• SELF LOVE & BODY IMAGE
  • MOTHERHOOD
    • Pregnancy
    • Babies
    • Kids
  • ADVENTURE
  • STYLE
    • Interiors
    • Fashion
    • Beauty
  • FOOD

Mother's Always Right

Mum life, body image, style

  • ABOUT
  • PRESS
  • Podcast
  • Public Speaking
  • YOUTUBE
  • WORK WITH ME
  • #FreeFromDiets campaign
You are here: Home / MOTHERHOOD / Babies / Things I’d forgotten about life with a newborn

Things I’d forgotten about life with a newborn

October 13, 2014 by Molly 15 Comments

Me and babyThis time last week I’d just had a baby. It’s been seven days of life with a newborn – a life full of things that have slipped my memory since last time. I’ve been shocked at how much I’ve forgotten about these first few days of new motherhood.

Time takes on a new quality

While the night hours can stretch on into an interminable length until you crave the daylight, the daylight hours can pass in a blink of the eye. The effect is that time kind of blurs into one until you forget what day it is and have no idea if it’s morning, afternoon or evening. It’s disconcerting, especially when you realise your baby is already a week old and has changed so much already. It probably answers why I can’t stop taking photos of her, I want to freeze every image before it speeds on by and she’s at school already. 

Breastfeeding a newborn is hard work

My memories of breastfeeding Frog are mainly happy ones. It was relatively easy and hassle-free for us. I fed her for just over a year and by the end of it any early day niggles had long since been forgotten.

I’m quickly remembering how tough the early days of breastfeeding are though – both physically and mentally. It’s exhausting breastfeeding a newborn, from when they’re suckling for colostrum, to when the milk comes in (bowling ball boobs, anyone?) to the constant night feeds and that overwhelming feeling of responsibility that you’re the one keeping this little creature alive. And second time around the after-birth pains were pretty intense for a good few days – especially during breastfeeding.

But it’s pretty amazing too. Aside from the fact you get an excuse to sit around doing nothing much other than cuddling a baby, you also get a huge sense of satisfaction. At her first weigh in at three days old we discovered our baby girl had only lost 10 grams of her body weight. Today, at a week old, we’ve found out she’s gone from 6lb 13oz to 7lb 5oz – my midwife tells me that level of weight gain is quite unusual for a breastfed baby. Explains why I’m so knackered then! Breastfeeding a newborn

Days pass without getting anything done

My main achievement today has been to sit on the sofa breastfeeding my beautiful baby and gazing at her tiny nails. I probably spent a good half hour looking at her fingernails and another hour after that soaking in the curve of her ears. I’m not sure how many hours have been spent over the past week just looking at my baby, but I’m pretty sure it’s a lot.

It can be frustrating though, especially when you’re a bit of a neat freak like I am. I see washing that needs to be done and toys that need to be cleared away and I want to do it, but then the baby will fill her nappy or need feeding. I’m trying to channel my inner zen and ignore the mess – and, of course, “sleep when the baby sleeps” (I wish I had a pound for every time I’ve been told to do that this week!).

Newborn

The washing basket has no bottom

You know that fairytale where the porridge pot goes mad and keeps on spewing out porridge? I can’t remember the name (another side effect of life with a newborn – my brain has stopped working) but that’s what my washing basket is like. From muslin squares to newborn garments that got the wrong side of a game of nappy roulette, the wash basket is full to the brim, no matter how much washing we do. Of course Frog does her bit by adding grubby spaghetti covered school uniform and mud-soaked weekend clothes.

Getting dressed properly is a big deal

I’ve spent most of the past week in my pyjamas. Occasionally I’ve got dolled up for a trip out of the house (I wore proper clothes – actual maternity leggings!) but my wardrobe is still very much of the lounge-wear variety. And you know what? That’s OK. There’s plenty of time to wear proper clothes. I’m embracing the new mum look at the moment and dreading the end of the (self-proclaimed) Northern Love Machine’s paternity leave where I’ll have to leave the house at least twice a day to do the school run.

Unless… can I do the school run in my pyjamas? Is that a thing?

Tell me, what can you remember about the newborn days? Have I missed anything?

Filed Under: Babies, MOTHERHOOD Tagged With: babies, breastfeeding, new motherhood, new mum, newborn babies, one week old, sleep deprivation

« The final #BlogBumpClub from me
My baby sleeps in a box »

Comments

  1. Jane @ northernmum says

    October 23, 2014 at 9:51 pm

    I want one

    Reply
    • Molly says

      October 28, 2014 at 8:30 pm

      Ha – you can cuddle mine instead?! x

      Reply
  2. chelle says

    October 19, 2014 at 11:44 am

    Ah such a cutie. You too Mama! I forgot the breastfeeding munchies. I’m still getting them! Afternoons weren’t so bad second time around although I did ask why my insides were feeling so sore since I had a section and the recollection of forceps gradually came back….ouchie!

