Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
EP 21: Welcome Baby Margot!
2k Plays2 years ago
Baby Margot is here! This week, the moms celebrate the arrival of Whitney’s second baby, Margot by hearing all about her birth story and how the first few days as a family of four have been going in the Williams household.
Join the official Mom Group Chat Facebook group: Mom Group Chat | Facebook
Keep up with the Moms and join the conversation on our socials:
Instagram: @momgroupchat
TikTok: @momgroupchat
Questions/comments/need to vent? Email us at momgroupchat@gmail.com
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction and Meet Baby Margo
00:00:07
Speaker
There's no right way to do it.
00:00:12
Speaker
Oh, we're going to get into it. Good morning moms. My name is Candace and I am here with the one, the only, Margo's mom, Whitney and Margo's auntie, Shannon. And we are welcoming baby Margo. Oh my God. I thought you were going to mess up there and I was holding back a laugh, but you did it.
00:00:38
Speaker
Well, I just realized right now I didn't say and this is the mom group chat podcast, so I think I did mess up, but I was just so focused on getting to the Margo's mom and Margo's auntie. That was cute. That was cute. You're sweet. She's here. She's
Whitney's Postpartum Reflections
00:00:57
Speaker
here. Whitney, how are you feeling? I'm doing great. You know, coming with a newborn comes little sleep.
00:01:06
Speaker
and you're trying to figure things out again. So, you know, it's just a learning curve again. I thought like, oh, I'm a second time mom, I got this. You forget everything. It's like, oh hell, you're trying, it's a puzzle. Welcome back to the puzzle of trying to figure out what's wrong with your child. Plus you have another piece of the puzzle this time. You have a two year old, basically.
00:01:27
Speaker
sometimes I'm like, I'll take Graydon just because I know how to fix him already. And I'm like, Margo's scary to me. I don't know what your cues are yet. I just feel like the fact that you are here with a microphone on camera seven days postpartum, you're already a rock star. If you told me in my last pregnancy and
00:01:53
Speaker
Yeah, like, do you feel like seven days postpartum with Graydon, if you told yourself you're going to be recording a podcast a week postpartum with your second? Like, would you believe that? No, I'd be really mad. I'd be like, I cannot. Yeah, I was going to for the audience. Let's just be super transparent about what day it is that we're recording this. They're going to get this episode in a couple of days. We're going to edit it super fast and release it. Oh, is this a fun bonus? Oh, fun.
00:02:20
Speaker
Yeah. Well, I mean, it'll be next week's episode, right? Okay. Perfect. Yeah. So today is Tuesday, September 5th.
Margo's Birth Story
00:02:28
Speaker
Whitney, tell us about when Margo was born. Give us the whole rundown and the birth story. So Margo was born a week ago today, August 29th, um, seven 34 in the morning, right on shift change again.
00:02:48
Speaker
Um, but honestly, it was so smooth. I didn't even really notice that that was happening. Um, we went in and to induction August 28th. So we went out on Monday and it ended up having her the following morning.
00:03:02
Speaker
So over a little over 24 hours there, which was fine. I mean, I was there way longer with Graydon. This felt like such a breeze compared to my last birth. I'm like, wow, I have something to compare it to. And before when Shannon was saying like, it's so magical, it was this, I was like, I don't get it. But this time I was like, Oh, I get it because it was
00:03:27
Speaker
Definitely such a better experience this time. We got there, started with the CytoTech to soften the cervix.
Labor Experience and Pain Management
00:03:38
Speaker
I did a few doses of that because I have an iron-clad cervix apparently, and my children really like to hang out in there for hours upon hours of that medication. Then finally started the Pitocin, which is basically the synthetic form of oxytocin, which is what starts labor.
00:04:04
Speaker
when you're naturally- Do you mind if I ask questions as we go along? Because like- Yeah, go for it. Are both Cytotec and Pitocin medications that they just like give you intravenously? Yep. So you start with Cytotec or I think it's Cervadil. Either one, they kind of just open up the Cervic, soften it. Wait a second. I thought that Cytotec, at least for me, it was like a vaginal suppository.
00:04:31
Speaker
So that's servadil. Oh, OK. That's what I got. Oh, well, I mean, sorry that they're both vaginal. Sorry. One is like connected to like a string, which is servadil. But CytoTech is a tiny little pill. Yeah. And that's what I had. Yeah. And then that softens your service. Yes. Yeah. Which is the first step. Right. Like, even if you're being if you're naturally going into labor, that's what happens first.
00:04:57
Speaker
Chris. Yeah, you have a face. Yeah. Chris is going to kill me. He literally says like last time he was like, it's so funny listening to y'all try and talk medical. I'm like, Chris, Chris. Oh, come on now. I know our podcast, Chris. He literally, he goes, do you need to ask me any questions before you do this podcast? Do you mean he was like medical? And I was like, Chris,
00:05:22
Speaker
I said I did. I was like going through all the drugs. I was like, am I saying it? I don't know. But yes, you start with that.
