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Newborn Baby-GAF: Sleepless Nights Deluxe HD Remix

pubba

Member
Fantastic thread! I just spent the last few hours reading and have learned so much. Also: great photos everyone.

I'm in a fairly unique situation for a number of reasons.. I'm 40 years old and living apart from my fiancée. The pregnancy was unplanned and has really put our plans in a spin. We were going to get married first, then sort out visas etc and move to Australia before starting a family.

Well, that's all changed now. My better half is 6 months pregnant and living in Thailand. We met 2 years ago and I used to visit from Australia as often as I could. Thanks to a flexible job I was able to stay for a few months at a time.

I moved to China in october this year to return to a job that I love (teaching) and continue studying Chinese. I was lucky to be in thailand for the first ultrasound scan and the baby started kicking when I was there too which was cool.

Nook (my fiancée's name) is going to move to north east Thailand to her family village in January and baby is due on 9 march. My boss here will let me go for a month or two so ill head over towards the end of February.

I guess my experience is going to be real different to you guys. In an ideal world I would be able to stay there and help raise my child but for now I will only be able to be there for the first few weeks and then Nook and the baby will join me here in china later on. We are thinking after the baby is old enough to fly... 9 to 12 months old.

The good thing is that her family are all super excited about having a mixed blood baby in the family and there will be heaps of support there from day 1. Several of her aunties are going to move in and help out and the whole village is waiting for the birth.

We have a house there and the hospital is only minutes away. We have already paid for top level medical care and the house is full of baby stuff already.

I Still feel a bit down about missing out on a lot of the early days experience but this is the way it has to be..

Anybody else been in a similar situation?
 
Anyone else here have or is planning a home birth?

I'm 9 1/2 weeks pregnant with our first baby :)

I'd like a home birth, and Tommie is being very supportive of my wishes. I'm very apprehensive of American hospitals for birth due to the heavy use of medical interventions that can lead to a C-section (someone else mentioned the documentary "The Business of Being Born", very insightful, if you can tolerate Ricky Lake - it's available on Netflix too).

I'd like a drug-free birth, and am enrolling in hypno-birthing classes to help me deal with the pain. I've also purchased a TENS machine to help reduce the lower back-labor pain in the early stages of labor (if you are unfamiliar with how it works watch this: http://youtu.be/4gUEtYAqPw8)

In Australia (where I'm from) and Europe labor TENS are quite common, so I was really surprised to find they weren't available in the USA (TENS machines with 2 electrodes for physiotherapy are, but the ones specifically designed for labor with 4 electrodes and a boost feature for contractions are not) so I purchased mine from the UK for about $120 (I bought it from here if anyone is interested: http://www.bodyclock.co.uk/distribution/elle-tens.html - email them and they'll arrange shipping to the US). I know lots of women back in Australia who swear by its effectiveness!

I also recommend a book called "Childbirth Without Fear", http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0953096467/?tag=neogaf0e-20
By Grantly Dick-Read, a British obstetrician who was the pioneer of natural childbirth. It is an AMAZING read for anyone who is fearful or apprehensive about childbirth, whether you're planning a hospital or a natural birth. While having been revised, it was first written over 50 years ago but it is just as relevant today as it was then. It really helps to understand how one's psychology directly impacts your physiology and the experience of childbirth, and the book is part of the required reading list for trained doulas.

I am still choosing a mid-wife/doula, so if anyone has any recommendations of a good one in San Diego let me know!
 
I don't know if there's a separate "Fertility-GAF" thread, but I thought a bunch of new parents might have some thoughts re: my questions about pregnancy and fertility.

My wife and I are trying to have our first. We JUST started trying. We're using one of those apps that estimates when you might be ovulating and tells you when you should really be trying. So far, it doesn't appear as though we were successful on attempt #1. Lots of thoughts are going through my head - what if we can't get pregnant?

I'm pretty sure I'm being irrational at this point - it takes a lot of people months (if not years) to get pregnant.

How about you guys? Did it take a while? Anything we can be doing to improve our chances, other than good diets, lots of "trying" in the appropriate window? Just be more patient?

We're both incredibly excited to have a baby, but both really worried about the possibility that it can't happen for whatever reason. We're both in our (very) early 30's.

Also, should I be doing anything else to prepare BEFORE we find out she's actually pregnant? Talking to doctors? Anything else I'm just not thinking about? We're not doing anything yet, other than thinking about living arrangements, job arrangements, and financial planning. Also thinking about one of those live-in baby nurses for the first couple weeks. A few of her friends did that and said its totally worth it. Like a mommy-coach and helper. I feel like we should be able to figure this out and have parents around that can help and give advice, but not necessarily opposed to having a real pro on hand...


The wife and I took two months to track her cycle, estimate ovulation based on cervical mucus (trust me its a thing), and then we were like rabbits that first month we started trying. I guess we were lucky in that the first month we tried we got pregnant. Just remember that each month is new chance and that each month/cycle can be different.

