How was your delivery? When we got to the hospital I told myself I’m going to be a mom and I can’t be scared lol. I knew God had the plan. I’m very grateful to have had a good delivery! I was induced, had an epidural, labored for 8 hours and pushed for 1 hour. The contractions before pushing were really painful, but the delivery was a really magical experience. You kind of forget the tough parts! It is a very special day we will never forget!
Why were you induced? I was already 3 cm dilated and 75% effaced the week before she was due and my OB offered me the scheduled induction because she thought I was a good candidate. Personally, I loved the induction process and had a great experience.
How was your recovery? Better than I thought considering I had a really bad tear that took a long time to stitch. I have been tired and had a lot of soreness. I was able to do the stairs when we got home and slowly do short walks to get coffee one week after birth.
What did you use for postpartum recovery? The hospital provided disposable underwear, ice packs and pads that I used there. At home I have been using Tucks, Frida healing foam (store Tucks and foam in the fridge for extra cooling), Always pads and these postpartum underwear. Super attractive, I know lol but wanted to share what products are good to have on hand! I alternated Advil and Tylenol for a few days as well. One thing that has helped me mentally is to shower and get ready in the morning! (Just in a little bit of makeup and workout clothes!) It makes things feel more normal than to just stay in pajamas all day.
Do you have any postpartum recovery tips? While it is a beautiful experience, I think the first few weeks are really hard. I recommend changing out of your pajamas when you can, put on a little makeup, getting out of the house for a walk, talking to friends. You just want to feel like yourself as much as possible!
What all did you pack in your hospital bag? Here is my list!
How long were you in the hospital? 2 nights
How was the hospital with Covid? We felt like our hospital handled everything very well. I was tested when we got there and am very thankful the results were negative. Going forward, we wore a mask anytime there was a nurse or doctor in the room. Before going in I was sad we couldn’t have visitors (but completely understood why!) and it ended up being a really special time for just our little family of three!
Are you breastfeeding? I am not breastfeeding. This is a decision I made and Similac formula has been working well for us so far!
How did you stop milk buildup? After delivery I started wearing my tightest sports bras 24/7 (except in the shower)… When my milk came in about four days later I used cabbage leaves in my bras, didn’t let the water in the shower get on them and drank peppermint tea.
How did you come up with Lake’s name? Lake Davis was always Luke’s nickname at the Lake. (He LOVES anything to do with Lakes, swimming and boats!) The night we found out we were having a girl we decided it was the perfect name! Luke’s middle name is Gregory and we also loved the name Grace – we thought it would be fun if they had the same initials!
Are you allowing visitors at home with Covid? We are only having a small number of people over and they have been wearing masks + washing hands before holding her!
What prenatal vitamins do you take? Vitafol gummies
Do you use anything to prevent stretch marks? Yes! I use erbaviva stretch mark oil all over and thankfully did not get any stretch marks. It smells so good too!
What stroller / car seat are you using? We use the Doona (car seat and stroller) and the Joolz Geo 2 (for walking).
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