A Lady Goes West

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Life with Brady at six weeks postpartum

November 13, 2017 By Ashley 53 Comments

Over the weekend, we hit a big milestone — or, big at least in the postpartum world — six weeks since Baby Brady made his appearance into the world. Oh my!

When I asked Dave if it felt like it had been six weeks since Brady was born, he said that it didn’t seem like that long, but then again, he already couldn’t imagine what life was like without Brady in it before he was born. If there’s one thing that’s certain, our lives TOTALLY revolve around our little baby right now. Totally. And being pregnant and even giving birth to him seem like ages ago.

Brady and Rudy snuggling by A Lady Goes West

Six weeks postpartum update

Let’s chat about how things have been going. And in case you need to catch up, you can also check out:

  • A Baby Goes West is here
  • Brady’s birth story – Part 1
  • Brady’s birth story – Part 2
  • Brady’s newborn photos
  • What the first 14 days of life with a newborn have been like for us

My postpartum body, recovery and fitness

When I last checked in with you after the first two weeks, I explained that recovery was actually a little bit tougher than I expected from a very long and intense labor and delivery. Well, I’m happy to report that all of a sudden, I woke up one day maybe around the fourth week, in which I just felt a lot better physically. For the first couple of weeks, I couldn’t walk with total ease, felt some definite pain and discomfort and had serious fatigue all the time. While the fatigue is still there because of lack of sleep (more to come on that later), the pain in my body has healed. 

That doesn’t mean I’m ready to jump back into my usual fitness routine or do anything extreme, because I know for a fact that there is a LOT of healing left to do internally. I mean, I grew a human inside my body for nearly 10 months, so just because I don’t have outward pain, doesn’t mean that everything is fully restored. And that’s something that all postpartum women need to realize and consider. Cautious is best!

After two weeks, I started taking slow daily walks with Rudy and with Brady in the stroller (walking a dog with a stroller is not super easy, and it’s now a skill I have perfected, and speaking of strollers, here is ours, and we LOVE it). And I have continued taking a walk every single day since then, but the length of the walks has increased to about 45 minutes on average at a slightly faster pace, while still falling into the leisure walk category — nothing power going on here. I have not done a single workout or stretch or even a gentle yoga session, but I do expect to ease back into things this week, after getting the go ahead from my doctor. I will talk a lot more about postpartum fitness as I get more into it. I don’t know when I will return to teaching group fitness yet either, so stay tuned for that.

Walking with Brady and the stroller at six weeks by A Lady Goes West

I gained 34 pounds while pregnant and almost instantly lost 20 of those pounds, basically the first week home from the hospital. Over the last few weeks, I’ve slowly dropped another 4 pounds — which is one pound a week — a very gradual and responsible weight-loss. I’m eating a ton too. I’m guessing that I’ll continue to lose a bit more once I start working out, but I don’t expect to lose all of it while I’m still breastfeeding. We shall see! 

Overall, my body is different than it was before getting pregnant. Not only did it grow and give birth to a human, it now has to provide nourishment for that human and recover. So it’s going through a lot. I didn’t expect to immediately bounce back into a lean-looking fitness instructor, so I will just be patient with myself. I feel healthy and ready to get moving again, that’s for sure and look forward to fitting back into my old jeans. But I will be doing it cautiously and slowly, just to be smart. And of course, the holidays are almost here, so bring on the pumpkin pie and egg nog.

Baby Brady’s growth and personality

Our tiny tot was just under seven pounds his first week of life, after losing a bit of his initial birth weight, and I’m pretty sure he is close to nine pounds by now — although we don’t get an official weigh-in until he returns to the doctor in a couple of weeks for his two-month appointment. While he is still wearing newborn diapers and newborn clothes, he is definitely growing as of late. I swear that in the course of two days, some of his jammies went from fitting to way too small. He is long!

Sweet sleeping Baby Brady at four weeks by A Lady Goes West

At two weeks old, he was sleeping all day, barely opening his eyes and not able to do much except for eat, sleep, poop and pee. Well, he is definitely more alert now. I LOVE to make eye contact with him, and I feel like his eyes slightly follow us a bit more. He has the greatest facial expressions that I have ever seen on a living being in my life — and most of those happen while he is sleeping! When he wrinkles his forehead, he looks like a tiny old man.

He loves to lay on his back on his activity mat (we have this one, and it’s perfect), and he also loves to be held. I often wear him around the house to try to take care of some chores, as well as work on the blog (we have this baby wearer, and it’s so much easier to use than I expected, and Brady loves it). Overall, he is a happy and sweet baby, and there’s nothing in the world I enjoy more than staring at his little face.

