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Thursday 5 April 2012

Sleeping heck

Oh dear, I didn't mean to leave more than two months between posts... Time has whizzed past, though honestly, I've enjoyed abandoning the online world a little bit, but it wasn't completely intentional. Packing up home and setting it up again, while getting to know life in the centre of a new, busy city- and living it up with my new baby who doesn't seem to like going off to sleep at night... Oh yes, I'd somehow forgotten that side of babies. Now at 2 months, I've lost a lot of my maternal patience and just wish he'd sleep nicely without me lying next to him giving him more and more boob. (Tonight the magic grandma who's over visiting managed to calm him down and he's now sleeping phew!) Leon has quickly adapted to Spanish life and is sleeping after 9pm and has 2 hour siestas during the day (which I often try to join with!) but his toddler energies, running around screaming, roaring, playing, can rile Elias no end and I'm sure this has made baby bedtime harder. Bath days are better and they're so sweet together in the bath and sleep quicker. Fortunately Leon is happy with his big boy bed and his new room, despite it being far from ours separated by a long corridor. However I can be sure to hear the pitter patter of his feet running to our bed at dawn and then a squish of 4 in a bed until it's time to get up.

I'd written about my post birth experiences - but then deemed the posts too long and boring to publish. In a way it shouldn't matter as this is a record of my journey but maybe some things should be kept to ourselves?
In a nutshell, the first few weeks weren't too bad - Elias slept a lot, Leon played mostly with his dad so was very happy, I had good support and felt well despite the feeding becoming a pain, and perhaps pushed myself a bit too much getting out and about early on thinking 'I can do it', neglecting the fact my body had been through childbirth. I eventually felt rather shitty a week after. I had major nipple pain (he even drew blood!), I didn't think I felt tired but my emotions took a hold of me and I got upset about my dad not being around to see his second grandchild.

I also felt frustrated that I didn't exactly know what to do - I was probably expecting to be a pro at babies having had one already... but it was tough. One breastfeeding expert paid me a visit and gave me about a hundred 'tips' to increase my milk flow as by "2 weeks post birth you'll be stuck with what you get and theres no going back." Uhuh.... I know she was trying to help but I didn't feel there was a problem with my milk flow and she just made me feel crap. She even suggested I have 8 showers a day, BEFORE every feed, pump AFTER every feed, have 4-5 hours of skin to skin a day, and wake up baby if it's been more than 3 hours since last feed... Errr yeah right.

Then we packed up home and moved to Madrid, and I plan to give some tips in another post, but for now I'll be happy to just press publish. Phew.

2 comments:

  1. Lovely to see a post by you – I don't know how you find the time with two little ones and the move! The breastfeeding expert and her comments makes me a tad angry. What is it with the militancy of some 'advisers' that they feel they can say what they want as long as the baby gets breast milk? That routine she suggested is ridiculous and frankly, my thought on reading it was to say 'f**k right off'. Seriously, you do what works, and if it doesn't, there are other options if you need/want them.

    I can imagine how you must feel with the absence of your dad. I have been wondering how you are on that front – you went through a lot last year, so be kind to thee. So many changes, for all of you.

    BTW, I asked L who her best friend was and named a couple of children who she sees and likes a lot – but she said, "No. It's Leon." It made me feel happy and sad as we miss you all heaps! I had to tell her he is now far away...
    xxx

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  2. Thanks! I think it just made me more annoyed with myself that it wasn't going as smoothly as I had expected - but thankfully that all seems in the past and the feeding is going well - I'm pleased that I perservered as it's so much easier not having to wash bottles etc! Yes a lot of change... I'm thinking more about the impact on Leon and trying to support hubs though he doesn't seem to need it! I miss the good friends we had made back home though for me and Leon. It isn't as easy as I thought to make new friends in a new city! See you soon and thanks for the response xx

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