00:05:31
Speaker
Then you can go to Pitocin, and it just takes me forever. I think the highest dose you can get is 30, and I got all the way up to 24 or something. They just kept adding it in. But this time was just so much better. I got the epidural. When I was four centimeters, I wasn't trying to be a hero or anything.
00:05:54
Speaker
Honestly, I kind of did it because our really good friend that went to school with Chris was on the next shift change. And so he would have had to do my epidural. So I was kind of like, I want to do this before Taylor comes on. Because I was like, I really don't want him seeing my butt crack and my sweaty back. Did he do your, didn't a friend do your epidural for Graydon?
00:06:19
Speaker
Um, he came and helped. He was on like a night shift, so he was like helping push drugs, but he didn't actually do my epidural, but Taylor was going to actually have to do it. And I was like, I just don't want this to be a topic of conversation for the rest of our lives together. I hear you. I was like, I love you, Taylor. I'm very confident you could do it, but let's just find a stranger here.
00:06:43
Speaker
Yeah. Hold on. I have a question because with Graydon, I remember you saying like you never felt a contraction. Like you got the epidural super early. So this time getting all the way to four centimeters, you had to have like been laboring.
The Magical Birth Moment
00:06:58
Speaker
I felt them this time for sure. Oh my gosh. Tell us your experience. How did like, how was it?
00:07:04
Speaker
I felt like it just felt like cramping in the beginning. I was like, this is it? And it wasn't bad until you got further along and she was coming down and I was like, oh my god. It was really hurting, but that's because my...
00:07:23
Speaker
epidural was like, uh, wearing off in certain areas. I had such a good team this time. It was like completely different. I would feel something and they would come and like figure out where, um, like, did they do this with y'all? They'd take an ice pack and say, like, can you feel this part of your body? Can you feel this? Yeah. They were putting an ice pack on me and they're like, tell me if you feel pressure or if it's cold.
00:07:49
Speaker
And if it felt cold, they knew where to push medicine in a certain part of my body. Wow. Yeah. Medicine's amazing, truly. So the epidural was so smooth. Last time it took forever. Like, you know, I joked I had a buffalo hideback. This time it just was so quick. And by the way, my nurse's name was Whitney. So I was like, this is good vibes. I had her like two nights in a row. So.
00:08:18
Speaker
I really enjoyed her and she just held my hands and we did the little epidural and he was done so quick and I was like, oh my God, that was so nice. Did you even like feel the epidural happening? Cause I remember everyone freaks out about the epidural. They're like, the needle's huge. And I remember, I don't remember feeling anything other than just like, I was happy it was happening.
00:08:47
Speaker
You feel that like first numbing needle go in your spine and you're like, and then I don't, and then it's like pressure. You just feel like it like kind of working that needle up in there. I don't remember feeling the epidural at all. All I remember is they had broken my water, like
00:09:04
Speaker
pretty like 10 minutes before I got the epidural. And so me sitting up, I remember holding my boots. I think I talked about this and the water, like my water was just gushing out of me and I had to sit up so straight. And that's all I remember. I don't remember anything about the epidural. I just remember the feeling of like, I'm just completely soaking this bed right now. Like that's.
00:09:29
Speaker
Oh, I remember. Yeah, I that was another reason I did the epidurals because they were like, let's break your water. And I was like, let's get the epidural first. So I don't have to feel that I didn't feel anything, though, when they broke my water, other than the gush. I mean, I felt the gush for sure. Well, she was like, I know you've had like.
00:09:52
Speaker
You've been in and out of like Polly, whatever. I always say that wrong, drum, numbness. Um, whether you have like acts excess fluid in your ambient. So she was like, this is going to feel really good. And when she popped it, she was like, Oh yeah, you've had some fluid and she was like, this probably is going to feel so much better. And she's like, now that we've broken it, we're going to make some moves. And I was like, all right. So.
00:10:22
Speaker
That was all crazy, guys. It is so crazy. Did you feel relief? What was the relief supposed to feel like? Were you just so full of fluid? I guess. I don't know. But this was all at 2 AM. And I had the baby five hours later. Oh, yeah.
00:10:43
Speaker
Yeah, so once they broke the water, I was definitely more active this time. Like last time I couldn't feel my legs. Like I was out of it, basically. Actually I was moving before the epidural. You can't move after the epidural. I was up and moving. Like I was on the ball. Like I was bouncing around. Like just, I was trying to be a little more active this time. I want to do that this time. Yeah, it helped.
00:11:08
Speaker
I, my, my nurse from Graydon's birth was there and she came and checked on me. Her name's Chelsea. And she was like, I'm giving you homework tonight and we're going to get this baby out. And so she was telling me all the moves to do before I got the epidural. And so I was doing my homework that she gave me.
00:11:26
Speaker
Um, yeah, she was really nice. So did all that epidural. Then I was like, man, I started feeling the contractions. I started bawling crying and my nurse was like, I was like, okay, here we go. This is exactly what happened last time with Graydon. Like I was in so much pain. I was feeling it in my back so bad and I was like, well, this is it.
