Kristen Doute is learning a lot in her new mommy role.
Roughly eight weeks after giving birth to her daughter, Kaia Lily, The Valley cast member shared a quick update on her bundle of joy and dished on the lessons she’s learned as a first-time mom. Kristen began by sharing an Instagram photo of her baby girl lying in a bassinet while wrapped in a pink tartan blanket. The Vanderpump Rules alum said she learned about the swaddling practice from her good friend, Kelly Bores, a South Carolina hairstylist and a fellow mom.
“Aunt [Kelly] came and spent the week with us and taught me SO much,” Kristen captioned the photo. “I found out Kaia loves to be swaddled and have time to herself. (I also just learned to properly swaddle.) We miss you Kel.”
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Why Kristen Doute feels “so lucky” with baby No.1, Kaia Lily
Kristen also took the time to address a few fan-submitted questions and comments. One of the inquiries was about “sleep regression,” which is when a baby or toddler’s sleep pattern reverts back to frequent wakings, shorter naps, and other snooze disruptions.
“I’ve been so lucky,” Kristen said in an Instagram video while holding baby Kaia. “She’s been sleeping most nights, like, maybe every other night, for six hours straight with a bottle and diapy-change break, and then another couple [more] hours. It’s been pretty magical. The naps are either super long like this, or they’re 90 minutes. So, it just depends. But it’s getting a lot better.”
Kristen said she suspected Kaia’s improved sleep was due to a baby formula change.
“We switched from Enfamil to HiPP, the Dutch formula, and it has done wonders,” she explained. “Or maybe it’s because she’s almost eight weeks old. I don’t know… First-time mom. And good luck with sleep regression. I feel like that’s gonna happen to us soon.”
Kristen Doute admits she doesn’t remember parts of her childbirth
Kristen and her fiancé, Luke Broderick, welcomed baby No. 1 on June 11, about nine months after Luke popped the question. Kristen spoke about her labor experience in the July 29 episode of the Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast, admitting there were some details and moments that were a blur.
“I remember the pushing part and then kind of watching [the hospital staff] weigh her and watching them take her to Luke,” Kristen said. “But, yeah, even when we tell the birth story, I make Luke tell half of it because I feel like I don’t remember — I know that I don’t remember some of it.”
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How Kristen Doute’s fiancé, Luke Broderick, stepped up in the delivery room
Kristen also recalled how Luke supported her during the delivery.
“During the actual like pushing part, which was only nine minutes, he was just standing next to me,” she said. “I remember him just, whatever my doctor said, he said. When [the doctor] was like, ‘Push, push,’ and Luke was like, ‘Yeah, do that!’”
Kristen said the experience was pretty “by-the-book,” as she had an induced labor.
“When I found out I was pregnant, my doctor told me — it was like the only thing that he was gonna harp on me about my age — that he would not let me go full term and definitely not past, because after the age of 40, I guess like your placenta stops supporting itself,” she explained. “So that was just a worry… [The doctor’s] like, ‘A week early tops, but probably I’d like you to go a week early.’”
Get more details on Kristen’s fertility journey and potential family expansion.