What do you remember about the first weeks..

[pirateofthecarolinas]

swea_pea1,

I had to laugh at "The Santa Syndrome." After my 1st son came along I remember calling my sister and crying, "you lied to me, you lied to me, you should have told me the truth!" Her reply, "you wouldn't have believed me." We still laugh about it.

Lori

 

[becka]

Oh, how well I remember those magical and terrifying weeks. They really are kind of bittersweet.

I had some major problems breast-feeding DS those first few weeks and so many times we just both ended up in tears. I went to lactation consultants, doctors, etc. I ended up on different herbal teas and even on some prescription medication to see if that could increase my milk supply because DS was just not gaining weight. In the end after a few weeks we put him on regular formula (which he was allergic to). We finally found the most expensive formula (Alimentum) and that worked for him. I just remember feeding him that first formula bottle and just weeping. I felt like such a failure as a mother. I failed to progress during labor and then I couldn't even feed my baby!!! Nothing was natural and I felt so disappointed even though I loved my DS more than anything. I really felt like I had somehow disappointed him. Looking back I now know that I did the best for me and for him and he really doesn't seemed to have suffered any for it.

I also remember those middle of the night feedings when I would sit in the rocker in DS's dark room and look out the window. It was really so peaceful and quiet. DS and I had lots of little "talks" and I would sing quietly to him and just promise him that I would be the best Mom I could learn how to be. I really miss those moments.

 

[HappyMommy2]

I remember one night I was watching a late movie on TV while nursing DS and the movie's big love scene came on and all I could think was, "Geez, why are those people wasting that big comfortable bed like that when they could be SLEEPING??"

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

I quickly found out Sleep Deprivation took on a whole new meaning when you have other children besides a baby to look after. I still had to get up a 5:45 to get everyone up and drive them to school. It took 9 months before my 3rd would sleep longer than 4 hours. Now he sleeps 12 hours at night.

Lori

 

[DD2Disney]

"Geez, why are those people wasting that big comfortable bed like that when they could be SLEEPING??"

 

[onecoolmama]

I soooo remember trying to breast feed. I couldn't sit without extreme pain...b/c of the broken pelvic bone. Nico wouldn't latch and we were both crying. Finally, I said I couldn't do it anymore...my DH was angry because we had agreed to breatfeed and the doctor hadn't figured out I was broken yet.

Anyway, three days later I went on pain killers..so I couldn't breatfeed anyway. Then, Nico got constipated from the formula..and someone told me to give him prune juice. Well, I gave him an entire can!!LOL! I didnt know to give a three week old just a few drops. Let's just say...his system was cleaned real well!LOL!

 

[browneyes]

With my dd, I remember crying for about a month or so after I brought her home. I was VERY emotional. I also remember my SO's mom driving me insane everytime I turned around.
I also remember not being able to drive for the first month or so. Recovering from the episiotomy was worse than recovering from al the other stuff.

With my ds, I remember my dd fussing over him like she was his mama. I was much less emotional after I had him. I didn't have problems recovering with him (I told my dr not to give me another episiotomy). I also remember anticipating my tubal after I had him (my dr made me wait a month after I had him before I had my tubal).

I also remember not sleeping.

I also remember falling in love with them just by them looking up at me trying to figure me out.

 

[Sonya]

These are some great replies. Glad to know I'm not alone. I love the "Santa Syndrome"

After my 1st son came along I remember calling my sister and crying, "you lied to me, you lied to me, you should have told me the truth!" Her reply, "you wouldn't have believed me."

LOL!

Ain't that the truth. My best friend made it all look easy. Even my friend with the twins didn't seem to have the problems I did!

becka, I cna really identify with what you said. I was on meds to get rid of the fluid in my lungs and couldn't breastfeed, I felt horrible giving him formula and then after I was off the meds and we tried it again he wouldn't latch. I cried for days but he is doing great! I loved (now I do) sitting up with him in the middle of the night b/c it was so quiet. However I knew I could go back to sleep during the day while on maternity leave. Now that I'm back at work this wouldn't be such a nice thing!