00:11:51
Speaker
And I was crying and my nurse was like, no, you should not be feeling like this. Like I'm going to call anesthesia. So they came, they did the ice thing, felt around, put medicine in me. It was like all gone. I could feel the contractions, but it was not the pain that I felt.
00:12:10
Speaker
with grading. It was just the pressure of needing to push and all that. I was just like, oh my God, this is what it was supposed to be like. I was like, my epidural must have worn off for sure last time.
00:12:28
Speaker
So magical. Like you said, I had a midwife deliver. I actually had a midwife the whole time. Vanderbilt has a whole range of OBGYN, midwife, CRNAs, Anastasia. It's a full teaching hospital. And apparently, if you're relatively
00:12:48
Speaker
healthy, they'll just send midwives in and I've had, I had like such an amazing experience with mine. I really liked her. Um, so she came in and she was just like, every time you feel a contraction, we're going to push three times for 10 seconds.
00:13:06
Speaker
And I pushed for 40 minutes and she came out. And it was just like you said, like so, so, so, so magical. Like it was so easy and it was so calm. And I was like just sipping water in between. And I was just like talking with my mom and Chris. And I was like, this is crazy. It's so different this time. Like we're all just like kumbaya moments. I'm so happy. At one point like her head was out.
00:13:35
Speaker
It felt like she was wearing me like her head was out and I was her outfit. I told my mom, I was like, I feel like I'm her shoulder pads or something. It was so weird.
00:13:54
Speaker
Did you just like have like a visual pop into your brain and that's just where you were? I'm Margo's shoulder pads like I was kind of drugged up. That is definitely like a drug thought. And my mom was like, what?
00:14:10
Speaker
But it was great. She was a big girlie. She was 9.5 pounds. That's crazy. And she's shorter than I expected. She was like 19 and three quarters. I was expecting her to be so tall, like Graydon, and she's a little shorty. But yeah, I only had a first degree tear somehow. That's amazing. I know.
00:14:35
Speaker
I'm like, wow, I got pretty lucky with that. But I think just being in labor and like having that 24 hours to stretch that helped.
Post-Birth Bonding and Family Dynamics
00:14:43
Speaker
It didn't, she didn't come fast and furious, so I didn't tear. I had the time. So, um, it was truly awesome. Um, at Vanderbilt, they have them lay on your chest for an hour so you can bond before they take them and weigh them. Um, and then they, they basically don't give them a bath for, do they do that with y'all? Yeah. That's new. Yeah, you're right.
00:15:11
Speaker
It was like one of the last things we did before. Yeah, it was like. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Like they keep that stuff on them for a while now. Yeah. We were literally there for 24 ish hours. We were gone by lunch the next day.
00:15:30
Speaker
Dude, I'm praying that that is our experience this time. Well, I didn't have that last time we stayed for two days after. And I was just like, wow, we get to go home. I was so excited to see Graydon and like, yeah, it was just, it was so much better guys. Like there's hope out there.
00:15:55
Speaker
Chris and I have been talking about this so much that it's so weird that she just came into our family, but it's like she balanced us out in a way. She completed us. There's no more fighting over, like, well, I did this last with Graydon, or will you do this with Graydon? Because I've been with them all day. It's like you have to divide and conquer, and it creates this balance in your household.
00:16:21
Speaker
Well, I'll do this and I'll do this and you just it's like a. I don't even. It's like mutual appreciation because everyone has their own thing to do. Yeah, we are working so much in like working together. Chris and I can see how much each other are working like for Graydon or for Margo. We're both like tag teaming stuff. So it's just like.
00:16:43
Speaker
Whoa, she really rounded out the family. It feels so right. It's crazy. So nice to hear. Oh my gosh. So nice. It feels good. Like I thought it'd be kind of scary, but it feels.
00:16:58
Speaker
10 times better. We're on scale now. It's good. It's really good. It's amazing. It's making me emotional. I know. I kind of felt like I would cry talking about that because I keep thinking, wow. When people say, oh, our family's complete, no legit. It feels so balanced, so good, so right. It's like, wow, this is what we needed. She's perfectly fit for our family.
00:17:28
Speaker
I love that so much. I'm getting misty eyes. Okay, she has a ton of dark hair. So I have some questions. Did you have heartburn or acid reflux while you were pregnant? No.
00:17:46
Speaker
with either and grain came out. God bless you. Yeah, because my my heartburn was so bad and Alice came out with a whole bunch of dark hair. So when you were pushing and they could see her head, did they mention her hair? Oh, yeah, they're like, whoa. They're like, it is.
00:18:05
Speaker
because she has a black, black hair. And I'm like, what the heck? Because Graydon's obviously so blonde, but he was born with brown hair, but it was not dark black like this. I'm like, I literally pushed out my sister's child because my sister has black hair. I'm like, she's got my dad and my sister's hair. It's so crazy. Oh.
