MOMMY & BABY SPOTLIGHT

This will be our first Mommy & Baby Spotlight and our featured Mommy & Baby: wendyj & Baby Ian

Ian was born on: 5/14/08, weighing 4 lbs 8.5 oz and measuring 17.5 in

The best advice I got was to not take everything about motherhood so seriously (gotta love my Mom!). Reading into every little thing will do nothing but drive you to insanity, and you'll miss the wonderful things happening between you and your baby. I had a tough first couple of months, first by ending up back in the hospital right after Ian and I were first discharged, then with breastfeeding, and Ian's time with colic. I seemed so paranoid about everything that my mom finally told me to relax and enjoy my son. Oddly enough, that seemed to snap me out of my craziness.

Here is some advice from Wendy on colic, breastfeeding and postpartum:

Colic - don't be afraid to take a break from the craziness, even if it means putting him in his crib and walking away for a few minutes to compose yourself. Actually, I just read in Dr. Ferber's book last night that letting them cry in their crib for a few minutes is a good thing because the babies with colic may actually be overstimulated and also need time away from although the cuddling and rocking and such. Go figure?

Breastfeeding - If you can't, it's not the end of the world. I actually gave up breastfeeding at about 8 weeks because I was not really producing anything, and because I was still getting my blood pressure down and getting over my c-section, I really felt like I had nothing left. Making the decision to stop was probably hardest thing I've ever done. I felt horrible for weeks afterward. But as I started to follow my mom's advice (from the last email), and let the stress that I was feeling over it all go, I started to really connect with my son. We weren't fighting each other anymore. Those middle of the night feedings became a bit more special because I was actually able to snuggle him and enjoy that closeness. And knowing that he was gaining weight and growing like a weed after starting out so tiny, I knew I was doing the right thing for him

Postpartum - Let all the craziness out! I had no clue I was going to feel and think all that I did after I had Ian. I cried at least 3 times a day, for seemingly no reason at all. Thankfully, I have a wonderful, compassionate husband who just let me be irrational and cry on his shoulder. It also helped to talk to my mom and friends who were also mothers and dealt with baby blues...Also, don't overdo it right out of the hospital. I had a c-section, and there were days that I thought I felt OK, so I would do things that I normally did before having Ian. Big mistake. I would hurt for hours later because of just going down to the basement to do laundry.

First picture is Wendy & Ian when Ian was a month old and the second is Wendy & Ian during the holidays:





Wendy,
Thank you so much for sharing with us! You are truly remarkable.

For those that are interested in participating in the next Mommy & Baby Spotlight please email: mayflowersmoms@gmail.com!

Have a Great Day!