Now as far as the OB/GYN and seeing doctors, financial planning. Chances are your wife already sees an OB/GYN, and if she is not you should probably find one now. For good health if for nothing else.

Financial planning? Get life insurance, especially if there is a significant difference in your incomes. Pregnancy, and life in general, is not without its risks, and this can help if worst comes to worst. Another avenue for financial planning, is that if your company has a company match 401K try to max out the company match.

Short term financial planning, i.e. baby bill paying? make sure that you are well versed in your health insurance, premiums, and exactly what they will pay and what you will be responsible for. Having a baby can be very expensive, especially if there are complications during birth.

TL:DR; make sure you understand your health insurance, that your wife has an OB/GYN that she trusts, and to remember that each cycle is a new chance to try again.
 
.....My wife and I are trying to have our first. We JUST started trying. We're using one of those apps that estimates when you might be ovulating and tells you when you should really be trying. So far, it doesn't appear as though we were successful on attempt #1. Lots of thoughts are going through my head - what if we can't get pregnant?

How about you guys? Did it take a while? Anything we can be doing to improve our chances, other than good diets, lots of "trying" in the appropriate window? Just be more patient?

We're both incredibly excited to have a baby, but both really worried about the possibility that it can't happen for whatever reason. We're both in our (very) early 30's.

Also, should I be doing anything else to prepare BEFORE we find out she's actually pregnant? Talking to doctors? Anything else I'm just not thinking about?...

We tried for 3 1/2 years before falling pregnant, was taking Clomid fertility medication and was booked in for our first IVF appointment (which I gleefully cancelled a week before we were due to go!) We're in our late 30's.

You're meant to try for 6-12 months before a doctor will step in to help (like with Clomid for example), and it's recommended the woman takes prenatal vitamins even before she conceives.

We started to think maybe it wouldn't ever happen for us. And after 3 1/2 years of timing sex, propping pillows underneath hips, peeing on ovulation and pregnancy tests and continual disappointment we were pretty over it.

The night we conceived I had been out clubbing with a girlfriend prior and came home a little drunk, very happy and very relaxed. Everyone kept telling me that when we stopped trying it would happen, and maybe they were right because we weren't trying that night, we just had fun and it happened!
 
I'm 9 1/2 weeks pregnant with our first baby :)

I'd like a home birth, and Tommie is being very supportive of my wishes. I'm very apprehensive of American hospitals for birth due to the heavy use of medical interventions that can lead to a C-section (someone else mentioned the documentary "The Business of Being Born", very insightful, if you can tolerate Ricky Lake - it's available on Netflix too).

I'd like a drug-free birth, and am enrolling in hypno-birthing classes to help me deal with the pain. I've also purchased a TENS machine to help reduce the lower back-labor pain in the early stages of labor (if you are unfamiliar with how it works watch this: http://youtu.be/4gUEtYAqPw8)

In Australia (where I'm from) and Europe labor TENS are quite common, so I was really surprised to find they weren't available in the USA (TENS machines with 2 electrodes for physiotherapy are, but the ones specifically designed for labor with 4 electrodes and a boost feature for contractions are not) so I purchased mine from the UK for about $120 (I bought it from here if anyone is interested: http://www.bodyclock.co.uk/distribution/elle-tens.html - email them and they'll arrange shipping to the US). I know lots of women back in Australia who swear by its effectiveness!

I also recommend a book called "Childbirth Without Fear", http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0953096467/?tag=neogaf0e-20
By Grantly Dick-Read, a British obstetrician who was the pioneer of natural childbirth. It is an AMAZING read for anyone who is fearful or apprehensive about childbirth, whether you're planning a hospital or a natural birth. While having been revised, it was first written over 50 years ago but it is just as relevant today as it was then. It really helps to understand how one's psychology directly impacts your physiology and the experience of childbirth, and the book is part of the required reading list for trained doulas.

I am still choosing a mid-wife/doula, so if anyone has any recommendations of a good one in San Diego let me know!

Congratulations!
 

aceface

Member
I'm 9 1/2 weeks pregnant with our first baby :)

I'd like a home birth, and Tommie is being very supportive of my wishes. I'm very apprehensive of American hospitals for birth due to the heavy use of medical interventions that can lead to a C-section (someone else mentioned the documentary "The Business of Being Born", very insightful, if you can tolerate Ricky Lake - it's available on Netflix too).

I'd like a drug-free birth, and am enrolling in hypno-birthing classes to help me deal with the pain. I've also purchased a TENS machine to help reduce the lower back-labor pain in the early stages of labor (if you are unfamiliar with how it works watch this: http://youtu.be/4gUEtYAqPw8)

In Australia (where I'm from) and Europe labor TENS are quite common, so I was really surprised to find they weren't available in the USA (TENS machines with 2 electrodes for physiotherapy are, but the ones specifically designed for labor with 4 electrodes and a boost feature for contractions are not) so I purchased mine from the UK for about $120 (I bought it from here if anyone is interested: http://www.bodyclock.co.uk/distribution/elle-tens.html - email them and they'll arrange shipping to the US). I know lots of women back in Australia who swear by its effectiveness!

