5 Postpartum Nuggets
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even though this was my 3rd time giving birth, i left the hospital with a few share-worthy gems from the amazing, seasoned L & D nurses who assisted us during our stay. WHAT a job. i am impressed and inspired by the L & D nurses every single time i see them in action! i can imagine that there is no typical day in their world; every shift brings a new adventure.
as i sat up in bed to prepare to receive my epidural, i felt another contraction coming on. i distinctly remember my nurse instructing me to just hold her hands and breathe until it passed. well i squeezed the crap out of her hands!!! it was the last contraction i remember enduring before the meds kicked in and i appreciated her so much for sacrificingherbody helping me through it. whether you are a 1st time mom or pro, i hope these nuggets of info help you out too:
the more the..not so merrier :(
the more kids you have, the more intense your uterine contractions will be while nursing. HELLO! oh my word. i knew to expect them as i nursed Kosi in our postpartum hospital room but whoa. hearing one of my nurses say this confirmed that i was notcrazy. after about a week or so, thankfully the contractions went away completely though.
but first,
we know that as baby sucks away (especially in the first 2-3 weeks after giving birth), it aids your uterus in returning back to its normal size and position. however, if you have a full bladder before baby starts going to town, it could cause your uterus to shift and unnaturally settle to the right or left of its original position as it contracts (because your bladder is obstructing its path). this could potentially be a problem if you plan to have more children (e.g. tilted uterus).
fiber up
most likely you are given stool softeners during your stay at the hospital post-birth. it is extremely important to keep that going once you get home. extremely. chug plenty of water as hydration helps to keep things moving along too. upping the fiber in your diet while in the hospital (have/add in some dark, leafy greens with every meal) and once home is crucial to keeping your digestive system running as smooth as possible as your body heals. the less processed your diet, the better. prunes are one of my go-to natural laxatives (thx, Dad!) and a handful of them per day is golden. although i did not tear 'down there' this round, i did have some pretty disrespectful hemorrhoids. #whatisTMI
ouch! #thatstings
when you get back home and take that first amazing, uplifting, incredible shower (they really do make you feel THAT good), don't forget to use scent-free, alcohol-free body wash. keep that going until you heal completely. i cracked open one of the Johnson & Johnson baby shower gel's Kosi received for a shower gift; it was perfect and didn't irritate my lady parts. very important! if you did tear or received stitches, a soothing sitz bath helps you heal and keeps things from getting stiff down there.
one less thing to worry about
HAIR. so as most of you know my hair is 100% natural now and i'm loving the versatility that comes with it! this is the healthiest my hair has ever been and i have not one regret about my decision to finally let go of the creamy crack. micro braids are normally my protective style of choice, but i'm loving faux locs and i'm rocking them for a second time thanks to my girl, Ogechi! i cannot stress enough the convenience a cute, protective style is for the 3rd tri and postpartum stages. focus on everything else; surviving those last uncomfy weeks or months of pregnancy, your new babe once he/she arrives, and should you have a visitor or three at the hospital or home, you'll be (somewhat lol) picture ready already! now all i need to do is just get some microblading done and i'll really be set, haha
if you found this helpful, let me know below and please share!
excitedly running to give Papa his gifts! i barely captured them in time.
the love they have for this guy...it's such an incredible thing to witness. 
headed to birthday breakfast! we don't eat breakfast out much at all; only everything else. always a treat.
originally i planned on going to 
hot chocolate :) we never skimp on the whipped cream round here. 
steak, eggs, and pancakes for the birthday boy,
after trying to get Dego to look once i just let him be. that baby was hungry and i understood.
i actually got a fantastic workout in cause Chiso was fascinated with the cardio machines and had a blast all by himself lol. i will post our workout vid and entire workout in my next post!!
we walked right across the courtyard to 
we thank God that everything worked right on out. cheeeese!
next morning, breakfast time again! we headed downstairs to enjoy Sorella's beautiful continental breakfast buffet. 
afterwards, more pool time for my water babies. 
3 words. christmas in july! they were crazy excited when i told them this bright orange box was filled with goodies just for them. receiving mail with my name on it as a child always made me feel so special. even if it was junk mail, haha. 
is summer vacation not the perfect time for a play day?! my boys know how important getting out from in front of the TV and going outside is to me, and well, they show me daily that they’re listening. they are constantly asking to go 'somewhere fun' and the park is usually their number one choice. it's definitely one of their favorite past times. i hope staying active continues to be something they enjoy doing throughout their lives. 
Gymboree's activewear collection, 
Chiso is such an accessories type of guy. the hat, the shades; he's gotta wear it all at once to complete his look. as hot as the texas summer heat is, i don't blame him!
the eye-catching, bold, bright colors stood out to me the most. matches their little rambunctious personalities perfectly! the breathable, cool fabric is a plus as these guys sweat a ton when they play. heck, we work up a sweat just getting in and out of the car down in texas.
Dego's, "who's about to go run out there in this heat? not me." look. smart man.
they kicked the soccer ball around for a while but then we took a much-needed water and snack break. ice cream cookie sandwiches on deck! err, ice cream cookie soupwiches.
i could learn a thing or two from this kid when it comes to posing! i asked Chiso what he loved most about his 
