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Back to Baby Kalahurka Main Page
January 21, 2010
My Mom commented last night that I always post about the baby, but never about myself. Okay Mom, this one's for you, but I think we at least need a quick update on Amelia -- this is her page after all.
Amelia is one week old today. I have to admit, this past week has been a bit of a blur. She is still in the Neonatal ICU, but also still doing well. The ability to regulate her own body temperature remains her only issue. Last night she was due for a bath. We bathed her in her warming box, but maintaining her temperature during the procedure is still difficult. She got pretty chilly afterwards, so we did not get to have any out-of-the box trials last night. She was back up in the 98 degree range this morning though, so maybe sometime soon . . .
Amelia weighed in last night at 4lbs, 7oz. No gain, but no loss either. This is good.
Okay -- so on to me. Physically, I am feeling pretty good at one week out from unexpected c-section. I am still pretty slow moving around. Sneezing, coughing and laughing are NOT fun, but otherwise, I have no real complaints. I'm taking some Motrin, but didn't even fill the prescription for narcotics that my doc gave me. The discomfort is really not that bad. All in all, I'd say it's a reasonable trade for not having spent 15 hours in labor.
The biggest changes for me post-baby have been the changes in my everyday life. Normally, at 10:30 in the morning, I would be settled in at work, drafting offering documents, answering client calls and trying to understand and be able to explain all of the new banking legislation.
Now, my life is extremely different. My days and nights are broken into three-hour increments that correspond to Amelia's feeding. Every third hour (at about 10 after), the alarm on my phone sounds and I head to the nurses station to pick up the milk that I pumped earlier. Next is the long walk down three hallways to the NICU. I press the button to be let in, sign in, and make my way over to the big sinks. I spend about 30 seconds scrubbing under the little sign that says "My life is in your hands, so wash them!" Dry, add some hand sanitizer and back out to the door for someone to buzz me into the NICU proper. I head to Bay 6 where Amelia awaits -- usually awake and hungry.
When I arrive the nurse is typically taking her temperature (which always happens before we take her out of the box to feed). Then I change her diaper, wrap her back up, and take her out. We spend about 30 minutes actually feeding -- first from me and then from the bottle that was pumped earlier. She usually falls asleep by the end of the feeding. Then she has to go back in her box and I tell her that I'll see her again in 2 hours (because by now it's almost an hour past her feeding start time). Then it's back down the hallways to my room About 15 minutes pumping and then about 1.5 hours for sleeping or other things (read blogging and checking e-mail). The process repeats endlessly -- there are no breaks.
I'll admit that the 2:30 am and 5:30 am trips down the long hallways are ESPECIALLY tough. The 4.5 lb. bundle of cuteness waiting for me at the end, however, always makes it totally worth the effort. I have been waiting for her for the last 36 years. She is unique. She is a mystery. She is perfect.
So Mom, I guess the bottom line is that I have no doubt that I will quickly make a full physical recovery. Emotionally, I know that I will never be the same. Being a fantastic mother of five, I suspect that you already know exactly how this feels. It's a really good feeling.
Now, for your enjoyment -- some photos of Amelia's bath last night (her first bath in which Bill and I were permitted to participate).
(click on the thumbnail below to view the larger versions)
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