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.
Monday, 15 April 2013
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.
Wednesday, 7 November 2012
Dear baby - sixteen months
Dear baby,
You're 16 months old today, and I'm 16 weeks pregnant with your baby brother or sister. What a team we make!
We got you that haircut, and everyone is starting to notice your toddler-ish-ness. It seems that just by even-ing out (or crookedly even-ing out) those wispy strands of hair, everything you do seems older. Your running, your packing and unpacking things, the way you lay and look around while we change your pants.
Your favourite thing is still being outdoors. Daddy and I did some gardening over the weekend and you were happy to just potter around in the shade, helping put leaves in the bag, unhelping by pulling leaves out of the bag, and moving the smooth stones from the side garden bed on the pavers or the outdoor setting or the steps by the back door.
You're a min Makka-Pakka, one of the characters from your favourite show 'In the Night Garden'. I'm hoping Santa is paying attention because he'd be a cruel, cruel man not to gift you something from that show. When we turn the tv on, you say 'Gah gah!' which is how you talk about the show. You have a few ITNG books, that you point at and carry around and say 'Gah gah!' and want us to read to you. You know to say 'mi mi mi mi' in a high voice for the Pontipines, and I swear you said Makka Pakka and Upsy Daisy when we were looking at that book again this morning (I always wondered how people could say they got sick of reading the same books over and Over and OVER again, but now I know).
Your language is building again. You said 'turtle' last night while we were looking at one of your bath books and it was so freaking adorable I think I made a high pitched noise. You are trying to imitate more and more words and I can't wait until you start using them more.
You love to be picked up in the kitchen (something Pa pointed out to me), to have a look around. Your daddy bought me some flowers a few weeks ago so we would sniff them a few times a day. And now, when we go outside, you stop and sniff the flowers with a little snort and a scrunched up face. You do also often pick them and put them in the basked with the clean washing or try to eat them. But you almost always sniff them first.
Your comprehension is up and running. When I say it's time to make the bed in the morning, you know it means we're going to mine and daddies room. When I ask where your shoes are you, you say 'shoes?' and go hunting for them. You know that when I say it's time to hang out or bring in the washing that we'll get your shoes and then you run to the back door so we can go outside. You stand and wait at the steps with your arm in the air so I can hold your hand as you climb up and down (and you're getting so good at it). You know when we're going to the car, ('car?') and going to check the mail. When we get back from a drive you pause for a second and then give a big shy grin - I don't know why, but you do it every time and it's adorable. When we start the day and the dogs come to greet you, you rush towards me and squeal and hide in my legs.
Of course, it's not all just you being freaking adorable. You like to eat the dogs dry food, so a few times a day I have to pull you out of the laundry. You like to pull the wipes out from under your change table (and show me you pretend to blow your nose on them), you like to unroll the toilet paper in the ensuite, and you like to bang your toys around. When you're frustrated, you swish your arms around to knock food off your highchair or to move the toys away from you. You also reach out to scratch, which hurts my feelings. We're working on how to stop this, but I know it's because you're too little to understand how to manage those feelings.
You've continued having long naps, which is great, because I've needed them more often too.
And on that note, I'm off to lay on the couch.
I can't believe you'll be one and a half in 8 weeks time...
I love you, baby girl!
You're 16 months old today, and I'm 16 weeks pregnant with your baby brother or sister. What a team we make!
We got you that haircut, and everyone is starting to notice your toddler-ish-ness. It seems that just by even-ing out (or crookedly even-ing out) those wispy strands of hair, everything you do seems older. Your running, your packing and unpacking things, the way you lay and look around while we change your pants.
Your favourite thing is still being outdoors. Daddy and I did some gardening over the weekend and you were happy to just potter around in the shade, helping put leaves in the bag, unhelping by pulling leaves out of the bag, and moving the smooth stones from the side garden bed on the pavers or the outdoor setting or the steps by the back door.
You're a min Makka-Pakka, one of the characters from your favourite show 'In the Night Garden'. I'm hoping Santa is paying attention because he'd be a cruel, cruel man not to gift you something from that show. When we turn the tv on, you say 'Gah gah!' which is how you talk about the show. You have a few ITNG books, that you point at and carry around and say 'Gah gah!' and want us to read to you. You know to say 'mi mi mi mi' in a high voice for the Pontipines, and I swear you said Makka Pakka and Upsy Daisy when we were looking at that book again this morning (I always wondered how people could say they got sick of reading the same books over and Over and OVER again, but now I know).
Your language is building again. You said 'turtle' last night while we were looking at one of your bath books and it was so freaking adorable I think I made a high pitched noise. You are trying to imitate more and more words and I can't wait until you start using them more.
You love to be picked up in the kitchen (something Pa pointed out to me), to have a look around. Your daddy bought me some flowers a few weeks ago so we would sniff them a few times a day. And now, when we go outside, you stop and sniff the flowers with a little snort and a scrunched up face. You do also often pick them and put them in the basked with the clean washing or try to eat them. But you almost always sniff them first.
Your comprehension is up and running. When I say it's time to make the bed in the morning, you know it means we're going to mine and daddies room. When I ask where your shoes are you, you say 'shoes?' and go hunting for them. You know that when I say it's time to hang out or bring in the washing that we'll get your shoes and then you run to the back door so we can go outside. You stand and wait at the steps with your arm in the air so I can hold your hand as you climb up and down (and you're getting so good at it). You know when we're going to the car, ('car?') and going to check the mail. When we get back from a drive you pause for a second and then give a big shy grin - I don't know why, but you do it every time and it's adorable. When we start the day and the dogs come to greet you, you rush towards me and squeal and hide in my legs.
