Milo was actually 2 weeks old yesterday but I'm only getting around to posting now. The midwife and the health visitor came over and he was weighed again. At birth he was 6lbs 15oz, babies generally lose weight in their first week but not Milo, last week he was 7lbs 2oz and this week he is 7lbs 11oz. He still seems so tiny so I can't believe he is growing so fast! He's a very hungry baby and he's still sleeping really well. He's spending more time awake during the day but he's happy to lay in his cot while I get the housework done. I'm making the most of it as I know he's not going to stay like this forever but he's just the prefect baby right now.
As of Friday 25th November my baby is official. He was registered Milo McDaid.
We haven't had any particularly negative reactions to his name but I know not everyone's keen. Naming a child is a huge responsibility and I hope when he's older he doesn't really dislike it. Either way I love it and there's no going back now!
On Tuesday 15th November 2011 my son Milo was born.
I had planned an elective cesarean because my first birth was an emergency one and this time they allowed me the choice. Because it was planned I had to fast from midnight the previous day in case there were complications and they felt it necessary to put me to sleep. I woke up at 6am on 15th and took an antacid as instructed. We got ourselves ready and our taxi arrived at 7. By 7.30 I had been admitted and we were making ourselves comfortable on the ward. We were put in a 4 bed with 2 other women who had their babies already. We were assigned a midwife who came in to introduce herself and gave us a rundown of what we could expect. She told us she wasn't sure if we'd be first in or not yet but that we would be going down to theatre at either 8.30 or 10.30. I was scared but excited at this stage, it could all happen so quickly, very surreal.
The consultant arrived and told us we were first in and she was expecting it all to start at around 9am. She again ran through what I should expect, the anaesthetists also visited to introduce themselves. Bizarrely they got me mixed up with another expectant mum who was just 13.. funny story.. I guess I should be flattered. The midwife returned and gave me my gown and TED stockings (to prevent blood clots), she said to get ready and get out baby's first outfit to take down to theatre with me. It all seemed to be moving along really quickly and if it had stayed on course I think the whole day would have been better but unfortunately several emergencies came up and I didn't actually get called in to theatre until 3pm. I hadn't eaten and was pretty miserable by this stage, not to mention I'd had 6 hours to really freak myself out about having major surgery. The midwife came to get us, I brought my own pillow and walked to theatre. It was the single most scary experience of my life. I was not excited in the slightest, I couldn't be enthusiastic to meet my baby I was terrified. Lee was sent off to get his scrubs on and I was walked in to the anaesthetists room to have my Spinal Block. I was holding back tears and trying to lighten the mood. The staff were really friendly and helped keep my spirits up, I didn't cry. The worst part was having the cannula in my hand for the drip, that really stung. I had to sit up and hunch over to have the spinal administered. First they put in a local anaesthetic so I'd be numb, that wasn't pleasant but not too bad. Next they had to have someone hold me in case I fell as they put in the block. It's almost instant so if you're leaning forward off a bed there's a good chance your legs could give way. I felt pressure in my back and a pushing they turned me and lay me down and I could feel a warm sensation moving down my legs almost immediately. They waited a while and did several tests with a cold spray to make sure I was numb. The oddest thing is you can feel everything but you don't feel pain.
They wheeled me in to theatre which to my surprise was just another room, no harsh metal walls or anything scary looking at all.. just a room with some overhead lights set up. They got me in position and then brought Lee back in. By this point I was feeling okay, I was more worried that he would worry so reassured him I couldn't feel any pain but explained the strange sensation of still feeling the movements. They told me I wouldn't be able to tell when they started but I could, I was constantly talking to distract myself as they pushed and pulled me around. I felt a huge push on my tummy which I knew was them pushing him out and then a sucking noise like at the dentist. I've watched hundreds of birth programs and knew that was my waters which meant he was almost here. All of a sudden I felt a huge weight lift from me, seconds later he popped up over the curtain. I was so totally overwhelmed. I hadn't been able to see past the operation and hadn't prepared myself for the actual baby being born part so when he arrived it was just... huge. I didn't cry but I just felt so happy. I'd had an oxygen mask on for the operation up until then and they removed it then and gave the baby to Lee. He looked so happy and was laughing at the faces baby was pulling. He looked all pouty and mad to have been pulled out unexpectedly. It took a while to stitch me up and as they were finishing they sent Lee and baby to recovery to wait for me. He had fed him (15mls) while they waited and he dressed him before we went back to the ward. I held him and it was a totally different experience from my first birth, I felt a bond with him straight away. The sensation was coming back in my incision site while in recovery which made me nervous but it wasn't too painful. I couldn't have pain relief for 2 hours as I'd have had to have been monitored and been given oxygen so I decided to wait as it wasn't unbearable at that stage so it seemed unnecessary.
