It is hard to find time to post here because I spend many hours a day rocking a baby. For me, holding a newborn and being sane at the time is a huge win, but I know that not everyone who stumbles upon this blog is interested in baby stories. At the same time, a person or two has asked for more information. Continue reading for a photo gallery. :)
Technorati Tags: postpartum depression, pregnancy
The birth
Alastair was born via c-section, not my recommended way to have a baby, but it certainly did the trick.
The NICU
Though born at over 40 weeks, Alastair had pneumothorax, a lung condition that required he spend one hundred hours in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. He wore an oxygen hood for part of that time, which looks a lot like a 1950s view of a futuristic space helmet. Oddly, there is a purple pacifier floating around in his hood, so you cannot see his face well. Pacifiers in the NICU are usually a no-no if you are going to breast feed. When I first heard he had a pacifier (I was still laid up from surgery), I thought about saying, "Don't give him one of those!" Immediately I thought about how this poor little baby was stuck in a plastic bassinet with monitors all over his body and decided that if the pacifier gave him any little bit of comfort, so be it, we'd deal with the breast feeding consequences later. Luckily he had no nipple confusion issues.
I did not see Alastair until he was about eighteen hours old but was not able to hold him until he was over two days old. He had monitors and an umbilical IV line. They were concerned that we would inadvertently pull out the IV line while holding him. By the third day they were transitioning him from the IV feeding and finger-feeding him the colostrum I was pumping. They allowed me to breast feed him at that point and, to my great surprise, he latched on and fed immediately. Some things apparently come easy after all.
In the NICU, Alastair went by "Baby Rose." The binder with his chart is in the picture below. I love this picture and the little "Baby Rose" wristband because it is the only time in life my children go by "Rose." It's a confusing thing for hospitals when parents have different last names. A few people assumed that this baby was born out of wedlock.
"Hey, I just kept my last name, but we're legal and everything."
Home
We bundled him up at the hospital and took Alastair home to a snow storm. He came home on December 22nd and by Christmas Day at noon we were without electricity for twenty-four hours. I'm no prima dona, but after a night with a newborn and no lights or water (the well is electric), I was planning my escape to civilization. It was a miserable night that Christmas. Family came the next day to see the new baby. My sister Kimberly rocked Alastair and asked, "What is he going to say when he realizes there is a salon named after his brother?" (See Frederick William Salon in Santa Maria CA.) A second salon? A bookstore?
Frederick and Alastair are getting along well.
Comments (7)
Congratulations, Amanda! I'm sorry your little boy had to go to the NICU, and for so long! I know you'll be making up for not being able to hold him all that time, and that it won't be detrimental to him at all (like I used to worry about my first two who went to the NICU, one for 6 hours, one for 2 days).
I sure hope you post more! And I'm so glad to hear that you're feeling good. :D
Posted by Barb | January 16, 2009 8:24 AM | Reply
Amanda,
Your color is so good! It looks like you took a trip south for a little tan before little Alastair was born. You both look like you are doing so well and I am so happy. And Frederick looks like the perfect big brother!
Posted by Diane | January 17, 2009 1:28 PM | Reply
Thanks Barb and Diane!
Barb -- I don't worry about that. I think it was an issue with Frederick but things were so stressful with him in general that it's hard to separate one thing from another. It may be an issue with Alastair, but it is what it is. He has three adults in the house and one brother showering him with affection. I think Alastair may have even tried to kiss me today. I wonder if that's possible.
Diane -- I think the picture may be false advertising. LOL. I am pretty darned white. Then again, I remember my first winter in grad school in Indiana. I had lived in California forever (and do so again) and by about February I happened to notice my arms. I had never seen them so white. I don't run around here in California trying to get color, but there are days here and there that I might wear short sleeves whereas in Indiana it was a coat, scarf, and hat everyday. There is a big difference between no sun and a little bit of sun I learned.
Life is getting a little more normal here. I'll work on posting a wee bit more.
Amanda
Posted by Amanda Rose | January 17, 2009 5:34 PM | Reply
Read your posts wth interest. I have lived with depression for 25 years and recently had a severe crash. I then started keeping a blog. At the moment life is bad. I just hope to God I feel better soon.
Love your strength.
www.strayblackdog.co.uk
Posted by Andrew | January 22, 2009 4:39 AM | Reply
Congrats! Amanda, I knew you had your hands full with a new baby. I've missed your input on David's blog. Both your children are so very precious!
Take care of you.
Posted by Sylvia Gibson | January 30, 2009 9:40 PM | Reply
Thank you Sylvia! I read the blog when I can but can't even keep up with email these days. I am missing my raw milk too. It would be nice to have a cow but I have a rule: one lactating species on the property at a time. For now that's me. :)
Amanda
Posted by Amanda Rose | January 31, 2009 9:19 AM | Reply
Andrew,
Thanks for finding me. You have a great blog.
Amanda
Posted by Amanda Rose | January 31, 2009 9:49 AM | Reply