The Newborn Files #1

Well here we are on the flip side of the Pregnancy and into the land of newborn babes. I thought it best to continue with the Preggo files into the Newborn files because if you can’t laugh at during this sleepless, messy, emotional, hormonal time then you will just cry and that’s no good for ANYONE.

Did you hear I did it? I DID IT. Borned a real life baby! This has pretty much been me the past 10 days:

Still can’t believe that all that time it was little Maggie in there! My very own little Princess. I heard from Kate and she was all like this:

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I tell you something for nothing, despite the drug free, complication free, stitch free and short delivery I was still limping down to the ward and if I said it once I said it a gazillion times “HOW DID SHE WALK DOWN THOSE STEPS IN NUDE PUMPS AND PANTYHOSE AND A WHITE DRESS ON?” How? Not even a little sign of what just went down. I tell you Kate, you are my new super hero. My sister had the nude pumps packed for me…

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But forgot to bring them down when she came to look after the girls for us at business time. I did manage my very own Lindo Ward exit shot with Rob as the media pack of papps (just out of shot was the girls fighting over who got to sit next to Maggie in the car). Practically Kate right? I did leave 24 hours and not 2 hours post birth though. I’ll say it again “HOW DID SHE DO IT?” You will also note the red coldsore that appeared at the tip of my nose and now appears in every newborn shot of Maggie and which every nurse and family member commented on “What is that thing on your nose?”. How revolting. It’s finally clearing up 2 weeks later. Sheesh.

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We need to talk about the first supper though. That first cup of tea and meal post labour. I managed to take a snap for you all from our simple country hospital. A pork roast! Not much to look at now but I can assure you it was the tastiest thing I have EVER tasted. Roast veggies and gravy and the like…dead SET there was nothing better. Maybe brushing the teeth and having a decent shower the next day coming in a close second.

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We got home and spent the first few days packed into bed with everyone. I set myself up in our room and had little people, big people (well person, Rob) and Frank come and visit Maggie and I and sneak in a cuddle. Scenes of domestic bliss! Except when Rob forgot to take the flash off then it looked a little like this. Nice isn’t it? One for the family album for sure.

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There’s been so much to remember again after all these years between kids. The breastfeeding hunger for one. Or THE HUNGER as it shall be referred to from now on. I have not stopped eating and drinking water. Like I mean I always give food a pretty good go but this has been borderline outrageous. There’s been many a kitchen top vignette like this one:

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And that’s just when I head into the kitchen for a cup of tea and leave 7 minutes later having eaten 4 slices of vegemite toast, a piece of banana bread, a row of fruit and nut chocolate and 4 chocolate digestives, as a, you know, snack. Someone shared this on my Facebook page which I loved!

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There’s also been the other bits of breastfeeding I had forgotten about. The first 20 or so sucks in the first few days when you have grazed and slightly bleeding nipples when you feel like you are pulling glass out of your boobs. THAT. Sheesh. Things have calmed down somewhat in that department (THANK GOODNESS) although as someone suggested to me…I could be useful down at the local dairy farm given the size of the jugs I’m sporting.  I’d also forgotten about that little open sparrow mouth that turns from side to side waiting for the good stuff to appear…too sweet!

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Maggie is thrilled with my custardy super milk though! And draining them like a champion so fingers crossed the cabbage leaves can stay in the bottom of the crisper for the moment.

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This 3.30am situation is not so pleasant I must say and having had the other girls in Feb & late Oct in Sydney, not something I have been used to. Feeding is happening in bed, under the doona and quickly transferring back into her cot. It’s COLD.

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I’ve been spending lots of time in here. And just to show you that I HAVE been relaxed in the domestic front I can report that I did not properly make the bed for almost 7 whole days. That’s HUGE for me. Yesterday I made it properly with all the cushions, like a proper, normal day. We’re getting there.

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Frank has been the most jealous of Maggie. At first he barely gave her a second look, but now he has realised that she is here to stay and is starting to take a little more notice. Rob isn’t allowed to go anywhere near Maggie though without Frank trying to bust in between them and break it up. Poor buggers only really have each other now, best they stay tight.

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Speaking of dogs, saw this cliche newborn photoshoot done with dogs, instead of babies. It’s fab.

