New Mom Questions

There are a lot of questions new moms have so I thought I'd post a few of them here:

• So how long did it take you to lose that pregnancy weight after the baby was born and did it come off naturally or did you need dietary supplements for weight loss?
• When does baby sleep through the night?
• Bottle or breast?
• Does childbirth hurt?

My personal answers:

1. Weight:  The weight loss for my first child came off pretty well.  The second child took a little longer and it didn't all come off (most of it did).  After my third child was born, I developed thyroid disease and was up a size by the time it was all said and done.  By my fourth child, I lost it all within two weeks of her birth (I was nursing) but then it all came back (thyroid disease - whacky hormones!).  For me, I ate healthy and lost weight.  When you're nursing you HAVE to eat right so it definitely makes it easier.
2. Sleep:  This varies with each baby and whether you are nursing or bottle-feeding and what time you give that night-time feeding before bed.  One of my babies was wanting to sleep through the night by the time she was two months old.  Another woke periodically throughout the night to nurse for what seemed like forever (about her first year) and I nursed her on demand. 
3. Nursing vs bottle:  After doing both for my children, I have to say that breastfeeding, definitely!  It was such a good bonding experience, was convenient no matter where we were, and we just loved that snuggle time.  Nursing also meant no ear infections at all for my daughter who was nursed for two years.  I've done both breast and bottle and breastfeeding is definitely my first choice.
4. Childbirth:  Yes, it hurts.  Unless you use drugs to deaden the pain, contractions hurt like a you know what and that head and the shoulders coming out isn't a picnic either.  However, it's all worth it.  I did it four times - believe me, it's worth it. 

Jazz Up the Mom Look with Women's Sunglasses

What is one great tool to have on hand when you have to run out to do errands but haven't had the time to fix your face with make-up the way you used to (and how could you...new babies keep you busy)? Toss on a great pair of women's sunglasses to cover up the fact that you didn't get more than a few hours of sleep the night before. Change the stained shirt and nobody will know that you slept two hours, had been spit up on twice, didn't have time for make-up, and then leaked breastmilk at the first sound of your baby's cry.

This picture here is of mom to two, Jennifer Garner and her daughter, Violet, both out and about wearing their shades.

Keep Toddlers Busy for Cheap

If you little one is a fan of Nick Jr's shows (Dora the Explorer, Fresh Beat Band, Blue's Clues, Olivia, etc.), did you know you can print coloring sheets of their favorite characters to color? I do this with my four-year-old and have for about the past year. She loves to keep busy coloring and it doesn't cost anything more than a couple sheets of paper and a little printer ink.