I also recommend a book called "Childbirth Without Fear", http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0953096467/?tag=neogaf0e-20
By Grantly Dick-Read, a British obstetrician who was the pioneer of natural childbirth. It is an AMAZING read for anyone who is fearful or apprehensive about childbirth, whether you're planning a hospital or a natural birth. While having been revised, it was first written over 50 years ago but it is just as relevant today as it was then. It really helps to understand how one's psychology directly impacts your physiology and the experience of childbirth, and the book is part of the required reading list for trained doulas.

I am still choosing a mid-wife/doula, so if anyone has any recommendations of a good one in San Diego let me know!

I've mentioned it already in here I think but my second kid was a planned homebirth and it was awesome. It's so nice to be able to just do it at home and relax afterwards. Good luck with yours!

It seems like our third is coming any day now. I'm getting stressed out; we're doing a homebirth again so for me that means getting the birth pool set up and filled then getting the kids picked up to go to grandpa's house. Also we live in the middle of nowhere now so the midwife is about an hour away. My second kid was born about 2 hours and 15 minutes after the water broke, so I hope the midwife makes it in time. If she doesn't, I'm delivering the baby.
 

mrkgoo

Member
I'm 9 1/2 weeks pregnant with our first baby :)

I'd like a home birth, and Tommie is being very supportive of my wishes. I'm very apprehensive of American hospitals for birth due to the heavy use of medical interventions that can lead to a C-section (someone else mentioned the documentary "The Business of Being Born", very insightful, if you can tolerate Ricky Lake - it's available on Netflix too).

I'd like a drug-free birth, and am enrolling in hypno-birthing classes to help me deal with the pain. I've also purchased a TENS machine to help reduce the lower back-labor pain in the early stages of labor (if you are unfamiliar with how it works watch this: http://youtu.be/4gUEtYAqPw8)

In Australia (where I'm from) and Europe labor TENS are quite common, so I was really surprised to find they weren't available in the USA (TENS machines with 2 electrodes for physiotherapy are, but the ones specifically designed for labor with 4 electrodes and a boost feature for contractions are not) so I purchased mine from the UK for about $120 (I bought it from here if anyone is interested: http://www.bodyclock.co.uk/distribution/elle-tens.html - email them and they'll arrange shipping to the US). I know lots of women back in Australia who swear by its effectiveness!

I also recommend a book called "Childbirth Without Fear", http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0953096467/?tag=neogaf0e-20
By Grantly Dick-Read, a British obstetrician who was the pioneer of natural childbirth. It is an AMAZING read for anyone who is fearful or apprehensive about childbirth, whether you're planning a hospital or a natural birth. While having been revised, it was first written over 50 years ago but it is just as relevant today as it was then. It really helps to understand how one's psychology directly impacts your physiology and the experience of childbirth, and the book is part of the required reading list for trained doulas.

I am still choosing a mid-wife/doula, so if anyone has any recommendations of a good one in San Diego let me know!

Congrats!

We used a TENS machine. Obviously, I have no idea if it works or not, but it probably distracts a little, at least in the early stages.

We had every intention of going as natural as we could, but I'm glad we were at the hospital in the end, as intervention happened. Full on epidural, and forceps. Oxytocin. Was it all necessary? Who knows. But all that matters is that baby and Mum are healthy.

6 months down the line - none of that stuff matters any more, though we did try it, and it felt like the most important thing in the world at the time. I mean, it can feel like a 'waste' to try all that time and pain, only to resort to the stuff you tried to do without, but you can't look at it that way.
 

alphaNoid

Banned
My daughter is 2 months old now. She has been a dream come true for my wife and I, she cries maybe 10 minutes a day. Already sleeps 4-6 hours straight at night and even during naps if we don't wake her. We couldn't ask for a better newborn. Only time will tell how long this lasts lol, my son wasn't this easy... but fingers crossed. We are so very lucky, so far so good.

Willow
asBk3.jpg


Also, my son recently turned 3. He's my best buddy, I need more friends like him. He's a good big brother, looks after his sister already which is heart warming.

Logan
PnTGd.jpg
 

Bumhead

Banned
Any advice for Colic? My 5 week old is suffering with it at the moment and it's.. hard work to say the least. The bouts of continual screaming aren't nice and she's really struggling with the trapped wind. We have changed bottles, feeds and tried a number of medicines as recommended, but nothing seems to be shifting it. I guess this is one of those things where time is the only healer.