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Another thing I had NO idea about that has happened since the last baby is the nappies. One of the midwives asked in hospital if Maggie had done a wee and I said it felt like she had by the weight of it and she told me about THESE MAGICAL LINES. On nappies! See that yellow/blue line there? It changes to blue when they have wee’d! Who knew? Not me that’s for sure.

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I’ve been watching lots of daytime TV and starting to get concerned that in a week or so I will start to think that Genie style jeggings might actually work for me.

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So after the end of this week I think it’s time to get back into the big, bad world, put the capsule in the car, put Mags in the pram and actually do this thing.

This morning I tried on a pair of pre-preggo jeans just for shits and giggles and you know what? THEY DID UP. Sure there’s a tide of flesh spilling from the top of them, but THEY DID UP and I can still breathe. I call that a victory in post partum books. Particularly given the amount of custard that is passing through my mouth each day. Maybe those scales and weigh ins with my ob were actually a good thing in the long run. How annoying.

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I LOVED this post from Zoe Foster-Blake last week about baby stuff that they have used a lot. So far we have been using those Love to Dream swaddles that my little sister passed on from Archie (they are the business I must say) A LOT as well as a huge amount of cute baby blankets that have been given to Maggie as presents because did I mention it’s COLD? Will be sure to keep you in the loop on any baby stuff that is actually useful.

So that’s where we are at. Remembering all the things we have forgotten, fumbling our way through the cold nights, always happy to see the new day appear for it means that we managed to get through a whole day with everyone in tact. Riding the emotional and hormonal roller coaster that saw me crying during Gangsta Granny this morning and smelling that sweet head of little Maggie who is just about the most precious thing I ever did see.

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We did it.

Comments

  1. Yes it’s no fun feeding at night in the cold, brr, especially when it’s 1C – YIKES! What a win with the jeans, I’m still battling to get in mine 3.5 years later. Enjoy eating ALL the food. x

  2. Naomi Jennings says

    Oh yes, the Hunger. I breastfed twins and I honestly have never felt so hungry CONSTANTLY in my whole life. In fact, it’s very lucky I didn’t eat one of the babies when I ran out of snacks.

  3. Fab post Beth! Oh my, I still eat like that and I stopped BF my baby ummmmm 4 years ago…..The bonus when you’re feeding though, is all those extra cals are slurped up by Bubs who then grows the most squishable chunky little legs 🙂 It’s one of the reasons mine were exclusively BF till they were 8months 🙂 Ahhh good times. Liz XO

  4. Oh she’s beautiful Beth! I’m even more in love with newborns than normal at the moment given I am about 3 months from doing it all myself.
    Please keep us posted about any useful baby stuff. First time mums need to know! (And I loved Zoe’s post on what she uses. Love those types of posts)
    I’m not looking forward to the cold middle of the night feedings. Luckily bubba is due at the end of August, but it’s still Canberra and will be cold overnight well into October so I will be braving the cold for a little while!
    Can’t wait for the next newborn files (and getting me ready for my own newborn with some realistic expectations of what is to come.

  5. Is it just me or have other told you too that you look like Meg Ryan?? Maybe it is some particular camera angle but you do seem to resemble her a lot!!!
    P.S: It goes without saying that I am in love with teeny tiny Maggie 🙂

  6. I could have written this almost word for word, our little Harriet arrived on the 13th, it’s been freezing here and our 3.5 year old was born in October, and I’ve forgotten everything. Except we had 4days back in hospital last week with viral meningitis, which was super scary 🙁 but all good now!

  7. I love that last photo, of you holding Maggie. If I could turn back the clock a few years, I would try for number three! Cluck cluck!

  8. Elaine B says

    Great post Beth. And she’s simply gorgeous! Enjoy this time. xE

  9. I just grabbed my boobs in sympathy when you said it feels like ” pulling glass out of your boobs” … holy f’ing ouch! That photo of Frank and Maggie? Divine. Dogs are the best. I’ve been so sick for a week and a half and Amalfi hasn’t left my side. It’s probably cos he’s stoked to be inside all day rather than outside alone, but I’m taking it as pure devotion!

  10. I would have loved a 3rd. Please keep sharing Maggie with us.

  11. Look at you all go!So happy to hear that everything is going so well. I love those first few weeks after a baby, all the happy hormones pumping through your body, the gorgeous little person to snuggle & all the love from all your people. It’s a beautiful time.