00:18:27
Speaker
She's got a ton. She's beautiful, truly. I'm so glad you had such an amazing experience. Like, I feel like it's so nice to hear that. And then to hear, like, I feel like I have a lot of fear and almost like,
00:18:44
Speaker
I was kind of texting Shannon about this the other day like I have like I feel like I'm pre grieving our life is just three with Alice and so it's so refreshing to hear you say that like you feel the balance and you feel like it everything just like fell into place because I have like a fear around that it's like
00:19:07
Speaker
Oh well you have like it's like Graydon was home all week and normally like Chris and I would kind of sit around and like not have things planned but like Chris will go take Graydon and do stuff and it just feels like we're all working really hard um in this like new little phase of life and
00:19:26
Speaker
it's just so nice to remember like this is just two months of chaos because you know they'll start sleeping or they get better every single week they start sleeping a little better and better and better you kind of figure them out they start eating better and it's just like it's so nice being a second time mom knowing
00:19:44
Speaker
This is just two months of my life versus this is the rest of my life. I just feel so much more confident this time. I'm not feeling the baby blues. I cry every night. I cry every day, but it's in a good way.
00:19:59
Speaker
It's like, I cry at night because I'm scared. I'm like, I don't know if I'm gonna get sleep tonight and I'll have my little pity cry or I'll cry in the morning and be like, Graydon's so sweet with Margo. And like, it's all good. I feel completely different. Like I definitely was going through it last time. And I can see that. You seem really like good. You seem really good.
00:20:27
Speaker
so happy, like Candice and I have been doing some side texting and yeah, we were talking about the having three and moving to four, but we also were talking about how excited we feel now about having our new one come and how this just feels like, Oh my God, like it's real for all of us because it happened. It happened to you. But I was going to say like the newborn phase and having, like having a baby arrive is such a big,
00:20:57
Speaker
thing for a family. It only happens a few times and it's like a new person has joined your squad. It's a canon event. It's a canon event. It's crazy times, but it's also like I've been seeing on your stories. We've been texting like having everybody come together. Everybody's like focused on you guys and your family.
00:21:21
Speaker
and welcoming Margo as like this new person in your greater family. And it's like, it's just so special. I hope you feel like some of that, I don't know, like special specialness and like sacredness around the canon event. Such a good term, Candice.
00:21:38
Speaker
Oh, for sure. Her family has been so helpful. Chris's mom was here for a full week. They lived down in Alabama, so she stayed for a full week. His little sister came up to meet her. They were both so helpful. I cried when they left. I was like, I miss you guys already.
00:21:56
Speaker
Um, and then my mom's been in and out. She's obviously very helpful cleaning the house and taking care of Mario when I need to get things done. And my sister got to meet her. Everyone's come like my brother. Everybody's come to meet her. So we've just had a good little time and it's kind of crazy. A week has gone by. I'm like, she's just going to get bigger and bigger week by week and.
00:22:23
Speaker
I don't know. It just is flying by so fast this time.
Sibling Adjustments and Parenting Insights
00:22:28
Speaker
It's been great. And Graydon loves her. He was so, so sweet when we came home from the hospital. She was kind of a crier at first. We were like, obviously now I know because my milk didn't come in till day five. Let me put that out there.
00:22:43
Speaker
Damn. I know, which was kind of scary. I was like, I was telling them, I'm like, do my boobs not want to produce milk because I hated pumping so much the last time that they're like, no, not doing this. We're not doing this. I'm opting out. Yeah. Yeah. My body was like, yeah, I remember you not liking that. So I kind of got nervous. But yeah, grading's been great.
00:23:10
Speaker
He pretty much ignores her, but like this morning we sent him back to daycare and the first thing he said when he woke up was like, baby, like he wanted to see his sister and he'll give her a little pat. And we've been trying to get him to concentrate on her feet so he doesn't get in her face. So he calls him his little piggies.
00:23:31
Speaker
Oh, yeah. So he's been really good with her. The sleep is touch and go, as you know, the first week of feeding. We're trying to do every two or three hours kind of going off the three hour thing unless she wakes up in a starving will feed her. But, you know, just learn. Yeah.
00:23:52
Speaker
I was going to say, so I think one of my very first questions to you after your first night was like, does it all come rushing back? And or like, because I feel like I don't even remember like how often I pumped. Like, I don't like it. It's all a race. Like, I don't remember a damn thing. So.
00:24:13
Speaker
You don't. I literally, I didn't like read the mom's, I didn't like brush up on the mom's on call book until like I had her and I was like flipping through it like help. What am I supposed to be doing? Because like I said, we had to supplement with formula and she was spitting it up pretty bad.
00:24:35
Speaker
We fed her too much at one point. She like projectile vomited like great and did yeah, it was so scary I was like, oh my god, she's not gonna like Bobby like here we go I'm gonna have to go on this hunt and then look right the pediatrician was like you gave her way too much They were like you were very overzealous So it was just nice to like have confirmation like it wasn't the formula. It was you
00:25:01
Speaker
No, I remember they drink so little. I remember that postpartum doula we had like when we started supplementing formula and this was like three months in, you have to feed them so slow with the bottle. Like literally like they're a little bird and I just feel like I would I would have forgotten that.
