Birth: 164kg (approx)

Week 1: 158.2kg

Week 2: 157.9kg

Week 3: 157.5kg

Week 4: 157.1

Week 5: 156.5

Week 6: 155.5kg

Week 7:

Week 8:

Week 9:

Week 10:

Week 11: 

Week 12:

I’ve been trying to do a few exercises, such as;

• Arching my back and neck the opposite way to what I’ve been doing when hunched, improving my upper body strength by giving myself tummy time whilst on the laptop. at the moment I can only manage about 5-10 mins and it actually hurts quite a bit to be on my arms.
• Trying “squats”, which is often very awkward and painful. I managed to do 5 x 30 seconds each per session, and I can’t get very low at all.
• Pelvic floor when I remember (which is realistically about 3 x every 2-3 days.) I try to do 10 sets of 20 seconds, with 5 second rests in between.
• Flexing and pointing my legs and feet at least twice a day, usually whilst I’m feeding or lying flat after I wake up.
• Head rolls
• Trying to get hubby to massage my back, neck and shoulders!!!!!
• Leaning over my stretched out legs in bed.
• Lunges.

Purchases:

We bought about 15 or so Avent baby bottles (good second hand) for $40.

My Entertainment:

TV:

• Samantha Who – whilst breastfeeding
• Family Fued (though I’ve missed it just about every night this week!!!
• The checkout

Youtube:

• …….’s got talent videos
• DanielleBabyBliss
• Community Channel
• BachScholar

General Internets:

• Facebook
• Emails
• Gumtree
• BabyCare website
• Wiki

• Liam

Liam’s Entertainment:

• Books
• Mobiles
• Music boxes
• Rattles
• Songs
• Dancing
• Physical play
• Looking at black and white shapes
• Learning new things each day
• BOOB / milk

Liam:

MILESTONES

He seems to have slightly better control over his hands.

He’s much gassier now, and more able to burp by himself. – Farts stink now. He has variations of fart noises, and farts in general are longer.

Half the time he is stopping crying as I go to pick him up now.

Making cooing and humming noises on occasion.

Taking longer after waking before crying for a feed.

He’s ore able to command and hold his head up.

Kicking his legs harder, and more often, and more able to maneuver himself with his legs and arms;

He ALWAYS gets out of his lamb sleep positioner now, and we find him diagonally with his head smooshed against the side in the bassinette, usually screaming!

LOVING being read to, songs, dance, and music.

Still unable to focus much, but his attention span is longer.

Smiling a bit more often, but we’re unsure if its a “genuine” smile or just a reflex.

Awake for MUCH longer, and more often.

He’s gripping our hands occasionally, and holding them for a few mins, even when we move his arms around.

FEEDING

Demanding at least double the milk / formula he was having before. (More than 200ml now usually per feed.) Breastfeeding in the bath was very difficult due to the slipperiness, and I was concerned about the soap in the water being ingested.

Finding it really hard to breastfeed with a bra / clothes pulled down because it gets in the way of the nipple and negatively affects his latch – to be honest I prefer to not wear a bra around feeding times.

We’re getting used to 2 more breastfeeding positions involving my lying back, due to my back being sore from sometimes being hunched over him.

Vomiting around 1-3 times per feed. – I had my first projectile vomit from him today. CHARMING!

LEARNING

I’m getting him used to different textures and feelings, such as variations in water and milk temperature, outside air vs inside air, and different types of cloths and blankets, harder and softer towels, and surfaces (ie benchtop, sink, couch, bed, and pillow.)

I’m also teaching him counting to 10, and saying “hello” in various languages, such as German, English, Japanese, and Latin. I’ve been trying to get him to listen to classical and classical merged with jazz, and have been teaching him Solfege and counting via his fingers and toes, alongside “this little piggy went to market”.

(I also want to teach him sign language eventually – signs like; “milk” “more” “gentle” “don’t touch” and “too hot.”)

BATHTIME

More enjoying bath time and massages – He had his first bath with me in the main bathtub. I got weed on for the first time when I was checking the frills of his nappy after a bath (his nappy was already on – it came out the side. It took me a little while to register what it was as I’d never seen him wee. it was completely clear, like a fast trickle!)

He’s weeing a lot, but not pooing much anymore. when he poos it’s usually orange, and usually after he’s had a lot of formula.

Me:

After the bath with Liam it took me way longer than it should have to exit the bath, and involved a lot of pain and crying due to my increased physical size and lack of upper body strength – and the silly arm rest things on the sides.

