This is another "Keeping it real post"...I guess being a new mom does this to me!
So we've all seen those hilarious pictures of people trying to re-create some awesome dessert they found on Pinterest and it looking...ummm NOTHING like it. There is a whole website devoted to "Pinterest Fails!" But besides desserts and food, people (including myself) pin clothes, home decor, photography ideas, mom tips, and much more. Don't get me wrong, I love pinterest and use it from time to time, but if I spend too much time on there I tend to look at my life and say wow I AM a Pinterest Fail!
So many of my friends on Facebook are constantly posting their adorable pregnancy pictures with chalkboards that looked like they spent 5 hours writing on (who has time for that!?), showing off their perfectly healthy "clean" meals (I can barely get a pb&j in these days), and posting their perfectly decorated houses... (I don't even have my one-month old son's room decorated yet!) Now, granted most of these people who post these Pinterest worthy pictures are stay at home moms...But, it still makes us working moms and wives look & feel second-class.
Moms are always judging each other on social media. Whether it's about if you had a natural birth or c-section, co-sleep or not, or if you breastfeed or formula feed. Now, in the perfect world, yes, natural births and breastfeeding are the best. But, some of us, can't do it all! I had a perfect, amazing natural birth, but the aftermath....Oh man..FAR from perfect! My main battle has been with breastfeeding. You would think someone who had an unmedicated birth could breastfeed like a champ...well not the case with me! I am exclusively pumping and only get 2 oz every 2 hours...My son eats 4 oz. every 3-4 hours, so I had to do the unpardonable sin and supplement with formula. I really felt like a Pinterest Mom Failure. Until I reminded myself, I am not a Pinterest Perfect Mom, I am Luke's Mom, and I am doing what's best for him and me! After I realized that, I felt such a relief from the "pressures" of being a "perfect" Mom.
This goes for all things in life. If we try to compare ourselves to Pinterest or others, we will fail miserably. But, if we try to be the best version of ourselves, we will be happy and content! I hope this was an encouragement to someone! Love you all! ♥
"For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise." 2 Corinthians 10:12
Luke is officially one month old today! Yay! I love him more and more each day! I love being his Mommy! I have done nothing but play Mommy at home all day for the whole month, so my husband decided we needed a date night out. I was so excited to get out of the house! I am so not a person who likes to sit at home all day, every day! So, thankfully, my Mom watched Luke for a couple of hours while we enjoyed a nice dinner and shopping trip for my birthday! Yes, I'm officially a quarter of a century!
Well this shopping trip that was supposed to be "fun" turned into a very depressing trip real quick when I tried on about 10 outfits and NONE of them looked good on. The problem was, I was trying to dress my PRE-pregnancy body, which was not the case anymore. This new postpartum body...well is 15 lbs. over my normal weight and still not fitting in any of my pre-pregnancy clothes. I don't know why I thought I would have Luke and in a couple of weeks be back to normal, but that is definitely not the case. (FYI: all new mommies to be) Prepare yourself for that truth. Your body will not be the same...I know it took 9 months to gain, it's not going to be all gone in 4 weeks...but I really miss fitting into my old clothes!! So, I had to try on a bunch of different styles I "normally" wouldn't wear to flatter this new body shape of mine.
I finally found out that the most flattering styles for my postpartum body are maxi skirts, shirts with details down the front to hide my belly, and a-line dresses. So I got a few pieces that I will be able to mix and match for the next couple of weeks/months until I can start exercising and getting back to my pre-pregnancy size. This is one of my dresses my husband picked out for me, and I loved it! I wore it to Luke's first Sunday at church. This dress is going to be great for the rest of this summer, super comfy and lightweight! Also, I am sporting my new sunnies from Kameleonz, love them!
I love sunglasses! With my blue eyes and living in sunny Florida, sunglasses are a daily must-have. Kameleonz are seriously great sunglasses and perfect for the sunniest of day because the lenses polarized and UV400. And the coolest part about them are that they have interchangeable arms. YEP, interchangeable! Mine came with black, turquoise, and brown interchangeable arms. How awesome is that? You can literally change them out with each outfit to coordinate! So if you are looking for a new pair of glasses head over to Kameleonz and use the code “SUMMER” for 20% off! They are already a great price, so with the sale, they will be a super great deal! Let me know which ones are your favorites!!
Well, I've survived my first 13 days of being a new mom (barely)! Let me just say...being a mom is NOT easy! This is real talk, no fake talk here. I've definitely had a couple of days of the "postpartum blues." People did NOT prepare me for how hard breastfeeding was going to be. I was super prepared for my labor and birth, but I was totally not prepared for breastfeeding or having a baby with reflux. I seriously thought breastfeeding was going to be a walk in the park. I mean how hard can something so simple be? VERY hard. Oh my word, I never cried during my 100% medicine-free birth, but the second day of breastfeeding, I was sobbing like a baby. It feels like needles and knives slicing my nipples to shreds (sorry for the visual, told you, real talk!) And yes, I've had 4 different lactation consultants help me, and they all said he was latching on correctly...it just hurts me. I still have to grit my teeth when he latches on and its been almost 2 weeks. Sore, bleeding, cracked nipples are NO joke. Let's just say, if I didn't know how great breast milk was for my baby, I would definitely quit. A couple of nights ago, I just sat there in the dark with my baby boy eating away, me sobbing, thinking, "I HATE BREASTFEEDING!" But, it is slowly, but surely getting better! There is hope! But, I totally understand why very few people actually breastfeed for the recommended year. Hopefully, I can make it!
Another postpartum hurdle is my after baby body. I can't wait until I can start walking and exercising again, because this 5-month pregnant looking belly is NOT cute. I still have 20 lbs. to lose, which is a tad depressing, I really thought I would lose a lot more right after birth, but I guess losing 20 lbs in 2 weeks is pretty good. I have found a temporary solution I thought I would share with you ladies who are about to be new mommies or those who are struggling to dress their postpartum body. Two words = belly binder! My sister in law swears by belly binders. She says they help you get your flat belly back faster. I finally just got one the other day, and it definitely makes me look less pregnant in clothes! :) Here's some pictures with my belly binder on.
Maxi Dress: NY & Co.
Necklace: Rue 21
Flip flops: JCrew
