Little Liam turned 3 months! I'm not sure what's more alarming; that he's doubled his weight or that I've been a full time mum for 3 months now - both scary but also satisfying at the same time if that makes any sense. It's a funny thing being a mum and each day I'm still learning and hoping that I'm doing the best, though to be honest I'm not sure if the mummy-in-training plates ever come off!
To mark his 3 months, we went to the Solids Session at the Health Clinic where we learnt about how to introduce solids to the little bubs. Half of my mothers group was there also and it was amazing to see how far we'd come; every baby had grown so big! I think most of us had just gotten the hang of feeding our bubs milk (whether it be breastmilk or formula) and well, introducing solids is the next step and ah, things are to change again! One thing I've learnt about motherhood is that things are constantly changing!
They recommend that you don't start your bub on solids till about 6 months though many will start to try from 4 months. There's studies to support the starting of solids as early as 4 months and others where you delay till 6 months. I'm thinking I'll probably start bub on solids at 4 and just see how he goes. If he doesn't like it, we have time to work up to it. At the end of the day, it's really what bub wants, bub gets.
I've already been looking forward to the starting of solids. Bibs, storage pots, portable tubs and baby spoons are all at the ready. Bub is getting there I think, he's holding his head up now and his baby tongue protrusion has gone which they say is a sign for baby readiness. It would definitely be a lot easier for solids once bub can sit up and we can put him in a highchair to feed him so let's see how we go in the next month.
Exciting times ahead!
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Thursday, December 11, 2014
80/365 - mums n bubs movies
Last week I celebrated my 30th birthday with my hubby and little one with a trip to the movies. Yep it was the big 3-0 and also my first birthday as a mother; you can't help but feel old when you say that out aloud. Actually I still can't believe it I have a son, I sound old!
A few mums had mentioned the Mums n Bubs sessions at Event Cinemas and I'd been keen to try going since bub was born but it's taken some time for me to get comfortable with the idea of it. At the start, bub was feeding every 2 hours if I was lucky and then lots of crying; it really wasn't a good idea to go to the movies. When I asked other mums whether they had gone to one, none had first hand experience though many had heard from other mums that had been. A quick google of the website just mentioned the $9 tickets if you were with the Cinebuzz Club so well, I signed up for that but otherwise I was none the clearer as to what to expect. You can buy your tickets online but I weren't hedging my bets, best to get to the cinema and get them on the spot - you never know with baby and whether you can actually get into the cinema.
Sessions are on Monday 10.30, Wednesday 12.30 and Friday 10.30 at all Event Cinemas I believe. We went to the Wednesday session at Castle Towers which is a bit far for us but there's no parking limit over there so gives ample time for lunch, movie and a quick browse of the shops if you're that way inclined. Being the 12.30 session though our lunch ended up being a smuggle of some sushi rolls plus popcorn and soft drink (every movie needs to be enjoyed with popcorn!)
So how does it work? You take your bub in with you and well, you deal with your bub as you need to. Lights are dimmed in case you need to feed or sort out bottles. You'll be sharing the cinema with other mums and surprisingly randoms who've chosen to sit in on the session - the cinema doesn't segregate. Fortunately Liam was a good bub that day, a little bit unsettled at one point which meant a walk around the cinema with him during the movie and a bit of standing up and swaying but next thing you know, he's content and sleeping on dad. We didn't bring our pram that day, just used the baby carrier which kept bub nice and snug. Around the cinema were maybe another 7-10 mums and everyone did pretty much the same thing. We sat and watched the movie and we all got through it!
And the movie - The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 1. Loved it!
A few mums had mentioned the Mums n Bubs sessions at Event Cinemas and I'd been keen to try going since bub was born but it's taken some time for me to get comfortable with the idea of it. At the start, bub was feeding every 2 hours if I was lucky and then lots of crying; it really wasn't a good idea to go to the movies. When I asked other mums whether they had gone to one, none had first hand experience though many had heard from other mums that had been. A quick google of the website just mentioned the $9 tickets if you were with the Cinebuzz Club so well, I signed up for that but otherwise I was none the clearer as to what to expect. You can buy your tickets online but I weren't hedging my bets, best to get to the cinema and get them on the spot - you never know with baby and whether you can actually get into the cinema.
Sessions are on Monday 10.30, Wednesday 12.30 and Friday 10.30 at all Event Cinemas I believe. We went to the Wednesday session at Castle Towers which is a bit far for us but there's no parking limit over there so gives ample time for lunch, movie and a quick browse of the shops if you're that way inclined. Being the 12.30 session though our lunch ended up being a smuggle of some sushi rolls plus popcorn and soft drink (every movie needs to be enjoyed with popcorn!)
So how does it work? You take your bub in with you and well, you deal with your bub as you need to. Lights are dimmed in case you need to feed or sort out bottles. You'll be sharing the cinema with other mums and surprisingly randoms who've chosen to sit in on the session - the cinema doesn't segregate. Fortunately Liam was a good bub that day, a little bit unsettled at one point which meant a walk around the cinema with him during the movie and a bit of standing up and swaying but next thing you know, he's content and sleeping on dad. We didn't bring our pram that day, just used the baby carrier which kept bub nice and snug. Around the cinema were maybe another 7-10 mums and everyone did pretty much the same thing. We sat and watched the movie and we all got through it!
And the movie - The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 1. Loved it!
Sunday, November 30, 2014
77/365 - 11 weeks
My baby isn't so little anymore. My guess is that by Christmas he'll be double his birth weight and fingers crossed, my poor wrists will be strong enough to hold him because he's already very heavy - he's a big sack of potatoes!
