Week 1
We were able to come home less than 72 hours after my c-section, which was awesome. Sitting in that hospital room was so uncomfortable and gave me too much time to think about what it was going to be like having two kids - I wanted to just be in it!
We came home on a Thursday and had both boys that night. I remember we finally got through dinner and both of them to sleep and we just looked at each other like "wow, this is a lot of work!" I know it affected Aaron more than me, but it was certainly an overwhelming feeling.
Ben just slept and ate mostly during this week. He was sleeping well in between feedings and I was having to set my alarm in the night to wake us both up to eat, usually at 1am and 4am and then up for good around 7.
We had to go in to the pediatrician on Friday to weigh him, he was down to 8lbs 8oz I think. They had me start supplementing with formula, about 1 oz after each feeding. We went back Saturday morning and within 24 hours he had gained 7 oz! I was told I could stop supplementing, but had to come back on Monday to check his weight again. We went back on Monday (6 days old) and he had gained another ounce, so up to about 8lb 14/15oz I think! I was so glad to know that even without the supplementing he was gaining!
I am so lucky that Aaron was home for all of this week. Not only was he super helpful with feedings, diaper changes, etc. he really took the lead with Canon and gave him so much individual attention!
Week 2
Christmas. Ben was still sleeping well mostly, so the relatively easy nights and adrenaline of having a newborn/the holiday made this week go by quickly. We had a fabulous Christmas and it was easy to bring Ben into the mix.
It was the weekend right after Christmas where the fatigue started to hit. I think Ben started needing a little more rocking to settle back into sleep at night. Also, he was (and still is) making these crazy coughing/choking/gagging sounds when he is in rock n' play, which scares me. I often have to pick him up and hold him vertically to get him to stop. However, the cycle continues all through the night.
On the 30th we went to his 2-week appointment. He had surpassed his birth weight and was up to 9lb 13oz! I also told the doctor about his gassy/fussy behavior after he eats and I got a prescription for drops. The drops definitely help to settle him back down, but don't relieve his crazy noises throughout the night.
Our nights are becoming less predictable, though I am letting him wake me up to eat! We're getting some 4.5 hour stretched between feedings, and some 2 hour. I'd love to have a more predictable feeding schedule, but that will just have to wait I guess. We've only had a few nights so far that one of us has been up rocking or holding for over an hour. One night Aaron was up from about 4am - 6am with Ben, then Canon woke up as soon as I got Ben back to sleep. Another night Aaron relieved me and was up from about 2am - 5am. But those aren't every night and even still, Ben isn't crying the whole time, just when he gets put down.
I'm already starting to have some anxiety about the upcoming week - with Aaron going back to school and me having to take both boys to drop Canon off at daycare. Its the timing of that morning feeding that I'm worried about and how it'll work out with getting Canon to daycare.
Week 3
We're halfway there! Halfway to the big 6 week change, when babies apparently start sleeping more regularly and deeply and are most likely to give their first social smile, be awake more, etc! Is it bad that I'm counting down? (while still trying to enjoy it! remember those goals I tell myself!)
Daycare drop off has actually been super easy so far this week, thanks to some snow and two days of 2-hour delays so Aaron has been around to help!
Last night Ben took his last feeding around 8pm and then slept until 1am! I was up until 10 watching HGTV's Fixer Upper (anyone else loving this show?) so I only got 3 hours, but still! It seems as if he's in a kind of predictable night time schedule, waking between 1am-2am and then again around 4/4:30am. I'd looooove to extend that second stretch so I could feed again around 6 and then get Canon to daycare and back before a 9am session, but I'm learning to just let it go and let it happen.
*I'm finally looking at this again around the end of week 5, so I don't remember a lot. I know the middle of the night long rocking/holding sessions are pretty much over, so that's great! Because of daycare pick-up/drop-off, we've kind of put ourselves on the Moms On Call schedule. I haven't read the book yet, but understand the gist of the program and have the recommended schedules on my phone. We're not quite there in terms of the middle of the night feedings, he is still waking up more than they recommend, but I'm learning to be okay with it. I'm getting ready to set up my monthly post templates, so I'll speak more to schedules, routine, weight, etc on that post! This one was just to help remind me of what it was like the first few weeks so I can look back on it later!
