If you have a specific question and don’t see it answered, feel free to send me a DM on Instagram or comment on this post, and I’ll include it in the following month! Plus, this will be a great way to direct those of you who have the same questions, so the answers will be archived here on the blog!

Motherhood & Pregnancy Q&A: April 2019

Did you baby wear with Luca?

Yes! All the time. It was the only way Luca would sleep sometimes – and it was so much better to be hands free. I wore him traveling, just on walks, and even around the house. For the newborn/0-6 month stage, I love the Solly Baby wrap and then for any heavy duty travel (ie airports, long walks) I recommend the Ergobaby.

Do you and Lu have any reservations/concerns about raising a girl different than those with Luca?

Nope! Lu is a bit nervous to clean the baby’s private parts, but aside from that, we haven’t talked about it. We’re just raising them to be good, kind humans.

If Luca finishes all of one part of his meal, do you give him more of that one thing?

Yes! Read all about my philosophy on toddler feeding here.

When you weaned Luca, did he have any “withdrawal” crankiness, tugging you?

No, he did not! It was such a slow and steady gradual process, that I don’t think HE even noticed.

Any ideas for Luca’s 2nd birthday?

I’m trying to get through the birth of my daughter first, haha! No ideas at all, haven’t even thought about it. I definitely want to do something, though, especially because he now has real friends!

How does Luca fit into your work life? Is he always around with the nanny?

I wrote an entire post on this! You can read it here.

How do you keep Luca occupied when you are cooking, cleaning, getting ready?

Honestly, I used to stress about this and the more I stressed, the harder it was. I was constantly trying to entertain him while I simultaneously got ready, but now, I just kind of talk him through what I’m doing, let him interact with me in the process, and he has learned that sometimes Mommy needs to clean, cook, get ready, etc. He stopped whining at my feet (as much) and it’s much better. I also got a Learning Tower for when I’m cooking and that’s been a huge help!

Do you ever nap when Luca naps?

YES! On the weekends, I usually try to get at least 30 minutes in! I’m not always good about this, because there’s just SO much to do, especially with the new baby coming. Luckily, Lu loves to nap, so sometimes he’ll make me slow down and nap with him.

How do you manage staying in routine during the first weeks with a baby?

This is a trick question, right? What routine? Haha! Let yourself just heal, get REST, and spend all your time enjoying snuggles from that precious newborn. There’s PLENTY of time for routines later on.

How do you transition from chores to work to mommy hood and being a wife?

I’m very conscious of my time and being present. While I’m working during the day (8am to 5:30pm), I’m in work mode. During the week, when I’m with the baby (in the mornings, 6:30-8am and in the evenings, 5:30-7:30pm), I’m laser focused on spending time with him. After 7:30pm, I have a few hours with my husband, and I’m in wife mode. By dividing up my time like this, I’m able to never feel guilty about spending time on work, etc. That’s been really key for me!

What has been your favorite age with Luca?

Oh my gosh…. it’s so tough, I have loved every single age, seriously. I think the more he develops a personality, the better it gets, so I’m loving this stage right now. He’s fun to hang around! But, I don’t think it’s my favorite, because I felt that same way during the other stages. I also LOVED and miss the newborn phase (I’m crazy, I know) – he was just SO cuddly! They all have their pros and cons.

How do you get Luca dinner and everything else done and him to bed on time?

I stop work at 5pm so that when he gets back at 5:30pm with the nanny, dinner’s done and we can eat, play, and then when Lu gets home, he takes over (he usually gets home around 6:30/6:45pm) and plays with Luca for 10-15 minutes (with me too, unless I use that time to get something personally done or cleanup) and then he does the bath routine and we trade off who reads him books. He’s usually in his crib no later than 7:30pm.

How do you transition baby to bottle?

We introduced a bottle about 8 weeks into Luca’s life, because there was never a reason to give him a bottle otherwise. And he was fine, we didn’t have any transition issues. We used the paced feeding method to mimic the flow of breastfeeding.

Favorite clothing and shoe brands for Luca? How would you describe his style?

I think he’s “urban comfy,” haha! He loves to run and play and is extremely active, so I try not to put him in restrictive clothing, so he’s in sweats a lot. ZARA is my favorite brand altogether for baby clothes. For shoes, I’ve had great luck with Vans!

Reality about holding a (not so) baby boy while carrying a baby bump?