For the last three nights, he's surprised us by sleeping through the night. Generally from 10pm to about 5-6am in the morning which has given the hubby and me a good night's sleep - though I find I'm craving more sleep now and it takes me a good couple of minutes to get myself out of the bed to get to bub who's in the next room. The hubby is a lot better and will get up straight away and sometimes bring bub back into our room where he'll join me for another hour or two of sleep before we get up to the start the day.
I'm not as anxious these days or concerned about how the week will pan out with bub. Between mothers group and catch up with mums and friends who are off work during the week, the weeks have been filling up very quickly and before we know it, it's the weekend and we get to have some family time. It's helped that Christmas is only a mere 4 weeks away as I've been helping mum with her Christmas shopping so that keeps us busy when we have a spare moment. The return of some not so hot weather has meant we've been able to take walks during the day which has been great for me to stretch those legs.
This week we're planning to hit one of the mums and bubs movie sessions (please wish me good luck!) and have our mothers group Christmas party. We're off to visit Liam's one year old friend Ethan and Christmas cards are under way for some lucky ones. Still some more Christmas shopping to do and well, I think my postie and I are going to be best friends by the end of the week!
For the last three nights, he's surprised us by sleeping through the night. Generally from 10pm to about 5-6am in the morning which has given the hubby and me a good night's sleep - though I find I'm craving more sleep now and it takes me a good couple of minutes to get myself out of the bed to get to bub who's in the next room. The hubby is a lot better and will get up straight away and sometimes bring bub back into our room where he'll join me for another hour or two of sleep before we get up to the start the day.
I'm not as anxious these days or concerned about how the week will pan out with bub. Between mothers group and catch up with mums and friends who are off work during the week, the weeks have been filling up very quickly and before we know it, it's the weekend and we get to have some family time. It's helped that Christmas is only a mere 4 weeks away as I've been helping mum with her Christmas shopping so that keeps us busy when we have a spare moment. The return of some not so hot weather has meant we've been able to take walks during the day which has been great for me to stretch those legs.
This week we're planning to hit one of the mums and bubs movie sessions (please wish me good luck!) and have our mothers group Christmas party. We're off to visit Liam's one year old friend Ethan and Christmas cards are under way for some lucky ones. Still some more Christmas shopping to do and well, I think my postie and I are going to be best friends by the end of the week!
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
67/365 - he slept through the night!
I'm doing my happy dance! Liam just managed to sleep through the night! I put him down at 10pm last night and he didn't wake till about 5am this morning. He woke up for a feed and then very promptly went back to sleep again so here I am, awake as ever and not quite sure what to do with myself. I'd been waiting for this day for awhile (9 weeks and 3 days to be precise) and it's a rather euphoric feeling and in my head I'm thinking 'Wow, what did I do yesterday to help him to sleep right through?'. We did have a few things to do yesterday - mother's group, lunch with a friend and then dinner for my dad's birthday (ok maybe he could've gotten a little bit pooped from the travelling).
I guess we'd been building up to it though. He was occasionally doing 4-5 hour solid blocks of sleep. In the past week, hubby and I've been woken up thinking he was after a feed but turned out he'd just managed to startle himself awake. A quick cuddle later, he was back to sleep. Then he's also been needing less feeds - previously 2-3 hours between feeds but now we've managed to stretch it to 4 hours per feed (and each feed has been a bit longer). We've been demand feeding so whatever he takes we give him though other mums tell me if I feed to a routine, it's a lot easier to get him to sleep through the night (whilst appealing, I'm more of a go with the flow kind of mum). So yay - we got there with it so hopefully this continues!
Oh I should add - I did wake up about 3 times last night, wandering over to his room to check he was ok and hovering over his face to check he was breathing (of course he was fine but here I was squinting in the dark trying to work out whether he was breathing - sometimes I think I would benefit from one of those mats that babies can sleep on that monitors their breathing to save me startling him awake with my crazy face in the middle of the night). Ah the joys of motherhood!
I guess we'd been building up to it though. He was occasionally doing 4-5 hour solid blocks of sleep. In the past week, hubby and I've been woken up thinking he was after a feed but turned out he'd just managed to startle himself awake. A quick cuddle later, he was back to sleep. Then he's also been needing less feeds - previously 2-3 hours between feeds but now we've managed to stretch it to 4 hours per feed (and each feed has been a bit longer). We've been demand feeding so whatever he takes we give him though other mums tell me if I feed to a routine, it's a lot easier to get him to sleep through the night (whilst appealing, I'm more of a go with the flow kind of mum). So yay - we got there with it so hopefully this continues!
Oh I should add - I did wake up about 3 times last night, wandering over to his room to check he was ok and hovering over his face to check he was breathing (of course he was fine but here I was squinting in the dark trying to work out whether he was breathing - sometimes I think I would benefit from one of those mats that babies can sleep on that monitors their breathing to save me startling him awake with my crazy face in the middle of the night). Ah the joys of motherhood!
Monday, November 17, 2014
63/365 - mums and bubs pilates
I find I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with mothers group. Some days it feels like a huge effort to get out of the house with bub, other days I need that relief from talking to other mums to make sure I'm not going insane. The latter is how I've been feeling lately - just getting a little bit fidgety from spending too much time at home and sitting on my bum and just needing to do something/anything. Thanks to another mum at mothers group, she introduced me to Mums and Bubs Pilates classes which are being offered at my local Physio.