We were able to come home less than 72 hours after my c-section, which was awesome. Sitting in that hospital room was so uncomfortable and gave me too much time to think about what it was going to be like having two kids - I wanted to just be in it!
We came home on a Thursday and had both boys that night. I remember we finally got through dinner and both of them to sleep and we just looked at each other like "wow, this is a lot of work!" I know it affected Aaron more than me, but it was certainly an overwhelming feeling.
Ben just slept and ate mostly during this week. He was sleeping well in between feedings and I was having to set my alarm in the night to wake us both up to eat, usually at 1am and 4am and then up for good around 7.
We had to go in to the pediatrician on Friday to weigh him, he was down to 8lbs 8oz I think. They had me start supplementing with formula, about 1 oz after each feeding. We went back Saturday morning and within 24 hours he had gained 7 oz! I was told I could stop supplementing, but had to come back on Monday to check his weight again. We went back on Monday (6 days old) and he had gained another ounce, so up to about 8lb 14/15oz I think! I was so glad to know that even without the supplementing he was gaining!
I am so lucky that Aaron was home for all of this week. Not only was he super helpful with feedings, diaper changes, etc. he really took the lead with Canon and gave him so much individual attention!
Week 2
Christmas. Ben was still sleeping well mostly, so the relatively easy nights and adrenaline of having a newborn/the holiday made this week go by quickly. We had a fabulous Christmas and it was easy to bring Ben into the mix.
It was the weekend right after Christmas where the fatigue started to hit. I think Ben started needing a little more rocking to settle back into sleep at night. Also, he was (and still is) making these crazy coughing/choking/gagging sounds when he is in rock n' play, which scares me. I often have to pick him up and hold him vertically to get him to stop. However, the cycle continues all through the night.
On the 30th we went to his 2-week appointment. He had surpassed his birth weight and was up to 9lb 13oz! I also told the doctor about his gassy/fussy behavior after he eats and I got a prescription for drops. The drops definitely help to settle him back down, but don't relieve his crazy noises throughout the night.
Our nights are becoming less predictable, though I am letting him wake me up to eat! We're getting some 4.5 hour stretched between feedings, and some 2 hour. I'd love to have a more predictable feeding schedule, but that will just have to wait I guess. We've only had a few nights so far that one of us has been up rocking or holding for over an hour. One night Aaron was up from about 4am - 6am with Ben, then Canon woke up as soon as I got Ben back to sleep. Another night Aaron relieved me and was up from about 2am - 5am. But those aren't every night and even still, Ben isn't crying the whole time, just when he gets put down.
I'm already starting to have some anxiety about the upcoming week - with Aaron going back to school and me having to take both boys to drop Canon off at daycare. Its the timing of that morning feeding that I'm worried about and how it'll work out with getting Canon to daycare.
Week 3
We're halfway there! Halfway to the big 6 week change, when babies apparently start sleeping more regularly and deeply and are most likely to give their first social smile, be awake more, etc! Is it bad that I'm counting down? (while still trying to enjoy it! remember those goals I tell myself!)
Daycare drop off has actually been super easy so far this week, thanks to some snow and two days of 2-hour delays so Aaron has been around to help!
Last night Ben took his last feeding around 8pm and then slept until 1am! I was up until 10 watching HGTV's Fixer Upper (anyone else loving this show?) so I only got 3 hours, but still! It seems as if he's in a kind of predictable night time schedule, waking between 1am-2am and then again around 4/4:30am. I'd looooove to extend that second stretch so I could feed again around 6 and then get Canon to daycare and back before a 9am session, but I'm learning to just let it go and let it happen.
*I'm finally looking at this again around the end of week 5, so I don't remember a lot. I know the middle of the night long rocking/holding sessions are pretty much over, so that's great! Because of daycare pick-up/drop-off, we've kind of put ourselves on the Moms On Call schedule. I haven't read the book yet, but understand the gist of the program and have the recommended schedules on my phone. We're not quite there in terms of the middle of the night feedings, he is still waking up more than they recommend, but I'm learning to be okay with it. I'm getting ready to set up my monthly post templates, so I'll speak more to schedules, routine, weight, etc on that post! This one was just to help remind me of what it was like the first few weeks so I can look back on it later!
You're doin awesome!! And props to Aaron for being such a great hubby and daddy :) praying for good nighttime stretches for you and Ben this week!
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