How we’re adapting to being parents

Six weeks ago, I had no idea how to be a parent to a newborn, except for what I had read in books. And being someone who was never all that obsessed with or around many babies (although I was obsessed with the fact that I wanted to have my own), I was a little worried about how I would take to being a parent. Well, it has come SO naturally to me, and I feel like I’ve been doing it forever. While I am not yet able to totally read his signals and do all the right things, I feel like I’m doing the best I can, and it’s going well. We aren’t subscribing to any particular type of parenting philosophy and are just trying to do what works for us. And even though it’s a lot harder than I thought to care for a tiny baby, it’s perhaps even more rewarding and amazing.

It’s a major change for me to be responsible for another person. While I’ve been Rudy’s Mom for more than two years, that is definitely different. It’s an adjustment to realize that you’re in charge of that little life, from now until basically forever. I certainly miss some of my freedom and ease of going where I wanted when I wanted, but I also know that during those times on independence I dreamed of having Brady here in my life, and now I do. Yay!

I’m constantly looking at parenting forums, Google and websites to find out if things we’re experiencing with Brady are normal, and I feel like we have SO much to learn, but it’s quite an adventure. Dave is a great father already, as we all expected. He misses Brady so much when he goes to work, and he’s the diaper-changing master and baby snuggler every second he is here. 

I’m not going to say that everything is totally perfect. There have been a few days in which Brady has been pretty fussy all day long, with about 20 diaper changes mixed in and hourly nursing sessions. And of course, those are days when Dave is gone at work all day and has to work at a basketball game at night — so he is not home for 15+ hours. On those days, Brady doesn’t want to be put down, so even just trying to eat a snack is a challenge. I’ve definitely felt frustration and shed some tears. But then, he stops crying, looks at me, and I forget that it ever happened. Oh the highs and lows of parenting. It’s intense, people! 

Dave and I don’t have any family nearby, and we also don’t have any childcare options right now, so it’s just me, me, me. Tough stuff! And those long days alone with Brady have made me think about all the single parents out there. I bow down to you. I truly do.

As far as doing things out and about, we’ve made a few outings. Other than going to the doctor, we started with a walk to Starbucks, and that went great. We’ve also gone out to dinner and lunch and most recently wine country. Brady sleeps the whole time right now, so that’s awesome, because this momma needs to get out! 🙂 

Ashley and Rudy at Starbucks by A Lady Goes West

The art of getting things done with a baby around

Having a newborn to take care of is no joke. I am incredibly shocked at how quickly the days fly by before I have a chance to do a whole lot. I figured that because I would be home with Brady all the time, I would have a ton of time to work on the blog and write a lot of content — my favorite thing. However, as you can tell from the infrequency of posts in the past six weeks, it’s just not that easy. When my Mom was in town after Brady first came home, I had extra hands around and thus was able to write Brady’s birth story, share his newborn photos and this post about the first two weeks as well. Yet, after she left and Dave was back at work, I realized that having the time and energy to sit at the computer does not come easily right now.

Not only do I feel like it’s hard for me to focus, but it’s also hard to use that time I may have when he is napping to sit down and write. There are chores to do and I’ve got to take care of myself too. I have SO many post ideas and things I want to write about and share with you, but it’s just not very easy to find the time right now. But I hope to get a better handle on a schedule with Brady in the next month or so and be able to carve out more time for A Lady Goes West. If you’ve missed my regular blog posts, you can find some daily updates over on Instagram, so make sure you’re following there.

An update on the whole sleeping thing

Well, I had hoped to be one of those parents who has their newborn sleeping through the night in his/her nursery at six weeks, but that is completely not the case. While I’ve listened to some parentings podcasts on sleep, and tried to do all the right things, our little guy is not sleeping long stretches at night yet. One time, he slept for four hours, but his norm is right around two hours at a time, many times with a few one-hour stretches as well. Not fun! He is still sleeping in our room, next to the bed, and because he wasn’t a fan of his bassinet at the beginning (we have this one), he’s chilling in this right now, and it’s one of my most recommended items to buy for your newborn. We are going to transition him back to the bassinet shortly I hope too. 

Dave and I are both pretty tired all the time. I’m actually functioning well, even though I haven’t had a good night’s sleep in more than six weeks. Being a proponent for the benefits of sleep in your life, I can see that my energy, skin, mental clarity and overall wellness is certainly suffering from not getting the recovery I need each night. It’s not ideal, but of course, this is the one time in our lives when we just have to suck it up. We usually get him to sleep around 9:30 p.m. or 10 p.m. and finally get out of the bed around 8 a.m. And yes, we do plan to move the bed-time earlier soon, but it’s not there yet. Heeeelllp!

But still, even in the middle of the night, Dave changes his diaper and delivers him to me to nurse him, and every time that little man is placed in my arms, I forget that it’s a big inconvenience and pain to be up with him. He is so precious, and I melt when I touch him. Melt. Like melt.

