Haste Makes Waste(d Mama)

To finish off my postpartum picks, I have to say that Lansinoh brand lanolin and Lansinoh nursing pads are absolutely essential. I used the lanolin every day for the entire 2 years and 2 months that I nursed Sweet Pea. Kept the ole nips moist, healthy and crack-free.

As for the breast pads - well, we tried store brand and others as well as the Lansinoh ones. Store brands tended to fall apart and leave fluff on my nipples, which if I wasn't watching would probably have been ingested by my sweet little babe, and who wants a baby drinking paper/cotton or whatever those things are made out of? Ugh! Some other brands didn't fall apart like that but were too thin or didn't have a plastic barrier to protect clothing. The Lansinoh pads just plain rock. I was completely sold on them the night when I had a plugged duct that let go while I was sleeping. I had nursed Sweet Pea with her chin toward the plug, as suggested, which made for amusing nursing, as the plug was at the top of my breast. Then we went to sleep for the night. Even though it hurt a lot I was able to get to sleep and didn't notice when the plug let go. In the morning when I got up and took off my nighttime bra to take a shower, the nursing pad which had absorbed the unplugged duct fell to the bathroom floor with a ten-ton "THUD!" I was shocked and then remembered the plug the night before. The Lansinoh breast pad had absorbed a whole ton of milk that had come out when the plug let go during the night, and held it all. I was amazed, and totally sold. Now that's the only brand I want.

Now, as for haste making waste - I find that 8 days after giving birth, I am impatient for my body to go back to normal. My belly is shrinking every day, but I want it all the way back to normal and not sore anymore. My pelvis is still sore, but I want to be able to move around quickly and easily again. I do feel better every day, so I find myself doing too much and not just sitting and nursing like I should be. Slipshod is home and we've got family visiting on and off, so I really don't need to bust my butt around here, but I am one who craves accomplishment every day. I measure that accomplishment more in visible things like clean laundry, clean dishes, thank you notes written, etc. than in more important things like well-fed baby and rested Mama. Somebody glue me to the couch! Because my increase in activity is sometimes leading to more bleeding and today, sudden abdominal pains (after none since day of delivery). Argh.