A few google searches previously had brought up classes in a few other suburbs but nothing in my area. I've been wary about going too far with bub as it ends up being more stressful than its worth so finding out about a class nearby had me stoked! To top things off, if you have private health insurance, you can claim back some of the cost of your class. Admittedly the classes are a little bit ex-y but to my surprise, Medibank Private covered the entire cost of my first class - sweet!
The class is 55 minutes long and they have a max of 5 people per class. Bub can lie down on a towel beside you or if he's awake, you can hold him to do your exercise/stretches (Liam was a little fidgety and I was lucky enough to have the instructor offer to hold him for most of the class which meant I could make the most of the 55 minute workout). FYI: I managed to squeeze into that class as they had one person cancel that day as they're quite strict on the class size to ensure each mum gets the attention they need. And guess what, all the mums that were in the class that day were all mums I'd previously met through mother's group at my hospital!
I've previously done Pilates classes and now with bub in tow, it was pretty amazing to see how it's an exercise that you can do with your bub - it just works! It's not too strenuous on the body and a great way to ease back into some physical activity. As the classes are run by a Physio, the instructor is also a physiotherapist and can tailor the stretches to fit your needs. Unfortunately, that was the last class for the year so now I have to wait till January when the classes start up again. They're planning to do them in 6 week blocks next year so will be a nice activity to add to my week. By then bub will be 3-4 months old so will benefit even more from the classes :)
A few google searches previously had brought up classes in a few other suburbs but nothing in my area. I've been wary about going too far with bub as it ends up being more stressful than its worth so finding out about a class nearby had me stoked! To top things off, if you have private health insurance, you can claim back some of the cost of your class. Admittedly the classes are a little bit ex-y but to my surprise, Medibank Private covered the entire cost of my first class - sweet!
The class is 55 minutes long and they have a max of 5 people per class. Bub can lie down on a towel beside you or if he's awake, you can hold him to do your exercise/stretches (Liam was a little fidgety and I was lucky enough to have the instructor offer to hold him for most of the class which meant I could make the most of the 55 minute workout). FYI: I managed to squeeze into that class as they had one person cancel that day as they're quite strict on the class size to ensure each mum gets the attention they need. And guess what, all the mums that were in the class that day were all mums I'd previously met through mother's group at my hospital!
I've previously done Pilates classes and now with bub in tow, it was pretty amazing to see how it's an exercise that you can do with your bub - it just works! It's not too strenuous on the body and a great way to ease back into some physical activity. As the classes are run by a Physio, the instructor is also a physiotherapist and can tailor the stretches to fit your needs. Unfortunately, that was the last class for the year so now I have to wait till January when the classes start up again. They're planning to do them in 6 week blocks next year so will be a nice activity to add to my week. By then bub will be 3-4 months old so will benefit even more from the classes :)
Saturday, November 8, 2014
56/365 - 8 weeks and a 'to do' list
I'm pinching myself a little because I can't believe it's already been 8 weeks with bub - where did the time go and where on earth is that tiny baby of mine? Like a pufferfish, the bub continues to grow and soak up his surroundings. He smiles a lot these days but equally wails and cries for attention whenever I have a spare moment. He's peacefully sleeping now but never for too long; I've learnt to make the most of his sleep times to get things done around the house or more importantly, to do things for myself. A lot of people say to rest when the bub rests, I've tried to but the day just seems so unfulfilled and I want to do more so it got me thinking about the things I want to 'get done' in the next 10 months before I have to think about heading back to work.
- Finish my Childhood Nutrition Course (hopefully by the time the bub needs to start solids. Crikey - that gives me about 4 months)
- Take bub to Swim Lessons
- Take bub to Gymbaroo classes
- Finish that stack of books I have beside my bed (at the moment there's three of Donna Tartt's books - The Goldfinch, The Secret History, The Little Friend, Haruki Murakami's IQ84 and Justin Cronin's The Passage)
- Clear out my room back at home
- Organise my first market stall to sell off books and old clothes. Either that or a local carboot sale.
- Organise all those photos I have owing to friends and family
- Put together scrapbook/album of bub's first year photos
- Get back to running at least twice a week
- Cook dinner/bake at least 4 times a week and make use of all those cookbooks I have at home
- Update my food blog at least weekly
- Attend a macaron class (I'm thinking Mak Mak - only $85 for a 2 hour class. Adriano Zumbo's class is tempting me too but a little more expensive at $350 a session)
So there you have it, my bucket list for the next 10 months. I'll probably keep adding to it but for the moment, it has a good mix of things that I want to do weekly and things that I've procrastinated on for awhile (and I think all these things should be achieveable with bub in tow; that's probably the key thing). Hopefully in 10 months time I'll be able to cross all these things off and say I've completed them. Stay tuned!
- Finish my Childhood Nutrition Course (hopefully by the time the bub needs to start solids. Crikey - that gives me about 4 months)
- Take bub to Swim Lessons
- Take bub to Gymbaroo classes
- Finish that stack of books I have beside my bed (at the moment there's three of Donna Tartt's books - The Goldfinch, The Secret History, The Little Friend, Haruki Murakami's IQ84 and Justin Cronin's The Passage)
- Clear out my room back at home
- Organise my first market stall to sell off books and old clothes. Either that or a local carboot sale.