00:25:25
Speaker
Well, that's the thing. We had to go buy preemie nipples just because she's so small. It's just like you're trying to figure all this stuff out and you're like, every little feeding, I'm like, well, we'll try this this time. Well, she hasn't pooped, so we'll put some Myelicon in it because she's so gassy and her stomach hurts. You're just like every feeding, you're like, okay, we're going to try something new, I guess. Yeah. It's so much trial and error with the newborn.
00:25:54
Speaker
That's the anxiety. It's like, oh, God, I hope this works. I hope this works like you kind of forget they're ever changing. Yeah, schedule. But I was going to say, like, I know you already had your group, Candace, that you're a part of, but like.
00:26:12
Speaker
you kind of need some people to talk to because they're all going through the same thing and they'll ask questions and I'm like yeah literally like I don't remember some of the stuff so having that September group you know some of the people had them before me and then like there's a ton of people that still haven't because it's only September 5th right but everyone's like popping off in there everyone's like in the postpartum chat like this is so hard and you get to like
00:26:41
Speaker
kind of commiserate together in there and be like, we got this, it's only two months or whatever, or one month. And then like feeding stuff, they're like, how do you do this? Or how do you get them to latch? And there's so much helpful information in the group. I'm like, thank God. Because even as a second time mom, I'm like, I wouldn't even know how to do some of this stuff without y'all. So highly recommend.
00:27:08
Speaker
joining a freaking group. It's also, I remember with my group, like one of the most helpful things was in the middle of the night, like we had some rough nights with Alice, like being able to text people that I know are probably awake at the same time. Like literally it would be like, who's up? And it'd be like me, me, me. And then we'd all talk about what's happening. Yeah, exactly.
00:27:31
Speaker
So that is so helpful. It makes you feel so less alone, especially if you have a husband who doesn't wake up like me. Those nights are really lonely. I feel bad. Chris took a big brunt of it last night.
00:27:45
Speaker
Oh, I felt bad because we've been trying like to I'll be like, I'll do the three a.m. feed and you take like the six or whatever. And she was just up all night and we were both like taking her back and forth, just bouncing her around and being like her stomach hurts. We don't know what to do. Like feeding her wasn't helping the past. He wasn't helping. So we were just kind of like bouncing her around all night. And so we both were like, fuck me this morning.
00:28:15
Speaker
Yeah. But it's all good because Graydon went back to daycare. I miss him so much. I like have loved having him home. I didn't think I'd feel that way. I thought I'd be like, Graydon's got to go like he's overwhelming me like too much. And it was like the opposite. I couldn't spend enough time with him. It's like my love for him grew immensely.
00:28:44
Speaker
That picture you sent of you holding Graydon. Oh, my God. I know. I know. Dude, when I first, yeah, when Graydon, we came home and Graydon got my lap and put his head on me and he was looking at his sister. I bald. Yeah, I can't even look at that picture. I can't either.
00:29:05
Speaker
And my mom, my dad, and Wendy were literally standing in front of us with cameras that felt like paparazzi. And I was ugly crying. And I was like, I was so embarrassed. But I was like, I can't hold it in. I was so emotional finally getting to hold.
00:29:25
Speaker
It was great. And again, after being away from him and like, like I said, my love for him intensified. It was crazy. I was like, I just love him so much and he's so big. I can't talk about it. I'll cry. I know Shannon's over here. Sorry. I'm at least silent crying. I don't have
00:29:46
Speaker
cry shame later. But yeah, the live on it because it's like such a sweet picture. And then I like watched the live and I was like, Oh, fuck. See, I mean, you are like ugly crying and you're like,
00:30:00
Speaker
rubbing his back and I can just you can just see how you can feel it like it's a picture that you can feel. Yes, you can feel it. It was such a perfect moment. We waited to introduce them at home. We kind of got that tip from a few people like bringing them to the hospital can be scary for them and then they have to leave mom and dad. So we were like, we'll just wait until we
00:30:27
Speaker
can do it at home in his environment. And he had just woken up from a nap. And we came downstairs and he was like, oh, a baby's here. And it was just a really sweet moment. And we were just so happy to be reunited with him because it had been like three days since we'd seen him. So.
00:30:45
Speaker
It was wonderful. And it was so cute. She was crying because she's, you know, brand new. And he was like, Oh, no. He's like, Oh, no. So cute. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, no. She really doesn't.
00:31:07
Speaker
cry that much. She did a ton last night. Chris and I were like, we go, what happened to our sweet baby? Oh, yeah. You have some moments like that. Yeah. She was so gassy, poor thing. But she's.