On another note, and just a general observation on fatherhood, but I'm really surprised by how many people ask me if I'm changing her nappies, and then act somewhat surprised when I say I am. "Oooo have you been changing the nappies then!?" is a regular question when people ask me how it's all going, as if the answer is going to be no. Is it still acceptable in 2012 for fathers to get away with not changing any nappies? In my experience it's just one of the main fatherhood duties along with feeding, putting to bed, changing etc..

Anyone else found similar?
 
^ I still have no idea what is so big deal about changing nappies. It takes 5 minutes and your child becomes comfortable. Regarding colic we tried breast milk only for a while. Some time it is not colic only go to doctor and see everything else is fine.
 
Any advice for Colic? My 5 week old is suffering with it at the moment and it's.. hard work to say the least. The bouts of continual screaming aren't nice and she's really struggling with the trapped wind. We have changed bottles, feeds and tried a number of medicines as recommended, but nothing seems to be shifting it. I guess this is one of those things where time is the only healer.

On another note, and just a general observation on fatherhood, but I'm really surprised by how many people ask me if I'm changing her nappies, and then act somewhat surprised when I say I am. "Oooo have you been changing the nappies then!?" is a regular question when people ask me how it's all going, as if the answer is going to be no. Is it still acceptable in 2012 for fathers to get away with not changing any nappies? In my experience it's just one of the main fatherhood duties along with feeding, putting to bed, changing etc..

Anyone else found similar?

Try being a stay at home Dad, you get asked all kinds of stuff.

Regarding the colic, it could be reflux and they have stuff that you can give the baby for relief. My daughter had it pretty bad, she was really suffering. Got some stuff from the Ped and it went away, used it for about 7 weeks or so.
 

Fusebox

Banned
^ I still have no idea what is so big deal about changing nappies. It takes 5 minutes and your child becomes comfortable. Regarding colic we tried breast milk only for a while. Some time it is not colic only go to doctor and see everything else is fine.

So true, I'm the nappy changer in my house. I like to rank bubs nappies by weight on a scale of 1 to DOCS*.

I took a bit longer shopping yesterday than I should have and by the time I got bubs home her nappy was definitely at DOCS level.

*Dept Of Child Services in Australia.
 

Bumhead

Banned
Try being a stay at home Dad, you get asked all kinds of stuff.

Regarding the colic, it could be reflux and they have stuff that you can give the baby for relief. My daughter had it pretty bad, she was really suffering. Got some stuff from the Ped and it went away, used it for about 7 weeks or so.

Yeah, we have brought her to our local Childrens unit. Tried not to be that parent who rushes straight to A&E at the first sign of trouble but the last 24-48 hours have definitely been abnormal for our little one. Waiting to see someone now but we've just seen a nurse who says it sounds very much like a reflux issue. Im hoping they can give us something.

Id like to see the look on my wifes face if I shyed away from nappy duty. I'd be getting the next deposit of freshly laid dumps thrown at my head I suspect!
 
Any advice for Colic? My 5 week old is suffering with it at the moment and it's.. hard work to say the least. The bouts of continual screaming aren't nice and she's really struggling with the trapped wind. We have changed bottles, feeds and tried a number of medicines as recommended, but nothing seems to be shifting it. I guess this is one of those things where time is the only healer.

On another note, and just a general observation on fatherhood, but I'm really surprised by how many people ask me if I'm changing her nappies, and then act somewhat surprised when I say I am. "Oooo have you been changing the nappies then!?" is a regular question when people ask me how it's all going, as if the answer is going to be no. Is it still acceptable in 2012 for fathers to get away with not changing any nappies? In my experience it's just one of the main fatherhood duties along with feeding, putting to bed, changing etc..

Anyone else found similar?

I had colic pretty bad as a child so I know that it can be distressing as a parent. I believe fennel seed tea in a bottle is helpful (what my mom said) but look it up for directions first!!!. Good luck!!!
 
Yeah, we have brought her to our local Childrens unit. Tried not to be that parent who rushes straight to A&E at the first sign of trouble but the last 24-48 hours have definitely been abnormal for our little one. Waiting to see someone now but we've just seen a nurse who says it sounds very much like a reflux issue. Im hoping they can give us something.

Good luck, I hope it works out for you. I think we got Zantac in liquid form, relief was really fast.
 

Dash27

Member
My daughter is 2 months old now. She has been a dream come true for my wife and I, she cries maybe 10 minutes a day. Already sleeps 4-6 hours straight at night and even during naps if we don't wake her. We couldn't ask for a better newborn. Only time will tell how long this lasts lol, my son wasn't this easy... but fingers crossed. We are so very lucky, so far so good.

Also, my son recently turned 3. He's my best buddy, I need more friends like him. He's a good big brother, looks after his sister already which is heart warming.

Congrats! beautiful and handsome kids you have. My daughter is 7 months and my son is 4, similar situation. She is a good sleeper, we just got through a rough patch where she'd wake up in the middle of the night but now she's back on track.
 
