One Week
Today Baby Evan is 1 week old. I almost can’t believe I managed to keep a baby alive for a whole week! Here’s a wrap up of how we’re doing and what we’ve learned so far.
– I feel fine. The only time I even notice I’ve recently given birth is when I cough or sneeze. So far I’ve also avoided peeing my pants. Yah Kegals.
– Baby Evan is getting FAT. Newborns come with a layer of something called “brown fat” that helps them survive the first few days outside the nice, comfy uteruses they’ve been hanging out in for the last 9 months. A weight loss after birth of 5-10% is normal for all babies but is incredibly terrifying if you know your baby isn’t eating. I was worried that my UsWeekly had somehow given my unborn child an eating disorder in utero. It turns out I didn’t need to be worried because since he’s started breastfeeding he’s gained back at least 10 oz. That’s well on the way to chubby baby thighs.
– My lactation consultant actually owns that ridiculously expensive baby boutique I made fun of a few months ago – the one I swore I’d never buy anything from. But they’re so NICE there it’s hard to stay away. I went back on Friday and talked to their baby-wearing expert. No, really. She teaches a baby-wearing class. She taught us (E’s almost as excited about it as I am) how to use the Maya Ring Sling and Mom bought it for me as a birthday present. I won’t write a glowing recommendation yet, but I have a feeling one is coming.
– Baby Evan has only been in his nursery for about 30 minutes total since we brought him home. He just doesn’t appreciate how much effort I put into it yet. I’ll give him another week before I start feeling insulted.
– Thank God for the help I have here at home. Without Mom doing the (enormous amounts of) laundry, cleaning and cooking I wouldn’t have had time to use the bathroom, let alone update this blog. If E wasn’t such a huge huge help with diapers and changing and cuddling Baby Evan I’d be a sobbing, milk and pee covered wreck instead of someone with freshly shaved legs. I almost feel guilty for letting them help so much, but since they’ll both be gone by the first week of May I figure I should take advantage while I can.
– Jaundice sucks. For something that’s fairly common and usually not very serious it sure has disrupted our first few days home.
– Since I have a baby now, I’ll try to keep this next part PG. I cannot believe how many butthole flippin morons I’ve had to deal with regarding Baby Evan’s medical care. Those pee-pee heads at the on-base clinic are lazy and careless and if they all fell off a cliff the world would be a better place. Fortunately, we have the option to use REAL pediatricians off-base – it just won’t be entirely free. But the peace of mind knowing my baby is being care for by people who can TELL TIME is well worth a few co-pays.
Things I bought:
1. Nipple shields
2. Hot/cold packs for breast engorgement
3. Lansinoh lanolin cream
4. Bouncy/vibrating seat
5. Maya Sling
6. NEWBORN sized diapers (The size 1 says they’re good from 8-11 lbs but at 7 lbs Evan is swimming in them)
7. Extra burp cloths
8. Extra hamper for downstairs
Things I didn’t need:
1. Baby shampoo/powder/lotion/oil
2. 90% of my adorably baby clothes
3. Co-sleeper
4. Crib & fancy bedding
5. Mobile/toys/stuffed animals
6. Pack’n’play
I was trying to explain nipple shields to my mom, and she said, “You mean like what Batman wears?” I love my mom.
Poor Lowercase. Does jaundice make them go potty more often? Seems like I heard somewhere that it does.
Glad the first week has gone OK.
Both of my babies had jaundice, so I totally understand how frustrating it can be. My oldest had to have the light therapy, my youngest had a very mild case and luckily didn’t. The constant weighing, blood tests, etc., is not fun: you would think by now they would have come up with a better method because it is so common. Apparently it is extremely common when the blood types are different with mother/child (as was the case with both my girls).
lalaland13: It’s usually when the babies aren’t pooping they develop jaundice. It’s basically a build up of bilirubin in their system, which causes them to turn the yellow color (b/c bilirubin is the yellow breakdown of some type of blood cells–I think, but I can’t remember all the details).
I LOVE the Maya Ring Sling. I spent so much money with my first baby, buying different slings/carriers and hating them all. When I finally decided with my second baby to just bite the bullet and spend the $65 on the damn thing I couldn’t believe I had been so stupid. It’s great and versatile and you can use it with them until they are pretty big. And I think I’ve commented enough ;o) Happy one week!