LOL HappyMommy2!


onecoolmama

 

[twinmomplus2new]

When my twins came home from the hospitol my life was a blur I barely remember it. I was an hour away on Bedrest for 5 weeks before they came home. I begged for them to deliver me at 35 weeks. My DS9 at the time was entering 1st grade in a week and had never been away from me and I had been gone 5 weeks and he was really starting to fray at his edges.
I spent the last 4 months of the pregnancy thinking one of the twins had downs syndrome, I had declined an amnio so I had to wait and see. So by the time they arrived and everyone was great I was just so elated...
Until I got home that is....I was nurseing 2 preemies every 45 minutes, every 45 minutes. Had 2 other kids to care for. Got honestly no sleep for the first 6 weeks. And to make matters worse my mom had moved in to take care of the older 2 while I was gone. And she changed around my bureau, my cabinets, My kids dressers, On like the 3rd day home. I had a screaming fit because I couldn't find my underwear. I just remember standing in my bedroom all crouched over from the c-section screaming at my DH. To put every single thing back where it was when I left NOW!!!!!! For weeks afterwards I couldn't find anything it was very annoying.

 

[swea_pea1]

Originally posted by twinmomplus2new
On like the 3rd day home. I had a screaming fit because I couldn't find my underwear.

After 6 months or so of those "granny" maternity underwear, I'd have gone postal on somebody that hid my regular undies!

 

[letfuller]

With DD1 I had to have a C-section, so my return home was a bit longer than I expected. I remember being the only one in the hospital and then, 3 or 4 other couples were leaving the hospital with their babies. I didn't like that they were able to leave right away. But I guess I should have been grateful I wasn't home yet, as DSIL came to 'help'. What can I say? She tried to broil chicken one night and proceeded to walk around the house with the raw bird and kept asking how to broil chicken. ARGHHH every one knows you should'nt walk around with raw chicken. Then she had to have my husband help her make a bird house for her home. Aside from all of that help, I was itchy from the meds I received during the c-section. DD was wonderful and sooo cute.

DD2 was born c-section and got fluid in her lungs, so we had to bring her home on oxygen. That was scary, but my mom was there to help and my DSIL was 800 miles away. No scary chicken stories with this baby.!!!

Actually, I probably paint my SIL in a bad light, but well, um...

I loved being a mom. That is the over all thought I had with my girls.

 

[bclydia]

I remember being so grateful that she was healthy. I tried so hard to breastfeed but DD never took to the breast. I remember crying and crying because it didn't matter how hard I tried or which "tricks" I tried, she just wouldn't take to breastfeeding. I was so relieved when a community health nurse told me it was okay to give my baby a bottle, that she would be just fine and that I was still breast feeding her even if the breast milk was in a bottle. I think that was the first time I felt like I could breathe in almost a week.
I remember getting nothing done around the house and my friend telling me "did you get to hold your baby? did you get to hug your baby? That's all you need to do. Nothing else will matter years from now." Such a good friend!
I remember sitting with her in the night and realizing I was made to be this precious little girl's Mummy.

 

[Cindy B]

Well, I had my son in Cleveland Ohio in the winter... so I do reemmber driving home from the hospital in about 2-3 feet of snow...

I didn't have family to help, so DH was there for a about a week and went back to work. Two weeks later was Christmas, and my parents and grandmother drove up to see him!

My son was born huge (9 12) so there was never any tiny things. I do remember going to the store to exchange all the tiny diapers for BIG ONES!

Since he was so big, he slept through the night after about two weeks!

My daughter was born about three years later. She also was big (9 13). That was a blur since I had a three year old, and a newborn in a SMALL apartment! Fortunately she slept well as well.

