My biggest takeaway for five weeks postpartum is that you can never have enough burp cloths and that pretty much anything in arm’s distance can serve as a burp cloth. I feel like I spend all day covered in spit up and so does Finn. I use everything from blankets to paper towels and wipes to outfits I’ve just taken off of him or the clothes I’m wearing to wipe up spit up. Last week I woke up and couldn’t even run a brush through a section of my hair…you guessed it! Dried spit up. 🙂
Luckily, Finn is a “happy spitter” which is mostly a laundry problem so I’ll just keep on rocking the just spit up on look for a while longer! (The amount I care these days about running an errand with some dried spit up on my shirt is none.)
In the meantime, I’m going to keep reassuring myself that some of what I’m feeding him is actually staying in him. Most things I’ve read say that it seems like much more milk coming up than really is. Let’s hope that’s true!
Fourth Trimester: Five Weeks Postpartum
Body changes: things are about the same as my four week update in regards to weight and overall body composition. This week marked the first time I put on a bathing suit since having Finn. Most of my tops don’t fit right now so I got this suit at Target before coming down to Florida. Overall, I felt okay in a bathing suit. The skin on my stomach is looser than it was before and I still have the dark line down my stomach that I got during pregnancy. I’m at peace with my postpartum body and not in a rush to change it. My body performed a freaking miracle in growing Finn and I think it’s amazing all that it’s still doing to nourish him.
Breastfeeding: I feel that we’re finally in a good groove and breastfeeding is feeling much easier overall. Finn has started to space out his feedings a bit so instead of 8-12 feedings a day, we’re more in the range of 7-9. It has been a welcome change of pace. I’m still feeding on demand and that’s working well for us. I have not pumped yet so we’ve been exclusively feeding from the breast.
Sleep: Finn and I have a nice little routine going. I feed him right before bed (anytime between 9:30-10:30 p.m.) and he goes to sleep right after. He usually gives me a 4-6 hour stretch and we feed again around 3-4 a.m. He gives me another stretch until somewhere between 7-8 a.m. I cannot complain. My little guy is really, really helping me out when it comes to sleep. I am very grateful.
Symptoms:
- Night sweats. Are gone!!!!
- Bleeding. Same as last week. Improving but intermittent light spotting.
- C-section recovery. Prior to five weeks postpartum, I wondered if I would ever feel normal again. It’s honestly like a switch went off and I have experienced a HUGE improvement in my pain. I feel so much more like myself. I’m still feeling soreness in my abdomen…it’s sort of like feeling when your ab muscles are really sore from a hard workout and anything that stretches it feels weird and a little painful. Example: lying on my stomach propped on my elbows. I also know that I need to start gently stretching those muscles to get them to loosen up a bit. The pain around my incision is finally gone but it is numb and puffy. I said this last week but at the six week mark I’m going to start some scar therapy to try to prevent adhesions and a build up of scar tissue. Just waiting to get the all-clear from my doctor to begin that.
- Appetite. Eating has been much better this week with my parents feeding me home cooked dinners every night. It’s been such a godsend.
- Upper back pain. Is just not nice at all. I’m scheduling quite a bit of bodywork when I get back to Charlotte.
Emotional well-being: it has been the best thing ever to be with my family in Florida. I can’t even tell you how nice it’s been to not only have their companionship and support but also to have a change of scenery. I was feeling very trapped in my house in Charlotte and I am so happy to be out of my house and in a different environment. I had spent so many hours in my den that I think I was going to go looney tunes if I didn’t get out of there.
Also, one can never complain about being at the beach. There is something so calming about the ocean air and it’s been good for both me and Finn. If Finn gets wound up he will almost always instantly calm if I take him outside onto the balcony or to walk around. We spend a ton of time on the balcony with my grandmother and I’m doing a lot of feeds out there. Even if you’re at home, I highly recommend some outdoor breastfeeding if you have a good setup for it. It’s literally a breath of fresh air! We’ve been getting in some hangout time on the beach both during the day under the umbrella and in the evenings on walks.
I’m soaking up this time with my family before I have to return to Charlotte. It’s an incredibly special opportunity for me to be with my grandmother and I feel grateful to share some of these sweet newborn days with her.
Motherhood: separate from emotional well-being but related is adjusting to motherhood. As you all know and warned me about, the newborn stage is hard. Really freaking hard. BUT…I finally feel like I’m really getting my “mom” feet under me and I’m starting to feel more confident about my ability to be a mom. Finn and I are finding our groove and are better understanding each other. I am feeling more of the “motherly intuition” and am better able to read his cues and anticipate his needs.
