Tuesday February 28th was a god awful day- it was hot, nap time got ruined thanks to a telephone call from the hospital to confirm Thursday's c-section, and Bubs was ridiculously hard to put to sleep. So naturally, she fell asleep just before 9pm, and about 5 minutes later, after one single contraction, my waters broke. Just like the movies. Gush and leaking EVERYWHERE. So I called the midwife (Dippy) who said to come down to her office for a check, and then on to Dunedin. Oh, and could we hurry up cuz she had a long day and was tired. Yeah...lets pack up the car in the dark and drag a just sleeping toddler out of bed. All with a towel stuffed between my legs. Good times. So the highlights of the journey:
- Dippy lost her car keys (she has a keyless starting car, ugh) so we couldn't get into her office for about half an hour while we searched her car. She had been napping in said car when we pulled up. So I got to help search her car while the Moose hung out with Bubs. All this going commando in a dress with a towel between my legs. Pretty sure I flashed the car park surveillance cameras.
- Bubs was fine on the CTG, but still not engaged, and my cervix was high and closed.
- 3 hour drive in a car we had just purchased the weekend before, in the dark. The Moose was so tired I ended up driving a bit of it.
- Bubs got car sick twice, halfway through the trip, and needed to be changed.
- Arrived at hotel at 230am (I was to report to hospital at 830am but had to get to the city in case I went into labor- I DIDN'T). Bubs wide awake and eager to explore. Hotel room had spa pool I could not use. I was understandably pissed at this circumstance.
- Finally to a rough few hours of sleep on towels on top of the nappy changing wallet thing. Thankfully I didn't leak any more while lying down.
- In the morning I discovered that toddler nappies make excellent pads for dealing with leaking fluids. Wish I had figured that one out earlier!!
- Got to hospital while Moose and Bubs went back to hotel to clean up and sort out cheaper accommodation. A quick chat with the doctor about what I wanted. I opted for a c-section because I still wasn't in labor, bubs was still up high, and I had lost most of the fluid. Also I would have only had about 12 hours until I hit that magic 24 hour post waters breaking moment. I figured why try to labor for so short a time, fail and have to have an emergency c-section?
- The spinal block did not hurt this time. Last time it did and they had to adjust a few times. This time they didn't nearly drop me off the table. Also, not as many people were in the room, it was a much more relaxed atmosphere, and it wasn't a million degrees in the room.
- Second bubs did not want to come out. There was much pushing and pulling, and the doctor was a short ass and standing on a step stool. It took another doc to push a bit harder to evict second bubs. I did not throw up this time, but I did feel really sleepy for about 5 minutes. They brought second bubs to me and put her on my chest while they put me back together. That was cool (especially as she was cleaned off and wrapped up). Second bubs weighed in at 7lbs 2oz (about half a pound lighter than the midwife predicted) and was 20 inches long at birth.
- They wheeled me to an anesthetic recovery room (new procedure) for a little while. There were lots of other people there, including Dorothy, who would not respond to the nurse asking if she could hear him (and he kept asking, over and over, rather loudly). Second bubs got her first feed here, and when we were wheeled back to the post-natal ward, the Moose and first bubs were waiting for us. First bubs was not overly worried or concerned about either me or second bubs and just wanted to play in the room. They left to go have naps after a short visit.
- I was able to shower with my catheter (and unsupervised) after 6 hours. I was more excited about my nasty hospital food though. I was also able to get out of bed by myself and pick second bubs up from her bassinet throughout the night to feed her. They removed the catheter in the morning and I was away. I was able to get out of bed with no more difficulty than I had as a 9-month pregnant lady, and within days I was able to jump up out of bed at the first squawk from second bubs. The midwives have commended my ability to move about like I never had a c-section, and I have been driving since 2 weeks post section. This is so much better than my first c-section! I think it is because I made myself a nappy-changing station out of an old desk so I wouldn't have to bend (which I did the day my waters broke).
- The first night was good, lots of sleep was had. The second day was rough. Second bubs was very mucus-y from the c-section and wasn't feeding well, and I had referred pain in my shoulder so bad I was in tears. That second night was rough. Lots of crying, not a lot of sleep, and more shoulder pain. In the morning a stupid cleaning woman made me cry when she asked if I was torturing that crying baby (I told her the baby was torturing me then burst into tears when she left, and I could not stop crying for some time- stupid hormones), and lactation consultants came running thinking this was my first, until they saw I was just feeding a baby with a less than happy tummy (apparently all the babies that day were mucus-y from c-sections, as I was told other moms were having the same difficulties). I have to say, I am glad this experience was my second and not my first!! I can see how new moms get overwhelmed!!
