Washing
I really did not comprehend the extent to which washing would dominate our lives once we had a newborn. Everyone told us that we would be doing more washing with a baby in the house- but this is unreal!.
Post baby we were a 'once a week' washing family. I am pretty sure that we have done or processed washing almost every day since we came home with her. Of course when I say 'we' I mean mostly The Husband. You see having a caesarian means that you are limited to what you can lift and carry, so The Husband has been doing most of it.
Today we have spent the day at home sorting out said washing. You see our child now has an insane amount of clothing (I think even more than Mummy- and she's a clothes horse!). Jessica's Aunt gave us two really big bags of clothes from her daughter who is now 2yrs. So we have a range of clothes from size 0000 to 1.
At the moment they are in size piles all over our lounge while we decide how best to store them.
Bishop Backs Ban
I am not normally a political person, but I heard something yesterday that really annoyed me. While breastfeeding my new baby girl I was listening to ABC Classic FM. The news came on and there was an
article about Liberal MP
Bronwyn Bishop regarding her backing a proposal to ban Muslim girls from wearing a head scarf in school.
Her comment was
“The headscarf is being used as a sort of iconic item of defiance". Now I'm no expert on the Islamic religion, but I cannot believe that threatening to ban a practice that is such an important part of a culture can come to any good.
Bronwyn Bishop MP
I think I must be too much of an idealist- to think that this country we live in is a multicultural one that embraces the concept of religious and cultural tolerance. What comes next- Christians cannot wear crosses? Sheikhs cannot wear turbans? Indians cannot wear the sari? Get real!
Just to satisfy my own curiosity I did some research to confirm my belief about the importance of wearing thehead scarff. What I found was this:
Hijab is the word used in the Islamic context for the practice of dressing modestly which all practicing Muslims past the age of puberty are instructed to do in their holy book, the Qur'ran.
In the Qur'ran it says:
"O Prophet! Tell thy wives and thy daughters and the women of the believers
to draw their cloaks (veils) all over their bodies. That will be better, that
they should be known (as free respectable women) so as to not be annoyed. Allah
is ever Forgiving, Merciful." [33:59].
So how can we, the tolerant country that frowns on discrimination possibly suggest that an entire section of our society cannot freely practice their religious belief? With all the friction between the Western nations terrorists- should we not be looking at ways to embrace these people into the country they have chosen to live in- not marginalise them?
Well- that's my rant anyway. I cannot see any good in this proposition, and if it is indicative of Liberal Party thinking it confirms my opinion of the Liberal Party.
The importance of Missy
Note: Apologies to those reading this who are likely to get emotional.
I believe that you should always give credit where credit is due, so here goes.
I had my birthday in July this year, and my In-Laws asked what I wanted. I suggested the
Missy Higgins album
The sound of White. I have liked her music since the first single was released and wanted to support such a talented Australian artist. Little did I know how significant that request was.
On the day I started labour we still had not picked music to take with us to the delivery suite, but when asked by The Husband, I immediately answered Missy Higgins and Clannad. When we finally made it to the hospital 14 hrs later, he put the CD into the player and pressed 'repeat all'. For the next 17 hours until the emergency caesarian we listened.
Now my labour was harsh, it stopped progressing, but the pain intensified, and eventually the baby became distressed (I already was). All throughout the CD played, but here's the thing I can only remember one song
The Special Two.
The chorus of this song became one of my only foci during that tough time (the other was my rock of a husband who is without a doubt the most special man in my world at the moment). I can clearly remember hearing over and over again ''cause we are the special two". I started to focus on that- that my baby and I were the special two. It helped me get through until I was taken into theatre.
These are the lyrics of the chorus:
And we will only need each other
We'll bleed together
Our hands will not be taught to hold another's
Coz we're the special two
And we could only see each other
We'll breathe together
These arms will not be taught to need another's
Coz we're the special two
I went to the official
Missy Higgins website today and sent an email describing how important her song had become to us- I burst into tears while writing it, and again when I told The Husband what I had done.
I hope she knows how important her music is to at least two of her fans.
Relief
Yep, another post about motherhood- get used to it. For the next year or so of my life it will be my life- see I am now officially a stay at home mum.
Why relief do you say? Well because as I sit here and write, by beautiful baby is sleeping at the end of the corridor after spending her 2nd day at home- quite successfully I might say. The Husband and I seem to be getting the hang of it- still with 'L' plates on though.
We had our very first adventure outside the house today too- which we negotiated without a hiccup.
Relief also because I have managed to get the hang of breast feeding.
She gets her little tummy full, then falls asleep without much fuss at all, then wakes for the next feed- a very different experience from day 3 in the hospital.
That was a nightmare. I never expected it to all go easy but I was really distressed then.
You see on day 3, baby wants to be fed, but mum's milk has not come in. I had colostrum, which is good for bub- but not enough to fill my darling daughter's belly to contentment.
What this meant was that from about 10pm to 4am, she screamed. Nothing I could do would settle her. I'd feed her, rock her put her to bed, change her nappy, but she just would not settle. I was deprived of sleep and feeling like a total failure.