I’m beginning to really enjoy taking care of him now (not that I didn’t love and want to take care of him before but I just felt SO lost and unsure of what I was doing) and I’m finding the days (most of them, not all…we struggle…) to be more rewarding. I really love hanging out with him and I let him sleep on me as much as possible. I love holding him and snuggling with him.
There’s honestly nothing else I can imagine doing right now other than spending as much time as I can with Finn and taking care of him.
Work: this seems like a good segue into work. Obviously, I’ve been keeping up with blogging because a) I want to document this time in our lives and b) it’s a revenue stream that I can keep going from home and I need that since I’m self-employed. I went into maternity leave with no plan for returning back to work because I had no idea when I would feel ready or how my life/perspective would change after Finn was born. All I can say right now is that I’m glad that I gave myself a lot of flexibility around that because I can’t imagine trying to go back to work at six weeks. I think I’ll definitely lean more towards 12-16 if not longer. I’m also focusing more on long-term projects that I can do online and from home.
Workouts/activity: I haven’t done much since I’ve been in Florida. Every evening after dinner I go for a walk but usually nothing longer than 15-30 minutes. One day I went to the gym and did 20 minutes of incline treadmill walking and some light upper body stuff. I’ve mostly been taking it really easy. Kinda feels like the right pace of life at the beach.
Despite this, I arrive at the end of each day absolutely exhausted and barely able to hold my eyes open at the end of the night. My grandmother pointed out that I’m doing a ton of work in taking care of Finn and feeding him so much and that I’m up and down constantly tending to his needs. She’s right and us new moms need to cut ourselves some slack. We are doing a ton!
My dad says just wait until he’s two years old and I won’t sit down for years. Haha.
I see my doctor next week for my six week postpartum visit. We’ll see what he says about resuming more activity.
QUESTIONS
How long was your maternity leave? Did anything change for you in regards to your outlook on work after baby?
Any spit up hacks/tips?
I was back at work at 6m because that was the point up until I still had some pay. I’m so glad I live here in uk as opposed to us. Between 2 to 6m was horrible for both of us with reflux pain and colic, so no way I was ready for work before. I wish I had spend an extra month with her so we could enjoy each other more. On the other hand I was so close to depression that I think work did wonders as I was allowed to work a lot from home! Enjoy those precious moments, especially those with family support with more me time. The happier you are the happier Finn will also be. Well done on the breastfeeding journey 🙂
Your grandmother is so right! It honestly makes me sick to see how many new moms return to a serious fitness routine right after having a baby! I will never understand it and wish more moms would see that taking care of a newborn is serious work and returning to their fitness routines can happen later on and doesn’t need to be immediate. I recently wrote about it again too, because social media makes it look like it’s normal and imperative when that’s just not true. All in good time. My son was a huge spitter! I feel like by 6 months, that started to regulate when their digestion gets stronger. He was still gaining 2-3 pounds a month even with the spitting that yes, I think it always appears to be more milk coming up than actually is. Burp cloths were so essential!
For some moms though working out if crucial for their mental health! Six weeks of taking care of a newborn was extremely draining and daunting and when I was cleared at six weeks to exercise, going back to my favorite group workout class felt like such a breath of fresh air. It felt like the only “me time” I had for the whole first year! I refused to let anyone make me feel guilty about working out again at six weeks – spending that one hour away from my son made me so much better for him in those other 23 hours a day. Just my $0.02 and a reminder that not all moms who rush back into exercise are doing it to fit back into their skinny jeans.
Great point from the other side Meaghan! Thanks for weighing in. I am with you on the mental health aspect of working out and it being something that makes me feel like me/gives me “me time.”
I agree with Meaghan – I definitely felt less post partum anxiety when I started exercising, and my OBGYN encouraged its It was definitely a new normal with exercise routines, and still is with shorter workouts but it works well for me 🙂 I also agree with Meredith – social media makes it seem normal to go right back into exercise immediately after having a baby. Jen, you’ve done an amazing job listening to your body and allowing your body to recovee. And spending time loving on the adorable Finn! He’s so darn cute – makes me miss that age so much!! Enjoy those cuddles!!
Hey Abby – thanks for weighing in. I definitely think that you find a new groove and normal with workouts postpartum but it’s worth it to figure out how to make it work for you if it’s something that helps you feel better.