- Organise all those photos I have owing to friends and family
- Put together scrapbook/album of bub's first year photos
- Get back to running at least twice a week
- Cook dinner/bake at least 4 times a week and make use of all those cookbooks I have at home
- Update my food blog at least weekly
- Attend a macaron class (I'm thinking Mak Mak - only $85 for a 2 hour class. Adriano Zumbo's class is tempting me too but a little more expensive at $350 a session)
So there you have it, my bucket list for the next 10 months. I'll probably keep adding to it but for the moment, it has a good mix of things that I want to do weekly and things that I've procrastinated on for awhile (and I think all these things should be achieveable with bub in tow; that's probably the key thing). Hopefully in 10 months time I'll be able to cross all these things off and say I've completed them. Stay tuned!
Monday, November 3, 2014
50/365 - the doctor's advice
Was back at the GP today to get my blood test results and I should've remembered to make a booking - would've saved waiting the 40 minutes in the waiting room for what ended up being a 5 minute consult (actually I'm not sure if it lasted 5 minutes because my GP is ever so quick with what she does that I hardly closed the door of the room and was ready to go - but that's part of the reason I like seeing her because the last thing I like doing is to dwell on whether I might be sick or not or have something wrong with me which takes an hour long diagnosis to work out).
The two main things I had to check up on post birth were my Vitamin D levels and Iron levels which thankfully had returned to normal levels (yes! I can stop popping those supplements - I'm really not a pill person!) So as we were going through the rest of blood test results, all seemed to be fine until she got to the cholesterol levels. 'You might want to cut back on the junk food' was her first comment and 'Perhaps cook with olive oil' at home being the second. I was curious as to whether the reading was too high but then she promptly follows with 'You have a baby and you're breastfeeding, try to enjoy life, nothing you need to worry about'.
Admittedly I might not have been watching my diet particularly well since the bub has come along. Tiredness and lack of energy are to blame but with a cholesterol reading significantly higher than what it was pre-birth, it's probably time to cut back on the junk. And yes, that last pack of salt and vinegar chips were promptly polished off straight afterwards for me to start being good. They say to get rid of all those things that stop you from eating well but it wasn't as if I was going to chuck that last pack in the bin. That would be a complete waste. And as the doctor said, I should try to enjoy life.
Oh how the doctor's advice just made my day!
The two main things I had to check up on post birth were my Vitamin D levels and Iron levels which thankfully had returned to normal levels (yes! I can stop popping those supplements - I'm really not a pill person!) So as we were going through the rest of blood test results, all seemed to be fine until she got to the cholesterol levels. 'You might want to cut back on the junk food' was her first comment and 'Perhaps cook with olive oil' at home being the second. I was curious as to whether the reading was too high but then she promptly follows with 'You have a baby and you're breastfeeding, try to enjoy life, nothing you need to worry about'.
Admittedly I might not have been watching my diet particularly well since the bub has come along. Tiredness and lack of energy are to blame but with a cholesterol reading significantly higher than what it was pre-birth, it's probably time to cut back on the junk. And yes, that last pack of salt and vinegar chips were promptly polished off straight afterwards for me to start being good. They say to get rid of all those things that stop you from eating well but it wasn't as if I was going to chuck that last pack in the bin. That would be a complete waste. And as the doctor said, I should try to enjoy life.
Oh how the doctor's advice just made my day!
Sunday, November 2, 2014
49/365 - my first run post birth
Up until I was 7 weeks pregnant, I was running about twice a week and running anything in between 4 to 8 km each run. Then morning sickness kicked in which was more like all day sickness and every time I tried a run, I'd feel like throwing up which really wasn't all that pleasant. That all-day sickness lasted for the full length of my pregnancy to the point that I was still throwing up the previous night's dinner as I was in labour. But they say that women that have nausea tend to give birth to healthier babies so I guess I had that to hold on to!
Today marks 7 weeks with bub and yesterday I went for my first run in close to 10 months (with the hubby on baby minding duties as I'm not quite one of those mums that run with their bub in the pram yet). After 10 months of eating everything I wanted, exercising very little, save for waddling about with bub in the belly, it was a refreshing change. I didn't think I'd make it very far - perhaps 100m down the road before I'd be keeled over in stitches and walking the rest of it which is what happened the first time ever the husband encouraged me to go for a run. I was tempted not to run ever again but the husband was persistent and I owe it to him for training me up well as the running/fitness before pregnancy has meant a speedy recovery post birth.
To my surprise, I managed to finish my usual 4km run around the local neighbourhood in about half an hour. Face was beetroot red but more from the heat of the day than lack of fitness. My breathing was up and down but bumping into two mums from mothers group along the way, that kept me going till I finished it. Boy my muscles were sore but there was also a sense of achievement that after 10 months, running just came back to me.
So I never thought I'd say it but I was so glad that after 6 weeks of rest, I was able to go out for a run (they say light exercise and rest for the first 6 weeks after pregnancy which I couldn't have done without - unfortunately after pregnancy, your belly is a little bit wobbly and does take a little bit for those stomach muscles to come back together so a run like yesterday's probably wouldn't have ended well in those first weeks). And before you think I'm some supermum, I'm not. My muscles are sore this morning and like anyone else, I'm wondering if it was such a good idea to push myself so far in the first go - will see what little Liam has in store for me today!
Today marks 7 weeks with bub and yesterday I went for my first run in close to 10 months (with the hubby on baby minding duties as I'm not quite one of those mums that run with their bub in the pram yet). After 10 months of eating everything I wanted, exercising very little, save for waddling about with bub in the belly, it was a refreshing change. I didn't think I'd make it very far - perhaps 100m down the road before I'd be keeled over in stitches and walking the rest of it which is what happened the first time ever the husband encouraged me to go for a run. I was tempted not to run ever again but the husband was persistent and I owe it to him for training me up well as the running/fitness before pregnancy has meant a speedy recovery post birth.