Ashley and Baby Brady at three weeks by A Lady Goes West

Overall, while I’m still the same person as I was before Brady was born, I have a new perspective for almost everything in life. I’m learning and appreciating the little things even more each day, and I’m so incredibly happy to be doing it. But darn, I’d love a good night’s sleep. 🙂 

Thanks for stopping by the blog today and reading about our adventures in parenting. I’m planning to be back for another post later this week. Wish me luck!

Baby talk! Here's an update on life at six weeks #postpartum on A Lady Goes West ... Click To Tweet

P.S. In case you’re new around the blog, I feel like I can’t write a post about life with Brady without acknowledging the long journey it took to have him. He’s a miracle, and we are thankful. Find out more here in my ebook “Fit & Fertile.”

Questions of the day

Parents out there, when did your little one make some good strides in the sleep department? Any tips for us?

What’s something great that’s been going on in your life lately? Tell us!

Filed Under: Baby, Postpartum, Pregnancy Tagged With: baby, childbirth, delivery, newborn sleep, postpartum fitness, pregnancy, six week update

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About Ashley

I'm a mom, writer and group fitness instructor, and A Lady Goes West is where I share fitness and wellness tips, as well as stories and learnings from my life in the San Francisco Bay Area.
 
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Comments

  1. Maureen @ Maureen Gets Real says

    November 13, 2017 at 4:29 am

    Brady is such a cute baby! It’s great to hear you are all adjusting (minus the sleep part ha) to having a newborn in the family. Hopefully he sleeps longer stretches soon!
    A great thing in my life has been my new job! I hated my old one for a few reasons and my new job is so much better. My mom says she can tell that this new job is much better based solely on my voice when we talk on the phone.

    Side note, I have a work trip coming up that involves following trucks through the night. So if you want a middle of the night friend hit me up lol.

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      November 13, 2017 at 8:19 am

      Okay, I have to know more about this job that has you up all night hahah! Congrats on the new gig. I’ve BEEN THERE! A bad job situation can TOTALLY ruin your day and your spirit. Happy Monday, lady!!

      Reply
    • Jessie says

      November 13, 2017 at 2:50 pm

      I love how moms can just tell everything over the phone :). Mine is the same way!

      Reply
      • Ashley says

        November 13, 2017 at 3:38 pm

        They SOOO can! They see into our voices — craziness. I guess I’ll be able to do that one day with Brady heheh!

        Reply
  2. Patricia @sweet and strong says

    November 13, 2017 at 4:33 am

    Wow I seriously can’t believe it’s been six weeks either. Time goes by so fast and I’m sure he’s growing every day!

    One of Tom’s coaches just had a baby in August and the little guy has slept through every game Friday night on his Mom. Even with all the noise which always amazes me. So nice you’ve been able to make it out a bit, I think that’s super important! Have a great week!
    Patricia @sweet and strong recently posted…Take Time for Yourself with these 20 Self Care ActivitiesMy Profile

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      November 13, 2017 at 8:18 am

      Hi Patricia! That’s the crazy thing — the little tiny babies can sleep through all noise. A fire truck went by outside with sirens blazing and he didn’t flinch ahhaha! Yet of course, if I were to leave the room, that may wake him up. And I hope to take him to a sporting event very soon in his carrier so he can sleep through that too! 🙂 Hope you had a great weekend, lady!

      Reply
  3. Julia says

    November 13, 2017 at 6:10 am

    Brady is so cute! I have a 21 month old and a newborn. Sleep has always been a challenge for us but the good thing is i never got much sleep in the past 21 months so having a newborn is a piece of cake now hahaha. My favorite tips for newborn sleep are swaddling and white noise. Both of those helped my older little guy. We never did any sleep training and while it was hard at times, he sleeps all night now and those middle of the night cuddles are few and far between. I focused on my lack of sleep so much with him that I feel I missed out on just enjoying the baby phase a little bit so I definitely plan on embracing the sleeplessness more with the new baby. It flies by so fast and eventually they all sleep no matter what you do!

    I had a 3rd degree tear with my son and went to pelvic floor physical therapy which helped me return to normal and build up my pelvic floor strength, as well as my strength in general. If you haven’t gotten a prescription for pt i definitely recommend asking your doctor!

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      November 13, 2017 at 8:16 am

      Hi Julia! What a fabulous comment and sentiment, lady. You are SO right. Not focusing on the sleep. I think I’m definitely doing better than expected, in spite of being tired heheh, but I will think of your statement, if I do start fixating on the sleep again. And I also think every woman should have pelvic floor therapy. Thanks for that tip! Enjoy your little ones, lady!!!