 

[tw1nsmom]

I remember some things from the first weeks of the twins lives, but unfortunately most of it was traumatic (not nearly as bad as what some of you went through, but unfortunately these memories have pushed out any positive ones).

DS went back to the hospital the day after we brought him home and stayed there for five days with jaundice.

DD was home, so I was trying to take care of her, myself and get to the hospital twice a day to see/feed my son. During that week my DD had several episodes of "eating apnea" (would forget to breathe when eating...I could feel her sucking and swallowing but when I looked down she was blue). The nurses/doctors showed me how to stimulate her to get her breathing again, but I had to feed her breast milk in a bottle so that I could see her face clearly (always in a well lit room). One time when it happened my MIL was here and she thought I was lying/exaggerating/getting hysterical when I was rubbing DD's back vigorously and telling her to get my DH immediately...she grabbed DD out of my arms and told me to calm down (you have to vigorously stimulate the baby so that they are startled enough to breathe again). Let's just say that what happened next between us wasn't a pretty scene. In addition, the doctor put DD on a sleep apnea monitor to make sure she didn't have a problem with that too (the only time it went off was when it frequently malfunctioned...surprised DH and I didn't have a heart attack or crash into each other running to her).

DS had a weak suck and had to be bottle fed, so every three hours I would feed DD a bottle of breast milk (1/2 hour), feed DS a bottle of breast milk (1/2 hour), and pump (1/2 hour). Not much sleep for me. Of course MIL thought I was lazy because I took naps all day when the babies slept . I finally gave up after 3 1/2 weeks of pumping...I just couldn't do it anymore. Formula just worked better for our family.

Boy, this was great therapy/birth control for me. Every now and then I think about having a third, but when I think back to that time, I'm cured.

 

[cgcw]

With my DS9, I remember waiting and waiting for him to cry when he was first born. I only caught a quick glimpse of his bottom as they whisked him away. Because of all the medication I had prior to his birth, he had some breathing problems. Fortunately, everything worked out with the help of a vent -- which I never saw him on because both of us were in ICU. I remember forcing my DH to go and be with our DS -- he was scared and didn't have anyone to support him. It was a very lonely walk for him to the NICU but once he got there, he didn't want to leave.

When I went home, I needed time to recover myself. DS was still in the hospital and I would wake in the middle of the night and call to talk to the nurse. They were ever so patient -- telling me about his night. DH was still working and I wasn't allowed to drive a car, so I couldn't spend as much time as the hospital as I would have like. So, my phone calls were very precious.

When he finally did come home, he was so tiny and we would just hold him as much as we could. Not to the point of him always wanting to be held, we did enjoy snuggling with him. I remember dressing him up to go outside and he looked like the stay puff marshmellow man in his premmie snowsuit with his arms sticking out to the sides because of all the layering.

With DS3, it was so different. DS was a full term baby with minimal complications leading to his birth. We came home together 2 days after he was born (c-section -- the nurses wanted me to stay, the doctor released me ). The next day our first outing was to the ER because DS developed jaundice. Then I got an infection and they had to open my c-section in order for me to heal. DH because my nurse, cleaning and bandaging me twice daily. DS was at home on a billiblanket. We use to call him our little glow worm. It was very difficult and looking back, I know all things happen for a reason. At the time, DH was between jobs and I know if he had been working, the stress level would have been tremendous. As it turned out, we were able to do what we needed to do and DH was here to take care of all of us. When we were on our feet again, DH found a job that's been working out for the last 3+ years.

 

[AirForceRocks]

Sleep deprivation is probably what I remember the most. DD slept in a cradle in our room so that I could hear her when she woke up. She would wake up, nurse for 40 minutes, sleep for an hour and half, and wake up to nurse again. I can vividly remember lying in the bed, listening to her start to stir, and thinking to myself "Oh God, I'm begging you - let her sleep for 15 more minutes, please!!"

DS was the exact same way, but the sleep loss didn't seem to affect me as much with the second child as it did with the first.