Starting Over. Again. (TMI post)

Yup, that about sums it up. It's time for me to start this process all over again. In my defense, I have a really good reason this time though. I have a beautiful 9 week old daughter to show for it. My pregnancy sucked. Horrible nausea (but not hyperemisis like I had with my first pregnancy), up until month 4 or so, with repeat bouts of it throughout the remainder of the pregnancy. Around month 5 or so, I started having horrible pelvic pains (symphis pubic dysfunction) that kept me from doing much. I had such a strong desire to do something, anything, but instead I was sitting on the couch most of the time because it hurt the least. I literally felt like my pelvis was going to break in half any time I was on my feet for more than 2-3 minutes. Lying down was a nightmare. I'm amazed that I was able to sleep at all because of the pain. I could barely get out of bed, much less roll over without practically crying in pain. All of that for several months. I had read that my symptoms might ease after delivering my daughter, but I had also read that I could be stuck with them for a while. I will say that I was blessed with the fact that by the time I went home from the hospital (2 days after delivering), my symptoms of the pubic symphis dysfuction had practically dissapeared. I had one of the easiest deliveries this time around. No complications, no stitches. The only issue was that during the last two hours of labor, my daughter's heartrate kept dropping with each contraction. To the point of it being a bit scary. My OB and nurse never mentioned it, but I know that if it had gone on much longer, they would have become worried. When the baby was born, we knew why her heart rate dropping with each contraction - she had a double nuchal cord (umbilical cord wrapped around the neck twice). Thankfully she's perfectly healthy. So back to my recovery. I felt great after delivery. I wasn't sick like I was after having my son (I threw up for several hours after delivering him). And I didn't have any stitches this time around (I had stitches for different reasons for both of my previous deliveries). I was beyond ecstactic about not having to deal with that. I did however, have to deal with my prolapse again. :( Nothing that I wasn't expecting though. I went home perfectly happy and physically well two days after delivery. My daughter had no issues either. About a week after delivery, I had a strange thing happen. I couldn't lift my legs more than an inch off of the ground without wanting to cry in pain. I couldn't sit down without feeling like I was crushing my insides. It was very odd. I went back to the OB to have it checked out for possible complications. None were found by physical examination and also by ultrasound. I was put on heavy duty antibiotics for a course of treatment as a precaution though. The issues went away, and I felt great again. No futher issues for me. :) My daughter has a shallow latch (for breastfeeding), so that's been our only issue. I've never been able to correct it, even with using a nipple shield. She does nurse, but not great. My milk supply hasn't been great though, and having to pump and dump my milk for a week, didn't help. I've been pumping for her since day 2 of life. It sucks. I spend most every free moment attached to the breastpump. It has had a permanent spot on the couch next to where I sit the most. I've also been taking several supplements to help with my milk supply. I've seen some improvement, but not a whole lot. I've decided to wean off of the breast pump and go with formula. For my sanity, and my health also. I'm not doing my children any good by being unavailable most of the time. It's a tough decision, but I've been weighing it for a while now, and finally feel secure in my decision to quit. It's tough, but it's the right choice for me in this moment in my life. So, with all of that being said, I'm preparing to start back on my journey to get healthier, again. I have lost all of my pregnancy weight (which was not a lot). I'm back in my pre-pregnancy clothes. I just don't like how they fit. I'm not comfortable in my own skin. It's time to wake up and get busy again. So, I'm going to tackle this slowly and in baby steps. Step 1: Drink more water. - I'm doing okay on low-cal fluids most days (had to be for breastfeeding/pumping), but need to focus more on plain water. Step 2: Ditch the soda. - I'm doing fairly well on this one. I haven't bought any soda in a while, and I no longer crave it. I do drink it once in a while when we eat out, though. I'm okay with this as long as I don't start craving it again. Step 3: Start getting in some purposeful movement each day. - I plan to start taking short walks with the kids each day until the weather gets too cold. After that point, I might just go to the local mall and walk around indoors to get some movement in. I have to see how the baby does with this though, since she hates being in her infant car seat, and she hates to lay flat. So I'll have to see how she does with taking walks. Worst case scenario, I take the stroller, and end up wearing the baby in a RS (ring sling) or a SSC (soft structured carrier) that's good for the (baby's) hips. Step 4: Eat a more balanced diet. - I do okay with this one, but I've been eating too many sweets. I need to stop buying cookies and other junk, and keep more fresh fruits and veggies in the house. I also need to plan better foods for lunch, and watch my portion control at dinner. Weight: I didn't weigh myself the past couple of days, but the weight has been hanging steady at 195ish. So I'll round up and say 196.0 for now. My weight day will probably be on Monday or Wednesday. I like the idea of Wednesday better, but my head is telling me that "I can't start the week on Wednesday". Lol. So, I'm shooting for Wednesday, but if I switch to Monday, don't be surprised.