Getting more comfortable with Liam in general  – how to hold him, general tasks, and recognizing his cries.

Still incontinent with urinating when I sneeze or couch, or badly need to go, but stopped bleeding around a week ago.

Boobs feel heavier and bigger, and are definitely much more engorged and leaky a lot of the time. – Sometimes I leak 20-40 ml just because he is hungry.

I’m eating less often so I think my stomach shrunk – just due to the business and rushing around trying to feed, sleep, clean, and organised students, etc. – I actually lost 7 and a bit kilos since the birth!!! I was around 164.8kg at birth I think and now I’m 156.5kg.

I’ve been trying to take care of me more this week. Making sure I eat enough, and enough of the right things, doing my best to remember and take medications, and better monitoring my drinking, making sure to move around after 3-4 hours lying or sitting due to a feed / admin, and applying heel balm more regularly, as well as taking a bit extra time to brush my teeth, properly wash my hands (for the recommended 13-20 seconds or so), shower every 1-2 days, and brush my hair and teeth at least daily. I even had time to do my nails today – which I rarely do, and haven’t done since before Liam’s baby shower.

Liam is a whole Calendar month old today!

His Progress:

GROWTH:

He is no longer a “Neonate,” he is now an “infant” which is kinda sad in a way, as my hubby and I love saying “Neonate,” but at least we’re out of the very dangerous zone, and according to a few sites I read, many illnesses would have made themselves evident by now if he had them, so the fact that none have is good!

FEEDING:

I’ve been having him close to me a lot of the time so I can easily feed on demand. I think he’s been cluster feeding, and I’ve had to supplement him with formula a bit more than I’d like. That being said, my milk supply seems to be slightly increased now.

We’ve learnt we can breastfeed with him lying on my chest whilst I lay down, but both of us laying parallel is proving too difficult.

MILESTONES:

He’s definitely not hard of hearing today, as many sounds have made him shudder.

He is still getting much stronger! This week I’ve noticed him being able to push up with his legs into a standing position when he is being held up.

He can roll a little bit now if he is placed on the bed or couch.

He has been able to escape from his sleep positioner once, and he’s began to stretch to the side in the bassinesse, which we think is causing him to end up diagonally or sideways in there.

He’s getting used to us more, and spending longer making eye contact with us.

I saw him smile briefly with his eyes open for the first time today.

Yesterday I heard and his heartbeat directly for the first time.

He is vomiting (posseting) a bit more now.

I think he can focus further away now, as he can look at us from further away, and I think he can see the lamb mobile in his bassinet) now, which is around 30-40cm away from his face!

He had his first bath and shower with me this week. – He’s getting more used to baths, water, and oil massages. In the bath I allowed 4 new products to come into contact with my stitched perineum (And Liam). The products were Sorbolene cream, “Mum and me” bath milk soak (containing Arnica for bruises,) Normal bar soap, and a pink bath bomb. So far no issues have arisen.
We’ve noticed baby acne on his head and body.

TRAITS:
He’s still quite clingy, and loves to be held.

ENTERTAINMENT:

We’ve introduced rattles and music boxes more heavily this week. He seems to like Brahms Lullaby the best. We’ve been using a squeaky rattle to wake him up sometimes for a feed.

Sometimes he stops crying when I sing to him.

He had his first “outside time” and walks in the stroller, which he didn’t like.

He loves looking at high contrast things – like his black and white book.

He definitely has 2 favourite books ; “Something Absolutely Enormous”, and “My First Shapes”. We’ve been teaching him shapes, counting in multiple languages, and body parts, mainly.

MISC:

He’s been very gassy this week, and it’s hard for him to bring up his wind a lot of the time.

His poop is still mostly runny and orange, though I did change one mighty stinky and slightly thicker brown one!

We moved his “Daytime” bassinette into my husband’s studio, which is further away from out bedroom – so now Liam mainly sleeps in our room in his main bassinette, and when hubby is working or he just won’t stop screaming we put him in the studio. Alternatively he’s been sleeping in his bouncer, which he’s getting more used to now, or he will sleep on us.

I’m learning to juggle work, feeding, and housework now.

NORA (Hubby’s mum):

Nearly $400 worth of groceries and medications, cleaning duties, and nappy changes.

ANA:

$2 coles/myer gift card and a big beige teddy – he’s super soft!

BRONNIE (MANDY’S FRIEND):

2-3 size 00 growsuits

2 books about animals

1 card.

EATING 

I’ve been eating a lot better since coming home from the hospital.

