Life, lately, while in survival mode
5th November 2008
- I knew about the sleep deprivation and the sore nipples and the hard time functioning and reduced patience and lack of time…but was so not prepared for breast engorgement. oh.my.god. There are rock-hard torpedoes on my chest requiring a ton of effort (compresses, pumping) and resulting in a belt of pain. And who needs more pain in this first week? Geesh. It’s supposed to go away in a few days, but there are a lot of feeds and work before then…also a trip to the grocery store for, um, cabbage leaves
- Hospital confession: I told the discharge doctor I’d had a bowel movement because I was afraid they wouldn’t let me go home without one.
- Reality: It happened today, five days post-partum. Oh, thank you, Sprawl-Mart knock-off Metamucil…
- Eric has always rolled his eyes at robes for dudes, but can you guess who is sitting between Lucy and I on the couch right now, encased in navy blue flannel? The middle of the night in November is chilly with a hungry newborn, and it’s much easier to slip a robe on instead of fussing with pajamas, eh, Dear?
- Alice is a sweet thing. She rarely cries (whether this is her temperament or an experienced set of parents, I’m unsure), feeds well, loves her nose rubbed and the spot between her eyes kissed
- I got the epidural after 6 hours of labour, and reaching 6 cm. The drug doctor was cutting his grass when the hospital paged him to come in. I asked him to marry me
- Does anyone else want to kill all the overly-animated children on Barney? They make me stabby…
- Carly: “Wow, Lucy went right to sleep tonight. Not a peep out of her!” Eric: “I think she realized she can be replaced.”
- Here’s how lack of sleep works: It’s physically painful to wake up from naps and in the middle of the night, but once you’re up, it’s actually not that bad
- Notes on Lucy: 1. She’s thrilled she can fit on my lap again to read books. 2. Has not woken up at night once, despite newborn screeches. 3. Floats between over-affectionate hugs and kisses to Alice and absolute denial/indifference. 4. IS HUGE.
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Yeah, the size thing was the most surprising I think for us…Kathryne always looked small, in comparison to the adults in her life…but any toddler is HUGE in comparison to a newborn!
I wish ya luck with those melons. Just think…you’ll just get over the first bouts of engorgement just before the 3 week growth spurt only to have it happen again…and then at 6 weeks… it’s all worth it though…keep up the great work!
Sounds like things are chugging along quite nicely. Can’t wait to see more pics of Lucy and Alice!
I think the engorgement was way worse the second time around. I was in serious pain for two days, and I was still taking percocet then. I hope it’s easier for you!
Oh, and get this, my 10.5 pound two month old also looks huge since she was only 5.5 pounds when she was born!! I miss when she was so small and cute! She’s still cute though.
I think the 1st week is the hardest in regards to pain, nursing, engorgement and the like. Just keep reminding yourself that this too shall pass!
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