Lee called my Mum and Ella as soon as we were back on the ward as they'd been waiting all day for news. They came to visit straight away and were soon joined by my Dad and my brother. Everybody loved him (obviously) but Ella especially, she wanted to stay with us in hospital. Lee stayed the night and barely slept at all, it was a difficult first night because we were in a shared room and the other babies were fussy so we were awake a lot and I was really sore. All in all it was better than I expected in some ways and worse in others. The operation was a drop in the ocean, nothing to be afraid of just a little nerve wracking, the pain afterwards was worse than I remember. While I was resting it was manageable but I was encouraged to get up and move around early and that was bad, I was light headed and sick. However... I am writing this a week on and I feel 100% better already. It happened almost overnight so it felt as though I wouldn't feel better for months but really in the grand scheme of things.. it's still not easy now and I'm still sore but one week of discomfort for something so precious.. absolutely worth it!
*Disclaimer - These are NOT my boobs! But I would be very happy if there were!*
I woke up today to a bit of a shock... my boobs seem to have disappeared OVERNIGHT!
I big perk of pregnancy for me was the big boost in the bust department, I definitely enjoyed filling out my clothes that bit better and it made my huge bump less of an inconvenience.. a trade off if you will. Unfortunately as I am not breastfeeding my boobs have shrunk down to nearly their pre-pregnancy size just a week after birth so I still have a pregnant looking tummy but no big boobs to make up for it. I remember the first time around becoming a bit obsessive about this and even going as far as to order pills online that claimed to grow your breasts... needless to say I thought better of it and returned them but still.. the idea was in my mind. I can totally understand why people plump for a boob job at this time in their lives because the difference is so dramatic in such a short space of time.. I almost feel bereft over the loss. I will have to make my peace with it, I may have to treat myself to another Mama Mio Boob Tube to firm up what I have left. The whole situation has left me feeling rather deflated.
Today my little Milo is one week old. You could be forgiven for thinking he'd had a fortnight in the sun from the tan he's sporting but he is still brand new to us. The midwife visited today, she said his jaundice was improving, he's eating really well and he's actually put on weight which is unusual. Ordinarily it takes babies 10 days to return to their birth weight as they usually lose some in the days following their arrival but little Milo has gone from 6lbs 15oz to 7lbs 2oz in his first week so that's great. He had his heel prick blood test done too which was horrible for me to watch but he barely flinched, no tears whatsoever. He is such a good baby, it's almost like he doesn't want to trouble anyone. I can't believe he's been with us for just a week, it feels like he's been here forever.
Okay I know I'm biased but my baby boy is just the cutest! You already know that! What you don't know is he is also the worlds best behaved baby. I am in total awe of how good he's been so far, I'm not expecting him to stay this easy but I am really appreciating it while it lasts. He sleeps ALL the time, he wakes for feeds and nappy changes and then goes back to sleep til the next.. I can't quite believe it! He is alert for such a short period during the day that I had to post these pictures of him with his eyes open. When he is awake he just lays happily in his crib or my arms looking around, totally content. He does cry occasionally of course but it's so rare at the moment it's a novelty. It's only really when I'm changing him or he's being impatient for his bottle but it never lasts long and he is easily consoled. As I type this he is gurgling in his crib next to me.. no trouble to anyone... who could ask for more?
He is a little jaundice and that coupled with him arriving a week earlier than he expected are contributing factors to his sleepiness, I think. The midwife visits again tomorrow and I will have to ask if he's improved as it is a little concerning but he feeds well and shows no signs of illness so I'm not overly worried. It's almost as if he's making it easy for me while I heal.. I love him!