00:31:22
Speaker
She's good now. She poop-a-looped this morning. I'm happy as can be. Good girl. I saw something recently that it was a second time mom talking about how big her toddler's poops seem now compared to the newborn and how that is one of the most shocking parts after you bring home a newborn and then you change your two-year-old's poopy diaper and you're like,
00:31:46
Speaker
This turd is huge. You have a human turd in your diaper. Yeah, pretty much. I forgot how hard it is to change a newborn. I thought it would be easier than changing Graydon. It is so hard. Well, you've got a girl now with vagina holes.
00:32:06
Speaker
It's hard. Chris and I are like, we don't know what to do with all these crevices. Like, what is this? It's all I know. So like, like if I change a boy, a boy diaper, I'm like, what are these? I don't know. It's so easier. Having boys are easier, I think. She but she's still so little. She's so tight. Like, yeah, they cry when they're naked. I forgot how much they cry, which
00:32:32
Speaker
which reminded me why I only kept grading in pajamas days upon days and never changed his outfits to take cute pictures because I didn't want to deal with the crying in between. And I bought all these cute outfits for Margo thinking, I'm gonna dress her up and be all girly. I'm like, nah, she cries anytime she's naked or getting her diaper changed.
00:32:57
Speaker
Granted, it's for a short amount of time, but it's so sad and you're like, I don't want you to cry. So you forget all of that, how much they cry. And you're you swaddle them right away, right? Like we've been swaddling her at night only just trying to get her used to which it probably doesn't even make sense at
Newborn Care Challenges and Solutions
00:33:19
Speaker
this point. She's so new.
00:33:21
Speaker
But we've just been swaddling her at night and then putting a blanket kind of on her and swallowing with her muslin blanket during the day. But we put her in that halo sleep sack at night and tighten her up in the cocoon.
00:33:39
Speaker
I should remember like always just so much swaddling and like trying to get the swaddle down was like a big thing with TJ. So maybe that'll come more naturally the next time. Well, I know I feel like we went on it. Yeah, that's the same. Like I feel like we tried so many.
00:33:57
Speaker
before you just always waddle. Well, and, you know, during the day, they kind of lay on you. So she's kind of laid out like we don't swaddle her all the time, like if she's sleeping on my chest or or whatever. So we just kind of let her free ball it during the day, swaddle her with a little blankie. And then at night we do the actual talk. So.
00:34:21
Speaker
Took and roll. Are you feeding her from the boob or are you mostly pumping? Or both? I dabbled in the boob and I dabble like once or twice a day if she's like starving in between bottles like I'll pop the boob in her mouth but like I am just not putting any pressure on myself this time and it
00:34:45
Speaker
is so relieving like this feeling that I have knowing like I'm doing all the right things for my child like we're doing half formula half breast milk I'm over producing in breast milk because I'm just saving it as much as possible I'm saving six ounces a day gonna put it in the freezer I've already decided I think I'm just gonna pump for two months and then that third month give her all the freezer
00:35:12
Speaker
milk and be done. And that's just like a decision I made. I am just too busy running around with Graydon and I don't want to spend my life on the pump and I don't plan on breastfeeding. So I was like, this is going to be the call and I feel good about it. And she's doing great with it.
00:35:31
Speaker
It's so nice to not have that pressure this time around. I feel like I'm so looking forward to that, to just make decisions more confidently, to be like, what works for us works for us. And that's that. Yeah. And I don't feel any certain way about it. She's doing great with both.
00:35:51
Speaker
I'm happy. She's happy. It's it's just like helping me mentally for sure. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's going to be a major shift for us, too. Yeah. She she'll take the boob fine. Still, even though we've been doing pretty much bottle the whole week, but like she'll take it. She fall. That's the thing. She falls asleep on the boob so well. Alice did every time my boob was in her mouth, she was like,
00:36:18
Speaker
Yeah. And she'll fall asleep that way. And I'm like, dang it. This is how I get her to sleep. But she wouldn't have it last night. She was not having it. And I was like, oh, I'm panicking. The boobs not working. My tricks aren't working. But yeah, she'll fall asleep on the frickin' boob. And I'm like, all right, you like it. I get it. I get it.
00:36:41
Speaker
We're not doing it. Yeah. You got to do what works for you. And it's so nice to not have that pressure this time around for sure. It's so lovely. Yeah. Like I said, second time mom confidence is so nice.
00:36:58
Speaker
I just feel, I feel great, honestly. Like night and day compared to Graydon. And our family just feels, feels good. I don't want to like jinx anything. It's kind of scary to like speak it into existence. I'm like, I just want it to keep being a little, in our little happy bubble right now. I'm sure Graydon will get sick this week and then it'll all come crashing down. Oh God.
00:37:27
Speaker
Hopefully not. We're not going to put that juju out there. Well, like we went to Target yesterday and all the kids are coughing and hacking because it's like the second week of school here in Nashville. And so I was like, mmm, grades going back to fucking daycare this week. And I'm sure like everyone has older siblings in school. And I was like, he's going to come fucking home with something by Friday. And we're going to be like.
00:37:53
Speaker
Help. There's going to be a segregation. Well, they all said.
