Hemorrhoids

Ummmmm, need I say more? We did a lot of driving back and forth to meet Ava and, yeah, awesome.

I have finally been won over to the importance of kegeling, and will do it fanatically before, during, and after any future pregnancies . . .

Furthermore, I got really constipated post-partum . . . next time I am going to eat prunes or be otherwise more proactive to prevent/deal with that . . .

And that's all folks.

Things People Don't Tell you About Post-Partum

First, I'm still spotting. It's almost been three weeks--I guess I didn't realize it would go on for this long! Some of the people on my message board (a group of people all expecting babies in November) have been bleeding/spotting for SIX WEEKS! That is just crazy. I really hope that I'm not bleeding for that long, and that the spotting stops soon. ::sigh::

Second, I'm constipated as hell! And, according once again to the people on my message board, this is a normal post-partum thing . . . it's not even related to nursing--some of the people who are formula feeding are also constipated; AND some of the people who weren't even constipated while pregnant are now constipated post-partum. I guess it's just something that happens a lot of the time after you have the baby. (Yeah, WTH?)

Third, I was honestly surprised by how long it took me to recover after having the baby--it was six entire days before I was really able to be up and about--and apparently I was pretty ashen after a few hours of this (according to my family).

Fourth, nursing is a hell of a lot more painful than I thought it would be. It is totally still worth it and in other ways I love it--that the milk is always with me, warm, ready to use, and never runs out. I also love how much James David loves it--he gets this look on his face when he first latches on, and he is SO serious and determined--it is like the most important thing in the world to him (seriously) and I love that I can do that for him.

Yet, honestly, it is now almost three weeks since I had him, and while the pain is no longer excruciating, and my nipples appear to have recovered (no longer blistered and scabbed), it still definitely hurts sometimes--especially when he's been nursing for a long time or I'm engorged. I didn't think it would take this long to adjust to nursing but I know it does eventually become painless, so obviously I'm still adjusting.

All these things definitely surprised me!

In other news, I attempted to post another video but even after (literally) hours of "uploading it", I decided that it was not actually going to upload. Sooooo yeah. I'll try again tomorrow. ;-)

Labor Vibes

So I sent my darling family members a text a few hours ago that said: "I'm feeling kind of weird, just wanted to let you know so you could keep your phones nearby."

Basically, I had my acupuncture yesterday, and this morning and today I have been newly energetic--after having no energy or motivation for several weeks now. Today I made an excel file out of my daily to-do list/checklist (that I had been really into and had blogged about often but which has been neglected now for several weeks). AND I ACTUALLY DID some of the things on the checklist--cleaned up the kitchen, watered the plants, loaded and unloaded the dishwasher, washed dishes, etc.

The other thing I did last night and again this morning was drink "Smooth Move" Tea, because I've been seriously constipated for days. My midwife assured me that this tea was serious business and would cause the desired effect. After last night's cup (and no/little results), I was sure I would wake up this morning itching to go. Annnnnd, not so much. So I had another cup this morning. And still nothing.

Anyway, I started to feel pretty uncomfortable a few hours ago. I had just finished making "Labor Lasagna", a recipe of my own design including eggplant and a lot of spicy peppers (and veggie sauce and veggie "cheese", etc). But I was getting a little worried about even eating it because I felt so internally weird that I wondered if I should even introduce the crazy spicy food into my body! I was almost feeling hot and cold flashes and this restlessness and general weirdness.

At this point I sent the text to my darling family. MOSTLY because my Mother had told me repeatedly to call her if I even felt different at all. So I did, I let her know. So then she immediately called me, and all my sisters texted me back, asking if I was in labor, what was going on, etc.

"No, I'm not in labor! I just feel a little uncomfortable," I said.
"Uncomfortable how?" said my Mom.
"I don't know, just weird--look you asked me to tell you if I felt different at all and I do so I'm telling you!"
"Are you emotional?"
"No!"
"Well look out for that! Oh here Dad wants to talk to you."

"A?" says my Dad, "What's up are you having contractions?"
"Just Braxton Hicks but I've been having those for months."
"But are they coming regularly?"
"No, look I'm not in labor, Mom just said to call if I felt ANYTHING different so I did that."
"Have you been walking?"
"No." (And in this moment I pictured myself waddling through BJ's with my sister yesterday. I can't walk, are you kidding?) "No."
"Walk. That is what is going to get you going. You gotta get out there and walk."
"Okay, I'll keep that in mind." At this point I am getting more and more physically uncomfortable and really don't want to be on the phone. "Okay I'm going to go."

So after these thrilling conversations, I tried the labor lasagna. And it was not actually that spicy, which was good because, as I mentioned, I'd started to get a little worried about how spicy I thought it would be, and if it would even be edible, give me heartburn, or make me have a horrible labor in which I was throwing up spicy food and having spicy diarrhea as I attempted to move a baby through my body.

So I ate some of the lasagna, and started getting another discomfort attack. I visited the bathroom and low and behold, I pooped a little. Not a lot, but some.

Then Amy and Karl showed up and we hung out for awhile--I ate more lasagna, bounced on my birth ball, and when they left I got a serious attack and ran to the bathroom and it happened finally. The smooth move. Not even diarrhea at ALL, just a big ole satisfying poop. God, I was thrilled. I don't know what helped more, the tea or the lasagna! I just hope things keep up this way because I must have days and days of "moves" that need to be "smoothed out" in there.

Anyway, long story short: I do not appear to be in labor, but rather to have endured an internal battle between constipation and "Smooth Move Tea". However, I still think that things do seem to be setting themselves in order somewhere in my mind/body and I would not be at all surprised to go into labor tonight or tomorrow.

Especially since I will be eating "Labor Lasagna" for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.