    Further down the line I am so up for hiring a cleaner again….

    Reply
  3. The Breastest News says

    October 19, 2014 at 8:36 am

    Aww she’s so cute and well done for such a great breastfeeding weight gain 😀

    I remember having to constantly walk up and down the living room to try to get my son to sleep at night then waking almost every hour to breastfeed! Hard times but it was worth it. Wonder what it’ll be like second time round!? I always hope I’ll be more relaxed but I’m such a stress head and like to tidy everything up, fat chance I’ll have time though like you say. Other things are more important 🙂

    Reply
  4. Grandma from the north says

    October 18, 2014 at 8:54 pm

    Go for it on the school run…onesies look like normal dress these days!

    I remember feeling sore in all the wrong places, top and bottom if you know what I mean!
    and… first trip out allowed was to the post box after 14 days!
    Think I was a wimp compared to modern mums..
    Love xx

    Reply
  5. Alison says

    October 16, 2014 at 6:31 pm

    Being afraid to poo!! TMI? Too bad 😉 I thought my stitches would burst and my whole innards would fall out. This was made worse by having a catheter fitted. Oh those were fun days 😉
    Baby is looking gorgeous and I’m so happy you’re enjoying being a mummy of two xxx

    Reply
    • Molly says

      October 17, 2014 at 6:10 pm

      Oh I’m SO with you on the poo thing. I couldn’t go for ages after having Frog (TMI!). Not been as bad this time though… (again.. TMI!).

      Reply
  6. Bex @ The Mummy Adventure says

    October 15, 2014 at 10:36 pm

    I forgot all about the afterpains, apparently they are worse with each consecutive baby, eek! There is so much I have forgotten about life with a newborn even though it really wasn’t that long ago. Enjoy it x

    Reply
    • Molly says

      October 16, 2014 at 10:09 am

      My midwife said they get worse with each baby – they took me by surprise as I wasn’t expecting them!

      Reply
  7. Carie says

    October 14, 2014 at 12:59 pm

    Oh that’s all so very true – especially the hours of just gazing at their tiny selves. I’ll admit I rather like the night hours just because I get to stare at Pip in peace!

    Reply
    • Molly says

      October 14, 2014 at 7:12 pm

      There is something pretty special about those quiet feeds. I think having gone through it before helps with the keeping calm thing – I know this phase will be over so quickly I just want to drink it up and enjoy every moment. Even if I am exhausted! x

      Reply
  8. Chrissy says

    October 14, 2014 at 11:04 am

    Gorgeous little squish! I remember those days well – mine were 6 months ago! You are doing a fab job 😀

    Reply
    • Molly says

      October 14, 2014 at 7:15 pm

      Thank you! I’m enjoying every moment – even through the tiredness. Having done it before and knowing how quickly it all passes makes it much easier! x

      Reply
  9. Hannah Budding Smiles says

    October 14, 2014 at 8:09 am

    She’s so gorgeous! I remember sitting on the sofa all night for the first week because Toby wouldn’t settle in his moses basket (I now know it was due to reflux!) and just spending entire nights sat with him latching and unlatching, eating cereal bars and drinking water. How do we do it?!xx

    Reply
    • Molly says

      October 14, 2014 at 7:16 pm

      Mmmmm cereal bars are the best. They’ve been keeping me nourished this week too! I forgot how flipping starving I get breastfeeding!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Hello and welcome! I'm Molly Forbes - podcaster, presenter and blogger with a passion for positivity, confidence and body image chat. Regularly writing and vlogging about empowering female issues from a motherhood angle, I also cover lifestyle and fashion topics for like-minded mums who want to rediscover themselves after having children. Thanks for stopping by! Read More…