Of course, it's not all just you being freaking adorable. You like to eat the dogs dry food, so a few times a day I have to pull you out of the laundry. You like to pull the wipes out from under your change table (and show me you pretend to blow your nose on them), you like to unroll the toilet paper in the ensuite, and you like to bang your toys around. When you're frustrated, you swish your arms around to knock food off your highchair or to move the toys away from you. You also reach out to scratch, which hurts my feelings. We're working on how to stop this, but I know it's because you're too little to understand how to manage those feelings.
You've continued having long naps, which is great, because I've needed them more often too.
And on that note, I'm off to lay on the couch.
I can't believe you'll be one and a half in 8 weeks time...
I love you, baby girl!
Thursday, 1 November 2012
Spotty baby
This morning started in a bit of a rush. I'd woken up at midnight, 2:00, 3:30, and 5:00. It was about 6:20 and I could hear the husband fiddling around with his alarm clock. Except it kept going and going. And then I realised that it was making a clicking sound instead of playing the radio and the husband was already five minutes late for meeting his friend to ride to work.
He leapt out of bed and dashed out, being fairly quiet considering what was going on, and I heard the baby stir. I waited her out for 10 minutes before I started to get myself ready for work - by the time I'd brushed my hair and got dressed, she was quiet again. I was able to eat my breakfast in piece, and be all ready to go with five minutes to spare before I needed to leave for my sister-in-law's house (so just enough time to get her dressed and in the car).
And when I crept in to her room and took off her nappy, I noticed some spots. And then I noticed them on her legs. And then I took her shirt off and saw them on her arms and front and back.
Greaaaaaaaaaaat.
From what I could pull together online, her rash wasn't dissapearing under a glass (as far as I could tell - everything is so much more complicated when it's in relation to a baby!), so I needed to get her seen to. It probably also wasn't a good idea to take her to see her 8 month old cousin.
The earliest we could get an appointment was 9:45, so I got back out of my work gear and in to my track pants.
The doctor said her rash was like the measles, but wasn't measles. She was to keep away from babies and pregnant women (ha!). As I'd 'already been exposed' it didn't change anything for me, but the big thing was to do lots of hand washing.
Overall, she's otherwise fine. She fell on her butt when I came out of my room and closed the door, and then she sat and got sadder and sadder, but a cuddle sorted her out. After lunch, she walked over and put her head on my leg, and when I carried her to bed she rested her head against me the whole time. What followed was just over an hour of chattering in her cot and running around, and only 20 minutes of potential nap time, but that's pretty standard.
I'm glad she doesn't seem too much different - I hope it passes soon and she feels fine. And I'm so glad it's not anything worse.
He leapt out of bed and dashed out, being fairly quiet considering what was going on, and I heard the baby stir. I waited her out for 10 minutes before I started to get myself ready for work - by the time I'd brushed my hair and got dressed, she was quiet again. I was able to eat my breakfast in piece, and be all ready to go with five minutes to spare before I needed to leave for my sister-in-law's house (so just enough time to get her dressed and in the car).
And when I crept in to her room and took off her nappy, I noticed some spots. And then I noticed them on her legs. And then I took her shirt off and saw them on her arms and front and back.
Greaaaaaaaaaaat.
From what I could pull together online, her rash wasn't dissapearing under a glass (as far as I could tell - everything is so much more complicated when it's in relation to a baby!), so I needed to get her seen to. It probably also wasn't a good idea to take her to see her 8 month old cousin.
The earliest we could get an appointment was 9:45, so I got back out of my work gear and in to my track pants.
The doctor said her rash was like the measles, but wasn't measles. She was to keep away from babies and pregnant women (ha!). As I'd 'already been exposed' it didn't change anything for me, but the big thing was to do lots of hand washing.
Overall, she's otherwise fine. She fell on her butt when I came out of my room and closed the door, and then she sat and got sadder and sadder, but a cuddle sorted her out. After lunch, she walked over and put her head on my leg, and when I carried her to bed she rested her head against me the whole time. What followed was just over an hour of chattering in her cot and running around, and only 20 minutes of potential nap time, but that's pretty standard.
I'm glad she doesn't seem too much different - I hope it passes soon and she feels fine. And I'm so glad it's not anything worse.
Tuesday, 30 October 2012
Haircut!
With family photos booked in for this Saturday morning, I took the baby in for her first haircut.
It's not that she really needed one, more that her fringe would hang in her eyes and while she likes having a hairclip put in, she also really likes pulling it out. And then she really likes bringing it to you and putting her head down so you will put it back in. And then repeating. A lot.
I wasn't sure how she would go, so I was a little stressed.
She sat in the chair like a grownup with her plastic cover on.
And then she pulled it off.
And wriggled.
And kept grabbing for comb.
And scrunched up her face and blew air at the hairdresser through her nose (I'm guessing it tickled).
It got better when I sat and held her.
And it got even better when the other hairdresser came over to distract her.
But it doesn't look great.
I don't know if it's because I'm not used to it and it's kind of wonky and because she won't let me put her hair up, but it's a change.
At least she's not always looking through the mop of her fringe.
It's not that she really needed one, more that her fringe would hang in her eyes and while she likes having a hairclip put in, she also really likes pulling it out. And then she really likes bringing it to you and putting her head down so you will put it back in. And then repeating. A lot.
I wasn't sure how she would go, so I was a little stressed.
She sat in the chair like a grownup with her plastic cover on.
And then she pulled it off.
And wriggled.
And kept grabbing for comb.
And scrunched up her face and blew air at the hairdresser through her nose (I'm guessing it tickled).
It got better when I sat and held her.
And it got even better when the other hairdresser came over to distract her.
But it doesn't look great.
I don't know if it's because I'm not used to it and it's kind of wonky and because she won't let me put her hair up, but it's a change.
At least she's not always looking through the mop of her fringe.
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