Anyone's baby demand to eat whatever you're eating ? None of our friends ever seen this with their kids.

Not long after he started solid foods my son will show an interest in our food, unless he is full. Can't sample stuff at Costco without him wanting some lol.

Even natto(fermented soy beans) aren't off limits.
 

Fusebox

Banned
Anyone's baby demand to eat whatever you're eating ? None of our friends ever seen this with their kids.

Not long after he started solid foods my son will show an interest in our food, unless he is full. Can't sample stuff at Costco without him wanting some lol.

Even natto(fermented soy beans) aren't off limits.

Yeah kind of, sometimes I make the mistake of letting her taste what I'm eating and then she cracks the shits if I don't give her anymore.

Like the teeny, tiny piece of cinammon donut I gave her yesterday to nibble on, she cracked it coz I wouldn't give her anymore.
 
Anyone's baby demand to eat whatever you're eating ? None of our friends ever seen this with their kids.

Not long after he started solid foods my son will show an interest in our food, unless he is full. Can't sample stuff at Costco without him wanting some lol.

Even natto(fermented soy beans) aren't off limits.

Encourage that. One of my kids is a picky eater, the other is adventurous. You want your kid to be adventurous, trust me :)
 

CrankyJay

Banned
Encourage that. One of my kids is a picky eater, the other is adventurous. You want your kid to be adventurous, trust me :)

My 3 year old nephew is amazing. He'll eat anything.

Was out at a restaurant where he was dipping bread into olive oil, he ordered a salad (my niece ordered chicken fingers and fries), and when he saw my mom eating french onion soup he asked to try some.
 
Encourage that. One of my kids is a picky eater, the other is adventurous. You want your kid to be adventurous, trust me :)

Oh we're thrilled he's adventurous and we encourage it :)

Never seen a baby prefer the parents' food over his. It's like he thinks he's getting just toddler food while we're getting the good stuff. He'll lose interest in his food and prefer ours if we eat around him sometimes.

And he can be picky sometimes as well, it's tricky to get him to eat vegetables and fruits are tricky. Almost makes me miss the days where the bottle is all I had to worry about.
 
She did very well. Mine would have been screaming the second we got close.

That's a young looking Santa.

There's another shot not my phone where she and Santa are staring at each other. It's great.

My wife and I were acutally hoping for screaming baby in Santa's lap, but it just didn't happen. :)
 

alphaNoid

Banned
Congrats! beautiful and handsome kids you have. My daughter is 7 months and my son is 4, similar situation. She is a good sleeper, we just got through a rough patch where she'd wake up in the middle of the night but now she's back on track.

Nice! Ya this week she has been a bit more fussy than usual but it sort of feels like her temperment is much more calm than her brother. I'm still expecting a radical shift and all hell to break loose because thats what happened with my son lol. Glad you're in a similar situation though, its certainly a bit easier when the 2 of them are so different.
 
There's another shot not my phone where she and Santa are staring at each other. It's great.

My wife and I were acutally hoping for screaming baby in Santa's lap, but it just didn't happen. :)
Hey, that is a classic isn't it. Maybe I'll pack the family in the hoopty and take a trip to the mall this week. I know the inlaws and their side will love it.

I'm a horrible father...
 
My 3 year old nephew is amazing. He'll eat anything.

Was out at a restaurant where he was dipping bread into olive oil, he ordered a salad (my niece ordered chicken fingers and fries), and when he saw my mom eating french onion soup he asked to try some.
HaHa awesome. Like a Boss!

Oh we're thrilled he's adventurous and we encourage it :)

Never seen a baby prefer the parents' food over his. It's like he thinks he's getting just toddler food while we're getting the good stuff. He'll lose interest in his food and prefer ours if we eat around him sometimes.

And he can be picky sometimes as well, it's tricky to get him to eat vegetables and fruits are tricky. Almost makes me miss the days where the bottle is all I had to worry about.

Yeah, regarding fruits and veggies. My son really doesn't do veggies well at all, corn is about all he'll eat. But man the kid can put away the fruit. Watermelon, strawberries, cantaloupe, apples, pears whatever. We were concerned about his veggies but our Ped said that as long as he's eating one or the other that's fine.
 

CrankyJay

Banned
My 6 week old has something in her eye it seems, but it's not irritating her eye so I'm inclined to leave it be. It just looks like a clear line across her left eye...wonder if it's mucus or something? But it's been there for 2 days and now my wife has noticed it.

No redness or any irritation to speak of.

I'm 99% sure it's one of her baby eyelashes.
 

CrankyJay

Banned
lol, gonna try that tonight

You can try the 5 S's....usually swaddling and and putting my daughter on her side will get her to stop crying in about 5 seconds.
 

mrkgoo

Member
Out of curiosity, what did you guys get for your baby's first Christmas?

I bought a gloworm lullaby plush toy and a new book "My Cat Likes to Hide in Boxes".

