World Breastfeeding Week. Who would have thought it would create such a fuss! And this is just on my Facebook feed! I can’t imagine the controversy happening all over the world. The ol’ breastfeeding / formula debate always rears its ugly head – why the hell does it have to be a debate?! I’m bloody anxious about posting this. I think I might hide under a rock for the next week until the backlash has washed over! But after seeing some of the posts recently, I think it needs to be said...
When James was born, the ever-famous Dr Rad was doing his ever-amazing job by asking me about my plans regarding our next pregnancy. At the time, I snorted at him…literally – it got the same response as when I was asked about birth control while James was still in hospital! I mean c’mon mate, the only thing stimulating my nipples right now is an expressing kit! Anyway…I digress. So Dr Rad was keen to know sooner rather than later if James was going to be a big brother, and for good reason (which I can appreciate now). I eventually answered with apprehension that we had initially planned to have another baby down the track, but at this stage we simply felt blessed to have our one healthy miracle staring back at us from inside his humidicrib. I couldn’t even think about the possibility of another baby after the emotional turmoil we had endured. It had taken absolutely everything to finally get our little guy and he had changed my perspective on absolutely everything! I went from wanting and needing three babies, to being utterly content with just him. That previous greed seemed absolutely ridiculous. Of course, all Dr Rad took from that was ‘we had initially planned to have another baby down the track’ (bless his cotton, checkered socks!) – he referred me to a reputable maternal fetal medicine doctor for pre-pregnancy planning ‘just in case’.
This has been the best week of all. I was on my best behaviour as promised and had my monitor removed – no more silly beeping and no more stressing about keeping my heart rate high. I can be naughty and nobody would know! I love being wire-free. Mummy comes in and spends the whole day as usual, but we are able to go out the back into a quiet room and spend as much time together as we want. I get extra cuddles and Mum gets to look after me by herself mostly. No one even interrupts! It makes me feel more like a normal baby. My favourite part of the day is when Daddy comes after work. I try to stay awake after my breastfeed to say hello, and then I get to fall asleep snuggling him.
I thought having a premature baby in hospital was going to be as tough as it would ever get. And it was. But then we took our boy home. It was one of the best days of my life and one I thought would never come. People said we would be ready – we had spent 5 weeks in hospital getting to know our baby and he was already in a ‘routine’. And I almost believed them. But in actual fact, it was the opposite.
This week got a little bit boring for me and I’m starting to get over being in hospital. Time drags when you sleep all day. I feel real strong and ready to go home but they keep telling me I have to grow and learn to feed. I thought I was doing fine but I do get really sleepy still and can only do two breastfeeds a day. I find it hard to keep sucking so the nurses still have to give me extra mummy’s milk through my tube. I guess I’m not strong enough and it makes me sad because I know Mum and Dad are ready to take me home. But I’m definitely doing good at the growing part – I put on a total of 190g this week and hit 2kg! Dad says I’m looking fatter each day, how rude!
This blog will follow the long, tiring and emotional journey I took to finally be able to breastfeed my premature baby. This is an educational blog (a long-winded one at that!) and won’t suit everybody, but feel free to read on and learn something new! For those that are going through something similar and have found my blog by scouring the internet in a hot mess, don’t check yourself into crazy-town just yet. I hope this makes you feel less alone and that it even gives you some reassurance, or at the very least, gives you the strength to run a brush through your hair!
Oh my gosh everyone, so much has happened this week and I’m just bursting to tell you all. I’m getting so much better at remembering it all. I can’t keep this news any longer…I was moved into a new home! A big boy box like all those other babies – one without a roof! It makes it so much easier to see, hear and touch everyone, and I’m allowed more cuddles now. I do get a bit cold sometimes though, and the lights are so bright. The monitor is still there and it’s really loud now when I’m naughty. But overall I am so so happy to get some fresh air. It helps that they moved me into a nice quiet room with just one other baby (who I think tries to talk to me but she just sounds like a sheep and I don’t really understand).
This week my home was moved to SCBU2 which is apparently the last stop until I leave with Mummy and Daddy. I like it here because I’m getting longer cuddles. Being a good boy is working and I’m getting stronger every day. This room is very busy and noisy, there’s lots of babies who are much bigger than me and make loud noises until the nurses give them attention. Their boxes don’t have lids. I wonder if I will get a new home like them one day.
Today Mum was discharged from the postnatal ward which made her cry (again!) She said she didn’t want to leave the hospital without taking me too, and didn’t want to be so far away at night time. This also made me sad. My last IV line has been removed – I feel light as a feather! The bright light from above my home was taken away (I mustn’t look so yellow anymore) and I no longer have to wear my sunglasses. I opened my eyes real wide but couldn’t see much – it’s all black and white and blurry. I gripped onto Mum and Dad’s fingers today, they feel so strong and safe. I love that they are always by my side.
We have been working on our nursery since we first started trying to get pregnant – this is over 2 years of visualizing and planning that has finally come to life. When I say ‘we’, you all know what I mean: Scott has been inundated with my constant crazy gushing over pinterest ‘ohhhh, how cute is thiiiiis?!’ without actually having any input. He’s lucky I even gave in and let him put his little Star Wars Itty Bitty on the shelf!
Most of you are probably aware that we keep calling James our miracle. It’s not purely because of our fertility struggle or even his birth story – there’s more! This blog will describe why James needed to be born when he did, and why he may not have survived just a week longer in the womb. We like to think he paved his own path and essentially saved his own life.