It’s exhausting! I have to be careful when I pick him up to squat instead of using my back, because I’m afraid of pulling my back or overextending! It’s a lot, but I always tell myself that women have been doing it for thousands of years, so I can handle it. Working out (especially strength training) makes me feel strong enough so that I’m not worried I’m going to hurt myself.

Hope you enjoyed the Q&A! Let me know what you think and maybe I’ll make them a monthly reoccurring post!

The post Motherhood & Pregnancy Q&A: April 2019 appeared first on Inspiralized.

for those of you new mamas and expectant mamas, I’ve put together a Q&A based on the questions I’ve received since baby Luca was born. if you have any questions, leave them in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer as many as possible, as they come in!

life with a newborn: q&a

how have you been feeling: hormones, body, relationship changes?

hormonally, at first, was crazy! I’m the type of person that only cries once a year (literally, once.) needless to say, dealing with the insane hormonal surges that happen post-delivery was shocking for me. there were times when I’d look at Luca, terrified, and want to cry. there were other times when I’d look at him and want to cry out of pure joy and happiness. there were also times when Lu wouldn’t be understanding about something and it would make me want to cry. there were times when I was home with Luca and would feel overwhelmed if he wasn’t sleeping all day and I’d want to cry. I have only cried once – I let myself have a big cry! it was so therapeutic. now, at 7+ weeks postpartum, my hormones are back in balance, thankfully. I look forward to my next cry next year, haha!

as for my body, I feel nothing but pride! I’m just so amazed by the miracle that is birth. I am so proud of my body. I worked out consistently during my pregnancy and ate as healthy as possible, so my body looks great to me for just giving birth. I also told myself I’d be gentle on myself and not rush back into getting into shape and let me save my extra energy for cuddling and taking care of Luca. according to my postpartum doctor’s appointment, I have 8 lbs left of pregnancy weight, which I feel good about – I need that extra fat for breastfeeding! I’m definitely as soft as I’ve been in years, but I’m okay with that. there will be time for getting back into shape, but for now, I’m enjoying this stage in my body!

relationship changes. well. it’s two fold! most importantly, I love Lu more than I did before the baby! watching him with our son melts my heart so much. he’s a natural Daddy and I love seeing how comforted and protected Luca looks in his arms. seeing Lu with Luca is just the best thing, and proves I really did marry the right man, haha! building a family with Lu has brought more love into our household than ever before. I love seeing the excitement on his face when he comes home from work, ready to snuggle Luca. on the other hand, we don’t have much Lu and Ali time. at night, sometimes we can have dinner together, which is great, but mostly, it’s ‘get the baby to sleep, catch up on house chores, and get to bed.” since I do all the night shifts with the baby, I try to go to bed as early as possible (by 9:30pm at the latest), so it leaves little time for us – since Lu gets home around 7pm each night. thank goodness for the weekends, where we can rekindle and spend time together! I’m looking more forward to when Luca is a bit older and on a schedule so Lu and I can have dedicated time together – and go on more dates once that schedule is established (and when my Mom’s in town!)

how are you dealing without wine?

ha! I’ve gotten this question a lot and honestly, I haven’t craved it at all. during my pregnancy, I abstained from all alcohol and frankly, the LAST thing I want is a slight hangover, headache or tiredness at nighttime when I need to get as much rest as possible and handle a newborn. I was going to have a drink with Lu on his 39th birthday, but I ended up not because it was too close to Luca’s feeding and I didn’t want to risk it. I plan on having my first glass of wine at Thanksgiving, and I’m actually really looking forward to it!!

how did you exercise during your pregnancy?

you can read all about that here.

any products you bought and ended up not using?

yes! plenty! any swaddles where the arms are contained (like the Love to Dream ones everyone raved about while I was pregnant) Luca loves having his arms out and is now an exclusive tummy sleeper at night, so they didn’t work. other items I haven’t used yet are a lot of the toys, but they were gifts and he’ll grow into them. I didn’t use short sleeve onesies – he’s happier when he’s warmer, so we stored the short sleeve onesies for our next baby (maybe he/she’ll be a summer baby and if not, we’ll donate them!)  I haven’t used any of my bottles, only because I haven’t had a reason to – the boob is it right now!

tips for self care after delivery?

well, that all depends on how your delivery goes! I’d say definitely grab as much of the goodies the hospital gives you. I loved the witch hazel pads for lining my underwear to soothe my stitches (I had minimal tearing, if you have an episiotomy or more serious stretching, there is much more you’ll need – like ice packs!) other self care- honestly, a great robe and nursing nightgown. feeling beautiful in a nice nightgown was the best for me in the beginning.