When you have an elective Cesarean ahead of your due date it's usual to have to wait for your milk to come in. Your body isn't expecting to need milk just yet so it takes a while to catch up with itself. Today Milo is 4 days old and my milk arrived. I'm not planning on breastfeeding (you can see my post about that here) but when the milk is coming it does seem like such a shame to waste it. When the midwife came to visit yesterday she said Milo has a touch of Jaundice so it's important for him to feed every 4 hours (6 at night) and take at least 1oz of formula. When you need to monitor how much your baby is eating I am pleased we are bottle feeding. At first he was not taking much because he was so mucousy (common for c-section babies). He's gone from taking just 15/20mls in hospital to his record feed this morning of 100ml. I would never had known that had I been breastfeeding. He's a hungry little guy but he also sleeps a lot and I can relax (and sleep myself) knowing he's been well fed.
I'm not totally opposed to breastfeeding and I am considering giving it a go as a bonding exercise and supplement the formula feeds but I won't be replacing the bottle altogether.
Now I must go as he is stirring and it's time for my pain killers (yay)
I have taken SO many photos already but as we're still in hospital I can only upload from my iPhone. Milo arrived at 3.47pm by elective caesarean on Tuesday 15th November 2011. I will post about the birth in detail later, for now I just wanted to put something up to introduce him to you all. Everything went as planned and we're both doing well, he's a bit sickly as c-section babies tend to be and I am sore, as expected. We will hopefully be coming home tomorrow.
Thank you for all the messages, there were so many I couldn't possibly reply to them all but we're very touched.
He's coming tomorrow. Tomorrow I am having a major abdominal operation. I am very much not ready for this!Everyone is so excited for his arrival and I just can't get there yet. Too Scared. TOO SCARED!! From midnight tonight I am on fast so no food or drink until he's out and I'm back in the ward. It's just 1 hour until then. I doubt I will sleep tonight, TOO SCARED! We've just about packed up for the hospital, I think I have everything I need but who knows.. I'm sure I'll have forgotten something. I've washed all of the baby bedding for when he comes home, His nursery is ready, everything is ready... NOT ME! I've taken a long, hot bath, I've scrubbed within an inch of my life and will shortly be smothering myself in shea body butter and attempting to relax.
Tomorrows post will be filled with joy and, if all goes according to plan, his first baby photo. For now I am in deep denial. I am not going anywhere tomorrow, nothing is going to be pulled out of me and I am not going to have a scary-looking incision to look after and need to be doped up on pain killers for the next few weeks. Nope! Nope Nope Nope!!!
I just edited my "baby break" video to upload to my beauty channel. I'd planned to film an explanatory video to put up on my channel page for while I am too busy with baby things to make new videos. It was almost emotional (maybe it was the music I chose for the background) and I just can't believe it's time to upload it. Tomorrow is my last day as a mother of one. Tuesday Milo will arrive and change our family forever. I am excited and scared and overwhelmed.. No matter when or how a baby comes in to your life I don't think you can ever be prepared for it. My mind is buzzing with so many questions, Will he be ok? Will I be ok? What will he look like? What will happen when we bring him home? How will Ella be around him? At the moment I am still very nervous about the surgery and so some of my baby nerves are being pushes aside but every now and then they force themselves back in and I remember... there's going to be a baby here soon. A baby! It feels like the longest time coming but also that time has zoomed away from me. We waited so long to conceive him that it took me a long time to accept he was really coming so my pregnancy has felt lightening fast. I'm growing uncomfortable and am looking forward to getting my body back but I'm not quite ready to not be pregnant yet. I feel like I've only just begun my pregnancy and it's already over. At first I said absolutely no more, I wanted a second child but not a brood and now I'm not so sure. I have the benefit of many child bearing years still lying ahead of me so I can never say never. As I sit in bed, unable to sleep for braxton hicks and fierce baby movements, it would be very sad to think this is the last time I will feel these things. I am so pleased he is coming in such little time but I will miss him when he's gone from me.