00:38:01
Speaker
Or the doctors were saying like, just try and keep her healthy until her first, um, shots, which is, we have that like next Monday. Um, and then, you know, just to try and keep them safe the first two months of life. So we're just gonna watch that the first two months. You really gotta be careful. Um, but the doctor said to immediately change them when they get home and to wash his hands constantly. Great. And so.
00:38:27
Speaker
We're going to be doing that. We're going to try to change their clothes when they get home from school. Yeah. Immediately. So that's the thing we're going to be doing. And hopefully just keeping him out of her face, which he doesn't get in her face. So.
00:38:42
Speaker
He's got them piggies to focus on. Yeah, he likes the piggies, which we decided she's going to be a pig for Halloween. Oh, that is so weird that you say that. I literally was thinking about that for Alice, but it's too hot here, I think, for a pig. Halloween is a hot holiday here. She could be a mermaid. We're thinking she's very into unicorns and mermaids, so we are talking about both of those.
00:39:06
Speaker
Well, I, you know, I'm very into shopping workshop. I might create a vision board. I'm like, I'm so into Halloween and like try to be creative. And he's so into dinosaurs. I just caved. I was like, great. Yeah. You want to be a dinosaur? And he was like, yeah. And I was like, fine. I know. I feel that something, sorry, not to shift into Halloween talk, but I feel like her interests
00:39:33
Speaker
like happened so quickly to where she's telling me like what she really likes and what she wants. And I'm like, wait, I thought I had a year or two left to like decide the fun things for you. And now I'm like, oh, you're telling me you want to be Sky from Paw Patrol? Like how did this happen so quickly? I know. I'm like, oh, freaking dinosaur. Really? Okay. So, but he, since he plays with her piggies, we are just doing piggy.
00:40:00
Speaker
And that was that. I was like, well, Halloween is whatever this year, I guess so. Oh, I just want to say real quick, I got for it. Graydon's birthday invitation in the mail. And we had our friends in town who went to LSU. So they're like, you know, big football. I know. And then Florida State whipped their ass. I know. We were all sad.
00:40:23
Speaker
I know the game was so close in the beginning. I was so confused when I woke up and they beat them. I feel so much Florida sadness this week with Jimmy Buffett dying. Sad. Gators absolutely shitting the bed so hard. Sad. Florida State beating LSU. Sad. I was just like, oh my God. But anyway, they saw Graydon's invitation and they were like, oh my God.
00:40:46
Speaker
This is the cutest thing ever. But then Charlotte, my friend goes, I feel like I know somebody who's doing this. And then she was like, Oh yeah, I heard it on your podcast.
00:40:56
Speaker
Oh, it's, it's your friend. I was like, this is it. This is with me, but it is so cute. It looks amazing. Like it's so professional. Even like it has a barcode to scan, like as if it were a real ticket. It is so cute. Reminder. She was doing a tailgate themed to your birthday party for graded and the invitations like a little
00:41:19
Speaker
VIP sports ticket. And it's so cute. It's so nice. I know. Vinnie was so obsessed. He like, you know, poor boys. So bad. But he was like, oh, this is so cool. He was like so into it. I was like, should we go? All the guys go.
00:41:44
Speaker
all of our neighbors like all the husbands were like damn this is awesome because our neighborhood cul-de-sac is girls and they're all like oh my god this was amazing and i'm like oh thank you thank you just all the details like the like section row c is the birthday we'll have to post a picture of it it's so cute
00:42:06
Speaker
I think you're going to watch people show up at your house. Hopefully. Yeah. Yeah. We forget to like not take my address off and we have random people show up. That would obviously be so flattering. We'd be like, Oh my God. Oh, I mean, it's a tailgate. You know, the more, as long as you bring a dip, bring and be Y O B baby. Let's go.
00:42:28
Speaker
I do have a funny anecdote about the FSU game just so quickly. This is, I thought this was so funny. So obviously Florida State like did so well and beat the crap out of LSU. And then last night I see Vinny, he's looking at like seats, like he's looking at like a stadium map, you know? Like on StubHub, okay? Or like a ticket site.
00:42:52
Speaker
And I said, what are you doing? And he's like, I'm looking at national championship tickets. I was like, you, you win one game, you win one game and you are looking at national championship tickets. I was like, okay. Like that's absolutely ridiculous. Like you are delusional genuinely to a national championship.
00:43:14
Speaker
Yeah, has Vinny ever like been to a national championship game? He did. He went when FSU was in it. Yeah, he's actually been to a couple that even when FSU wasn't in it because he used to work in like events and sporting events. I will say that is like a whole new ball game going to a national championship. Candice and I went to the Alabama LSU one in New Orleans.
00:43:40
Speaker
We were. We were a character. It's like I barely remember the game, if I mean, I think we were eating our neighbors next to his hot dog. They were like giving us bites of it at one point. And we were like, thank you. And after the game, I remember walking a mile in the wrong wrong direction and it got real sketchy. And we were like, huh?
