When we got back from the hospital, Caitlin had mild jaundice so we had to rent a special UV bed for her to lay in. What a nightmare that was. I lost control of breastfeeding at that point because she had to be feed really well so that she's be able to sleep in the cot. Otherwise, she would just be fussy.Worse, we had to make her wear a special eye mask while in the UV bed which she absolutely refused to wear. She only let us put it on for a minute and this was while she was fast asleep.
In the end, we just piled up lots of pillows and blankets to block out any gaps the in the bedding that would let the UV light through and put her in for as long as she could stand it. Luckily, it worked and she didn't have to admitted to hospital.
Today she's exactly 2 weeks old. She can follow me with her eyes, she responds to the sound of my voice and she alternates between being all stretched out and curling up like she did in the womb. She's smiled a few times already. She does this in response to our voices (I think). Mostly, it's when she's asleep or when she's feeding and I hit a particular tone in my voice that she likes.
So remember what I said about looking into my own eyes when I first met her? Well this is Caitlin in the UV bed, week 1.
This is my baby photo with the retro 70s bedsheet and PJs.
So, at the moment, I'm half asleep. Still struggling with breastfeeding but I'm sure it'll get better. I don't think I'm so depressed anymore. Been getting a daily massage and Jamu wrap. Can't stand being wrapped up because the herbs make me really hot and itchy but the massage makes a difference to my mental state. Plus, I had a revelation yesterday. What matters overall is that Caitlin's here, happy and healthy.
5 comments:
It's ok, don't be too hard on yourself. All of us first time mother went through the difficulty and the anxiety of learning to breastfeed.
I wished I started blogging earlier and manage to record all the precious experiences. But I only manage to jot down about 1st week in a small notebook. I'm already forgetting the rest.
http://mummy-marlina.blogspot.com/2007/12/reminiscense-part-2.html
I didn't do the Jamu wrap. If you find it uncomfortable, why not just do the massage? In terms of losing weight, breastfeeding will take care of that.
Oh yeah, Caitlin really looks like you! =D
SMS me anytime you need to talk, ok?
Desmond was jaundiced too; he spent a week or so in the hospital in a UV bed. Wonder how common jaundice is among newborns.
Can't bathe?! Er, I should think it's pretty safe in Singapore -- you're unlikely to catch a cold or infection and fall sick.
And yeah, like you said, you should breastfeed more to stimulate the production of milk. My mum also didn't have enough milk for Desmond, so on the advice of other people like the doctor, she fed him formula and quickly, her milk production stopped.
From your account, it sounds stressful. No wonder new mums get 'post-partum depression', which people blame on hormones; it's probably due in large part to all that stress!
About bathing after delivery. The nurse wiped my body with warm water on 2nd day. It was because i couldn't get up of bed on 1st day. When I came home from hospital,I washed my hair on 3rd day. Sam helped me wash my hair over the sink.
Jaundice is quite common among Asian babies. Dunno why though. Never read further about it.
Hi, I washed my hair on the 10th day after the birth. It wasn't that bad because I didn't go out hence not a lot of sweat and bacteria.
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