It would seem the now little Milo is fully formed and ready to go there are no in-utero updates to share. He's the size of a leek and approx 6.8lbs. I missed a midwife appointment so I don't know how big he is in reality but I have my final meeting this Friday, Scary stuff! I have all the little vials to take for them to fill with my blood in case I need a transfusion. I was a little puzzled about this myself as the won't take enough to give me if I do need one so... why do they take it? hmm! I can only assume it's to check I don't have any nasties in my blood before the operation. I have all of my paperwork and instructions of what to do the night before/morning of the operation. I will have to be up at 6am to take a pill which kinda sucks but I imagine I'll be too excited to sleep anyway. I'm getting really nervous about the c-section now. I know it's routine and it's still preferable to going through hours of labour and potentially having to go in as an emergency section anyway but knowing I will be totally lucid and aware of everything freaks me out. I was off my head on everything they'd give me by the time they rolled me in to theatre the first time.. this time will be very very different. I'm nervous of the spinal block going in, I'm nervous of it wearing off halfway through and I'm possibly MOST nervous of the pain that I'll feel after it's all over and I've regained feeling. OUCH! All I can imagine is it will be like people say when they come-to after cosmetic surgery (I watch lots of reality TV) they say it feels like they've been hit by a truck. I don't want to feel like I've been hit by a truck! But this time next week he will be here and I will have to face it either way.
I'm really hoping that the emotion of his arrival will put me in a bit of a blur and before I know what's happening the Spinal will have worn off and they'll have topped me up with pain killers. We'll see. I'm not scared about his arrival or bringing him home, I'm actually starting to get excited now. It's really happening. As has been the case throughout my pregnancy, nobody is as excited as my Mum. I'm a bit concerned she might explode when she first visits. Ella is excited... off and on.. I think once he's home and well and I'm recovering she will love it but I get the impression she's worried about me because she knows I'm having surgery. I think she's put off her excitement a little for the same reasons I have... just get that bit over with and know that I'm fine and then I can enjoy it. His room and everything is still only almost done. We're going shopping tonight for all of the last bits and pieces we need. More blankets for example... MILK for another. We're nearly totally ready for him.
On Saturday night I was almost convinced I was going into labour so I threw together a small hospital bag. I realised how little I was prepared for this. I will do a little video or blog post about everything I put in the bag but in the mean time here's what I filmed yesterday. This is everything I put in my makeup bag in the heat of the moment..
The next morning I did my makeup with the items in the bag and put it this way.. I'm glad I have more time to think about it now. What products would/did you pack for hospital beautification?
A few hours ago if you'd asked me when he was coming I'd have said today... without a doubt. It has been a very uncomfortable Saturday to say the least. The discomfort has gone from my normal pelvis pain to cramp to what feels like contractions in my lower abdomen to dull (very annoying) back pain. It's been the kind that I can't suffer in silence. As I type this I few it's making a comeback. I've been glued to my hot water bottle, took a hot bath and had to resort to pain killers (don't worry, only paracetamol).
My biggest worry is that I haven't packed my hospital bag yet... so what am I doing wasting my time blogging, right? Now the pain and discomfort has subsided I'm feeling more like it was just braxton hicks but it doesn't hurt to be prepared so before I go to bed I'll probably put something together.. just in case.
I'm just not ready yet. It's only 10 days as it is but I need those 10 days!!!
I've had this pain at the top of my left inside leg for weeks now that feels like a sore, pulled muscle. If I put any pressure on it it hurts, if I flex it or use my leg to move it hurts.. It hurts at night when I'm trying to sleep, it hurts during the day when I'm "resting" and don't even get me started on walking.
At my first midwife appointment after I'd developed this discomfort I brought it up and asked if she knew the cause. She told me it could be a number of things all of which were un-curable by anything other than getting that baby out of me. Great! She said I could have physio but it could make it worse and given the time I have left i decided to grin and bear it. That feels like a lifetime ago now and it's definitely progressed. One thing my midwife had suggested it might be was SPD - Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction. I looked it up online (of course) and it seems very possible. I only feel the ache on the one side, it's difficult to describe where it is but imagine a barbie.. where her leg joins to her body... that's my "circle of pain". It's mainly on the lower half of that circle but my whole hip can ache sometimes.