- I was discharged the third day. I nearly murdered the Moose. Short story: he had hurt his back and was in bad shape and I didn't believe he was worse than me. He left me with a new baby, a tantrum-ing and hungry toddler and the stuff to pack up for discharge in order to get himself lunch- no mention of getting anything for me or the hungry toddler. I had to pack up the room, heft and cuddle the toddler and wrestle her into the pram, and load up and carry everything out (a midwife helped me by carrying second bubs). Then I had to reinstall first bub's car seat (which is the devil) as it had been removed when the Moose got the car stereo fixed the day before. It took three tries. The Moose just irritated me while I was doing it by being as unhelpful as possible. I would like to point out that I was the one who had been disemboweled 48 hours prior. Then with much ado we got out of there, got lunch for me and first bubs, went to a park to eat and got rained on and had to run back to the car. Managed that, drove for half an hour, and suddenly the Moose was "too tired to drive" so we had to pull over so he could have a short nap, which meant first bubs had to be unleashed from the car seat so she could climb all over me. Thankfully second bubs slept and eventually we made it home without me getting too stab-y.
- We discovered second bubs had a tongue tie. She didn't gain as much as she should one week, so we got that sorted this past week. My nips are better for it, but I think she is having to re-learn how to feed, which hasn't been so fun for her. Anyway, we are getting there.
- Sleep is ok. I don't want to jinx myself. Second bubs goes to bed between 11pm and midnight. I could maybe get her into her bassinet at 9 but I am not ready for bed then most nights (well, I AM, but it never happens as she only sleeps a short time and is up by 10). She gets up around 3am and then again around 7am. So I am managing about 5-6 hours a night.
- She is a happy, easy going baby who is afraid to miss out on anything and fights sleep throughout the day (but not at night) and doesn't like to be put in her bassinet to sleep (during the day). This makes things hard when dealing with a toddler.
- Speaking of the toddler (aka first bubs), the green eyed monster came out 3-4 days after second bubs was born. It mostly strikes during feeds and sometimes during nappy changes, and always if mama (or daddy) can't do what she wants us to do when she wants it. Otherwise she is very cute and loves her little sister. Second bubs was starting to cry and first bubs grabbed me and dragged me over to her bassinet and told me through her toddler language to pick up and feed the baby RIGHT NOW. She is a bossy thing. Also this transition with the baby sister has been complicated by eye teeth coming through. Damn great timing teeth. Good one. My poor boo (first bubs/the toddler).
- My family was just here for almost 2 weeks. It was great having so many extra hands to play with the toddler and to cuddle second bubs, but I did find the little bit of political/social commentary to make it through to be stressful. I didn't like hearing minorities get blamed for racism, but as I was nursing in the next room and no one could hear me anyway I bit my tongue. It did make me sad to hear it from my family. It does make it easier to say goodbye though.
- Going from one to two is challenging. I can see how the transition from 2 to 3 (or more) is easier, as the older kids are already used to sharing the attention.
- Oh the nappies. Second bubs is pooping away her inheritance (and her sisters, and her parents retirement- oh my god has any child on the planet ever done so many poops as this one!!). I will be plunking her little ass in cloth as soon as she fits the ones I have. Also, wipes. Time to go to cloth. I am not looking forward to my laundry anymore.
- My body is definitely different this time around. With first bubs, within weeks I was pretty much right back how I started in terms of shape and weight (I then gained a ton because god does breast feeding make me hungry while not helping me lose weight!). This time I have a pooch-y tummy. I think my hips and bum are the same but I suppose I will find out once my incision has healed enough to handle non-maternity jeans. I have lost at least 7 kilos of pregnancy weight (it had been 10 but I gained back 3 while my family was here). I am more or less ok with my body. I have plans to loose weight anyway, so seems silly to get upset about something I am going to start working on. I won't be dieting per se, as I don't want to bugger my milk supply, but I will be aiming to walk 5 days a week and start jogging (couch to 5k) once I am healed enough- leaky boobs be damned. And avoiding junk food and refined sugars.
- The cats. Toffs is annoyed at the level of noise in the house, and runs outside whenever either child is crying/screaming (which is often). And the battle over the sofa has begun again- Toffs loves all the blankets and pillows I pile on for nursing, but she gets kicked off the couch whenever second bubs needs a feed or the toddler decides to pull the blankets out from under her. Cleo doesn't seem affected. I am not sure she has even noticed that there is a second child in the house. I imagine this will change once this one is mobile. But she is best friends with the toddler now and sometimes naps with her (the toddler loves it). Right now Cleo is wild and is running laps around the table, jumping off my leg onto the table, and trying to get into the hot water cupboard- she just knocked over a chair. So business as usual.
