Week 1 - 2

Dave returned to work on the Monday. Although we coped just fine while he was gone, we sure did miss him! 

The week was spent obsessing over increasing Indie’s weight and meeting with various health professionals. I met Katie at a breastfeeding support clinic on the Monday to have her weighed. She was gaining. The community midwife came on Tuesday but decided to come back again on Thursday since Indie had just been weighed the previous day. Dave took a paternity day on the Wednesday when the health visitor came. By the Thursday weigh in Indie had gained even more and things were looking up. 

Milestones and reflections

I took Indigo on the bus by myself for the first time. Although I was a little bit nervous, it was totally fine.

Hour after hour we sat in our spot on the right hand side of the sofa next to a window that was opened a crack. I fed her and watch the outside world go by. We rarely left that nook. In fact, I often kept my keys close by so when a guest arrived I could hand them through the open window so they could let themselves in while I continued to nurse. I did forget them once and was stuck in boobie lockdown (as we jokingly call it) when Dave arrived home without his key (poor sleep deprived daddy!). He had to wait outside until she finished eating. Ha!

The first two weeks were really quiet. We were so busy and enchanted with our wee one that we barely turned on the TV. 

This is possibly too much information but the funniest moment of the week (which could have ended very badly) was when I learned nursing and electronics shouldn't mix. I was using my laptop and Indie started to cry. So, in the rush to feed her I dripped milk onto the touch pad! The cursor started jumping all over the place and windows opened and closed randomly. I powered it down and put it by a fan to dry out. Thankfully it came back to life. Imagine trying to explain that predicament to Geeks on Wheels!

I can't get enough of this girl...

Neither can her dad!

Our little family

Miss Indie Boo

 

 

 

Week 0 - 1

Monday - Day 1

We woke up. The midwives brought us tea and toast for breakfast. I fed Indie at some point too. Indie was checked by a midwife. She was concerned about her hip being clicky and wanted a doctor to take a look at her. While we waited we had lunch provided by the hospital and I had a shower. The physician checked her out and said that Indie’s left hip was a bit clicky but she didn’t seem too concerned about it. She wanted to send her for a sonogram around 6 weeks to make sure it was okay. We dressed Indie, packed up our stuff and went outside and waited for our ride. Our sweet NCT friend, Danny, picked us up and dropped us at home. 

Getting checked out

Going home! 

Dave went out and picked up sushi for dinner. Abby dropped by to give us flowers and came in for a chat.

Eating the forbidden food of pregnancy

Tuesday - Day 2 

The community midwife came for a visit. We Skyped with Claire. We Skyped with my mom. It was her birthday! 

Cuddles with daddy and mama

Wednesday - Day 3

My milk came in and I was pretty uncomfortable all day. Indie had been eating well in the previous days but we both struggled with the change. We went to the park to see our NCT friends. It was great to visit with them and I recall thinking it was really weird that they were all still pregnant and I was not. As we chatted I realised I was very, very tired. In retrospect I think I should have stayed at home longer rather than venture out so early. Thankfully, our neighbour Eunhwa dropped dinner by that night. I appreciated her gesture so much and the food was delicious.

A late night together

Little baby, big diaper

Thursday - Day 4

While I was still pregnant I had booked a massage for this day. I kept the appointment and Dave, Indie, and I went to my massage therapist’s house. Dave and Indie relaxed in the garden while I had my treatment. It was so, so, so wonderful to have a bit of pampering after all the hard work my body had put in over the previous days. My massage therapist was very complimentary and encouraging which every new mom appreciates. We also Skyped with Pauline at some point. 

Our spot - on the right side of the couch next to the window. It was so hot!

Another late night

Friday - Day 5 

The community midwife, Mary, visited again. Indigo was weighed and had lost 17% off her body weight. 10% is considered a normal, acceptable amount of weight loss. The midwife was also concerned about her jaundice. We were instructed to take her into the Emergency Room and to expect that they’d keep her in. I was very upset by this, particularly because although we’d had a rough time on Day 3, we seemed to be getting the hang of breastfeeding by this point. Indie also had the appropriate amount of wet and dirty diapers, so clearly she was getting something. The hormones really kicked in and I was pretty emotional as we packed up to go back to the hospital. We were in such a rush that we didn’t look at the sky. As we rode the bus to Archway it started to pour. We didn’t have the pram’s rain cover or an umbrella. Awesome. So poor Dave ran to a store and bought two brollies. Of course it stopped raining just as he got back to the bus shelter! We awkwardly positioned the umbrella over her pram and took her in to Paediatric A&E (Accident & Emergency). We checked in and after a bit were sent to a room to wait for the doctor. BBC news played on a loop. She got hungry so I fed her. Indigo ate well. The first doctor to see us was very nice but clearly a junior. She checked Indie and said baby girl would probably need to be admitted. The doctor said we’d either need to feed her via a bottle, or if I hoped to keep breastfeeding, through a tube. Just what we didn’t want to hear! Thankfully, she asked a more senior doctor to consult with us. This doctor took a much more laid-back approach. She thought Indie was recovering from a rough patch and was on the way up. Indigo was weighed before and after her feed and had gained a bit so we knew she had received the food she needed. This doctor sent us home and told us to come back the next day to see if she’d gained more weight by that time. I was relieved and resolved to feed her as much as possible in the allotted timeframe. 

Heading to the hospital 

Our tiny, jaundiced bub

Super dad

Bye, bye gross cord stump! Hello, belly button!

In her Bednest

Dark eyes

Cuddling with the boppy

Saturday - Day 6

We visited the hospital’s Paediatric Ambulatory Care unit. I was still very nervous that they were going to need to admit her. Indigo was weighed and had gained a small bit. While we waited for the doctor she had a big feed. We saw the same senior doctor again who was satisfied with her progress. Being paranoid new parents we asked her to weigh Indie one more time to see how much she’d gained after eating. She indulged us and we were pleased to see she was taking in a reasonable amount of food successfully. Her jaundice was checked again with a tool that looked like a flashlight. Her levels were okay. Indie was sent home and we were encouraged to keep feeding her often, including waking her regularly since her jaundice made her more sleepy than the average baby. 

We stopped at a pub in Highgate for lunch on the way home.

We also Skyped with Dad.

So small 

Curled up with Daddy

My darling

Waiting for the bus. Feeling tired!

First trip to the pub

So sleepy! 

Night, night!

Sunday - Day 7 

We Skyped with Richard and Sara. In the afternoon Eleonora, our doula, came over. We debriefed about the birth and she helped me work with Indie to get her to feed on the right side. 

Resting side by side

A little photo session

Close up cuddle

Cradled by Eleonora

Testing out the sling 

Milestones and reflections

This week was a huge learning curve. Although it was a challenging period, I will never forget the (hormonal?) high. Dave and I were so sweet to one another and utterly smitten with our baby girl. At this point in parenthood we did everything together: change diapers, dress her, settle her… Dave was so amazing and supportive. I spent most of my time curled up on the couch in my pjs with Indie feeding and cuddling her while he ran around to get me what I needed and completed other tasks as they came up. Although we were both exhausted, this was one of the most incredible weeks of my life.