also, make sure you take care of yourself. shower! brush your teeth. wash your face at the very least! use under-eye cream (this is my favorite). I would also make it a point to straighten my hair once a week, so that I’d feel more human and pretty – good self esteem can go a long way when you’re dealing with a needy newborn! I’d just spritz in my favorite dry shampoo every day to keep it going for most of the week. I’d basically coordinate with Lu – I’d give him the baby at 6:30am after I was done feeding him and then I’d “do me” – shower, get dressed, etc.

and most importantly, drink LOTS of water and eat as well as possible. that always makes the biggest impact on your overall mental and physical well being.

if you’re looking for products I did/didn’t use in the hospital post-delivery, check out this post.

my baby only wants to sleep on my chest, any tips to transfer to bassinet?

warm up the bassinet with your dirty clothes! putting your baby down on a cold, hard surface after being on your warm, mommy-smelling chest is shocking for the baby, I’d imagine! I would place worn clothing on the bassinet mattress so when it was time to put the baby down, I would remove all the clothing and put him in there and it would smell like me and be a bit warm!

also, if I’m transferring Luca to the bassinet, I’ll get him in the right position in my arms to do so and I’ll rock him and make sure he’s good and asleep – that’s key! if he’s wide awake when I try to put him down, he won’t stay down. sometimes I’ll stand for 10 minutes rocking him, but it’s worth it if he sleeps for hours after that!

other than that, just enjoy him sleeping on your chest! just put on a good movie or fall asleep with him. just accept that productivity on certain days/weeks is going to be lower than others!

what do you do when the baby won’t stop crying?

well, we recently succumbed to the pacifier! at first, we weren’t using it at all (like, the first 5 weeks) because I was worried about things like nipple confusion and I didn’t want to be a slave to the pacifier in the middle of the night. now, we use it when he’s just so tired and can’t get to sleep – it helps him cross the line into slumber and then we pull it out once he’s asleep so that he doesn’t get used to having it in his mouth all night long and thus, dependent on it. it really helps especially when he’s crying for no reason!

BUT if you haven’t read happiest baby on the block yet and know about the 5 Ss, then you’re missing out! read up on it, we use every single one of them and they work every time, even though it may take some time to quiet him.

how do you pull off being a Mom-preneur?

well, I’ll let you know once I’m fully back into work! right now, I’m doing light amounts of work, just really staying on top of my Inbox and trying to keep up with content creation on social. I’m not quite sure how I’m going to pull it off, so stay tuned! but, time blocking is huge and capitalizing on baby’s sleep time – don’t waste time on silly things like scrolling through your Instagram feed or doing house work that isn’t urgent. create ‘must do’ lists and try to stick to them throughout the day, although you may not always get to them.

what’s your plan for when you start exercising again?

slow and steady! I’m not going to get right back into it with a strict workout plan. at first, I’m going to try to workout on weekends, since Lu is around and can watch the baby while I go to the gym. I haven’t developed a plan, especially since it’s the holidays and I want to enjoy this festive time with the baby and my family.

most importantly, I’m going to focus on weekend workouts, eating well (I’m definitely indulging more than I normally would right now), and hour long walks with the baby outside (before it gets frigid, that is!) once I do develop a plan, I’ll be sharing it here!

what does your day to day with the baby look like?

every day is so different, honestly! different and the same. it’s a mixture of feedings, naps (or trying to get him to nap), momma naps, house chores, work, and playing with Luca. if he’s napping well and “on schedule”, here’s what the day looks like:

6:30am: feeding
7-7:30am: time with Daddy
7:30am: try to get the baby down for a nap (which usually entails wearing him in the Ergo Baby) while Lu gets ready for work.
7:45-9ish: baby naps and I make breakfast, do house chores, work, etc.
9-10:30am: feed the baby and play with the baby (tummy time, mobiles, etc)
10:30am-12:30pm: baby naps and I do work usually
12:30-2pm: feed and play with the baby
2-3:30pm: walk with baby outside- he usually naps in the stroller during this time and it’s nice for me to get some fresh air.
3:30-5pm: feed and play with baby
5-7pm: baby naps and I get dinner ready or nap myself
7-8:30pm: Lu gets home and plays with the baby, we bathe him, massage him, and then I feed him
8:30-9:30pm: Lu gets the baby to sleep in the rocking chair and with his favorite lullaby music
9:30pm-12am: baby sleeps and we do too (or we try to have some one on one time before passing out)
12-12:30am: feed the baby and put him back down to sleep
12:30-3:30am: baby sleeps (and me too!)
3:30-4am: feed the baby and put him back down to sleep
4-6:30/7:00am: baby sleeps (and me too!)

