Post-Partum, Part II

I haven’t had a full night’s sleep since… I don’t know when.
That’s my excuse for forgetting two of my Post-Partum Must-Haves.

I’ll get to them in a second. But first!

The past few days have been the most difficult thus far into the whole “three kids” thing. I was really grouchy because -I was sure -my kids were just being complete handfuls. or the house was just impossible to keep up with. or I was so sleep-deprived…
the list goes on.

I haven’t been taking my Happy Pills -mentioned in my last post-partum post -because I felt like I didn’t really need them. I haven’t experienced any post-partum depression symptoms, so I have just been keeping them on hand for later on should I need them. Yesterday I felt like I should take two, so I took them in the morning. I didn’t feel a change at all.
As I got ready for the day, I was consumed with negative thoughts.

Since having the baby, I haven’t felt pretty -not at all, ever, not even once or a little bit. It doesn’t help that my beauty routine is pretty much non-existent. Even if I did have some time alone to just curl my hair or paint my toes, I’d sleep instead. Seriously.
I thought about this as I threw make-up on my face.
I stared at my baby pouch on my belly.
I thought about how I needed to be reading more with my daughter, spending more one-on-one time with my son who is struggling with the change of a new baby in our home… how I need to be teaching him pre-schoolish stuff at home because I don’t have him enrolled anywhere, how I need to clean the laundry room, vacuum, shampoo the carpets!
feed my family better!
eat less junk!
exercise!
do my calling better… do my visiting teaching, make my bed…
And that’s when it hit: a granite ball was dropped inside my body, and as it settled I heard AND BELIEVED the words:

You’re a terrible person: unattractive and incapable.

I went through the motions of the day, and suddenly -around 2 pm -a switch was flipped, a light turned on… I felt complete peace. The granite ball was shattered into pieces and removed.
I was patient, more loving, softer, kinder… and WHAT A RELIEF it was to realize that the woman I was before 2 pm yesterday WAS NOT ME at all! I had seriously believed that it was! I believed that I Was inherently grouchy and a grand housewifery failure.
But I’m not.
My hormones were just way outta whack -and what a relief that’s what it was! The person I was after 2 -the happier woman -THAT is me.
Being back to myself put me more at ease. I didn’t fuss over the dishes. I didn’t worry about the laundry in the hallway. I taught a piano lesson, I laughed with my kids, I fed my baby, I snuggled my baby, I watched TV with all of my babies, and I relaxed.

This is the FIRST time since I’ve had my baby that I noticed a 180 degree difference in my emotional state because of my pills.
It is NOT in my head.
I shudder to think what state I’d be in without my pills. The simple fact that I have a CURE on hand for out-of-control negative thinking -a granite ball-blasting miracle! -is a gigantic blessing in my life AND the life of my family.
Who suffers when Mom hates herself? Mom does. But so does her family.

My husband has stood by and watched how much my pills have helped, and he’s now suggesting that I buy the gear to start encapsulating placentas for local ladies.
Two short months ago, if you had asked us about placenta pills, we would have gagged and yammied in your face.
But now? We mostly think everyone should at least KNOW about them, have the option of them.
I’m scared to try encapsulation on my own. I could always practice on a roast. (Please tell me that makes you laugh. It makes me laugh.)

I’m mulling the idea of starting up a business… I can’t RIGHT NOW, but when the baby gets a little bigger? I bet I could. And I could make up my own Mother’s Milk Tea and cookies to sell! Wouldn’t that be awesome? It would be awesome.
I’ll keep you updated on what I decide. I still need to do more research (including talking it over with my Midwife Granny) and, of course, pray about it.
Prayer was what brought me to placenta pill popping in the first place.

Thank you for letting me share my experience with you -it was monumental to me.
Moving on with my post-partum list. We left off after #7.
So.

#8) My towel apron!

Baby Bath Apron Towel
pattern found HERE
My best friend, Tia, was in town a few months ago. She brought me one of these aprons as a gift, and I am in LOVE! I use it all of the time! It was a life-saver during the sponge bath stage with Alice. I could put the apron on, lay the towel part on the counter (over a few towels stacked underneath for padding) and put my baby on top… when we were done, I could scoop her up and immediately put her close to my warm body. Now that she’s taking baths in her infant tub, I can scoop her right out of the water and hold her close which she LOVES. This gift is the best! It’s so easy to use.
When Tia came, I had to get a picture with her because we were both pregnant at the same time. A while back, I found some pictures on Pinterest and sent them to her, telling her we ought to re-enact them some day (I was 100% kidding).

via betwixtstudio.com
This is OUR version:

It’s pretty much the same.

#9) DoTERRA’s Family Physician Kit.


image via howdoesshe.com

I asked for this for Christmas, and then we got a new entertainment center that took up a huge chunk of our Christmas money… so I told my husband “nevermind about the oils. I can get them later.”
We promised not to get each other gifts.
And my husband completely surprised me with this kit! I could NOT be happier! I have used it pretty much everyday. I put drops of lavender in Miss Alice’s bath, I rub down my Jillian Michaels-induced aches with Deep Blue. I rub Frankincense on the kid’s scrapes and cuts.
And I’m able to help calm Alice’s gas with DigestZen. I rub it on the bottom of her feet. Something I’m eating is upsetting her stomach. I can’t figure out what it is -believe me, I’ve tried and tried -and this oil has come to our rescue. I rub it on the bottom of her feet at night, and while it doesn’t provide immediate relief, it does help her out. I want to keep nursing her because she’s so healthy and gaining weight so fast! I hope her little tummy can mature out of whatever is bothering her soon! Poor kid.
This kit is definitely a must have at our house.
I thanked my husband with a full body massage using lavender and Breath essential oils (diluted in extra virgin olive oil). He slept BETTER than a baby.
Much better than a baby.
Much, much better.

I don’t know if you know this, but babies don’t actually sleep as much as people think they do.

But she’s still adorable. Even, I now know, from the hours of 1:30 am to 3 am.

Comments

  1. Awesome-ness. All of it!! You an become certified as a placental encapsulation specialist through Placental Benefits. Google it. :)

  2. This brings peace to my heart. I have been in the concrete ball dark place – not really post partum but more around the time Ted was in school. Not for long but I don’t want to be there again – and I can only imagine the intensified feelings post partum. Sort of makes me shake with foreboding. So while I was already planning on placenta encapsulation after your initial introduction, this further solidified by decision as I thought of me and our family in the same place. Also, I’m going to try to be a diligent pill popper :) I’m not a great rememberer end I even ignore my reminders in my phone for my prenatal vitamins, I’m so accustomed to them (which reminds me…) but I want to be better. Thank you for sharing!! I know it’s not easy to put yourself out there in this way and I really respect your efforts to help.

  3. Good thing we put t-shirts on over our sexy matchy matchy best friend clothes ;P That was so much fun! I’m so glad you like the bath apron! Also, that’s awesome that those pills work so well! If anyone else was talking about it I would probably think they’re crazy. However, since you’re my bff and I trust you I’ve actually thought about it a little bit. We shall see! You’re awesome!

Speak Your Mind

*