      Reply
  4. Susie @ Suzlyfe says

    November 13, 2017 at 6:28 am

    This weekend we just slothed, and I was aok with it because I know that in 2 months, everything will change forever, and we with never be able to do that slothing again!
    It is so crazy to think that you are in a situation that is so fleeting, and yet so permanent. Usually, when something monumental happens, we say “nothing lasts forever,” and in this case, yes, that is true. But on the other hand, Brady (I pray) isn’t going anywhere.
    So you adapt. You have good and bad days, but you adapt for the best path to happiness.
    Susie @ Suzlyfe recently posted…Let me Clarify, Baby Shower Thoughts, and BREATHING (Friday Catch Up 11/9)My Profile

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      November 13, 2017 at 8:14 am

      Hi Susie! So true!! I think what is not permanent is the amount of work he is as a newborn, because the workload will change when he gets older and it turns into running around after him heheh! But yes, enjoy your slothing, lady! But I also recommend getting out of the house to eat and do things that you wouldn’t do with a baby! 🙂

      Reply
  5. Alyssa says

    November 13, 2017 at 6:29 am

    I think I mentioned this in the 14 days postpartum post, but 6-8 weeks was when sleep started to get better for us! Zander slept in the rock n play actually from week 1 when he came home from the NICU until 10 weeks old then went straight to the crib. He started in the bassinet each night for his first stretch of sleep but then went into the rock n play after the first wakeup early on, then around 3 weeks I think he rejected the bassinet entirely. At 6 weeks he was waking 2-3 times per night to eat (one 4-5 hour stretch, then 1-3 hours thereafter) but at 8 weeks he dropped to ONE nighttime feeding. What helped all of us I believe is that we made the choice to move him to his own room at 8 weeks – we responded to every little grunt with the offer to nurse, and I think it disrupted his sleep as much as ours. When we moved him to his room he started sleeping from 7:30pm until at least 2:30am, and that pushed itself out to 3,4,5, then OMG 6 and 7am around 12 weeks. We live in a tiny condo and his door is only 6 feet away from our door though so we felt more comfortable than many in larger homes, but I think you may also have a smaller place so it’s something to consider. Totally not something lots of parents want to do so young but our parent friends ran the gamut – some had baby in their own room after one week, others 6-8 months!
    Alyssa recently posted…Babies and BudgetsMy Profile

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      November 13, 2017 at 8:13 am

      Hi Alyssa! Love your detailed update here on Zander’s sleep. We also live in a smaller place, so his nursery is not far from our room at all. And yes, he does grunt a lot at night, which wakes us up — but we’re trying to decipher what’s a real wake up and what’s just noise hehehe. I’m glad to know that Zander didn’t like his bassinet either — what a waste of money ahahha! Anyways — we are still hopeful, and I can’t wait to have those longer stretches like you’re getting now!

      Reply
    • Stefanie C. says

      November 13, 2017 at 8:43 am

      I agree with Alyssa about moving them to their own room a little early. We did it at 12 weeks with our son because none of us were getting quality sleep. He would grunt or rustle around and wake us up, then we would inevitably end up waking him up.

      That first night was tough for me (especially since the recommendations said to keep them in your room for the first 6 months) but we had a video monitor which helped. I must have checked it over 100 times that night though! After that we were all able to get much more sleep which benefited us all. Also, since we transitioned so early we never had any issues with him having separation anxiety at bedtime which can come with transitioning if it’s done later on.

      Reply
      • Ashley says

        November 13, 2017 at 9:18 am

        Hi Stefanie, Very good to know! We definitely intend to move Brady in the next few weeks — just not sure when it will feel right — because I know it will be better for all of us! Hope you are doing well, lady! 🙂

        Reply
    • Delia C says

      November 13, 2017 at 6:25 pm

      Oh the grunting!! Mine did this so loudly too!! We had intended to keep her in our room longer, but moved to her crib at 6 weeks. Definitely over responded to the grunting too. Eventually we all slept better. Saw big improvement in her sleep at 12 weeks- right in time to go back to work! I️ appreciate the sleep honesty. When I️ was new at this I️ overstressed hearing about others’ perfectly sleeping babies. I’m sure you’ll give another new mom something to relate to.
      Sounds like you’re doing great Ashley! And love to hear you soaking it all in. totally relate to being very hard to get things done with a newborn! But yes take care of yourself and get a nap for yourself while you can. Easier said than done of course!

      Reply
      • Ashley says

        November 13, 2017 at 9:11 pm

        Hi Delia! The baby grunting is SO loud. It’s like — what is wrong with you? hahahah! So I get it! We’re not quite ready to move him out of the room yet, but we will when the time feels right — and I agree it should make things easier for all of us. Thanks for saying hi, lady! 🙂

        Reply
  6. Carrie this fit chick says

    November 13, 2017 at 6:31 am

    Jeez, I feel you only just gave birth! Time has flown by. I love how intuitive you are throughout this whole process. It’s so impressive and surreal how the body knows how to get back on track and how to react naturally after giving birth. Keep us updated!
    Carrie this fit chick recently posted…Recipes, Round-Ups and Q+AMy Profile

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      November 13, 2017 at 8:11 am

      Hi Carrie! I know, the weeks go by so quickly! Wow! And thanks, lady! I feel like I’m just trying to do what feels right. Hope you had a great weekend!