how have you been balancing losing postpartum weight with being hungry from breastfeeding?

eating nutritiously as possible! I definitely have my cravings (and give in to them!) but I try to eat as healthy as I can so that I’m full off of the “right stuff.” eating a bowl of Fruit Loops won’t fill you up like a piece of avocado toast, ya know? I eat a lot to keep my milk supply up and keep the baby and myself healthy. I definitely eat more than normal, but that’s to be expected – you’re supposed to eat more to keep up with how much you’re burning from breastfeeding! I’m treating my diet the same way I did in the third trimester and the weight is peeling off – if I gave up the sweets and salty cravings at night, I’d probably be back to my pre-pregnancy weight by now, but I’m enjoying this time!

did you cut out all dairy for breastfeeding? do you find the normal gas causing veggies cause gas for the baby?

I found that dairy does affect the baby mildly, so I’ve cut it 80% out of my diet. I will have Greek yogurt here and there or some cheese in my meal, but I’m really abstaining from it right now for a couple more months until his digestive system is better. as for the veggies – they don’t cause any issues, so I am eating plenty of brussels sprouts and cauliflower! I tested this all out by eliminating them completely versus eating them and there was no difference, so I’m going with it!

how has Luca’s nighttime sleep evolved? is he sleeping longer stretches? did you try to schedule or are you totally responding to his cues/feeding times?

he’s in a bit of a sleep regression right now where he won’t nap very well and has to be attached to me, but before that, he was sleeping 5-6 hour stretches! it was definitely tough at first (and totally unpredictable), but by week 4, he started having a quasi schedule. I’m not doing any sleep training at the moment, I’m just following his cues – I can see when he’s hungry and that’s when he gets up! I never force him to sleep or don’t pick him up when he’s hungry. I’m planning on sleep training around week 8 (two months, right after the Thanksgiving holiday!)

what soap, lotion, etc products are you using for baby?

Babyganics, Zoe Organics and Noodle & Boo.

favorite clothes for the baby?

I quickly realized NO NO NO to clasps/buttons! at the newborn age, time is precious and the last thing you want to be doing is fumbling with a button at 3am while your baby is screaming to be fed. my favorite places have been GAP for zip-up onesies and Magnetic Me (magnets as clasps – it doesn’t get much easier than that!)

anything you would add or alter, prep-wise, now that you’ve gotten to enjoy the meals you prepared before Luca entered the world?

unfortunately, I don’t have much freezer room, so I did as much as possible! I am SO SO happy I did buy what I bought, though! it was immensely helpful in the beginning. meal prep is key for a healthy postpartum experience!

did you have any initial issues with breastfeeding at first?

basic latching, yes! he RUINED my nipples at first. you can read more about that here and how I remedied it. now breastfeeding is my favorite part of new motherhood! I’m going to have my LC over here on the blog to share her breastfeeding tips! stay tuned.

are you planning to pump at all and if so, any tips/what your experience has been?

I am definitely planning on pumping soon so that I can get the baby accustomed to a bottle, since I have my sister’s bachelorette in January, wedding in February and a couple other events where I won’t be able to breastfeed Luca. for now, I’m just pumping if I feel engorged. there was a two week period where Luca was going 6 hours between feedings and I was getting engorged, so I pumped a couple ounces to relieve the pressure. I am using the Spectra S2 pump and I couldn’t love it anymore! I don’t love manual pumping.

did you experience any baby blues or post partum depression/anxiety? If so, what helped?

the day my mother left and Lu went back to work, I had a lot of anxiety. was I going to be able to do this? would I be able to survive the sleep deprivation? after two days of being alone with Luca at home, I realized that it’s all natural to have that anxiety and it went away once my maternal instinct took over! just know that it’s normal to feel nervous about rearing a child by yourself, but we’re built for this, and as long as you listen to your gut and trust your instincts, that’s what’s important. texting and calling friends helped tremendously in the beginning – any issues I had while I was home alone got remedied with a text!

there were times in the first two weeks when I would look at Luca and be shocked that this was my new reality. it wasn’t a depressing, but definitely a little bout of the blues. could I do this for years? every day seemed to drag on (but the weeks fly by somehow!) as selfish as it may sound, it’s hard to adjust to 24 hours of caring for someone else and not yourself. it’s overwhelming and you feel very alone at first. however, once you become more comfortable and confident with being a mom, it’s less scary – and my blues turned into loving bliss by the end of the first week.

