[Una]

I had my baby boy last week! It took about 21 hrs from start to finish, although I was only in hospital for the last 8 hrs of it. He was 6lbs 12 oz and he's perfect. Well, except for some jaundice, but it's not severe and it should go away. It has meant a lot of bloodwork and trips to the doctor in his first week of life, but better safe than sorry. If I didn't have my parents helping me, I don't know what I would have done. After the sleep deprivation of the labour and the first 2-3 nights before my milk came it, I was in no condition to get in a car and drive to the doctor's. Now that I've got more milk, I can actually fill up his tummy and he doesn't wake up as often, so I feel pretty good.

I wish I could post pics for you folks, but this being a public board and me going through a divorce, the less specifics and identifying information, the better. I will say that he doesn't do much. All he does is eat and sleep, and generate huge amounts of dirty laundry, either by pooping and peeing or by spitting up on stuff. And every so often he opens his bright little eyes and it's the sweetest thing ever. His father, who left us when I was pregnant, has no idea what he's missing and I can almost feel sorry for him for that, not that he deserves any pity.

[nacht]

Great! Attaboy! and Attagirl!
Jaundice is pretty normal.. So dont worry. There is a special light they will give to take home if necessary.

Use the nursery and get some sleep even though you want him around all the time.. Also a lot of help is available if you ask for it.
Happiness from children is such an emotional thing. It simply cannot be explained logically.

[Slow Ben]

That's awesome Una! Congratulations!!!

[BAD]

Does he have an account here yet?

[worry]

Babies having babies, smh.

[Una]

nacht, on 11 July 2013 - 08:33 PM, said:

Great! Attaboy! and Attagirl!
Jaundice is pretty normal.. So dont worry. There is a special light they will give to take home if necessary.

Yeah. It's the normal physiologic breastfeeding jaundice, not the worrisome kind. But the treatment is feed, feed, feed. The faster he gains weight, the sooner the jaundice goes away. I'm being a bit mean with him. At first, he'd suckle for about 5 minutes and then get sleepy and stop. So I have to keep bugging him and bouncing and pinching and flicking him to wake him up to keep him going. I take off all his clothes so he doesn't get too warm and comfy and fall asleep too soon. He's getting better. The thing is that I don't think that they let you take the special light home with you in my neck of the woods. That would be nice. I've heard of them, but here, you pretty much have to take them to hospital to get the light treatments. My friend had to do it and she said that she wasn't admitted along with her baby. They admitted the baby and stuck her in some room that was a barely a closet to wait around in so that she could breastfeed him periodically. But there really wasn't anything other than a chair for her to sleep in. I really don't have time for that and I hate that I keep having to go out so they can keep pricking his heel to check the levels, so I'm being probably a bit overaggressive with the feeding. I'll relax it a bit once the milk supply is more steady and the jaundice goes down. I really will.

[Tiste Simeon]

Really happy for you Una :-)

[amphibian]

Babies are stinky stuff-producing machines, that's true.

Congratulations, Una. Get some rest and gently enlist your family and friends in the efforts to keep the stink at bay and the smiles coming.

[Obdigore]

Did you name him Anomander Barathol Paran?

[nacht]

Una, on 11 July 2013 - 09:51 PM, said:

nacht, on 11 July 2013 - 08:33 PM, said:

Great! Attaboy! and Attagirl!
Jaundice is pretty normal.. So dont worry. There is a special light they will give to take home if necessary.

Yeah. It's the normal physiologic breastfeeding jaundice, not the worrisome kind. But the treatment is feed, feed, feed. The faster he gains weight, the sooner the jaundice goes away. I'm being a bit mean with him. At first, he'd suckle for about 5 minutes and then get sleepy and stop. So I have to keep bugging him and bouncing and pinching and flicking him to wake him up to keep him going. I take off all his clothes so he doesn't get too warm and comfy and fall asleep too soon. He's getting better. The thing is that I don't think that they let you take the special light home with you in my neck of the woods. That would be nice. I've heard of them, but here, you pretty much have to take them to hospital to get the light treatments. My friend had to do it and she said that she wasn't admitted along with her baby. They admitted the baby and stuck her in some room that was a barely a closet to wait around in so that she could breastfeed him periodically. But there really wasn't anything other than a chair for her to sleep in. I really don't have time for that and I hate that I keep having to go out so they can keep pricking his heel to check the levels, so I'm being probably a bit overaggressive with the feeding. I'll relax it a bit once the milk supply is more steady and the jaundice goes down. I really will.

Looks like you have it sorted out. I sort of remember that if you get them to poop a lot, that will take care of it :-)

[Kanubis]

Congratulations Una, hope you're holding up well

[Mezla PigDog]

Congrats Una, really happy for you. Hope the next few months aren't entirely a sleep deprived blur

[Vengeance]

Obdigore, on 12 July 2013 - 04:39 AM, said:

Did you name him Anomander Barathol Paran?