00:44:07
Speaker
This isn't right. I think our phones were dying or dead and we didn't really know. It's a fun memory for me. Yeah. Okay, back to newborn talk really quickly and then we'll wrap this up. I was thinking about this because I know you were very scared of SIDS with Graydon and I know you use the outlet. Yes. With Graydon, are you using that this time? How are you feeling about that aspect of things?
00:44:36
Speaker
it's still I can't allow myself to think about it too much or it sets in like I that's I think that's why I initially cry at night is I get a little bit anxiety around just hoping that they're
00:44:53
Speaker
breathing obviously and um the sleep how long how much sleep am I gonna get um but we are using the outlet again we we introduced it again maybe two nights ago um and it it just helps peace of mind like I know it's not
00:45:11
Speaker
regulated like it's been, I don't know. I don't know if it's been recalled. I don't know. I feel like it's still available to buy, but I know there was a time there where it was like recalled or whatever. I don't know. Something about it where it's like, you can't rely on it exclusively, like whatever. It's not a medical device.
00:45:27
Speaker
But it helps me just to know it's like an extra eye on my kid while I'm sleeping. So we are using it. I love it. And it makes me feel better. So yeah.
00:45:43
Speaker
Yeah, we're using it. Round two. We're using Graydon's old ones. So I never like deleted the app. So everything just re-uploaded. It thinks it's great. And I'm like, yeah, it's perfect. I remember it got recalled right around my baby shower time. So two years, two years ago-ish because I got one and then I couldn't activate it. Like they had deleted everything. But yeah, I think the,
00:46:11
Speaker
The issue with it was that something in the language of what they were saying it could do. It wasn't like it was dangerous in any way. They needed to reword. It was like a medical device and it's not regulated like that. I don't know what it was.
00:46:33
Speaker
Here we go again, talking about things we don't really know, but I'm using it. Listen, if there's one thing you should know about this podcast, we don't know. We don't know, but we will discuss. Yeah, I'm using it. Whatever. I got that. I got my doc guitar, all the canceled products. Oh, my God. I love dark. I.
00:46:54
Speaker
Can't wait to break out our dakkata again. I mean, it's so perfect for the couch. What can I know? And when you're like, yeah, obviously you're not allowed or supposed to let them sleep in it, but like if you're watching them and they're on the couch sleeping in it, game on. Yeah, doing it. So. Yeah. And we have this nugle me and it's just, it's the same. If for some reason you don't want to use the dakkata, the nugle me is the same.
00:47:17
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. We have both and we loved both. We use them both. Although the snuggle me became like Josie, my dog's favorite bed. Like she loved that snuggle me every time I left it on the couch. Josie was laying in it. Well, Graydon's been getting in the docket. It's like he's liking it all the sudden. He remembers he wants his diaper changed in and I'm like, I'm like, well, it was yours first, my guy, like have at it. So he's been laying in it.
00:47:47
Speaker
It's weird, but anyway, thanks for letting me talk about baby Margo Rhodes. It was such a pleasant experience and she's here and we're so happy. We're so happy. Can't wait for y'all's babies next.
00:48:03
Speaker
Oh my God, we have a little bit of time. Thank God. But I'm definitely excited. And I mean, we're going to keep recording. So we'll keep getting updates. And yeah, we're like all entering newborn land again. So hopefully y'all are down to hear about that because we're going to be dying about it. Yeah, I'm excited to talk.
00:48:22
Speaker
I'm excited to talk about some of those topics because we really haven't talked about sleep or sleep training or schedules. We've talked more about toddler things. I'm excited to enter that land again and be able to provide some of the newer moms who are in that newborn space.
00:48:44
Speaker
I'm just like so glad that my baby will be sleeping through the night by the time y'alls is born. Yeah, I'm sorry. I'll be so jealous. It's like all I can think about. I'm like, oh, by Christmas, she's going to be so freaking fun. Like she'll be like, yeah, I'm once old. And I'm like, oh, it's going to be so cute. And she's me so sleepy and sweet and smiley. And then y'all will have your babies and I'm going to be obsessed with your newborns.
00:49:13
Speaker
Well, thank you so much for sharing your story. We can't wait for even more updates for the listeners. Just so you know, we are sliding this episode in, but some of the episodes that are coming weeks after this are prerecorded that we recorded before Whitney gave birth. So you might hear some like, Whitney, how are you feeling? And like talk about pregnancy still. So we did prerecord some episodes. So just keep that in mind as you listen to the next week's episodes.
00:49:42
Speaker
And yeah, we're just going to keep churning out episodes for you. Yeah, we are proactive girlies here. We got to keep the pod going. Exactly. I love you guys. Love you. Love you. Give Margot a kissy.
00:50:00
Speaker
Bye. Thank you so much for being a part of our mom group chat. New episodes drop every Tuesday. And don't forget, the group chat is blowing up on our Instagram page. So make sure you're following along over there. All right, gotta go. My toddler just put something in her mouth.