I really appreciate the kindness around recovery. I’ve really let my body lead the way and there was just no way in that first month that I could have considered doing any more than slow walks. It was a humbling process with my body, as I’m sure returning back to fitness will be as well.
Meredith – I really appreciate your thoughts here and I think it’s wonderful for people to read that it doesn’t have to be right or the norm to rush back to exercise after baby. I think it’s most important to learn to listen what is right for YOUR body and your mental health!
You’re doing awesome! Three kids deep and I still feel frazzled most of the time, but you learn to just accept that as being the life of a mom. I had C-sections with all three kids and I felt like 6 weeks was kind of the magic week where pain went away and I just had the odd sensitive feeling surrounding my incision. Even now (3 years after my final C-section), it still feels weird if I directly push on my incision site.
I love that you’ve been able to escape to be with your family! Having that help and support is priceless and does SO much good for your emotional well being. All three of my kids were also spitters, but two of them had to be put on medication eventually because they started to lose weight. Finn is doing great if he’s still growing!
After I had my first, I intended to go back to work at 10 weeks, but after being home for 5 I went in to my boss and handed in my resignation. I was a complete sahm for several years, but now find that part time jobs where I have complete control over my schedule is working really well for me (teach group fitness and high school senior portrait photography).
Hang in there, every day feels a little more natural.
Hey Audra – thanks for the comment and the encouragement. I will definitely keep an eye on Finna and his weight gain to make sure the spitting doesn’t become an issue.
It’s great to read that you had that time as a SAHM but have now found a good balance with part-time work that you enjoy. I really hope that I can do the same with finding a balance between mom and work. <3
Returning to work was a challenge! I ugly cried when I took my daughter to daycare for the first time (10 weeks). I have no regrets about working full-time and using daycare, but, it is was emotional decision. No matter what side of the fence a woman chooses – work or stay at home – there is a sacrifice. Finding balance in my choice was the hardest part. I have learned to really cherish our morning and evening routines, and of course, the weekends! 🙂 Take your time, follow your heart! You are doing great!
“it was an emotional decision” .. sorry for the typo! I have a 1 week old! Haha – I need more coffee!
This totally resonates with me Carly! I can see it being so emotional even if it’s the right thing for you and your family. <3
Easier said than done… but you should totally just pick up your life and move to Florida. It’s so apparent how much happier you are there! Like I said, I know easier said than done…but girlfriend, figure out a way! 🙂 You NEED it!!
Haha, would be nice in some ways but I also love my life and my friends in Charlotte too. Luckily I can enjoy the best of both worlds and visit frequently!
I was able to take 15 months, which was incredible. I had paid maternity leave for 6 of them, and the rest, we just decided one income was enough and basta. But I was ready for daycare around the 13 months mark hahaha! First only 3 days a week, and now he does 5 “small” days (9-4). It is perfect for us and I am happy with these decisions.
This is so great! I’m happy for you that you were able to make this work. What a special time to be able to share with your child!
I had a “happy spitter” too! Pediatricians exact words haha! But as long as they are acting good and gaining weight no problem!
What changed for me when I returned back to work at 8 mos pp was that I just did not care about the small BS at work anymore ! My whole outlook was different. Having a baby makes you look and appreciate the world much differently and the stuff that used to be important is just not anymore. Enjoy every moment!!♥️
I really love that you shared how your outlook changed at work. That is great to read!
Our second son had horrible reflux. Our ped (Dilworth) ended up having to put him on a compound prescription and it was life changing. We also took him to our chiropractor. He had a tight neck muscle and was developing a flat spot. I highly recommend talking to your chiro to see if Finn needs a couple of adjustments. Most work on newborns all the time!
I agree that chiro visits for newborns/babies are beneficial!
For spitting up, it helps to take a break between breasts (which I think you mentioned you are doing). Also, the mom’s diet can sometimes be a factor. Some babies are sensitive to dairy, wheat, soy. It may be worth eliminating one of those for a couple weeks to see if it helps, although if there isn’t accompanying gas, I agree with one of the other posters that ‘a happy spitter’ isn’t usually a sign of a problem, given healthy weight gain.
I think you are doing a wonderful job of finding your way as a mom!! I can tell you are listening to your intuition and both you and Finn are benefiting from it!
I am definitely going to make a chiro appt for him when we get back to Charlotte.