FOODS I’VE EATEN A LOT LATELY:

BREAKFAST

Weetbix with prunes, bananas, grapes and strawberries in light milk, with a teaspoon of raw sugar

Porrige with light milk and strawberry jam

2 pieces of Toast with Jam, peanut butter or occasional Nutella 😛

LUNCH

Scrambled eggs on toast with spinach and other veg

Bacon and egg sandwich with loads of veg on MG bread

Salad and ham sandwich on MG bread

Baked potato with pineapple, ham, sour cream, cheese, butter, beetroot and bolognaise sauce

Quiche Lorraine / potato and leek quiche

DINNER (Always with half a plate or so of salad or veg – aside from pizza)

Roast meats and veg

Stir fry

Spag bol

Schnitzel

Calzone

Pizza

Steak

Soup

NIGHT SNACKS

2 wafers (3am feed, usually)

Boobie biscuits

Yoghurt bar

Muesli bar

Piece of toast

DAY SNACKS

Fruit

Tub of Yoghurt

Piece of toast

Jelly cup

Cup of tea or weak coffee (maybe 2 a week, if that)

DRINKS

Mainly Ribena weakened cordial

occasional water / fruit juice or milk.

I’m probably haing about 2-3.5 litres of fluid a day.

(Over the past 2 weeks we’ve only had 1 meal in a restaurant, where I had a calzone and part of my hubbys schnitzel and salad, and we went to hungry jacks once, and I got a regular tropical bacon deluxe meal with diet coke.)

EXERCISE

So far we’ve really only been walking twice. Once for 10 mins, and once for about 40 mins. The weathers been chaotic lately and we’ve been exhausted and busy so we haven’t done much.

On that night I couldn’t sleep, I tried doing some squats. I couldn’t squat very far, or for long, and it really hurt. I think I managed 12 “squats”for 5 seconds each.

Whilst feeding I usually roll or flex / point my legs, and shake my feet. I’ve been trying to do pelvic floor exercises when I remember (which isnt very often at all really.) My mother carer nurse said that just walking around and feeding is exercise enough for now.

WEIGHTLOSS

Birth: 164kg (approx)

Week 1: 158.2kg

Week 2: 157.9kg

Week 3: 157.5kg

1am feed / topup / change for an hour or so

3am feed / topup / change for an hour or so

6.30-7am feed / topup / change for an hour or so

10am feed / topup / change for an hour or so

1pm feed / topup / change for an hour or so

2-3pm – visitors or stimulation while awake time.

5pm feed / topup / change for an hour or so

7pm setup nighttime routine with bath, massage, bedtime story, then bed.

8pm feed / topup / change for an hour or so (often inconsolable)

11pm feed / topup / change for an hour or so (often inconsolable)

I’m in the process of trying to build schedules around his current routine for when I go back to teaching.

LIAM:

BODY

At his checkup this week he’s gained a quarter of a kilo, and is following the 2nd to lowest curve in the blue book with his weight and height. He was 50 something cm long, and he no longer fits in the crook of my arm – his feet overhang. His feet are getting too long for some of the closed-foot sleepers he’s in.

He is definitely longer now – I can’t put him in the crook of my arm without his feet hanging over the other side of my arm!

His cheeks, legs and even toes look more plump now.

I think his head has gotten bigger, and more rounder looking.

His eyes are looking more grey, with a tiny hint of blue in some light.

His hair is currently dark blonde.

NAPPIES

We’re alternating Newborn huggies at night and babylove in the day for nappies.

We manipulated the nappy bin to take regular garbage bags, because the nappy bags cost waaaaaaaaaaaay too much.

He still has a slight red rash on his little bumbum, so we apply Sudocream and are using wet chux wipes instead of babywipes. It’s working.

ENTERTAINMENT and LEARNING

I’ve been showing him black and white pictures of various shapes and he seems very alert when I show him those, and reading to him at least once a day.

Today I read him “Something Absolutely Enormous” and he seemed to love it! I used more inflections than usual, and he was very alert. He even reached out and touched a few of the pages, so I explained what was in the pictures.

We’ve been trying to teach him basic touch and body parts, like “Nogin, shoulders, knees and toes” 😉

We’re showing him the difference between night and day, by putting him in a dark room and no talking at night, and lots of noise stimulation and light during the day.

FEEDING

I tried (and succeeded) feeding him the dregs of the bottle with the teat off twice. He dribbles a tiny bit out, but he’s got the concept down pat already.