      Reply
  7. Kelly MacDougall says

    November 13, 2017 at 9:14 am

    I totally feel you on the lack of sleep! It’s SO hard, but we just have to remind ourselves that it won’t last forever! 🙂 My little guy is 5 weeks now and it seems like his sleeping pattern is getting better, although some nights better than others. On average his first stretch is 3-4 hours and then 2-3 after that, but he slept for 6 hours straight the other night, I couldn’t believe it! Hang in there mama, Brady will get there soon! I try to have a nightly routine, I change him around 8:30-9:00 and then swaddle him (he loves it) and then feed him and put him in his rock and play on a 30 min timer with lullabies playing. And he usually falls asleep within 30 min. Good luck, you guys are doing a great job!
    Something great going on is obviously our new little bundle of joy 🙂 I can’t believe how fast the time is going by, so trying to treasure every moment in the newborn phase! The snuggles are the best! And I can’t believe how much they change every day. He’s finally starting to coo and smile, and it’s seriously the greatest! Can’t wait to read more on his sleeping progress!

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      November 13, 2017 at 9:17 am

      Hi Kelly! Yay for your little one too! And a six-hour stretch? AMAZING! I like that you have a routine down. We’re also swaddling, using white noise, etc. And I’m OBSESSED with Brady’s smile, expressions and little noises too. So fun to see them change! Thanks for saying hi, lady!! 🙂

      Reply
  8. Heather @ polyglot jot says

    November 13, 2017 at 9:31 am

    I know…it’s so impossible to blog ?? aubrey did some longer stretches beginning around 8-9 weeks old. Before that she was only do 2 hours around the clock with evening clustfeeding every hour for many hours. Good thing they’re so cute, huh?! Hahaha
    Heather @ polyglot jot recently posted…November Goals & IntentionsMy Profile

    Reply
    • Heather @ polyglot jot says

      November 13, 2017 at 9:32 am

      Cluster feeding*
      Heather @ polyglot jot recently posted…November Goals & IntentionsMy Profile

      Reply
    • Ashley says

      November 13, 2017 at 3:29 pm

      Hi Heather! That cluster feeding is no joke! And yes, I can forgive all this behavior because of how adorable my little guy is hehehe! 🙂

      Reply
  9. Jessie says

    November 13, 2017 at 10:02 am

    I guess the best piece of advice I can give is to not think your baby should be sleeping through the night yet! Most babies do not. I have 2 kids. My youngest is 11 months old and he still gets up once or twice to eat then goes back to sleep. Every baby is so different but your baby is so young still. A 4 hr stretch is awesome for his age. I know it’s hard, but if you can, rest when he sleeps. I could never nap with my first because I just can’t sleep during the day. I know, it’s horriable and now having 2, I cannot even if I could?. I believe around 4 months of age my kids starting to go a 6 or 5 hr stretch during the night. My baby up until he was 4 months old, would not nap unless I held him. It was so hard. He’d cry for 30 min and still not settle. After they turn 4 months, you can usually help them to learn how to soothe themselves to sleep. I had to do that so I could, shower and eat. It was rough the first day, but I’d check on him every 10min and after 2+ hrs he would fall asleep then the next day, it was shorter and shorter. My guy is very stubborn. Even though, my baby can soothe himself to sleep, he still wakes to eat even though he’s 11 months. My first son, slept through the night at 10 months old. He only got up once to eat then didn’t need it anymore. I know it’s hard but the sleep thing gets easier and you get used to it. As Brady gets older, you can always pump milk and have your husband do one feeding at night. That really helps! Best wishes and he’s so adorable! You’re doing a great job!

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      November 13, 2017 at 3:32 pm

      Hi Jessie! Thank you for this detailed and thoughtful reply. From what I’m gathering from people is that EVERY single child is different no matter your best intentions and what you do. I know that Brady won’t make it through the night yet, but secretly I was hoping he would be a superstar in the sleep department, and it seems he is not so much YET eheheh — there’s still time! Congrats on having two beautiful little bundles! You busy Momma! 🙂 I feel ya on naps, it’s hard for me to do too, and I haven’t been taking as many as I should. Oh well!

      Reply
  10. Maryann says

    November 13, 2017 at 10:37 am

    We are basically having the the same experience! My son is 8 weeks old (born early), hates the halo and has been sleeping in the rock and play, and we took him to his first winery yesterday! The lack of sleep is definitely hard but worth it, especially now that my little guy has started to smile. Keep it up mama!

