A feed at 830.
A top up at 10.15 because oh my gawd this whole milk coming in thing, yikes.
A feed at 2am.
A feed at 6am.
A feed at 9.30am.
A mummy feeling refreshed.
Thursday, 18 April 2013
Wednesday, 17 April 2013
Thankful
I am so, so lucky to be able to have The Husband off work for a month.
I was in hospital for five nights, so he and The Toddler have spent a lot of time together, although I was extra double lucky that my parents were willing and wanted to take her for a few hours for most of those days so that he could continue to function and she could be spoilt.
He spent all day with her, drawing, blowing bubbles, doing washing, snacking. She's become a really daddy's girl.
Of course, the hard part is not looking at that as a failure on my part, that there is some magical balance where I can continue to be the 'preferred' parent while still establishing a relationship just as strong with someone who hasn't even been breathing outside air for a week.
I was in hospital for five nights, so he and The Toddler have spent a lot of time together, although I was extra double lucky that my parents were willing and wanted to take her for a few hours for most of those days so that he could continue to function and she could be spoilt.
He spent all day with her, drawing, blowing bubbles, doing washing, snacking. She's become a really daddy's girl.
Of course, the hard part is not looking at that as a failure on my part, that there is some magical balance where I can continue to be the 'preferred' parent while still establishing a relationship just as strong with someone who hasn't even been breathing outside air for a week.
Tuesday, 16 April 2013
First bath
We brought The Bubby home today.
It's all gone well so far. The Toddler is showing some interest - not too much, not too little.
I was able to nap for an hour and a half on the couch, while both girls were asleep.
I've not had any toddler meltdowns while feeding, and we even spent a few hours alone while The Husband went to visit his Pa in hospital.
Then, it was bath time.
In a nutshell? She pooped as I was taking her nappy off. Then wee'd until it all mixed and overflowed on to the towel. Then vomited in the baby bath. Then pooped again in the baby bath. Then The Husband found the dog and the poop towel.
I guess it was a success in that she got some clean water on her and didn't cry too much, but I'm hoping the next one goes better.
It's all gone well so far. The Toddler is showing some interest - not too much, not too little.
I was able to nap for an hour and a half on the couch, while both girls were asleep.
I've not had any toddler meltdowns while feeding, and we even spent a few hours alone while The Husband went to visit his Pa in hospital.
Then, it was bath time.
In a nutshell? She pooped as I was taking her nappy off. Then wee'd until it all mixed and overflowed on to the towel. Then vomited in the baby bath. Then pooped again in the baby bath. Then The Husband found the dog and the poop towel.
I guess it was a success in that she got some clean water on her and didn't cry too much, but I'm hoping the next one goes better.
Monday, 15 April 2013
Sleep time
3 hours of broken sleep doesn't really feel any worse than five hours broken sleep, once you get to about 7am.
Nice to know, at least.
Nice to know, at least.
Sunday, 14 April 2013
Sped up
The midwives warned us that things were likely to happen faster this time around as my body remembers what to do. My milk would come faster, my bleeding should stop sooner, but that I'm likely to get the blues earlier.
My middle brother and his girlfriend came to visit yesterday but I had to keep texting them to wait a bit longer as The Bubby was still feeding. She fed at 945am, 1030, 1120, 1150, 210pm, 250, 355, 610, 715, 810, 1010, 1050, 1220am, 1250, 130, 2am... I called the midwives who said she seemed gassy and they took her away to wrap a warm blanket around her to settle her belly. It settled her briefly, but only briefly. Some pacing with her brought up a few more burps, and I finally settled at 250am.
For 10 minutes sleep.
Once she started again, both of us were crying.
I was working out whether i would call the nurses in or wheel her out once the tears stopped, when I heard another burp and felt her relax. I put her in to her bed and she stayed quiet.
I slept from 4am to 630, when I snapped awake worried that she had suffocated. She was still settled. At 730 when I woke again, I woke her for a feed as it had been 5.5 hours. After a shower and another sleep from 930-1130 I woke her for another feed.
She was settled all day, though spent lunch time (when we're meant to nap) in my arms.
As I write this, she is asleep again in her bed. My milk seems to be coming in, so I am hoping this settled behaviour sticks around all night....
