Day 1 - routine

Once we had settled in at home, I started the notes on Baby J feeding routine.  I am keen to feed on demand in the early days to establish breast feeding.  Here are the details,

 

RHS = Right hand side

LHS = Left hand side

 

4pm RHS

5.30pm LHS

Sleeping and hard to wake!

9.55pm RHS

10.20pm RHS

10.50pm LHS

11.45pm RHS

12.30am LHS

1.35am LHS

4.50am RHS

6.25am LHS

7.40am RHS

 

Wow, when I see it written down like this I have only one more thing  to say .... When do I get to sleep?

 

Day 2

It feels so good to be home.

 

My body feels completely drained of all energy, and I am starved of sleep, but I love it.

 

We are due to have the MIL visit today, which will be lovely.  Little E is so excited, he needs something to divert his attention.  He seems to spend most of his time jumping up and down on the furniture, running to give Baby J kisses, and running around with excitement.  I am so pleased that the Daddy will be home to help, it all seems a little too much at the moment.

 

Our first visitor arrived at 10am, which was a lovely surprise.  She brought her little girl (one of Little E's Biatches) who shared toast with Little E.

 

My Brother is bringing my Mummy to stay tonight.  I am looking forward to her visit, and just spending time with her. 

 

Baby J is so gorgeous, and his hair is so velvety soft I can not stop stroking it.

 

These early days are heaven, and I am soaking up every moment.

The first day

After breakfast Baby J and I made our way back to our room (I was quite impressed to remember where it was).  We then settled into the morning feed.

 

Why is it that just when you are in the middle of a great feed with a newborn baby, you are interrupted?  Just as Baby J was on a mammoth 30 minute feed and counting, a midwife came in to usher us off to the pediatrician.  I manged to delay her a few minutes, but was under pressure to go home today so did not want to miss the slot.  Thank goodness I am a chilled Mummy or the pressure would be too much and could ruin the flow of breastfeeding.  Midwives take note please!  I was told to have him naked and ready to go at any minute.

 

Just as I was wrestling Baby J's clothes off in preparation and Baby J was still suckling hard on the Mummy milk, the Daddy walked in with impeccable timing to help.  It was great to see the doctor together, as the Daddy missed the opportunity when Little E was a baby.  I felt so proud of my new little baby all perfect and tiny.

 

Baby J was signed off with no problems by everyone who came to check him.  We happily left at 3pm, and I started to feel quite emotional about seeing Little E once more.  I had only left him over night, but it seemed like forever.  He has been staying with the childminder, and having a fabulous time telling everyone about Baby J. 

 

 

A quick trip to Tesco to buy a thank you gift for the childminder and champagne for us, and I could not walk (all be it gingerly) into the house quick enough.  It felt so good to give Little E a big cuddle and lots of kisses, and he was soooooo very excited to meet Baby J.

 

Suddenly Little E seems like a giant!

The First Morning

I think I got about four hours sleep on the first night. This sounds O.K. considering I have a newborn baby, however it was not Baby J that stopped me sleeping, it was my excitement about having him.

FF had left me the laptop, and after a little re-arranging of the room I settled into watching a few movies while Baby J was feeding.

There are two things I dislike about staying in hospital ...
1. It never gets dark enough to sleep
2. Just as you are dropping off from sheer exhaustion after a sleepless night, you are woken at 6am for breakfast

Imagine my joy when
1. I was shown how to turn out the lights in my room (I wondered what all the switches were for)
2. There was no early call for breakfast. I was overjoyed to be told I had to walk to the day room for a buffet breakfast. With great pride I pushed Baby J in his goldfish tank to breakfast and mingled with other mums. The chat went a little something like this,
"OMG, it was you screaming yesterday, did they forget about you."
"Ummm yes!"

Hands on Father

How far does a Dad have to go to be considered a hands on Dad?