The feeding has ramped up a bit, and I’ve replaced most of his daytime top ups with additional feeding from the breast. He’s still wanting the 2-3 x formula top ups at night – (he takes anywhere from 40ml to 120ml.)

He’s getting quite clingy lately, and often won’t calm down or sleep unless someone is holding him 😐

He tends to have a fussy time between 7pm and 3am, where he will usually remain hard to settle, crave loads of milk, and cry for attention once he’s had enough milk. We’ve been letting him try to self soothe once we feel that all the essential needs have been tended to.

For burping now I’m doing a combo of tummy time on my chest or a pillow, or over the shoulder. He’s getting better at burping now.

I’m trying to study his cries to determine what he wants. So far I gather that a “ma / wa” cry is hunger, and the “aaaah” is wind pain or dirty nappy.

ME:

PRERENIUM and MENSTURAL CYCLE

My bleeding stopped on the 8th of Jan. I tried to inspect the stitches this week, but I couldn’t hold the mirror and hold the area in the right position to see. It feels like most of the stitches are still there though. Feels like it’s healing well

VARICOSE VEINS and BLOOD CLOTS

I’ve been taking Clexane injections daily for a week, which have now stopped. I ditched the TED stockings because they were cutting into my legs, and half the clots weren’t being compressed anyway. Still applying Hirudoid cream when I remember to.

BOOBS and FEEDING

My boobs feel MUCH bigger, and are often fuller. I’m not noticing as many breast lumps this week as I had over weeks 1-2.

I’ve been told that wearing a bra to bed is meant to help with milk production. I tried it both ways and I disagree so far, but the bra does help with leakage, as breast pads and shields don’t stay in otherwise.

My right boob definitely produces more milk, and leaks much easier than the left. On average I’m expressing 20-40 ml from that boob, and 5-20 on the left.

At first I thought Liam was weeing on me and my pillows, but now I know it’s my right boob leaking 😐

I’m also expressing whenever I have the energy, when he doesn’t feed from that boob, or when I feel engorged. I’m et to create a freezer store as he keeps guzzling my store!

I’m taking Domperidone 3 x a day for milk supply, and occasionally eating homemade biscuits aimed at producing more milk. (These contain flaxseed, oats, and witches brew.)  I’ve also been trying to get more Iron and protein.

SLEEP

I’ve been trying to take a nap during the day so I can last through the night, but I usually forget until I feel absolutely exhausted around 3pm and start dozing on the couch.

Because of the irregular and constantly interrupted sleep, I’m finding it harder to sleep when I want to. Hubby wanted me to get a decent 4 hour stretch 2 nights ago and I just stared at the ceiling with insomnia. I ended up journalling, planning the next few weeks, and putting my clothes away instead of napping!

Generally aside from my daytime nap, I’ve been trying to sleep around 9 or 10pm, or sometimes 1 if Liam cries heaps, and waking for each feed for an hour. Around 7am I usually force myself to eat brekkie, put Liam in or near a window for sunlight, and take some meds if I remember. Sometimes I force myself to stay up, and sometimes I sleep in till as late as 2pm some days!

Occasionally for a night feed I might not have the energy to feed Liam, so I express instead and he gets formula for that feed.