My middle brother and his girlfriend came to visit yesterday but I had to keep texting them to wait a bit longer as The Bubby was still feeding. She fed at 945am, 1030, 1120, 1150, 210pm, 250, 355, 610, 715, 810, 1010, 1050, 1220am, 1250, 130, 2am... I called the midwives who said she seemed gassy and they took her away to wrap a warm blanket around her to settle her belly. It settled her briefly, but only briefly. Some pacing with her brought up a few more burps, and I finally settled at 250am.
For 10 minutes sleep.
Once she started again, both of us were crying.
I was working out whether i would call the nurses in or wheel her out once the tears stopped, when I heard another burp and felt her relax. I put her in to her bed and she stayed quiet.
I slept from 4am to 630, when I snapped awake worried that she had suffocated. She was still settled. At 730 when I woke again, I woke her for a feed as it had been 5.5 hours. After a shower and another sleep from 930-1130 I woke her for another feed.
She was settled all day, though spent lunch time (when we're meant to nap) in my arms.
As I write this, she is asleep again in her bed. My milk seems to be coming in, so I am hoping this settled behaviour sticks around all night....
Saturday, 13 April 2013
First night in
Our first night went really well.
The baby must've been worn out from being born and settled quickly after each feed. I got about 7 hours sleep with a few breaks.
It's funny to look at The Bubby as my baby. All of my interaction with babies has been with The Baby (now The Toddler), so I am used to it being with my chubby, blue-eyed, golden haired girl. It is still a shock each time I look down and see this tiny dark haired, dark eyed girl.
The baby must've been worn out from being born and settled quickly after each feed. I got about 7 hours sleep with a few breaks.
It's funny to look at The Bubby as my baby. All of my interaction with babies has been with The Baby (now The Toddler), so I am used to it being with my chubby, blue-eyed, golden haired girl. It is still a shock each time I look down and see this tiny dark haired, dark eyed girl.
Friday, 12 April 2013
Welcome the Bubby
The Bubby was born today, Friday 12 April.
I came in to hospital last night to be induced - the pregnancy was not an easy one, with split abs, SPD, insulin dependent gestational diabetes and a bump that was consistently measuring 4-6 weeks ahead. The SPD meant I had to wear a stomach band, which went well with the stocking I had to wear on my right leg for blood clots, and the daily blood thinning needles. I'd had a visit to emergency with what I thought was a blood clot but is just an ugly inflamed vein in my leg. I'd spent a lot of time in appointments learning about my blood sugar and my insulin, lost 5kg in the last month and had to go in for twice weekly movement monitoring from 36 weeks to check Bubby was okay.
Two weeks ago the doctor told me that my strep swab was positive, then monitoring shortly after showed I had protein in my urine and higher blood pressure than usual (indicators of pre eclampsia). I went in to meet with the obstetrician and nearly burst in to tears when he asked how I was - I was so over feeling like my body was failing at every turn. On the positive side, the swab was actually negative and it wasn't pre eclampsia, but the doctor agreed that he would induce me at 38 weeks and 5 days.
I'd came in for 6 hours on the Monday because I'd had constant, non painful, contractions since early in the morning - it was nothing. Wednesday morning I woke up at 3am with the shakes, then the vomits at 5am and 7am. It took until 12 until I realised I had a headache and fever and that it was probably linked to the vomit that The Baby had done on Sunday rather than labour. Thursday I had an upset stomach, as did The Husband (who had to spend the day in bed).
The Husband and I came in to hospital on Thursday night after leaving The Baby (now The Toddler) with his parents, Nanny and Bumpa. We had takeaway dinner and he headed home to rest for the next day, while I had gels inserted at 10pm and 4am. I slept fairly well considering I knew what was coming and the monitoring showed the baby was quieter than usual so it took longer than it should have.
The obstetrician woke me just before 8am by waltzing in asking me to come down to the labour ward. I brushed my hair and wandered down and called The Husband. After some breakfast and some time, the obstetrician announced I was 2cm dilated. He was able to break my waters, and once the contractions started to come, albeit irregularly, we were able to get the epidural put in at about 1030. As contractions weren't really coming regularly, they started the synto drip at 6, then eventually 12 and 20. As The Baby's labour was so short, we had all presumed it would happen quickly. At around 130, I had only progressed to 3cm. However, the monitors started to show that The Bubby's heart rate was dipping with each contraction. They called the obstetrician over to have a look and he declared I was 6cm, saying I would have a baby in 30-60 minutes. After that they would have to consider a c-section as she was dipping more.