To my surprise, I managed to finish my usual 4km run around the local neighbourhood in about half an hour. Face was beetroot red but more from the heat of the day than lack of fitness. My breathing was up and down but bumping into two mums from mothers group along the way, that kept me going till I finished it. Boy my muscles were sore but there was also a sense of achievement that after 10 months, running just came back to me.
So I never thought I'd say it but I was so glad that after 6 weeks of rest, I was able to go out for a run (they say light exercise and rest for the first 6 weeks after pregnancy which I couldn't have done without - unfortunately after pregnancy, your belly is a little bit wobbly and does take a little bit for those stomach muscles to come back together so a run like yesterday's probably wouldn't have ended well in those first weeks). And before you think I'm some supermum, I'm not. My muscles are sore this morning and like anyone else, I'm wondering if it was such a good idea to push myself so far in the first go - will see what little Liam has in store for me today!
Thursday, October 30, 2014
47/365 - the almighty poo explosion
Just when I thought this week was going rather smoothly with the bub and I was lacking inspiration for what to write, it happened. And boy did it happen, fast and furious too. Long had I been warned about the almighty poo explosion by other mums and when I said to one mum this week that I still haven't had a big one, she smiled and reassured me that it would happen soon and not to worry. Mums generally know best.
To date stamp when it happened, it was 20 minutes ago as Liam finished one of his regular feeds. Nothing out of the ordinary to herald its approach, he was a little bit squirmish but he's been a bit like that in the last week or so so I didn't suspect anything as I finished his feed. Then I smelt it, you always do (that killer sense of smell that you develop when you're pregnant generally doesn't go away). So off we hop to the change table and get rid of the dirty nappy. At that point, it was just a regular poo and of course, whenever I change him too quickly he burps up some milk which goes over the changemat cover. All good, take that off and get that into the wash.
Wander back into the living room with a bub with a fresh nappy and that's when I smell it again. Look down and oozing out of his nappy, down his leg and onto my hand is the distinctive mustard coloured stream of poo. 'Shit!' And they don't call it a poo explosion for nothing. No changemat cover so straight onto the changemat (thank god it's plastic so you can wipe of poo) and by that point, poo is on my hands, down his leg, on his jumpsuit and still on its way out. Of course, I'm down to the last wipe in the packet so amongst wiping away poo and trying to keep it off me, I'm fumbling around trying to get another pack of wipes open. Yank out one wipe and then about 100 wipes come with it. Not sure what's stressing me out at the point but I just knew I had to think straight.
1. Clean poo off myself so I don't keep smearing it on everything
2. Clean poo down Liam's leg and surrounds so he doesn't keep smearing it everywhere
3. Remove poo-stained clothing off Liam
4. Wait till the last of the poo has made its way out. Wipe furiously Liam's bum and surrounds.
5. Swap with a fresh nappy
6. Another wipe of Liam and surrounds
7. Secure Liam. Thoroughly wash own hands and give the changemat another wipe.
8. Soiled items in the wash
And now the bub is still cranky and farting away. I just hope that there isn't another one on the way anytime soon. Well at least not till dad comes home.
To date stamp when it happened, it was 20 minutes ago as Liam finished one of his regular feeds. Nothing out of the ordinary to herald its approach, he was a little bit squirmish but he's been a bit like that in the last week or so so I didn't suspect anything as I finished his feed. Then I smelt it, you always do (that killer sense of smell that you develop when you're pregnant generally doesn't go away). So off we hop to the change table and get rid of the dirty nappy. At that point, it was just a regular poo and of course, whenever I change him too quickly he burps up some milk which goes over the changemat cover. All good, take that off and get that into the wash.
Wander back into the living room with a bub with a fresh nappy and that's when I smell it again. Look down and oozing out of his nappy, down his leg and onto my hand is the distinctive mustard coloured stream of poo. 'Shit!' And they don't call it a poo explosion for nothing. No changemat cover so straight onto the changemat (thank god it's plastic so you can wipe of poo) and by that point, poo is on my hands, down his leg, on his jumpsuit and still on its way out. Of course, I'm down to the last wipe in the packet so amongst wiping away poo and trying to keep it off me, I'm fumbling around trying to get another pack of wipes open. Yank out one wipe and then about 100 wipes come with it. Not sure what's stressing me out at the point but I just knew I had to think straight.
1. Clean poo off myself so I don't keep smearing it on everything
2. Clean poo down Liam's leg and surrounds so he doesn't keep smearing it everywhere
3. Remove poo-stained clothing off Liam
4. Wait till the last of the poo has made its way out. Wipe furiously Liam's bum and surrounds.
5. Swap with a fresh nappy
6. Another wipe of Liam and surrounds
7. Secure Liam. Thoroughly wash own hands and give the changemat another wipe.
8. Soiled items in the wash
And now the bub is still cranky and farting away. I just hope that there isn't another one on the way anytime soon. Well at least not till dad comes home.
Sunday, October 26, 2014
43/365 - 6 weeks
Bub and I had our 6 week checkup at the local GP today and I'm still in mild shock that that the bub has grown 7cm in length and packed on a whopping 1.7kg since birth! I'm calling him my little sack of potatoes; yep he's nearly 5kg and its no wonder that both my wrists are starting to feel like they're about to collapse. Ironically, I was going to go see the physio near me and it turns out the physio is out of action due to a fractured wrist! I'm hoping I'll hang in there till he's back.