And yes, I almost always make him take a break between sides when feeding. I’ll think about the dietary changes for sure if things get worse. Luckily, he’s still been gaining super great so hopefully that keeps up.
I really appreciate the kind words on finding my way. We are doing it. <3
Would you be willing to share what chiropractor you saw in Charlotte?
We called our daughter The Exorcist for a while- she’d feed, and within 10 minutes it would just explode out of her (she was a happy spitter, though!). It ended up being a reflux issue, and she was put on a small dose of Zantac that helped a lot. My recommendation for now would be to sit him up for a while after feeding- either on someone’s lap or a swing or something.
As far as maternity leave, I was (relatively!) glad to go back to work after 16 weeks and get out of the house and interact with adults. And wear actual pants. The first week or so back was difficult with both my kids, but like everything with kids, you figure out your new normal and adjust as you go.
Yes, I can relate to that!!!
16 weeks seems reasonable and it’s great to read that you were able to make a relatively quick adjustment back to it…although I’m sure it’s so hard in the beginning. <3
I’m a teacher and I stopped working the last 6 weeks of school before summer, since that’s all the maternity leave I received (not all paid, unfortunately.) If I were teaching in the fall I would be going back when my baby is 13 weeks, but I’m thinking about watching a child or two in my neighborhood so I can stay home with the little guy but still have some income.
No spit up tips really, just the usual- keep them upright after eating and burp them during and after they eat.
Wonderful that you have some options Katie. I hope you figure out what’s best for you and your family.
So.much.spit.up. Our exclusively breastfed little guy spit up all the time too…it wasn’t reflux or tummy issues…he just had a tendency to spit up. I constantly worried about whether or not he was getting enough, but everyone told me not to worry…as long as he was a happy baby, he was fine. He also went through a “nursing strike” type thing around 5-6 months where he literally refused to nurse a lot of the time…I didn’t supplement or give him a bottle, and he eventually went back to his normal routine. The spit up also slowed way down around 6-7 months. Nursing is such a guessing game, but best not to overthink things too much…not always so easy to do for us first time moms though ? Sounds like you’re adjusting to motherhood very well! Keep up the awesome job!
Thanks for sharing about the nursing strike. It’s really reassuring to read that you were able to wait it out and things went back to normal. YES to nursing being a guessing game and it’s hard not to freak out when you have one or two disastrous feedings!
HI – Congrats on the beautiful baby!!! My 4th son had terrible issues with spitting up. Borderline projectile vomiting at times. I found that a lot was related to my diet. I noticed that if I avoided spicy foods, foods with tomato sauce and a lot of dairy, it seemed to help the spit up. Also, trying to breastfeed at a slight angle, not having him lay flat helped. Also, waiting a little while before burping to give the milk a little time to work its way down into the belly helped. Burping right after eating seemed to trigger the reflux. Good luck
Thank you Noreen! This is helpful and something I’ll consider if things take a turn south! Also, GREAT tip on delaying burping. Makes a lot of sense.
My first was a happy spitter too. And very prolific. I finally just covered the couch, chairs, any other place we frequented with blankets and quilts because it was so much easier to just throw the blanket in the wash than clean the upholstery or carpet. It seemed like everything (and more!) was coming back up, but he was growing great and not bothered at all by the spitting up, so if Finn is the same you probably don’t have anything to worry about.
Your Dad is so right. I have three little ones now and I never sit down during the day. I hit my Fitbit step goal every day before I even workout. It’s bananas.
Alison – awesome advice on covering the surfaces you sit on frequently with blankets. Thank you!!!
With #1 I was only able to take 8 weeks, only 2 weeks of it paid. With #2, I plan to take 12 weeks off of work (I only work part-time, and receive no benefits) but am in NP school full-time, so the goal is to get all of my clinical hours in prior to delivery, but if I can’t squeeze them in, I will have to return when he/she is 2 weeks old to finish out the semester, then savor our 3 week Christmas break. And your dad is so right! My son is 20 months old and I honestly don’t think I’ve sat down since he started walking. Boys are wide open!
Keep up the amazing work. I love reading the updates and receiving your inspiration!
Hey Catherine – it’s very inspiring that you’ve made it work with your NP school demands. Thank you for sharing that. It can be a challenge to navigate this stuff when you don’t have a traditional job/benefits/leave.