Slowly, I was starting to feel pain in my left hip. It was ramping up quickly with each contraction and no matter how they changed my position, The Bubby's heart rate wasn't fixing and the pain was getting worse and spreading. One try of the gas confirmed that I really didn't like it and would instead breathe through them. The modwives confirmed at this point that I was ready to push but that we should wait for the obstetrician, he was over in a few minutes, and The Bubby was out after three pushes. The cord was wrapped twice around her neck (hence her heart dipping) and she had turned from posterior (the compression and turning likely blocked part of the epidural, hence the pain). Sizing in at 3.180kg and 49.5cm at 3.12pm, our beautiful baby girl was born with a head or short dark hair.
And so a new (and final!) chapter of baby days begins.
I came in to hospital last night to be induced - the pregnancy was not an easy one, with split abs, SPD, insulin dependent gestational diabetes and a bump that was consistently measuring 4-6 weeks ahead. The SPD meant I had to wear a stomach band, which went well with the stocking I had to wear on my right leg for blood clots, and the daily blood thinning needles. I'd had a visit to emergency with what I thought was a blood clot but is just an ugly inflamed vein in my leg. I'd spent a lot of time in appointments learning about my blood sugar and my insulin, lost 5kg in the last month and had to go in for twice weekly movement monitoring from 36 weeks to check Bubby was okay.
Two weeks ago the doctor told me that my strep swab was positive, then monitoring shortly after showed I had protein in my urine and higher blood pressure than usual (indicators of pre eclampsia). I went in to meet with the obstetrician and nearly burst in to tears when he asked how I was - I was so over feeling like my body was failing at every turn. On the positive side, the swab was actually negative and it wasn't pre eclampsia, but the doctor agreed that he would induce me at 38 weeks and 5 days.
I'd came in for 6 hours on the Monday because I'd had constant, non painful, contractions since early in the morning - it was nothing. Wednesday morning I woke up at 3am with the shakes, then the vomits at 5am and 7am. It took until 12 until I realised I had a headache and fever and that it was probably linked to the vomit that The Baby had done on Sunday rather than labour. Thursday I had an upset stomach, as did The Husband (who had to spend the day in bed).
The Husband and I came in to hospital on Thursday night after leaving The Baby (now The Toddler) with his parents, Nanny and Bumpa. We had takeaway dinner and he headed home to rest for the next day, while I had gels inserted at 10pm and 4am. I slept fairly well considering I knew what was coming and the monitoring showed the baby was quieter than usual so it took longer than it should have.
The obstetrician woke me just before 8am by waltzing in asking me to come down to the labour ward. I brushed my hair and wandered down and called The Husband. After some breakfast and some time, the obstetrician announced I was 2cm dilated. He was able to break my waters, and once the contractions started to come, albeit irregularly, we were able to get the epidural put in at about 1030. As contractions weren't really coming regularly, they started the synto drip at 6, then eventually 12 and 20. As The Baby's labour was so short, we had all presumed it would happen quickly. At around 130, I had only progressed to 3cm. However, the monitors started to show that The Bubby's heart rate was dipping with each contraction. They called the obstetrician over to have a look and he declared I was 6cm, saying I would have a baby in 30-60 minutes. After that they would have to consider a c-section as she was dipping more.
Slowly, I was starting to feel pain in my left hip. It was ramping up quickly with each contraction and no matter how they changed my position, The Bubby's heart rate wasn't fixing and the pain was getting worse and spreading. One try of the gas confirmed that I really didn't like it and would instead breathe through them. The modwives confirmed at this point that I was ready to push but that we should wait for the obstetrician, he was over in a few minutes, and The Bubby was out after three pushes. The cord was wrapped twice around her neck (hence her heart dipping) and she had turned from posterior (the compression and turning likely blocked part of the epidural, hence the pain). Sizing in at 3.180kg and 49.5cm at 3.12pm, our beautiful baby girl was born with a head or short dark hair.
And so a new (and final!) chapter of baby days begins.
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