Bub seems to have handled the immunisations reasonably well. One jab in each thigh and then one vaccination taken orally. A little bit of crying when the needles went in but the GP was speedy gonzales with it. Though the one taken orally might have half come out in a spout of milk vomit which the GP was quite stern to tell me that I shouldn't have fed him half an hour before the visit. Now can I just say, how was I meant to have known if no one told me in the first place?
On a side note, mum had to plead with the receptionist for the GP to see bub as after 4 weeks of submitting our Medicare form to add him onto my Medicare card, I still hadn't heard back. Was told initially that it was going to be a $150 consult fee but perhaps I was looking like I was about to break down in tears with the news that the receptionist said she could put the charge on hold whilst we went over to Medicare to get the temporary number. We did that straight afterwards and of course, my posted form had been processed as they issued me with a temporary slip and ever so quickly took my old card away from me. Now let's just see when my new card is going to turn up.
So immunisations and Medicare aside, we also made the trip to Centrelink to follow up on my parental leave claim. Bub's birth certificate only turned up last week so we could finally provide proof of birth for those payments to come through. Lovely lady at Centrelink was ever so helpful but did mention it might be a few weeks away before that gets processed. We then come home to get some letters in the mail and guess what, hubby has been granted his daddy pay already and he didn't even need to provide proof of birth. Seriously - what happened there?
But you know what, after 6 weeks of minding bub, nothing really phases me these days. Some lessons I've learnt:
1. You are meant to know anything and everything despite dealing with the professionals
2. Chaos is the new normal. As a mum, you can deal with it.
3. Play the mummy card to your advantage - sometimes you need to remind people that you are exhausted enough already looking after a bub
Happy 6 weeks Liam!
Thursday, October 23, 2014
40/365 - staying positive
There's been a common theme to this week's conversations (be it at mother's group or catching up with one of my mum friends) and it's the topic of being positive both during pregnancy and through motherhood. It's actually not that easy and as any mum will tell you and you will find out yourself, bringing up a child is a lot of hard work and persistence. I'd like to think that I'm a positive person but there are days now that challenge me; moreso than work or any other aspect of my life ever did.
At mothers group this week, we talked about natural births and how people have misconceptions about what it is to give birth naturally. Fortunately, I was able to go through with a natural birth without any drugs and as I shared my story with friends and family, people were in wonderment of how I managed to do so without laughing gas or an epidural. Everyone seems to think they need an epidural or that something is imminently wrong when the mum doesn't have one. This is when positivity comes in - if you think you can go through with a natural birth, you will. As one mum once told me, a woman's body is designed to give birth. Obviously each mum's situation is different but here I say, be positive and you can go through with it.
Last night I had little Liam thrashing about, cranky as ever during a feed and there was a moment there where I asked myself, how on earth am I going to get through this feed. The minute I stopped thinking about how horrible it was (1.30am in the morning and the fact that I'd just managed to get to sleep), the bub does his thing, finishes his feed and promptly falls asleep and slept through till the morning. They say bubs can sense your tension; I think they're right.
A few people have commented on how great it's been for me to get out of the house so early on with the bub. I honestly didn't think of it that way; more that for practical reasons I needed to get out of the house to return to some sanity and the earlier you make that effort, the easy it will be. Now almost 6 weeks on, we are out and about and I actually enjoy days when we stay at home. There needs to be balance in the week.
And well, it's the end of the week and we now have the weekend to look forward to with dad. There's so much to be positive about!
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
38/365 - mothers group
I went to my first mothers group when Liam was 2 weeks old; it was the week before the hubby had to go back to work so I dragged him along with me as support. And at 2 weeks knowing your husband is going to have to head back to work and leave you alone with the bub, you probably need all the support you can get (trust me - I'm no supermum). Friends with bubs have given me mixed comments about mothers groups. Some had gone, learnt a lot and made friends for life, others stopped going as they were too intimidated by the other mums or particularly how well dressed their babies were. You hear a lot when you're a new mum and the only way to really find out if mothers group is for you is to head to one yourself.
At the moment, I'm going to two mothers groups. One run by the local health clinic which runs for 4 weeks and are more formalised sessions which cover everything from baby sleep, settling to mum's wellbeing - all the babies at this group are around about the same age. It's great to meet other mums who are going through exactly the same thing and remind you that you are normal. As for the information they go through, to be honest, most of it you would've learnt through trial and error after looking after a bub for a few weeks but nonetheless a great reassurance that what you're doing is fine.
The other mothers group is at the hospital where I gave birth and this is more of an informal gathering each week of other mums who've given birth at the same hospital. You can choose to drop in one week and miss the next and well, it's already been 4 weeks since I've been to this group and I'm starting to see and be a regular myself. Having mums that are further along than you is a great help as you get to learn about what babies are going to be like further down the track.
Trust me, it wasn't easy at the start going to either of the mothers groups. It felt like a first day starting a new job, you ask yourself whether the other mums will like you and whether you will make any friends. It's too early to say whether these mums will be my friends for life but if you give it a go, you'll learn something along the way and if anything, it's been that push for me to get out of the house and embrace motherhood with a bang.
As for Liam, I can't tell if he enjoys mothers groups but given he's only 5 weeks old, he's still got a fair bit to learn. The only thing I know is that he loves to poop before a mothers group outing so does make it a little tricky when you are trying to dash out the door. Thankfully mothers groups are forgiving towards lateness; just get there when you can.
