Postpartum

Dear Wyatt,

This is a continuation of your Birth Story.

Okay, as I said before around 11 they sent me down to postpartum and I hadn't seen you in hours. I was so surprised because I made it clear I wanted someone to help me and you learn how to breastfeed, and I didn't get to see you again or a lactation consultant til you were about 6 hours old. (I later read that if you are planning on breastfeeding you should attempt to feed the baby within the first hour of birth).

When the lactation consultant came in she asked me what I had been waiting for (really?!), to which AJ responded that we hadn't seen our baby since 7:30. And I told her that I had no clue what I was doing. She pissed me off because I had asked for a lactation consultant when you were about an hour old because you were trying to eat your hands and were smacking your lips, but the nurse on L&D said things were busy and they would get me down to postpartum and get us going. I didn't know that it would be 11:30.

Apparently after I had you, L&D got to hoppin'. A woman came in complete at a 10, another woman went to C-section, and they got another admit. So after they took you to the nursery for tests, they told AJ and I to lay back down and they were going to send me and another girl down at the same time. So it took forever for us to meet again. (What had I been waiting for?! Grrr....)

They had given you a bath and changed your first diaper in the nursery. My heart exploded all over again when I got to see you all spiffied up!

So back to the magical lactation consultant. She was a joke. She showed me a couple different ways to hold you and then wished me luck as she walked out the door. She also told me your first 24 hours you would be very tired and may not want to nurse. They gave me a log to fill out on how many wet and poopy diapers you had with me and how long you nursed for or if we had just attempted to nurse. Sadly, we had a lot of attempts and not a lot of minutes logged.

The day was filled with visitors filing in to see you! Mommy works at the hospital so not only did we see family, but also several of my coworkers.

I got to have my IV pulled out and finally got to take a shower. I was supposed to have gotten one that morning before Dr. W broke my water, but we all know you came too early for that! The shower felt fantastic. I needed one bad, I was smelling like armpits. It was so weird, though, to see my belly. It was like a pouch of flab and stretch marks. And it was so weird not feeling you move around in there at times I was used to feeling you (like lunch and supper) or in places I was used to feeling you (like in my right ribcage!). I found myself resting my hand on my tummy at one point and then realizing you weren't in there anymore. Bittersweet.

I was so excited to show you off to everyone and everyone commented and couldn't believe I had given birth that morning. I think I had a smile from ear to ear all day. Everyone kept commenting on your excellent color and cuteness. Also, I heard several times that you looked like a C-Section baby because your head wasn't very coned (probably because labor was so short!).

Your first outfit

My night shift nurse came on and she was amazing. She really helped me work with you and the breastfeeding. We had you sleep in the nursery that night and your dad and I tried to get some much-needed sleep. They brought you in every 4 hours at night so I could try and feed you.

This was the first time I saw your eyes. I was holding you and I looked down and you were staring up at me.

That next morning on the 6th, Dr W. came in and told me I could go home (A DAY EARLY!). Dr. T. the cardiologist also came by to see me and ask how we were doing. Dr. W the pediatrician came by and they took you from me so they could circumcise you. We had a nursing student with us that day and she followed you to the nursery and told me later that you slept through the whole ordeal.

The lady came in to take pictures of you and got some great ones found here. We didn't order any pics from her, though, because Colton and Jessica were planning on coming in that following weekend to snap some shots for us.

Baby's Second Day - Mommy is so proud!

AJ left to go home and check on Biscuit and do a final check before bringing home baby. I ate lunch and watched the required videos on carseat safety, Shaken Baby Syndrome, and taking home baby. Actually, the videos played in the background on mute while I ate hospital meatloaf and the nursing student read off discharge instructions to me.

After the actual RN did her final set of vitals on me and you and approved your carseat and bitched at me for not logging all the wet diapers I changed, we got to head home! And I was so ready to get out of the hospital but I was also very scared to be on our own.

When we got to the house we let Biscuit sniff on you while you were in your carseat, but then mommy set to work getting your nails trimmed down because you kept trying to scratch your face!

Baby's First Night at Home

We had no visitors that day and it was so wild having you home. We were trying to be so careful with you.

Then the fun began :)

Love,

Mommy