I'm sure she'll enjoy the wrapping paper more..,
 

alphaNoid

Banned
Out of curiosity, what did you guys get for your baby's first Christmas?

I bought a gloworm lullaby plush toy and a new book "My Cat Likes to Hide in Boxes".

I'm sure she'll enjoy the wrapping paper more..,

You're correct, the wrapping paper will be the focus heh. We bought our daughter more clothing, a few toys she can chew on when she starts teething soon and a few light up soft plush toys. We mostly bought the stuff and wrapped it so our 3 year sees his sister getting gifts as well.

The real focus was the 3 year old who is going ape shit this year for Santa and Christmas.
 

mrkgoo

Member
You're correct, the wrapping paper will be the focus heh. We bought our daughter more clothing, a few toys she can chew on when she starts teething soon and a few light up soft plush toys. We mostly bought the stuff and wrapped it so our 3 year sees his sister getting gifts as well.

The real focus was the 3 year old who is going ape shit this year for Santa and Christmas.
I guess you've been through some of this with two kids, but its fascinating how every aspect your entire life is a new experience again. The gift that children give you, I suppose. (Oh man, so tired..;p)
 

jason10mm

Gold Member
My son is about 13 hours old. We are finally catching a bit of sleep after the fourth futile attempt to get him to breast feed when he emits a sound like the ripping of space/time.

Yeah, dropped his first meconium diaper. Ahh, the taste of things to come, no doubt. Why does the day before his birth seem like a lifetime ago?
 

alphaNoid

Banned
I guess you've been through some of this with two kids, but its fascinating how every aspect your entire life is a new experience again. The gift that children give you, I suppose. (Oh man, so tired..;p)
It's the full cycle of life and personally a must. Before having kids, I thought I had an understanding of what life could be etc... Then you have kids and have a moment of clarity. I no longer dream of money, possessions, stuff, degrees, traveling. I dream of growing old, sharing life experiences with the lives I've created and nurtured, watch them have kids and do the same before dying fulfilled and happy down to my DNA.

Enjoy these moments with your kids, they are magical and the answer to the meaning of life IMO. I sometimes wish I had kids earlier, all those years wasted chasing girls, bars, money hungry...all vapid in comparison.
 

aceface

Member
My new baby was also born yesterday! It's my third but the experience is still anything but routine, haha.

My wife's water broke at about 5:00 am and for our past two kids she went right into heavy labor after that. So, we called the midwife to come over (we had a planned homebirth), got my dad to take the other two kids, got everything set up etc. The problem- no contractions. We ended up sitting around watching movies most of the day. However, about halfway through the Avengers, my wife felt a strong pop and after that heavy contractions started. Three hours later, at 5:39pm, the baby was born. :)

It was a bit touch and go at the end though. When the head was about halfway out the baby's shoulders got lodged in there somehow. My wife was in the birthing pool and when it became clear she was not going to be able to push the baby out on her own the midwife started yelling OUT OF THE POOL, ON THE FLOOR! Me and the three midwives pulled my wife out of the pool got her down on all fours first where the midwife dislodged one shoulder and then on to her back where she got the other shoulder out. When I asked the midwife afterwards she said that once the head is in the birth canal, you have 4 minutes to get the baby out before there's damage. She dislodged the baby with a minute and a half to spare. Crazy stuff! It turns out the shoulders were 3 cm wider than the head which I guess is unusual- the head and the shoulders are supposed to be about the same.

I'm getting back into the newborn reality now...got about 4 hrs of sleep last night, seems like that's going to be the norm for awhile. Baby and mom are doing great, the baby started breastfeeding like a champ as soon as she came out.
 

mrkgoo

Member
It's the full cycle of life and personally a must. Before having kids, I thought I had an understanding of what life could be etc... Then you have kids and have a moment of clarity. I no longer dream of money, possessions, stuff, degrees, traveling. I dream of growing old, sharing life experiences with the lives I've created and nurtured, watch them have kids and do the same before dying fulfilled and happy down to my DNA.

Enjoy these moments with your kids, they are magical and the answer to the meaning of life IMO. I sometimes wish I had kids earlier, all those years wasted chasing girls, bars, money hungry...all vapid in comparison.

Ain't that the truth. I've long considered having. Holden as the meaning of life.

My new baby was also born yesterday! It's my third but the experience is still anything but routine, haha.

My wife's water broke at about 5:00 am and for our past two kids she went right into heavy labor after that. So, we called the midwife to come over (we had a planned homebirth), got my dad to take the other two kids, got everything set up etc. The problem- no contractions. We ended up sitting around watching movies most of the day. However, about halfway through the Avengers, my wife felt a strong pop and after that heavy contractions started. Three hours later, at 5:39pm, the baby was born. :)

It was a bit touch and go at the end though. When the head was about halfway out the baby's shoulders got lodged in there somehow. My wife was in the birthing pool and when it became clear she was not going to be able to push the baby out on her own the midwife started yelling OUT OF THE POOL, ON THE FLOOR! Me and the three midwives pulled my wife out of the pool got her down on all fours first where the midwife dislodged one shoulder and then on to her back where she got the other shoulder out. When I asked the midwife afterwards she said that once the head is in the birth canal, you have 4 minutes to get the baby out before there's damage. She dislodged the baby with a minute and a half to spare. Crazy stuff! It turns out the shoulders were 3 cm wider than the head which I guess is unusual- the head and the shoulders are supposed to be about the same.