Sunday, October 19, 2014
36/365 - things to do with a newborn
I always thought that newborns slept most of the day. Even in the pack that I was discharged from the hospital with, it said that 'your newborn should sleep around 16-17 hours of the day in the first couple of weeks' (the other times being feed times followed by a short period of awake time). If I've learnt anything since having a baby, never trust everything that you read - each baby is unique and you need to learn what they're like and this baby of mine definitely doesn't follow that pattern of sleep. I've been constantly asking other mums 'What do you do with a newborn when they're up for 4 hours straight a day?' and yep, you heard me right; this newborn of mine has a habit of being up for 4 hours straight on a number of days now. Since when do newborns do that? Thankfully those four hours are during the day and not at night time so makes it somewhat manageable.
'He could be over-stimulated or overtired' (was what one friend suggested) but living in a shoebox of an apartment, this didn't seem to apply. The majority of other parents seem to smile politely as their newborns contentedly clock on their 16-17 hours without fail and meanwhile I'm left to ponder my own question and find my own answers (unfortunately Mr. Google doesn't seem to have the perfect answer for my newborn).
Here's what I've figured out in the last 5 weeks:
1. Tummy time - Hospitals recommend tummy time for the baby to strengthen their neck muscles. Whether you have the baby on you or on a playmat, it keeps them amused till they start to tire out but at least you know they've had a decent workout. And if they're anything like my newborn, keep an eye on them as I've already noticed my little Liam wriggling his way off the playmat (since when do newborns know how to crawl??)
2. Playmats - If your baby likes to wave around their hands and kick their legs, time lying on their backs on the playmat lets them do exactly that.
3. Bouncers - We were gifted with two bouncers; one which you rock manually, the other which is battery operated with the function of 'calming vibrations'. The latter has been great; leave the bub by the window to stare out, turning on the calming vibrations and you might be lucky and they'll fall asleep.
4. Chat to them - Make sure you're looking them in the eye and whilst it might seem a bit like a one-sided conversation, I've been reassured their listening and well, if they decide to fall asleep it's a win-win situation.
5. Sing to them - You do not want to hear me sing but babies love sound; even if its my mish mash of nursery rhymes where I haven't quite remembered all the lyrics.
6. Walks in the baby carrier - Great for mum to get some exercise too and I'm finding the bub generally falls asleep after about 10 minutes in the carrier. One of my mum friends uses the baby carrier around the house so that she can get things done which I might start doing too.
7. Trips to the shops - Whilst it seems daunting to take a newborn out in the car, in the stroller and battle the shops and crowds, each trip generally takes 2-3 hours and I'm finding Liam tends to fall asleep with all the excitement.
8. Bath time - Aside from getting him in and out of the bath, Liam loves bath time. Something about the warm water instantly soothes him.
9. Leave them alone - When you've exhausted every other activity and feel like you're about to tear your hair out, putting the baby down on their playmat in a wrap or in the cot is the solution (but I find it only ever works when you are at boiling point). Babies need their quiet time too and we tend to forget that.
There'll be days when I exhaust everything on the list above but I just remind myself that babies are human too, they get bored. Some days they want to do everything, other days they'll happily sleep through most of it.
'He could be over-stimulated or overtired' (was what one friend suggested) but living in a shoebox of an apartment, this didn't seem to apply. The majority of other parents seem to smile politely as their newborns contentedly clock on their 16-17 hours without fail and meanwhile I'm left to ponder my own question and find my own answers (unfortunately Mr. Google doesn't seem to have the perfect answer for my newborn).
Here's what I've figured out in the last 5 weeks:
1. Tummy time - Hospitals recommend tummy time for the baby to strengthen their neck muscles. Whether you have the baby on you or on a playmat, it keeps them amused till they start to tire out but at least you know they've had a decent workout. And if they're anything like my newborn, keep an eye on them as I've already noticed my little Liam wriggling his way off the playmat (since when do newborns know how to crawl??)
2. Playmats - If your baby likes to wave around their hands and kick their legs, time lying on their backs on the playmat lets them do exactly that.
3. Bouncers - We were gifted with two bouncers; one which you rock manually, the other which is battery operated with the function of 'calming vibrations'. The latter has been great; leave the bub by the window to stare out, turning on the calming vibrations and you might be lucky and they'll fall asleep.
4. Chat to them - Make sure you're looking them in the eye and whilst it might seem a bit like a one-sided conversation, I've been reassured their listening and well, if they decide to fall asleep it's a win-win situation.
5. Sing to them - You do not want to hear me sing but babies love sound; even if its my mish mash of nursery rhymes where I haven't quite remembered all the lyrics.
6. Walks in the baby carrier - Great for mum to get some exercise too and I'm finding the bub generally falls asleep after about 10 minutes in the carrier. One of my mum friends uses the baby carrier around the house so that she can get things done which I might start doing too.
7. Trips to the shops - Whilst it seems daunting to take a newborn out in the car, in the stroller and battle the shops and crowds, each trip generally takes 2-3 hours and I'm finding Liam tends to fall asleep with all the excitement.
8. Bath time - Aside from getting him in and out of the bath, Liam loves bath time. Something about the warm water instantly soothes him.
9. Leave them alone - When you've exhausted every other activity and feel like you're about to tear your hair out, putting the baby down on their playmat in a wrap or in the cot is the solution (but I find it only ever works when you are at boiling point). Babies need their quiet time too and we tend to forget that.
There'll be days when I exhaust everything on the list above but I just remind myself that babies are human too, they get bored. Some days they want to do everything, other days they'll happily sleep through most of it.