World Breastfeeding Week. Who would have thought it would create such a fuss! And this is just on my Facebook feed! I can’t imagine the controversy happening all over the world. The ol’ breastfeeding / formula debate always rears its ugly head – why the hell does it have to be a debate?! I’m bloody anxious about posting this. I think I might hide under a rock for the next week until the backlash has washed over! But after seeing some of the posts recently, I think it needs to be said...
When James was born, the ever-famous Dr Rad was doing his ever-amazing job by asking me about my plans regarding our next pregnancy. At the time, I snorted at him…literally – it got the same response as when I was asked about birth control while James was still in hospital! I mean c’mon mate, the only thing stimulating my nipples right now is an expressing kit! Anyway…I digress. So Dr Rad was keen to know sooner rather than later if James was going to be a big brother, and for good reason (which I can appreciate now). I eventually answered with apprehension that we had initially planned to have another baby down the track, but at this stage we simply felt blessed to have our one healthy miracle staring back at us from inside his humidicrib. I couldn’t even think about the possibility of another baby after the emotional turmoil we had endured. It had taken absolutely everything to finally get our little guy and he had changed my perspective on absolutely everything! I went from wanting and needing three babies, to being utterly content with just him. That previous greed seemed absolutely ridiculous. Of course, all Dr Rad took from that was ‘we had initially planned to have another baby down the track’ (bless his cotton, checkered socks!) – he referred me to a reputable maternal fetal medicine doctor for pre-pregnancy planning ‘just in case’.
This has been the best week of all. I was on my best behaviour as promised and had my monitor removed – no more silly beeping and no more stressing about keeping my heart rate high. I can be naughty and nobody would know! I love being wire-free. Mummy comes in and spends the whole day as usual, but we are able to go out the back into a quiet room and spend as much time together as we want. I get extra cuddles and Mum gets to look after me by herself mostly. No one even interrupts! It makes me feel more like a normal baby. My favourite part of the day is when Daddy comes after work. I try to stay awake after my breastfeed to say hello, and then I get to fall asleep snuggling him.
I thought having a premature baby in hospital was going to be as tough as it would ever get. And it was. But then we took our boy home. It was one of the best days of my life and one I thought would never come. People said we would be ready – we had spent 5 weeks in hospital getting to know our baby and he was already in a ‘routine’. And I almost believed them. But in actual fact, it was the opposite.
This week got a little bit boring for me and I’m starting to get over being in hospital. Time drags when you sleep all day. I feel real strong and ready to go home but they keep telling me I have to grow and learn to feed. I thought I was doing fine but I do get really sleepy still and can only do two breastfeeds a day. I find it hard to keep sucking so the nurses still have to give me extra mummy’s milk through my tube. I guess I’m not strong enough and it makes me sad because I know Mum and Dad are ready to take me home. But I’m definitely doing good at the growing part – I put on a total of 190g this week and hit 2kg! Dad says I’m looking fatter each day, how rude!
This blog will follow the long, tiring and emotional journey I took to finally be able to breastfeed my premature baby. This is an educational blog (a long-winded one at that!) and won’t suit everybody, but feel free to read on and learn something new! For those that are going through something similar and have found my blog by scouring the internet in a hot mess, don’t check yourself into crazy-town just yet. I hope this makes you feel less alone and that it even gives you some reassurance, or at the very least, gives you the strength to run a brush through your hair!
Oh my gosh everyone, so much has happened this week and I’m just bursting to tell you all. I’m getting so much better at remembering it all. I can’t keep this news any longer…I was moved into a new home! A big boy box like all those other babies – one without a roof! It makes it so much easier to see, hear and touch everyone, and I’m allowed more cuddles now. I do get a bit cold sometimes though, and the lights are so bright. The monitor is still there and it’s really loud now when I’m naughty. But overall I am so so happy to get some fresh air. It helps that they moved me into a nice quiet room with just one other baby (who I think tries to talk to me but she just sounds like a sheep and I don’t really understand).
This week my home was moved to SCBU2 which is apparently the last stop until I leave with Mummy and Daddy. I like it here because I’m getting longer cuddles. Being a good boy is working and I’m getting stronger every day. This room is very busy and noisy, there’s lots of babies who are much bigger than me and make loud noises until the nurses give them attention. Their boxes don’t have lids. I wonder if I will get a new home like them one day.
Today Mum was discharged from the postnatal ward which made her cry (again!) She said she didn’t want to leave the hospital without taking me too, and didn’t want to be so far away at night time. This also made me sad. My last IV line has been removed – I feel light as a feather! The bright light from above my home was taken away (I mustn’t look so yellow anymore) and I no longer have to wear my sunglasses. I opened my eyes real wide but couldn’t see much – it’s all black and white and blurry. I gripped onto Mum and Dad’s fingers today, they feel so strong and safe. I love that they are always by my side.
Many stories have already been written and shared describing parents’ personal experiences of their time spent with their premature baby(s) in NICU...
We have been working on our nursery since we first started trying to get pregnant – this is over 2 years of visualizing and planning that has finally come to life. When I say ‘we’, you all know what I mean: Scott has been inundated with my constant crazy gushing over pinterest ‘ohhhh, how cute is thiiiiis?!’ without actually having any input. He’s lucky I even gave in and let him put his little Star Wars Itty Bitty on the shelf!
Most of you are probably aware that we keep calling James our miracle. It’s not purely because of our fertility struggle or even his birth story – there’s more! This blog will describe why James needed to be born when he did, and why he may not have survived just a week longer in the womb. We like to think he paved his own path and essentially saved his own life.