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      November 13, 2017 at 3:37 pm

      Hi Maryann! Ha! No way! Well, we are spirit animals I guess. Congrats on your little guy, by the way. And props to you for hitting up wine country so soon — where did you go?? 🙂 I think Brady’s smiles aren’t the real ones yet, so I am anxiously awaiting those to appear!

      Reply
      • Maryann says

        November 13, 2017 at 7:16 pm

        Livermore! We live in San Ramon, so it is super close. Next week my mom will be in town and we are planning on taking her to Napa…hope that goes smoothly!! I am nervous about nursing on the go haha.
        I like to tell myself the smiles are real even though they usually happen while he’s trying to poop 😉

        Reply
        • Ashley says

          November 13, 2017 at 9:10 pm

          Hi again! Ohhhh yay for Mom visiting! Enjoy that! And I nursed Brady in the car when we arrived to Napa in the parking lot, I had a big sweater on, so he slid right underneath it, because I was a little nervous for my first time doing it outside of our house — it was totally fine! I had a coverup, but didn’t end up needing it. Oh and I’ve only been to the wineries in Livermore when pregnant, so I need to go back now!! 🙂

          Reply
  11. Krista says

    November 13, 2017 at 12:50 pm

    Oh baby sleep is one of my favorite topics! I want to say my daughter started sleeping in longer stretches about 2 months old. We moved her into her own room and crib at 3 months which helped me and my husband sleep better. I could never get a great night sleep with her in there. I was always listening for every little sound. But then…at 3.5/4 months the sleep regression comes. I know it’s highly controversial but I highly recommend sleep training when this hits. Yes it’s painful for like 2 nights, but then it’s magical and you are giving your child (and you!) the gift of sleep. I truly believe they have to be taught to sleep and it’s our job to teach them. But yes sleep deprivation is no joke, hang in there mama!

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      November 13, 2017 at 3:41 pm

      Hi Krista! Thanks so much! It does seem that sleep is a hot topic for parents, because we all want to know the secret. I think it’s different for everyone — and we will definitely be moving him into his nursery in the coming weeks, just not sure how soon. Thanks for the tips, Momma!! 🙂

      Reply
  12. Liz says

    November 13, 2017 at 2:43 pm

    Adorable!! He’s the cutest!! Love reading your updates. Highly recommend the Dock-a-Tot for longer stretches of sleep. We used for our 3rd and it made huge difference- transitioned to crib at 3 months. Good luck!! Babies are the best!!!

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      November 13, 2017 at 3:38 pm

      Hi Liz! Thanks! I’ve heard a lot of good things about the Dock-a-Tot, but was trying to keep our baby stuff to a minimum — already not happening! Do you use it for naps on your bed or elsewhere?? Tell me more!! 🙂

      Reply
      • Liz says

        November 13, 2017 at 4:04 pm

        We put it between us for night sleep (king bed) and you can put it anywhere- great for napping and tummy time as they get to that stage. It goes anywhere, so great to put on the floor where you can see while you shower, lay on the island/countertop while cooking, table while you eat. It was crucial! We also took it with us if we traveled. If you’re not comfortable with it in your bed it could go next to the bed on a chair or ottoman pushed up next to you.

        Reply
        • Ashley says

          November 13, 2017 at 9:02 pm

          That sounds pretty darn convenient. We have a queen bed, and with the dog in it too, there’s just no room for Brady hahah! 🙂 But I can see why the Dock-a-tot would be useful for many things. Thanks, Liz! 🙂

          Reply
  13. Jessie says

    November 13, 2017 at 2:52 pm

    So glad to hear you are all doing well! Brady and Rudy look like they are becoming best friends :).

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      November 13, 2017 at 3:40 pm

      Thanks, Jessie! I think we are doing awesome, all things considered! And having a little brother for Rudy is the BEST ever — they are getting a bit closer as the days go by heheh! Hope you are doing well, lady!

      Reply
  14. Megan @ Skinny Fitalicious says

    November 13, 2017 at 5:16 pm

    I can’t believe it’s been 6 weeks already! WOW how time flies! I’m glad to hear you’re doing so well. I’m sure it’s an adjustment, and hopefully soon you’ll be getting more sleep. I didn’t sleep through the night all last week and it was horrible. I felt like I was going to die so I understand the zombie feeling.
    Megan @ Skinny Fitalicious recently posted…Pumpkin Spice Apple Crisp {GF, Low Cal}My Profile

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      November 13, 2017 at 9:04 pm

      Hi Megan! Not sleeping is no joke heheh! But I think we are slightly adapting to how the nights are going, so any little improvement feels amazing! Hope you sleep well this week, lady! 🙂