Thursday, October 16, 2014
32/365 - a trip to the big city
I was a ball of nerves yesterday as I decided to tackle public transport and meet a friend for lunch in the city with bub in tow. Up until a month ago, catching the train was something I used to do day in day out - wasn't the most fun thing as you tackle peak hour crowds, go to work and then you reverse the trip for the way back home. I was probably 34+ weeks pregnant before people would actually get up for me and offer their seat but then it was winter, I was probably passing off as fat as opposed to pregnant in my layers of coats. Not that I was desperate for the seat but either way, I can't see a positive side to it.
So first trip to the city with bub, here's what I learnt:
- No, you don't need buy your baby a train ticket. I googled that one - kids under the age of 3 travel for free.
- Think your trip through. Make sure the station you get on/off at has lifts and pray to the gods that the lifts haven't broken down.
- Don't expect other commuters to help you out with your pram and getting it on at train that doesn't sit level with the platform. Do expect 3 construction workers to watch you whilst you board the train; their eyes telling you that they don't think you can make it on by yourself but you prove them wrong and get on in one piece. Personally, they could've come and help; standing only just 5m away from me and bub.
- If the train is higher than the platform, lift up the front wheel onto the train and then push the pram up to get on the train. Getting off, back out of the train with the back wheels. We have the Baby Jogger City Mini GT pram and I think it's excellent for getting out and about.
- Time your outing so that your husband can finish work a little bit earlier with you so can help you with the return trip home. I was buggered on the way back and needed his help!
Other than that, bub seemed to enjoy his first trip on public transport. Of course he decided he wanted to eat just as we sat down for lunch but otherwise the city noises kept him happy and sleeping for most of the outing. He came home still sleeping which is a very rare thing. This newborn of mine has decided to be active for long periods of time during the day so when I see him sleep, my face just lights up!
At the end of the day, I tackled the trip to the city - one thing off my bucket list with bub!
So first trip to the city with bub, here's what I learnt:
- No, you don't need buy your baby a train ticket. I googled that one - kids under the age of 3 travel for free.
- Think your trip through. Make sure the station you get on/off at has lifts and pray to the gods that the lifts haven't broken down.
- Don't expect other commuters to help you out with your pram and getting it on at train that doesn't sit level with the platform. Do expect 3 construction workers to watch you whilst you board the train; their eyes telling you that they don't think you can make it on by yourself but you prove them wrong and get on in one piece. Personally, they could've come and help; standing only just 5m away from me and bub.
- If the train is higher than the platform, lift up the front wheel onto the train and then push the pram up to get on the train. Getting off, back out of the train with the back wheels. We have the Baby Jogger City Mini GT pram and I think it's excellent for getting out and about.
- Time your outing so that your husband can finish work a little bit earlier with you so can help you with the return trip home. I was buggered on the way back and needed his help!
Other than that, bub seemed to enjoy his first trip on public transport. Of course he decided he wanted to eat just as we sat down for lunch but otherwise the city noises kept him happy and sleeping for most of the outing. He came home still sleeping which is a very rare thing. This newborn of mine has decided to be active for long periods of time during the day so when I see him sleep, my face just lights up!
At the end of the day, I tackled the trip to the city - one thing off my bucket list with bub!
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
31/365 - It's been 1 month!
It's been one month since I gave birth to Baby Liam and gosh, how life has changed. For starters, no 9 - 6pm daily grind (albeit temporary whilst I look after the bub and give motherhood a real shot), days which are structured around the bub's feeds, nappy changes, playtime and cuddles. These days I'm happy if I get a solid 4 hours sleep which I think for a newborn is already quite the achievement!
I was chatting to my best friend the other day about how our kitchen rangehood had died on us in amongst minding the baby. When cooking is one of those things I love to do when I have that spare moment, it felt like my whole life had spun around (maybe a slight exaggeration but when you are homebound with a newborn - mum definitely needs something to keep her occupied). Otherwise, yes I will go and stare at the baby and watch the rise and fall of his chest just to make sure he's breathing (being so worried that I am that he's not ok in those moments when he's actually being good and giving me some rest time; it's crazy what it's like to be a mum). So at my friend's encouragement, she suggested I write things down to document my year with bub and thinking about it, it would be good to read back on these posts in a year's time to see how far along we've gone.
So here I am, 'Hello Grumpy Pants'. Grumpy Pants was the name I gave Liam within the first week we were back at home. Being a boy, he's ever so active, very quick to let mum know about a wet nappy or that he's hungry and whilst he'll shoot mum a smile or two every now and then, he can be a real grumpy pants (and he surely doesn't take after me)!
Happy 1 month Liam!
I was chatting to my best friend the other day about how our kitchen rangehood had died on us in amongst minding the baby. When cooking is one of those things I love to do when I have that spare moment, it felt like my whole life had spun around (maybe a slight exaggeration but when you are homebound with a newborn - mum definitely needs something to keep her occupied). Otherwise, yes I will go and stare at the baby and watch the rise and fall of his chest just to make sure he's breathing (being so worried that I am that he's not ok in those moments when he's actually being good and giving me some rest time; it's crazy what it's like to be a mum). So at my friend's encouragement, she suggested I write things down to document my year with bub and thinking about it, it would be good to read back on these posts in a year's time to see how far along we've gone.
So here I am, 'Hello Grumpy Pants'. Grumpy Pants was the name I gave Liam within the first week we were back at home. Being a boy, he's ever so active, very quick to let mum know about a wet nappy or that he's hungry and whilst he'll shoot mum a smile or two every now and then, he can be a real grumpy pants (and he surely doesn't take after me)!
Happy 1 month Liam!
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