I feel you on the spit up issue. My daughter was a “happy spitter” and I honestly had no idea one little baby could spit up so much every single day. Good news is it doesn’t last forever, but it was a pain while it lasted. Just the laundry and the constant changing of both of our clothes. Your little man is precious and you’re doing great! Thanks for sharing your journey with us.
Thank you Linda! Yes, the amount of spit up is really incredible! I feel bad for him but he just doesn’t seem bothered by it!
Jen! Finn is just the cutest and it looks like you are doing an amazing job as a new mom. You’re honestly inspiring! And I’m so happy for you. I’m a new reader to your blog and have been wondering- are you a single emother? I would love to hear your story.
Thank you Sara! And thanks for following along. Happy to have you here! I will be sharing my story soon…it’s changed recently.
My 6 week appointment is in one week and I am excited to be cleared for exercise again although I think it’s going to be hard to find time because I have 3 kids at home until the older two go back to school in August. I’ve been blessed to have been able to stay home for at least 6 months with each of my babies and I am very thankful for that opportunity as I know not many women in America can do that.
Side note: What Beach umbrella do y’all use? We are going to the beach in August and I’d love to be able to be out with the baby if we can stay in the shade.
Loving your recaps!!
Gosh, I can imagine that it is a challenge for you to carve out that workout time. I can’t imagine with three littles but hopefully you can squeeze something in!
Six months sounds like such a blessing. I’m so happy for you that you can make that work. It’s so special for you and baby and it makes me sad that more American women don’t get that opportunity.
We have been using two traditional umbrellas but tons of families here use tailgating tents and that seems like a great option!
I took 12 weeks off when each of my babies were born. That’s all I could take and I wasn’t going to take a second less. I hated that I had to come back to work – and that I still have to work (my kids are 6 and 2 now) but we need the insurance.
Honestly I liked the smell of breastfed baby spit up (formula spit up does not smell the same) and I missed it when my babies stopped spitting up – that probably sounds really gross! I came to work many days with spit up (or something else) on my somewhere but I didn’t care (or have the time to change).
I hear you on needing the benefits. The insurance is a huge and overwhelming expense for me – it’s crazy!
Love your sentiments on baby spit up. I think it’s sweet!
So happy for your healthy little one! It’s been really special catching back up on your blog. I’m a longtime follower, and I had my little baby girl in March. The newborn phase is pretty crazy, but you are in store for a treat! He will be smiling and recognizing you and changing so much. It’s crazy for me even now at 15 weeks to look back at the difference in such a short time. Also, the feeds got really quick for us (5-10 minutes) around… 12 weeks? I know that’s hard to imagine right now, but it’s coming.
I went back to work after 8 weeks because I was losing my mind at home (I know the trapped in the living room feeling). My baby is with my parents, though, so that made it a lot easier. I still cried the first week… and still do sometimes. It’s a Catch-22, but for me I needed the return to routine and adult interaction. I think the biggest thing I’ve learned in all from all things baby is that you have to just do what’s right for you (and baby) and screw anyone who tries to tell you differently lol.
Hi Megan – thanks so much for your comment and the biggest congrats to you on your little girl! How exciting. 🙂 He’s started smiling for real and regularly in the last week and doing some cooing too! Wow, that shortened feeding time sounds amazing!
I hear you on losing your mind at home. I was too and I had to get the F out of town!!! I think it’s been nice for me to still have an outlet through my blog. I’ll see how it goes as time passes! What a blessing that your parents are able to help with childcare. And I LOVE your baby advice! 🙂
My girls are just about 4 weeks old and one of them spits up a lot! I prop her up on a breastfeeding pillow after eating for 15-30 mins and then she’s fine to lay down. I also burp her often while she eats. She is bottle and Breastfed and I find with the bottle she needs to be burped more frequently than the breast
I need to do a better job of keeping him upright after he eats. Thank you for the reminder!
Both of mine spit up almost constantly as infants. I kept stacks of bibs around (especially those with the plastic backs so they wouldn’t get it on their clothes). It stopped around 7 months or so when they started sitting up and those muscles around the esophagus strengthened.
The bibs with the backing are a great idea! Thank you!
My husband and I are splitting the year of paid parental leave (we’re Canadian) and I can’t believe how quickly this first half is flying by! My heart aches for those of you in the US with the policy on parental leave there. I can’t imagine leaving such a tiny baby to be mostly raised by someone else at a daycare. I have an amazing career that I love but I’m in no rush to return – this is such a short, precious time to bond with my child.