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

YOUTUBE

INSTAGRAM

Wild swimming is my new favourite. Swipe to see my Wild swimming is my new favourite. Swipe to see my athletic prowess on the rope swing, complete with multiple pauses for wedgie removal 😂. I am clearly so comfortable in the wild I am basically Ray Mears. #MumsGoneWild
Stop the world, I want to get off. . I was scared Stop the world, I want to get off.
.
I was scared the Better Health campaign would give the green light for body shame to come for kids and ramp up the dangerous culture of body hate and weight-based discrimination many children are facing, and it seems I was right. Here’s the latest stigmatising coverage (from yesterday).
.
FYI, beware any headline or show referencing “health experts” as if that makes the claim an unarguable, unbiased one. There are many different types of health professional and they don’t all agree on everything all the time. And being an “expert” in one area of health doesn’t make you an expert in all areas of health. When the media quote “health experts” it’s often someone with a political agenda - and it won’t necessarily be a doctor or dietician or someone with training in medicine, nutrition, or another area of health. Always look beyond the headlines and remember that journalists have internalised bias just like everyone else, and it’s their job to sell stories and make people tune in - often the more controversial the better. (Full disclosure - I’m a former news journalist so I know how stories make it to air and print, and how important media literacy is in decoding things often presented as unquestionable fact.)
.
Want a better way? We’ve got spaces on two Body Happy Kids workshops in September. There’s a link in my bio where you can read more. They’re one hour, evidence-based workshops that have now been delivered to more than 100 teachers and youth leaders to cancel diet culture and weight stigma in schools and create body happy environments for kids to thrive in. ❤️ And if you’re a parent there are free downloadable resources I created at the start of lockdown, via the link in my bio, as well as an activity pack full of body image boosting things to do with kids. Our children deserve better than body shame 💕
.
#BodyHappyKids
Just popping in to bring some sexy realness to you Just popping in to bring some sexy realness to your feed and remind you not to compare your life to an edited highlights reel. Here I am on my swanky holiday in a five star hotel freshly woken after a refreshing eight hours’ sleep in silken sheets wearing my designer nightwear. #LifestyleGoals
It’s important to distinguish between doctors an It’s important to distinguish between doctors and dieticians, and to remember that GPs and doctors are NOT dieticians. People go to university for four years and then often do Masters or PhD’s before they start practising in dietetics. Doctors are great (my sister is one!) but they are not dieticians. Being a doctor does not automatically give you the expertise to give nutrition advice. Remember this if you are referred to Slimming World or Weight Watchers by your GP, or if you watched a certain TV show last night (hosted, btw, by a medical psychiatrist, not a GP - see @drjoshuawolrich post for more on that). 
.
I think it’s concerning when doctors write diet books, particularly when they are well known celeb doctors. Not only does it drive a weight-focused health agenda (side note: doctors! Read Health At Every Size by Lindo Bacon PhD!), but it perpetuates anti-fat bias in the medical community. 
.
And this matters why? Because weight stigma and health are not compatible. Research shows many of the health outcomes blamed on weight can be attributed to the effect of weight stigma rather than the weight itself, but ALSO weight stigma means many people put off going to see a doctor due to past upsetting experiences in the GP surgery OR they are not properly diagnosed because their weight is the focus of the consultation. 
.
Look, I’m not coming for doctors. I appreciate you and know you’ve done an exceptional job in the pandemic. Again, my sister is a doctor. BUT doctors are a product of society just like you and me. They are human with their own internalised biases. It’s important we remember this, particularly if their prescription involves nutrition advice which many dieticians would condemn as being actively bad for health.

#BodyImage
Re-sharing this vid from January to show, despite Re-sharing this vid from January to show, despite what fatphobic attitudes would have you believe, body acceptance does NOT mean “giving up”. It IS possible to enjoy moving your body without weight loss being the ultimate goal. 
.
Diet culture has messed up our relationship with exercise just like it’s messed up our relationship with food. And the government’s Better Health campaign just continues to perpetuate the myth that exercise is a weight loss tool, and that those in bigger bodies can’t be fit. WRONG! 
.
⚡️Did you know research shows people who are fat and fit live longer than those who are thin and unfit? ⚡️Did you know weight stigma and anti-fat attitudes are a massive barrier for many people who want to work out? ⚡️Did you know that exercising for intrinsic reasons (how it makes you feel) over extrinsic ones (how it makes you look) is a better long term motivator for consistent exercise? ⚡️And did you know that a study in 2007 showed people who are motivated to exercise for health and enjoyment reasons had a lower pulse, systolic blood pressure and salivary stress hormone levels while those motivated by weight loss had none of these physical measures? Fitness through a diet culture lens is NOT the one! 
.
If you want kids to enjoy movement then teaching them that all bodies are good bodies is absolutely KEY to a lifelong healthy relationship with exercise. 
.
But also: other people’s bodies and health habits are none of your business! People have the right to respect and dignity REGARDLESS of their health status. 
.
And finally (I’ll put my megaphone down in a sec) ALL movement is valid, despite what the “go hard or go home” crew tell you. It’s YOUR body, move it however you want, however it feels good, and not to “atone” for the “syns” you ate at your last meal ❤️❤️❤️
#BodyHappy #BodyImage
CELEBRATE YOUR BODY ❤️ This book by @sonyarene CELEBRATE YOUR BODY ❤️ This book by @sonyareneetaylor is just the most joyful book to help girls understand and embrace their changing bodies. My eldest is 10 and she read it cover to cover, and it’s sparked so many gorgeous, open, curious conversations about puberty and periods and hormones and emotions and all the things. 
.
@thebodyisnotanapology
.
[ID: Celebrate Your Body book by Sonya Renee Taylor]
Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2020 · Mothers Always Right. Design by Stacey Corrin

This site uses cookies: Find out more.