      Reply
  15. Kaitlyn says

    November 13, 2017 at 6:05 pm

    Brady is so, so sweet!!! I love reading about how you’re adjusting to new-mom life 🙂 Good luck as you ease back into fitness!!! xo

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      November 13, 2017 at 9:04 pm

      Thank you so much, Kaitlyn! I’ll be taking it slow for sure. And being a new mom is quite the job, but I totally love it. 🙂

      Reply
  16. Kelli @ Hungry Hobby says

    November 13, 2017 at 7:53 pm

    I love following your IG stories! You are doing a great job!
    Kelli @ Hungry Hobby recently posted…Roasted Delicata Squash TianMy Profile

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      November 13, 2017 at 9:08 pm

      Thank you so much, Kelli! 🙂 We’re trying our best heheh! Hope you had a nice weekend, lady!

      Reply
  17. Stefanie says

    November 13, 2017 at 8:33 pm

    This blog popped up on my Google News feed and I am so glad it did! I just had my first baby in October, she is just 3 and a half weeks old. I loved the summary of your recovery and how your baby is sleeping. I feel lucky that my little one has at least one 4 hour nap a day but we will see how long that lasts! She is currently having a fussy day though T.T You are so right that they suddenly grow in a matter of days. I had cute onesies that fit her last Tuesday, the same onesies were too small on Friday! Time to be put up for baby number 2.

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      November 13, 2017 at 9:07 pm

      Hi Stefanie! Well thank you, Google! So glad you stopped by to say hello. And congrats on your little baby girl! They grow so quickly, for sure. Literally overnight I guess hehee. And that’s awesome you can count on a 4-hour nap each day. I hope you rest during that time, but I bet you also try to get some things done, right? Enjoy the time with your little one!

      Reply
  18. Emily @ Pizza &Pull-ups says

    November 14, 2017 at 4:17 am

    Your doing great! I hope he starts sleeping longer stretches soon. Both my babies woke up every couple hours for their first couple months, it is exhausting but when they start sleeping longer stretches and you are getting more sleep it feels amazing! Fingers crossed it happens soon.
    Emily @ Pizza &Pull-ups recently posted…Portland Recap – Round 1My Profile

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      November 14, 2017 at 8:16 am

      Thank you so much, Emily! We are excited for those longer stretches hehehe! 🙂 Until then, we’ll make it through!

      Reply
  19. Rose says

    November 14, 2017 at 7:23 pm

    Loved reading your update!! Something big in my life is that I am 37 weeks pregnant 🙂 So waiting around! Little girl is measuring small (but perfectly healthy) so I am really hoping she stays put until her due date to cook a bit longer. I almost went with the Halo, but ended up getting a simpler foldable Fisher Price bassinet just in case it doesn’t work out haha. I look forward to continue reading about your newborn experience. I’d love to hear more about your breastfeeding experience/success, what is working and what has been challenging, etc and about your recovery from birth into getting back into fitness!

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      November 16, 2017 at 2:40 pm

      Hi Rose! Yay for your pregnancy! I hope you can keep her in until her due date, but if not, I hope she is healthy as can be anyways! And I will definitely cover more on those topics. It’s good you skipped the Halo, we spent way too much on it to not be used hahah! Enjoy the rest of your pregnancy, Momma!! 🙂

      Reply
  20. Amy Kaye says

    November 14, 2017 at 10:56 pm

    Love that you’re taking him out and about. It’s by far the easiest age to do it!

    All I remember about sleep patterns from my first born, in his first few months, is telling my husband all I wanted for my birthday was 8 hours of straight sleep…. it didn’t happen.

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      November 16, 2017 at 2:39 pm

      hehehehhe! I love that, AK! Maybe I will ask for sleep for my birthday in December! 🙂

      Reply
  21. Brittany says

    November 18, 2017 at 4:29 pm

    He is so precious and this post was SO helpful as I will be having a baby in 14 weeks!!! So crazy. But so exciting!

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      November 20, 2017 at 8:14 pm

      Hi Brittany! How excited are you, lady?? Woohoo!!! Enjoy these last few weeks of alone time hehehe and try to rest up! 🙂

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Ashley. I started this blog when I moved from Florida to the SF Bay Area, and I love to help you live a balanced life, making sure you never skip a rest day. I'm a mom and fitness instructor, and A Lady Goes West is where I share my workouts, simple meals and wellness tips with you. Find out more about me and stay awhile!