talk to me about tummy sleeping

from about week 4, Luca started spitting up. a lot. he also was fidgeting like crazy when we put him down to nap and sleep on his back. we realized it was because of his reflux/spitting up. luckily, he’s a ‘happy spitter,’ so it’s no cause for concern. also, from day 1, he loved having the use of his arms and hands. he soothes himself by sucking on his fists/fingers and without them, he goes into distress mode and wails. so, we never swaddled his arms in (even the nurses suggest we let his arms out in the hospital!) when we’d put him down on his back, swaddled, he’d wake himself up constantly from his startle reflexes.

so. we started sleeping Luca in the Rock n’ Play – and it worked great, for about a week or so. then, he started growing and seemed to feel squished – and started the nightly fidgets. he’d sleep for 20-30 minutes and then fidget for 5 minutes until he fell back asleep. it was MISERABLE and we felt so bad, because he he barely slept (and we barely slept either!) he was getting really fussy during the day and we think it was because his reflux got worse on his back and he was so delirious from lack of good sleep.

we were at our wit’s end when, at about week 4.5-5, my mother was here for a visit. she noticed this and right away suggested we put him on his tummy, because it would feel better on his belly. like magic, Luca slept. like, instantly! he slept deeply, no fidgets. at all. and just like that, miraculously, he became a dream baby – no fussiness and loved sleeping. he started sleeping 4-5 hours!

we asked our pediatrician right away if this was okay and say that Luca was ‘mature for his age’ and had great neck and head control, so it was okay to do, as long as we slept next to him and monitored him. for the first couple of weeks, we slept right next to him – in the nursery in his crib. now, we sleep in our bedroom with Luca in the bedroom and our monitor on as loud as possible next to my bed, on a nightstand. we don’t put any blankets in the crib or other SIDS risks.

while I was nervous at first to sleep him on his tummy, it’s been better for our baby and us. we can sleep and better take care of him – and he’s much happier sleeping on his tummy. we were torturing him on his back! when we go for walks in the stroller, if he’s bundled up, he sleeps nicely on his back. when we get to a restaurant or somewhere warm inside, we unbundle him and flip him on his tummy so he can sleep!

PLUS it’s like constant tummy time – he moves his head back and forth all the time to get comfortable!

if you had a similar situation, talk to your pediatrician – I’m just sharing what worked for us and what blessing our pediatrician gave us.

let me know if you have another questions and I will answer them when I get the chance!

all photos by Erin Dwyer Photography.

The post post-partum Q&A: life with a newborn! appeared first on Inspiralized.

• Are you a morning or night person? 

Night.

• Which do you prefer, sweet or salty foods?

Depends on the mood, of course. Overall? Salty.

• Have any bad habits? 

Yes – I’m a chronic nail biter. It’s something I struggle with every day. If you don’t see my hands and/or nails in Instagram shots over at @Inspiralized, it’s because I’ve been biting.

• If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live? 

Realistically? California. Dreaming? South of France.

• What is the last thing you bought?

A Macbook Pro at the Apple store in the Meatpacking District in NYC. Today!

• Name 1 thing you miss about being a kid: 

Sledding with my brother and sister and then coming in and having hot chocolate (that my mother made) and decorating cookies.

• Have any hidden talents? 

I am an extremely talented speed walker. My husband’s business partner is 6’4″ and can’t beat me.

• If you had to change your name, what would you change it to? 

Lucia.

• What’s your go-to drink at a bar?

Grey Goose with a splash of grapefruit juice. Or, a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. Or, a margarita. I’m thirsty!

• When was the last time you cried?

During the wedding planning process, in May 2015. We were coming home from a dinner at our wedding venue and I asked Lu, “Do you wish we got a DJ instead of a band?” and he gave me some passive aggressive answer and something clicked and I cried for hours. I cry once every couple of years and when I do, it’s pretty major.

• What’s your favorite junk food?

Chocolate Teddy Grahams!

• What’s your favorite song?

The Plan ft. Juicy J by Wiz Khalifa

• What’s your favorite inspirational life quote?

There’s a solution to every problem.

• What are you afraid of?

Not being successful with Inspiralized. Plateauing. Oh, and Great White sharks.

• What’s one thing you’ll never eat or drink?

Soda.

do you feel like you know me a bit more now?

The post get to know me: 15 questions & 15 answers appeared first on Inspiralized.