I found this article on BabyCentre about it for those wanting more information... they have nearly all my symptoms listed and it seems more and more like that's my problem. It mentions that the pain is worse at night and going to the toilet (frequently as you'd imagine) is very uncomfortable. Last night I found myself hobbling to and from the bathroom moaning.. I'm sure Lee thought I was going in to labour.
The reason I am writing this is I can't totally remember how I felt at the end of my first pregnancy. I think Milo is higher than Ella was so I am having difficulty breathing and my ribs ache but the need to go to the bathroom every 2 seconds isn't quite as strong. I do remember laying in bed and thinking there was no point in even trying to sleep it was so frequent. That time I was uncomfortable but I don't remember actual pains until labour started. So I want to record how I felt in these final stages so if I do ever happen to find myself here again I will have a point of reference.
That and when you're pregnant you look up every little twinge online and if someone finds this post that is going through the same thing I am I hope it will be helpful and you'll see you're not alone, it's normal and (fingers crossed) there are no lingering aches after the birth.
So apologies for boring those of you not currently in my "condition" but for those that are or have been... have you had anything similar? I find myself sitting feeling sorry for myself when I could be being so much more productive with my last baby-free days!
I did mention this in a video already but for those of you that missed it I HAVE to tell you about this offer whilst it's still running.
First of all the Avent Newborn Starter Kit which includes..
At that price I had to buy two... obviously! There are tons of other great deals on feeding and Mother and Baby in general online and in store right now but these are the ones I bought so I thought I would share. For those interested I hope you snap them up in time.
I now have a totally of 12 bottles due to my impulse purchase but 4 of them are the 125mls so they won't stay in rotation for long. They say you need a minimum of 6 for a newborn so I figure this way we'll never be without clean bottles.. it's just a precaution, you understand!
Have you spotted any fab baby deals recently? It seems it's baby season, lots of stores have offers on... great timing for me :)
I had lots of requests to show you what I've bought so far for Baby Milo's arrival. I finally filmed the videos this week... here they are...
If you have any suggestions for anything I'm missing or any great products you would recommend I buy please leave me a comment. It feels like a lifetime ago since Ella was a baby and I have forgotten nearly everything!
So it's just 2 weeks before we get to meet our little guy and I'm finally feeling a little excited. in the last week I have bought most of the stuff we were missing. We still need a couple more newborn outfits for him, more blankets, toiletries and milk... it's felt like I have loads of time left to do these things but I really don't anymore. I have started watching all the baby programmes on Home & Health that I've avoided thus far.. I think they're helping me to remember what the first few days with baby are like and I'm feeling more relaxed. Ella is still really excited and she's been so grown up recently I'm no longer worried about her feeling pushed out.
Baby is "full term" this week so if the worst happened and he made an early appearance all would be well.. he is fully prepared for the world. Many Mums experience "lightening" around this time which is when the baby drops in preparation for the birth and I think that's happened to me. People tell me he looks lower now.. I'm not so sure but I have been really sore at the top of my tummy/under my bust. The skin sometimes feels almost like it's burning and apparently this is a stretching sensation, ouch! I've been trying to relieve it with Aloe Vera which helps for a while but it's not comfortable I can tell you. Gradually my body has been telling me to slow down and do less. I still have pains at the top of my left leg that feel like a pulled muscle in my inner thigh and on the other side I experience occasional flashes of cramp. I get these pains even when I'm resting so walking any distance at all is not easy. Lots of people are asking if I'm looking forward to it being over but although I'm achey I'm not desperate to get him out.. I don't know if that's because of nerves about the operation or if I'm still not ready. I do know that my discomfort won't go away once he's born as I will be recovering from the c-section so whereas most Mums are awaiting that relief I know I won't get that straight away.. but that was my choice.
As it is I take Ella to school and back and some not too strenuous house work but try to rest for the majority of my day. I'm beginning to wonder what the baby will allow my days to be like.. will he be fussy? will he be sleepy? Only time will tell...