  12. Oh she is so very sweet, and so worth it all – even the extra yummy food {hey its winter, your allowed to eat more!} and those cold wake-ups in the night – you are amazing to be making the bed only one week after she was born, and to be getting into jeans – super Mama….well done. Oh I so miss that sweet baby smell, enjoy xxx

  13. Fabulous post Beth, congratulations! Maggie looks divine and I loved the picture with the flash. Also, the lady in red dancing has given me huge inspiration for the next wedding I attend.

  14. love the jeggings, if my lower half looked as good as the ones in the ad, I’d never wear anything else 😛

    Hope you are getting some sleep lovely!

  15. First of all those changing lines things are rubbish…a total hoax by the nappy companies to get you to change nappies constantly! Those things can hold about a kilo of wee and “lock it away” from the baby’s skin and yet those lines change from just a drop of water! I am aware that I sound like a total conspiracy theory weirdo here.
    And Lansinoh for those nipples…the best…also does wonders for chapped lips.
    Lyddie still sleeps in her Love to Dream (albeit a size large now)…those things work miracles!

    Maggie is just lovely.
    You did it.
    And you did it good!

    • One of the midwives put lansinoh on my lips during labour and I remember it being the kindest thing anyone had ever done! Agree with you on the nappies!

  16. Oh god yes, THE HUNGER! Peanut butter out of the jar with a spoon. I lost count of how many jars I went through breastfeeding both my babies. It was just a little (a lot!) obscene.
    And THE THIRST. I had litre bottles of water stashed around the house, and two beside the bed and two more beside the couch where i sat and fed, and watched DVD’s whilst feeding.
    Fitting pre-pregnancy jeans = winning!

  17. You and Rob sure do grow gorgeous girls. She is just divine. I remember the hunger too. Unfortunately my pregnancy magnums hung around so no buttoning up the jeans straight away here but awesome for you!

    • I’m in that magical time where I lose weight and think I can eat anything but in about 2 more weeks it will ALL catch up with me and I will no longer be able to participate in daily baked goods. I think I will strike while the iron is hot!

  18. I concur with every aspect of this post- particularly in regards to Kate but more realistically on the subject of the yellow line. Whoever thought that up must be rolling in Huggie Money right about now regardless as to whether it’s a marketing ploy or not. I was super glad to just peek through the onesie to work out whether the newborn nappy needed changing or not. In fact I was bloody annoyed they didn’t follow through with the line past the newborn nappies!

    Love the family portrait, think we’ve all got one of those lurking around on our computer.

    Good luck- Maggie is beautiful and you are doing an amazing job.

  19. Oh Frank.
    Mate.
    One day soon you will just adore her so much that you won’t be able to leave her side.
    Seriously, buddy.
    You’ll be besties.
    <3
    Pia

    ps
    Beth – I just had to share this gem from the internet . . . .

  20. I don’t know if that link actually worked . . . so here it is again (please work this time)

    https://youtu.be/1vqVh1YXdro

  21. I’m pleased to report that I’m loving the Newborn Files just as much as the Preggo Files, if not more, because now there’s a real baby to swoon over! Maggie is just so gorgeous! Love all the pics too, especially that last one of you and Maggie and the one with Frank. He’s a big brother now! x

  22. Amanda G. says

    Wow, Fancy nappies! Who knew? Love the thrill of getting back into pre preg clothes, go you! Maggie is so sweet, I’m stalking your Insta atm!! Love the cold weather, nothing to do but hibernate! Love the newborn files x

  23. michelle says

    Naw, It’s ok I cried during Gangsta Granny too. As did the 7yo son. SUCH a good book.

  24. LOVE this, well done love. I’m in utter awe of you <3

  25. Kim Abbate says

    She’s oh so presh Beth, and breathing in their cute baby scent from the top of their noggin is something I miss about having a newborn. Keep the gorgeous pic coming so I can cluck from afar.

  26. Lisa Mckenzie says

    I love the newborn files Beth ,I remember the pulling glass feeling ouch!! Feed in bed that’s what I did when I had my daughter in July many moons ago.
    Well don’t for fitting into your jeans Beth and eat lots and enjoy little Maggie and Frank will be ok soonish,much love to you Xx

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  1. […] And don’t even get me started on coming home from hospital looking all glamorous – sorry Kate, there will be no nude stockings and pumps for me, I’ll be rocking something a little more comfortable like BabyMac […]

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