So I had my little Gavin in early September, and went back to work late January. So not quite 5 months, and to be honest it was the perfect length of time. I also had a c-section, and this gave me long enough to heal, get my groove in motherhood, etc. I also loved being off in the fall and around Christmas! I was very lucky since my husband was actually between jobs, so he was off with me. He went back to work early January, and I was more than ready to go back late January. I live in Raleigh, so as you know we have mild winters, but I still felt a little trapped that month. Plus, I am a teacher, so I only had to work until late May, then I was off for another 10 weeks! It literally was the best arrangement!
Five months sounds just perfect to me! And it does sound pretty awesome to be off in the fall and during the holidays. I love that time of year!
Jen, you are doing an amazing job with Finn. I love reading all of your stories. I have two boys and every time I read a post about motherhood I relate so much to what you are saying. My second born who is now 8 months was a happy spitter. It was A LOT so i know what you mean by using anything and everything as a burp cloth and being constantly covered. I finally started to see a decrease in the amount that was coming up between 4 and 5 months. Now he only spits up a tiny amount and way less frequently. As long as he isn’t losing weight there isn’t anything to worry about. One thing that helped was keeping him upright after he ate. Also I would try to slow down his feelings. He’s a fast eater so I would take him off the breast (if he wouldn’t scream to much) and burp him then resume breastfeeding and repeat that until he was full.
I’m so happy you are able to spend this special time with your family.
I had to return to work at 10 and 11 weeks with both of my kids. I work for my family business and am basically self employed so I had to go back. I’m not going to lie it was really hard on me. Truthfully it still is hard on me. I always feel like I’m missing on these special years and wish I could do it differently. Unfortunately where I live it takes two incomes to survive. They do just fine in daycare. It’s a lot harder on you than them.
Lisa – thanks so much for the encouraging words! 🙂
Wonderful to hear that the amount started decreasing around the 4 to 5 month mark because it’s hard not to worry about it! So far, he’s gaining really well so I’ll pray that keeps up and we don’t have any complications from it!
Great note on slowing down the feedings. I think I have a fast letdown, especially in the early morning feedings, that kind of chokes him sometimes.
I understand your situation with your business and income needs and I think you have a really great perspective on it.
So glad to hear you’re having a wonderful time in Florida! I knew it would be so cathartic for you. ? I took eight weeks of maternity leave with my daughter which was about the norm at the time (18 yrs ago!) & in the Midwest. Plus I wasn’t self employed. ?
Regarding your back pain… Not sure what is going on but make sure you are not slouching when you nurse. Has anyone recommended the My Brest Friend pillow? It looks crazy but I seriously lived in that thing for at home nursing sessions. It is sturdy and you can basically sit the baby on it and then you just rest your boob on top!
I would always get into a good comfy position before a session and basically had a nursing spot on our couch for the first 3 mo. Around 2-3 mo old we also tried side lying nursing – this could also help. Just make sure you don’t fall asleep and roll onto the baby! I would watch a TV series on my phone while in that position. Another position is the laid back nursing but I think that one works best with big big boobs. I could never get it to work for us but you could try it!
Also don’t be afraid to visit your LC again if needed or call her. I consulted with a LC until weaning at 18 mo! They help nursing moms with babies of any age and actually I take that back I think I called mine after I weaned too b/c I had a question about breast changes after weaning.
Regarding supply if your boobs shrink around 6-8 weeks don’t freak out. The engorged feeling goes away at this time because your body has adjusted and knows how much milk your baby needs. That being said I’m not sure you have pumped yet? Some moms will add in an after bedtime or middle of the night pump when the baby is sleeping. This lets them build a freezer stash and can also help keep up good supply. Another time to do it is in the morning after the morning feed. I always found I had more milk at night though.
Around this age I found a baby and mommy yoga class in my area. Maybe you can find one as well! Once you have a routine down pat it’s nice to find activities to do with the baby. We also went to story time at the library, there are baby music classes, all kinds of things.
I have the Brest Friend pillow and it is very helpful. I really try not to slump/slouch but I think I just spend so much time sitting these days compared to what I’m used to that it’s hard not to experience some shoulder rounding which tightens my chest and starts to pull some of my ribheads out in my upper back. It’s no fun! Side lying has been hard for me so far…I think my breasts aren’t large enough for it! Great suggestion on visiting the LC again. I should definitely do that. Oh, also…thank you for that heads up on boobs shrinking! That is great to know.