 

My mother is always telling me how impressed she is with my Brother and his hands on parenting.  She acknowledges that The Daddy is very good with Little E and Baby J, however does not fully appreciate how much he does.

 

I had lunch today with a very dear friend who told me that he used to do the night feeds when his little darling was a baby.  I assumed he meant the weekends, however he informed me that he did it all the time ... even in the week!

 

This is amazing to me, and quite un-necessary, however he told me his wife suffered from migraines if she had to wake up and do the 3am feed.  My dear friend is currently going through a little marital hardship, however I can not help but wonder if his loving wife knows how lucky she is.  I am sure he has not had his just rewards for his efforts.

 

How many men would have 5 months of interrupted sleep, to rise from their bed, go to the nursery, go downstairs and feed their baby at 3am in the morning, every morning.

 

I can only think of one, and I hope he knows how wonderful he is.

The first night

We settled into our lovely private room at about 10pm. I ignored all the comments from any midwives about remembering me from earlier in the day (you never know when they may come in handy.)

We ordered some out of hours dinner, FF set up the laptop so I had some entertainment and left Baby J and me to get some well deserved rest.  This is easier said than done when the adrenaline is pumping and the excitement of a new baby is peaking.

I think I dozed for a few hours in between feeding and checking Baby J was ok. We had a busy hour at 1am where Baby J filled his nappy four times with the sticky black poo.
I had a few words with Baby J, as am convinced there was already some conspiracy with the Daddy. There will be none left in the morning if he does not stop and the Daddy will miss all the fun.

Baby J seems more sensitive than Little E. He hated pooing, giving out little cries each time.  He gets most disgruntled at bringing any mucus or milk up in his mouth, but rather than spit it out, he swallows it back down. Little E was sick almost from the moment he was born, but already Baby J is proving how different he will be.

This is such a magical time, and I am treasuring every moment

Scary things my toddler says #1

Looking out of bedroom window onto kitchen roof and garden ...

 

"Me climb on my roof"

 

Errrr ... I don't think so, now where do I safely hide the keys to the window locks?

Too calm to be in labour ... you must be joking!

Baby number 2 is born ... Short version ...

 

More contractions Wed night, only turned out not to be wind this time

Thursday 3rd Feb woke up 4am.  Contractions still coming.

Little E dropped off at Childminders, and we are in the hospital 9am.

Examined and 2cm dilated, told can go home.

Refuse to go home, so given bed on anti natal ward.  Contractions are strong and I can feel my cervix dilating.

Tens machine set up 10am, and I started asking when can get gas and air.

Told over next few hours by midwives, contractions irregular, am not in labour, no gas and air on anti natal ward.  I am too calm to be in labour.

2.30pm waters break.  Midwives ask me if I am sure, and look disappointed when they find I am right.

Contractions start coming with no real break.  Still midwives are not convinced I am in labour as still too calm!

 

2.50pm connected to monitoring machine, told we will be checked in 10 minutes. Midwife goes on break and no-one comes back to check.

Buzzer pushed 20 mins ... we ask why we have not been checked.

Buzzer pushed 30 mins ... I tell them I can feel the head ... no reaction from midwives.

Me screaming 40 min .. FF goes to ask for pain relief.  Suddenly there are about 4 midwives coming to have a look.

 

Finally I am examined.  Midwife looks shocked and tells me I am 8 1/2 cm dilated, and they can feel the head.  Congratulated me in doing it with no pain relief, (they do not class tens as pain relief)

Tell me I can go to delivery suite. 

Moved to delivery suite 3.47 pm

FF helps me onto delivery bed.

Gas and Air (finally)

New midwife attempt to put monitoring belt on, gives up when she hears my scream.

Moves to the action end, tries to put on gloves ... no time as they are thrown aside and the head is out.

Next contraction the body is out, and my beautiful Baby J is born at 4pm.

 

No intervention, no pain relief, no pushing. 

Perfectly natural, perfectly relaxed, perfect Baby.