I'm getting back into the newborn reality now...got about 4 hrs of sleep last night, seems like that's going to be the norm for awhile. Baby and mom are doing great, the baby started breastfeeding like a champ as soon as she came out.

Eh, didn't know about the 4 minutes in the birth canal thing. I'm sure our baby was there for ages. I think we saw the top of her head and we pushed but couldn't advance so we went to the operating theatre to use forceps and possible c-sec. Baby had her heart rate monitored though. I know there's a stage where you can't linger too much dye to oxygen deprivation, but not sure what that is.
Oh, congrats, by the way :)
 

CrankyJay

Banned
My new baby was also born yesterday! It's my third but the experience is still anything but routine, haha.

My wife's water broke at about 5:00 am and for our past two kids she went right into heavy labor after that. So, we called the midwife to come over (we had a planned homebirth), got my dad to take the other two kids, got everything set up etc. The problem- no contractions. We ended up sitting around watching movies most of the day. However, about halfway through the Avengers, my wife felt a strong pop and after that heavy contractions started. Three hours later, at 5:39pm, the baby was born. :)

It was a bit touch and go at the end though. When the head was about halfway out the baby's shoulders got lodged in there somehow. My wife was in the birthing pool and when it became clear she was not going to be able to push the baby out on her own the midwife started yelling OUT OF THE POOL, ON THE FLOOR! Me and the three midwives pulled my wife out of the pool got her down on all fours first where the midwife dislodged one shoulder and then on to her back where she got the other shoulder out. When I asked the midwife afterwards she said that once the head is in the birth canal, you have 4 minutes to get the baby out before there's damage. She dislodged the baby with a minute and a half to spare. Crazy stuff! It turns out the shoulders were 3 cm wider than the head which I guess is unusual- the head and the shoulders are supposed to be about the same.

I'm getting back into the newborn reality now...got about 4 hrs of sleep last night, seems like that's going to be the norm for awhile. Baby and mom are doing great, the baby started breastfeeding like a champ as soon as she came out.

Huge congratulations AceFace! Glad everything turned out fine.
 

squirrelly

Junior Member
I am still choosing a mid-wife/doula, so if anyone has any recommendations of a good one in San Diego let me know!

If you've read the whole thread, then you know that me and Gary ended up with a hospital transfer after our first 30 hours at home. I still think that homebirth is a great option for most women, but I'm going to offer some unsolicited advice based on our experience ;)

When you're interviewing midwives, ask them if they've had to do any hospital transfers, if they're able to practice at any hospitals (ours wasn't), how long they will stay at the hospital in the event of a transfer, what role they will play at the hospital (ours acted as a doula in the hospital), and if/how a transfer will change their postpartum care plans.

Also if you're a worst case scenario planner, ask if the midwife has ever had a client that had a c-section and how she supported that mother and her family. Not all midwives are equipped professionally and emotionally to handle that sort of traumatic experience. Ours was amazing during our transfer and in the 20 hours following, but when the c-section happened, she had a huge shift in attitude, detached from the situation, and totally dropped the ball.

When you choose a midwife and talk about the transfer scenario, it can't hurt to have a few prenatal appointments at the chosen back-up hospital. We did shadowcare at a hospital five minutes from us and since I was established as a patient there with a handful of prenatal appointments and a growth ultrasound, it made the transfer really simple.

Hopefully none of that will be necessary and you will have a beautiful and uncomplicated homebirth, but I think it's important to have a back-up plan in place and asking those questions will also tell you a lot about your midwife and her philosophy. I automatically ruled out anyone without transfer experience, as I didn't want to be birthing with someone that had any kind of agenda and a lot of midwives here are so anti-hospital that they will keep women at home when it's unsafe.
 

aceface

Member
If you've read the whole thread, then you know that me and Gary ended up with a hospital transfer after our first 30 hours at home. I still think that homebirth is a great option for most women, but I'm going to offer some unsolicited advice based on our experience ;)

When you're interviewing midwives, ask them if they've had to do any hospital transfers, if they're able to practice at any hospitals (ours wasn't), how long they will stay at the hospital in the event of a transfer, what role they will play at the hospital (ours acted as a doula in the hospital), and if/how a transfer will change their postpartum care plans.

