hard work and training. It just takes hard work and training!

Exercise Makes Us Happy: People who exercise are generally more happy. (see Legally Blond the movie!) It hops us up full of endorphins. It's an antidepressant. (maybe this is why I have been a bit of a grump in the last couple of weeks cause I haven't and can't exercise)

Live Longer: Exercise helps our heart which can help us live longer. Plus keeps us more healthy and make healthier choices in our food choices.

Feel Better About Yourself: when I am exercising I feel better about myself. I feel more sexy, I feel more confident. I just feel better. Plus I am now looking at super cute running apparel! Check out Kiava. Love their sports bras and tops!

Happy National Running Day Today everyone! Hope you have a great day running. I will be running with you in spirit as I still can't run quite yet.

Much Needed Help

The past few weeks we have had help here at the house helping out with Mason and me and baby Collin when he arrived. My mom arrived on the 13th of May to help with Mason and of course after Collin arrived she was always available to help hold Collin so that I could get a nap or do some much needed things around the house or even to take a shower!

~Collin on his Blessing Day~

My dad arrived the 25th to spend some time with us as well. So thankful for their help around the house and helping to take care of us. We had a great time watching movies and hanging out together and enjoying the blessings of new life.

~GMA (Gummy) With Collin~

This past weekend my in-laws arrived along with my sister in law for a few days. We have had quite a full house over the weekend. Yesterday was Collin's big day for our religion. It was his baby blessing where he is given a name and then a blessing. So we had both sides of the family in town to be part of the big day.

~GPA (Guppy) with Collin~

But all good things come to an end. My parents left to go back to Arizona today, :( super sad am I. I love having my family here and watching them "oo" and "ah" over my children. It only took us 9 years to get Mason here. My mom loves little babies, just like anyone else does. It is so beautiful to see my mom with my children.

My in-laws are here until Friday then Matt and I are on our own. EEK! A little nervous for that but all good things must come to an end, right? But until Friday I am still enjoying the much needed help that I am receiving from my family!

Collin Blessing Day- 13 days old

Mason Blessing Day- 2 days old

My Rough Recovery

This recovery has been pretty difficult for me. Yes, I have a 2 year old that is learning what life is like with a younger brother and that he is no longer the center of attention. But I have had so much more pain this recovery than I did with Mason.

Couple of things are to blame for this. First of all is the position in which Collin came out. I keep thinking about it and no wonder I screamed at the beginning of each and every contraction. As the kid was coming out he had his hand up by his head which means that his elbow was poking out at a funny angle and it was not a nice smooth ride for him. Or me. Because of that I have had a bit more pain if you know what I mean or can imagine, on the insides.

The second thing that is to blame for my pain, about a week ago, Mason forgot that Mommy had "owies" on her tummy and decided to do a cannon ball on my lower belly. I was laying down with Collin on my chest and he likes to jump on daddy when he is laying down so Mace did the same with me. I cried out and felt like I was going to pass out from the pain I was in. It hurt so much I could barely react to Mason. I cuddled around Collin to protect him from Mason landing on him, but no I got the brunt of it. Since then my belly has been a bit more sensitive. Anytime I laugh, I want to cry because it just hurts. I didn't rip the stitches and it is much better, but man, oh man. IT HURT! Thankfully Mason has not done that again to me, but I have been more careful with how I am when he is around me. We have made it very clear that he is not to sit on my belly or land on me when rough housing. And I just guard myself a ton more when he comes barreling over.

I have felt like a wimp for the past 2 weeks because I feel like I am not handling this recovery very well, but I am. I am a ton more busy now than I was just 2 weeks ago. I have 2 kids. A 2 year old who is used to my personal attention, and a newborn who needs my personal attention. Plus my recovery. Women get through this tough time everyday. I think about my cousin who just had her 6th and I wonder how the heck she does it! I takes patience on all of our parts. It is what it is and we will all adapt to our new life together. My goal though is just to get through this recovery.

A Year Ago- My Runniversary

A year ago today I participated in my very first 5k. I can't believe that it has already been a year that I started running/attempting to run. Granted, my first 5k I didn't run at all except for the last 500 ft to finish, but I did meet some pretty amazing women and one in particular who encouraged me to sign up for the women's 4 miler training program. I am and will always remember her as someone who helped me change my life for the better. We have since run in 4 races together and 1 with me as my "safety" while pregnant. I am so grateful for her in my life! Thanks J for all you have helped me accomplish!

Sad that I won't be running in the 4 The Wounded 5k again this year as it is Saturday, and just too close to my delivery date. I couldn't imagine running/walking in it right now anyhow. My body just isn't ready to handle 3 miles quite yet. But soon I will be running agin and training again! Here's to my first 5k a year ago and for changing the rest of my life!

To read about my first 5k click here!