Eventually the midwife came in and took her to the nursery at 4am saying I needed some sleep. After she left I just lay there in my empty room and cried. When the midwife came back an hour later saying my daughter still had not settled I was shattered. Even trained professionals could not settle my child. But told me 3 other babies were doing the same thing. She then suggested they could give her a 'supplemental' one off feed of formula to fill her belly and give me another 4 hours of sleep.
Emotionally distraught I agreed- knowing it was the best for both her and me- but feeling utterly like a failure.
Then a miracle happened. The next morning as I collected her from the nursery and took her back to be fed, there was a change- MILK!
That day, she fed and slept, fed and slept. She was a little grizzly but it was a momentous change from the night before.
In the clear of day I realised I was not really a failure, that this was completely normal. Just about every new mum experiences it and it does not reflect badly on you in any way.
So I say to all new mums- don't think you're a failure if you can't get your baby to settle/feed well in the first days, or even weeks. It is not failure on your part if you try- it is not a failure to have to suppliment a feed. Just keep trying it will all come good. and if after trying you find you cannot breastfeed- well thats not failure either- some people just cannot do it.
when it comes down to itthe only thing that matters id what works for you and bub.
My daughter has just woken up and needs her feed, so enough for now.
The wait is over
Well it's been over a week since I last posted, but I am sure you will forgive me. You see this time last week, I was having contractions- and now I am officially a mummy.
It was collectively the hardest and most rewarding thing I have ever done.
Now not to suggest that giving birth is ever easy- it's not, but I did it the hard way. While by my reckoning I was in labour from 7am on Thursday 17th until Jessica's birth at 4.40pm on Friday 19th- 'experts' class labour as being when the pain is 'unbearable'. So me being able to move around freely and talk comfortably through a contraction until about 6pm on Thursday is not counted. 'Oficially' I had about 24hrs of 'real' labour before having an emergency caesarian.
The reason fot that. Square peg- round hole. Jessica was not overly big as babies go- 8lb 7oz (or 3.8kg)- but her head was just too big for me to deliver naturally.
So under the knife I went. It was a very emotional time for my husband and I at that time- especially when the spinal block did not work and they had to give me a general anaesthetic.
We have been home for almost one day now- and still getting used to our role as parents. We are preparing for out first outing at the moment- to take mummy to the doctor- I seem to have delevoped carpal tunnel syndrome while in labour.
I am sure that over the next few day, when i find the time, I will make more musings on childbirth and my experiences- stay tuned.
BTW- not just motherly bias- but she is Beautiful!
Waiting...
Well, I am now a day overdue to give birth to my first child. The experts (and believe me there are loads of them) tell me that first babies always come late. "
Up the Duff" by Kaz Cooke tells me that only 3% of Australian babies come on time.
All this does nothing to make you feel better when you are this pregnant. I have to say that some of the best 'advice' I have had during these last few weeks has been from my mum. She (unlike all the baby books who seem to gloss over this part) has been brutally honest with how things are going right now- and I concur with her.
Any one who tells you that the last few weeks of pregnancy are good is LYING! They suck! If you have not gone totally bonkers from lack of sleep or getting up for the millionth time during the night to take a leak, then it boils down to the simple fact that you are just plain uncomfortable- ALL OF THE TIME.
If it was just the 10 extra kilos of weight hanging off your front, you could probably manage, but then you get the low back pain. And since you can only sleep on your side, you tend to get really sore hips from lying on them with all that extra weight. For me this means that generally I tend to only get about 1-2 hours sleep at a stretch before pain makes me wake and turn over to the other side- a task I'm sure really requires a forklift truck.
So here it is. I am now officially confirming the statistics. Next appointment with my obstetrician is in a weeks time - and if nothing has happened by then, we give the baby a push come next Wednesday (read induce the birth).
Here's hoping it don't take that long- I think I may look like something out of a George A. Romero flick if don't get some relief soon.
Resizing of Cat
So on my very first post I put in a picture of my 12 year old cat when he was just 8 weeks old. Just in case you think I have some mutant miniature cat, here he is today, all 81/2 kilos of grey fluffy.
He is one of the most placid and good natured cats that I know (even if I do say so myself). He doesn't scratch or bite, and will even put up with small children patting him and squealing (though he tends to run and hide after a while of that).
He spends most of his days sleeping on my bed under the heater ducts - I found this out recently since giving up work to become a mum.
Anyway, I think he is beautiful- and even my mum who is not a cat lover in any sense of the word says that she loves him.
I suppose I should now try and get a picture of my other cat- but trying to get him to stay in one spot long enough so I can take a photo may be a bit of an effort. I'll see what I can do.
I have a Blog!
Well here it is, I have entered the technological age. I was starting to feel a little left out. My husband has one, even my yet to be born child has one....but I did not. For all I know even my cat has one.
This is my cat. Actually this is my cat 11 years ago, but hey 'aint he cute?
Well there it is, my first Blog post. 3 days out from giving birth for the first time. I guess the next few posts will be about that and my wonderful new offspring.