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Exactly twelve years ago today, I spotted Dave acr Exactly twelve years ago today, I spotted Dave across the bar in Orlando and decided to chat him up. And really, the rest is history, and boy am I glad I made that decision that day. We celebrated today by retrieving our cars that finally made it across the country and returning our rental car. Here’s to making the first move, because sometimes it totally pays off! ❤️
Hi, I'm Ashley Pitt, formerly Ashley Pinder, or AP Hi, I'm Ashley Pitt, formerly Ashley Pinder, or APin or APinder, as my friends used to call me. It's been a long time since I introduced myself here on IG. And even though most of you know a lot about me, some of you don't. So here's a quick download (paired with a sequence of photos that took place yesterday):

-I was born and raised in Florida, I spent the last eight years in the San Francisco Bay Area in California, and I just moved with my little family to Charlotte, North Carolina one week ago.
-I've been a fitness instructor for 11 years, and I started out teaching Les Mills BODYPUMP as a side hobby while I held down a job at a public relations agency in Orlando. By the way, I never imagined I'd leave the corporate world behind, but I'm so glad I did. And now I work for myself with fitness, blogging and Beautycounter as my full-time gigs, in addition to momming, of course.
-I haven't taught an in-person fitness class in 10 months, but I teach virtual classes every week, and I absolutely love it. Send me a DM if you want to work out with me!
-Yes, I'm a mom. But I had a hard time getting pregnant while struggling with hypothalamic amenorrhea. With a few lifestyle changes, I was able to recover, and because of that experience, I've adopted a "no extremes" motto when it comes to food and exercise. Now I have one 3-year-old curly-haired son named Brady, and I have a small fluffy dog named Rudy, and they are the cutest.
-I started my blog, A Lady Goes West, more than 8 years ago, and I write new blog posts every Tuesday and Friday. If you've never read it yet, I'd love to have you come on over.
-Here on my IG profile, you can expect some real talk about wellness, mom life, moving to Charlotte, fitness and all of that good stuff. I don't track macros, I don't create fancy recipes, and I don't do anything D-I-Y, but I still hope to connect with you and add some positive value to your feed. Thanks for being here!
Greetings from Charlotte, North Carolina! We’re Greetings from Charlotte, North Carolina! We’re just finishing up day four of our moving-back-east adventure, and so far so good. Although the planner in me does look forward to some more certainty, we’re enjoying the fun of this transitional time as we look for a house and find our way in a new city. It definitely feels like we are just temporary visitors right now, which is a feeling I felt when we first landed in San Francisco. But that’s just part of the beauty of moving. And by the way, you’ll see me repeating clothes for a bit until our stuff makes its cross-country arrival, so let me introduce you to this outfit:
-Jacket is @fabletics
-Scarf is @ragandbone
-Leggings are @caliabycarrie
-Shoes are @drschollsshoes
-Shades are @vincecamuto
-Brady’s wearing all @oldnavy with some @hunterboots.
Here’s to starting our first full week in the Queen City! Have a good one, friends.
Peace out, California. This lady who went west is Peace out, California. This lady who went west is officially heading back east. Today, we closed on the sale of our home, the movers drove off with our stuff, and we ended an 8-year-and-3-month adventure in the San Francisco Bay Area. What a ride it has been, full of amazing moments, great memories, tough situations, so much learning and even more growing into who we are today. We’re heading to North Carolina with clear eyes and full hearts — so you know what that means.
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By the way, I wrote a post about my best memories from the last eight years, which is on A Lady Goes West right now, if you want to check it out! See you soon from the Eastern time zone!
So many things were tough for us in 2020, but boy So many things were tough for us in 2020, but boy am I glad we went through it all together. The highlight of the year was - by far - time spent with my little family. And we’re looking ahead to the big changes we have in store, with one-way tickets booked out of California next week. Happy New Year, friends! Here’s to change in 2021! 🎉🥂😍
Hands up in the air if you’re ready for a new ye Hands up in the air if you’re ready for a new year? While we know things don’t drastically change just because the date says 2021 instead of 2020, there is some power in possessing a more positive mindset and having your eyes wide open for more good ahead so you can accept it as it comes. Let’s be honest: This year has had some major ups and downs, and I’m definitely ready to embrace change, but I also know that change takes time and I’ve got to keep pushing for it, even if it doesn’t happen instantly.
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Speaking of 2020, today I published the final post of the year on A Lady Goes West with a raw look at a year in review both personal and professional, so head on over if you’re interested in that.
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And finally, this detailed-back bra is from @caliabycarrie and I’m loving it. It’s the Made to Move Strappy Back, and I have it in a ton of colors. #caliabycarrie #ad
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A Lady Goes West is a personal blog meant for entertainment purposes only and does not serve as a substitute for professional advice from your own doctor, trainer or nutritionist. While I'm a certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor, the workouts, food and plans I post are what works for me and may not work for you. Please enjoy these stories and tips from my life, but proceed with caution. Also, know that affiliate links and sponsored posts appear from time-to-time, and I appreciate your support. For more information about how your data is stored, visit my Privacy Policy. Thanks for reading!

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