Also if you're a worst case scenario planner, ask if the midwife has ever had a client that had a c-section and how she supported that mother and her family. Not all midwives are equipped professionally and emotionally to handle that sort of traumatic experience. Ours was amazing during our transfer and in the 20 hours following, but when the c-section happened, she had a huge shift in attitude, detached from the situation, and totally dropped the ball.

When you choose a midwife and talk about the transfer scenario, it can't hurt to have a few prenatal appointments at the chosen back-up hospital. We did shadowcare at a hospital five minutes from us and since I was established as a patient there with a handful of prenatal appointments and a growth ultrasound, it made the transfer really simple.

Hopefully none of that will be necessary and you will have a beautiful and uncomplicated homebirth, but I think it's important to have a back-up plan in place and asking those questions will also tell you a lot about your midwife and her philosophy. I automatically ruled out anyone without transfer experience, as I didn't want to be birthing with someone that had any kind of agenda and a lot of midwives here are so anti-hospital that they will keep women at home when it's unsafe.

I agree with all this, look for an experienced midwife with hospital experience/privileges. Getting transfered to the hospital sucks, but you want a midwife who is ready for that and can be there with you rather than some doctor you don't know when you get there. The midwife we had for this recent birth worked in hospitals for a decade before homebirth became 100% legal in New York State. I was glad to have a midwife with that much experience when the baby's shoulders were lodged in the birth canal. She knew exactly what to do.

As for the new baby update, even though this is my third it's been a huge shock having a newborn around again. The unpredictibility of it gets me. Like her first night, she was up until 4am and then slept through the day. Not bad. The next night she slept the whole night, only getting up for a few feedings. Awesome! Last night she was up from midnight until 6am. Since I have to get up to supervise my other kids at 8am, I'm running on fumes right about now.
 
My new baby was also born yesterday! It's my third but the experience is still anything but routine, haha.

My wife's water broke at about 5:00 am and for our past two kids she went right into heavy labor after that. So, we called the midwife to come over (we had a planned homebirth), got my dad to take the other two kids, got everything set up etc. The problem- no contractions. We ended up sitting around watching movies most of the day. However, about halfway through the Avengers, my wife felt a strong pop and after that heavy contractions started. Three hours later, at 5:39pm, the baby was born. :)

It was a bit touch and go at the end though. When the head was about halfway out the baby's shoulders got lodged in there somehow. My wife was in the birthing pool and when it became clear she was not going to be able to push the baby out on her own the midwife started yelling OUT OF THE POOL, ON THE FLOOR! Me and the three midwives pulled my wife out of the pool got her down on all fours first where the midwife dislodged one shoulder and then on to her back where she got the other shoulder out. When I asked the midwife afterwards she said that once the head is in the birth canal, you have 4 minutes to get the baby out before there's damage. She dislodged the baby with a minute and a half to spare. Crazy stuff! It turns out the shoulders were 3 cm wider than the head which I guess is unusual- the head and the shoulders are supposed to be about the same.

I'm getting back into the newborn reality now...got about 4 hrs of sleep last night, seems like that's going to be the norm for awhile. Baby and mom are doing great, the baby started breastfeeding like a champ as soon as she came out.

Amazing story man!

thanks for sharing (^___^)
 

AEREC

Member
My wife and I had a baby girl this past friday (Dec 28th) and everything went mostly to plan with the birth, aside from having to be induced due to low amniotic fluid getting to the baby. But once they did induce, labor came on fairly quickly.

Everything is going good now aside from the baby crying all night and wanting to sleep during the day. Even trying to keep her awake and stimulated during the day is hard because she just goes right back to sleep.

happyBL.JPG
 

aceface

Member
My wife and I had a baby girl this past friday (Dec 28th) and everything went mostly to plan with the birth, aside from having to be induced due to low amniotic fluid getting to the baby. But once they did induce, labor came on fairly quickly.

Everything is going good now aside from the baby crying all night and wanting to sleep during the day. Even trying to keep her awake and stimulated during the day is hard because she just goes right back to sleep.

happyBL.JPG

I'm having this same trouble with my baby, also born on the 28th. She's a great sleeper but she sleeps all day and is up at night. Flip your damn schedule, baby!
 

jason10mm

Gold Member
My boy was born on the 28th as well. Something in the water? :)

We had a hellish couple of nights waiting for the milk to come in, finally caved and supplemented. Now the milk is in, but he is a fussy breast feeder, trying not to pump and bottle feed too much as it isolates my wife and makes breast feeding harder. Finally got some time with a lactation consultant and it was gold. Now I hope he will be as calm and sleepy at night as he is during the day. I think he just likes lights and noise. Oh, for 4 hours of straight sleep.......

Is there such a thing as daddy baby blues? I think I'm having it! Surely just a combo of exhaustion, stress, and true concern for the wellbeing of another human, but damned if it doesn't make me a weepy mess sometimes. Not as bad as the wife though, she for sure is having baby blues.

Pregnancy, the gift that keeps on giving :)
 
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