Why does every baby need to be named Anomander? There are other great names out there like WhiskeyJack and MetawordPeace.

[Vengeance]

Una, on 11 July 2013 - 09:51 PM, said:

nacht, on 11 July 2013 - 08:33 PM, said:

Great! Attaboy! and Attagirl!
Jaundice is pretty normal.. So dont worry. There is a special light they will give to take home if necessary.

Yeah. It's the normal physiologic breastfeeding jaundice, not the worrisome kind. But the treatment is feed, feed, feed. The faster he gains weight, the sooner the jaundice goes away. I'm being a bit mean with him. At first, he'd suckle for about 5 minutes and then get sleepy and stop. So I have to keep bugging him and bouncing and pinching and flicking him to wake him up to keep him going. I take off all his clothes so he doesn't get too warm and comfy and fall asleep too soon. He's getting better. The thing is that I don't think that they let you take the special light home with you in my neck of the woods. That would be nice. I've heard of them, but here, you pretty much have to take them to hospital to get the light treatments. My friend had to do it and she said that she wasn't admitted along with her baby. They admitted the baby and stuck her in some room that was a barely a closet to wait around in so that she could breastfeed him periodically. But there really wasn't anything other than a chair for her to sleep in. I really don't have time for that and I hate that I keep having to go out so they can keep pricking his heel to check the levels, so I'm being probably a bit overaggressive with the feeding. I'll relax it a bit once the milk supply is more steady and the jaundice goes down. I really will.

Congratulations. It is an exciting time. It will go away and get better. I promise.

[Mrs Savagely Wishy Washy]

Congrats and many joyful times

[Una]

Yay! Doctor says he doesn't need to be checked for another week. You know, in my culture, I'm actually supposed to be sequestered at home with the baby for a full month and fed lots of chicken soup and ginger to make my milk come in and recover my strength. I'm also not allowed to wash my hair because it will make me catch a chill and give me joint pain. I'm not technically allowed to walk around much either. I've had one friend whose mother-in-law wouldn't even allow her to get out of bed except to use the washroom. We've been out on the town 4 times already and I'm washing my hair as usual and if my grandmother found out, she would pitch a fit. She already tore a strip off of me for wearing shorts on a day where it was 27 degrees C out. Never mind that she had popped over for a surprise visit and I had actually be sleeping in them before she came over.

This post has been edited by Una: 13 July 2013 - 02:22 AM

[Una]

Chinese. Who else would have such wacky superstitions? The crazy thing about us is that we sort of know that these things are crazy and have no basis in science, but we adhere to them anyways because if we've been doing it that way for thousands of years and "everybody knows" that you have to do it that way. And we're inventing new superstitions too. I had some pregnant woman ask me if it was really necessary to wear some sort of garment that would shield her from the electromagnetic radiation from her office computer and printer and cellphone signals. Apparently it's now a thing in China. They're selling these special pregnancy garments that will supposedly protect the baby from electronics. Her mother got her some and was insisting she wear them. Apparently, these dresses were hideous and she didn't want to wear them. I told her that computers have existed for decades, and there probably isn't a single person in Canada under the age of 20 whose mother was not exposed to computers or printers or microwave ovens at some point in the pregnancy and they are all perfectly fine. I said that merchants in China are very, very good at figuring out ways to part people with their money, which she agreed was also very true. Then I told her that there is something to be said for keeping the peace, so when her mother comes over for a visit, she should change into her shielded outfits, just to keep her quiet.

[Ain't_It_Just_]

Congrats Una, sounds wonderful

[D'rek]

Congratulations Una I hope everything goes so amazing for you!!!

[Solidsnape]

Well done Una. Very well done and congratulations. It gets better from now one.
Until you have another one........

Seriously though, that shithouse of a guy is missing out in some of the greatest feelings/emotions it's possible for any human to experience. Without drugs of course! (Sorry I know I said seriously)
I want to eat both of my kids regularly on a daily basis. Watching them grow, and learn, seeing how cute they are. Watching your own traits and idiosyncrasies starting to manifest in your kids. The admiration that comes for your parents as you realise how much they went through.
My mother had done more for me by the time I was 5, than she could ever begin to undo now. Something my brother obviously won't ever understand (for another thread). Parenthood is all just amazing. My greatest accomplishment in life. Easy.

Chin up.

Edited for a post script.

Ps, there are so many good, noble and decent blokes out there, who will, after falling in love with you, will be falling over themselves to take your kid on too.
I know because my ever steadfast and extremely reliable father is not actually my father. Not biologically anyway. He just IS though. Since I was 4, I think. Me and my brother both. Such a stand up guy and all my mates love him too. When I think on what he did, when he fell I love with my mother, it humbles me. Whatta guy.
So like I said, chin up.

This post has been edited by Solidsnape: 15 July 2013 - 02:25 AM