Catching up…the first week by Mom
Well, Henry is now three, nearly four, weeks old and I have yet to post anything about his progress since the birth. I guess that’s what happens when you have a newborn who requires your attention 24 hours a day. (Plus, I’m not much of a one-handed typist)
Anyway, the first week was a wild and crazy ride. Anyone who has had a kid knows that anxious feeling you get when you leave the hospital for the first time and venture home with your new little bundle of joy (or, more realistically, “bundle of poop and screams.”).
I always knew that being a mom was a tough and that caring for a newborn was one of the hardest jobs imaginable…but no amount of studying and prep work can ever really prepare you for what is to come. I was literally anxious from the moment we left the hospital til…well, now. (A feeling that was reflected in my high blood pressure reading when the visiting nurse stopped by on day five of our adventure.)
I couldn’t sleep either because I was awake feeding the kid or worrying that he would stop breathing in the night. Every little noise he made was cause for alarm. John and I debated about calling the doctor on a few occasions when little Henry’s breathing seemed strange (he made these really frightening snorting sounds that made us think he was choking on something). Don’t worry, he was fine.
Then there was the breast feeding! Let me tell you, it is not as easy as it may seem. In the beginning we did fine. But then Mom, in a panic that baby wasn’t getting enough nourishment, would let Henry nurse when he wasn’t properly latched on. This resulted in some painful feeding sessions and, eventually, what my doctor called “nipple trauma” (a fancy way of saying I was developing blisters on a very sesitive area of my anatomy).
Round about day four when my milk finally came in, I was in so much pain I seriously considered quitting and switching to a bottle. But, the worse part was that the pain was making me dread spending time with Henry. I would get anxious thinking that he was about to wake up and would want to nurse. And that definitely sucked (pun intended)!
But, we got through it with some advice from various friends, lactation consultants and doctors. And I’m happy to say that we are now doing fine and getting better every day. In fact, we’ve recently starting nursing while lying down in bed (an advanced nursing move for those who aren’t aware…and one that lets mom get a bit more rest).
As of last week, Henry had already gained a bit more than a pound (so he’s obviously getting enough to eat). And I have officially stopped worrying about the nursing and can now enjoy spending time with Henry.
You rock, mama!
Indeed! Glad things are improving for all three of you!