Abnormal Circumference – When ‘the bump’ is an unusual size for the gestation of the pregnancy.
Antenatal – before baby is born.
Apgar Score – Baby’s stats after birth.
Bloody Show – blood coming out at the beginning of labour.
Braxton Hicks – practice contractions – these don’t dilate the cervix.
Breech – natural birth where the baby is bum or feet first.
Catheter – a tube inserted to assist with fluids – such as to get urine out of a woman who’s had an epidural.
Cervix – where the baby comes out.
Colostrum – first breast milk – very nutritious for baby.
Contractions – where the muscles help to dilate the cervix.
Cesarean Section (C- Section) – getting the baby out via the abdomen, rather than vaginal birth.
C- Section (1) – emergency cesarean decision. Baby must be delivered within 15 mins of decision.
C – Section (2) – emergency cesarean decision . Baby must be delivered within 15 mins of decision.
Cradle Cap – A condition in which the back of baby’s head can become flattened because of how the baby sleeps all the time. (Can be cured by rotating sleeping positions.)
Dilation – cervix widening and rising to allow for the baby’s head to pass through for a vaginal birth.
Doppler – device used to monitor baby in the uterus.
Endometrium – Uterus lining
Epidural – Anesthetic that numbs from the waist down, inserted via the spine – the strongest form of pain relief.
Ectopic pregnancy – Where the egg is fertilized outside of the womb, or in the wrng spot. This often causes complications and usually ends in miscarriage.
Fetus – Baby before birth.
Fontanelle – The ‘soft spot’ on the baby’s head that usually disappears after 2 yrs old.
Forceps – Tongs used to help get the baby out.
Fourth Trimester – The three month period after baby is born.
Fundus – top of the uterus.
Fundal Height – A measurement used to estimate the gestational age of a fetus/baby.
Gestation – How many weeks the woman has been pregnant for.
ICI – Having a Syringe assist with conception.
IVF – Implanting fertilized sperm into a woman’s egg and placing it in the woman’s uterus.
Jaundice – When the baby turns yellow due to liver failure or complications.
Labour – The process of giving birth.
Meconium – Baby poo in labour – usually a sign of distress.
Mucous plug – Gunk that may fall out of the vagina before labour.
Neonatal – 0-28 days of the baby’s life.
Nitrous oxide – Laughing gas.
Oedema – Swelling of feet, ankles, and fingers.
Oxytocin – “Love” hormone released during sex and Labour.
Pelvic floor – the part of your pelvis holding everything in the body so it doesn’t fall out!
Perineum – Skin between vagina and Anus
Pitocin – Drug used to induce labour or speed up the process of placental delivery.
Placenta – The nutrition sack for baby whilst in the uterus.
Placenta Previa – When the placenta is low, often blocking the birth canal.
Postnatal Depression – Sadness following labour.
Postnatal – after birth
Primigravida – Woman who is pregnant for the first time.
Projected height – The estimated height that a baby will end up in adulthood, often taken shortly after birth.
Quickening – baby’s first felt movements in the uterus.
Sciatica – A nerve pain in the legs / hips that is quite common in pregnancy, caused by the softening of muscles and ligaments during pregnancy.
Sonogram – Ultrasound
Sphincter – Hole that likes to close up – such as the anus.
Spotting – bleeding a little bit from the vagina.
Stillbirth – when the baby is born deceased.
Umbilical Cord – feeding tube to the baby in the uterus.
Uterus – Where the baby lives while it’s a fetus.
VBAC – Vaginal birth after cesarean
Ventouse – Like a plunger, used to suck the baby out of the birth canal.
Water birth – Giving birth in a pool.
Waters – Protective stuff around the fetus.
Witch Hazel – a good skin cleanser. Some people recommend applying this to a cold or frozen pad after a vaginal birth, perhaps with a hint of peppermint.

There’s a bazillion things to do and I’m quite sleep deprived now he’s out. (He’ll be 2 weeks tomorrow.)

Birth stats:

Name: Liam Andrew Townsend

APGAR Scores: 1 min: 8,    5 mins: 9

Weight: 3010gms

Length: 47.5cm

Date: 19.12.14

Time: 0724

Liam does have long arms and legs, with big hands and feet.

His eyes are a really dark colour for now. My hubby says dark blue?

For the first week he was in the humidicrib because he was on monitors and such, being checked for heart rate, oxygen, breathing and such. Because of the fast vaginal birth he still had fluid from the womb in his longs and his breathing was very irregular. He wasn’t allowed to be ‘released’ until about day 5, on the 24th of December.

I was expressing after every feed t build up my supply, firstly 10 mins each side, then I built up to 20-25 mins. At first I expressed half a ml, then 1, then 2, then 5, then 10, then 15, 20, then it was arun d 30-40 for ages (week 2) and the most I’ve expressed to date was 75 ml.

I cried when i tried expressing at home cos my pumps were shitty and I was used to the awesome pumps at the hospital, so I bought an electric Medela pump from an old high school friend. Even though it’s loud, it’s better because it doesn’t require any hand pumping, so you have a free hand once it’s on, and you can set it to pump hard or soft. (The other, shittier ones I had were the Avent Manual and electric pumps.)

He kept losing weight, but they discharged him from hospital anyway, telling me to top him up after each feed, which I did. In his first weigh at home, he had lost a further 65 grams! After I bought the new pump and upped his top-ups he gained 75 grams in 2 days! at his last weigh in (yesterday) he had gained another 100 or so, so they seemed happy and told us to only give 30 ml topups but he’s still wanting around 40-60 per feed. His next check will be at his 2 weekly appointment, and then again at a 6 week mark.

His umbilical cord clamp fell off last night.

He seems quite strong for his age; He can already turn his head side to side by himself, shuffle forward with his legs when on his belly and lift his head, and if being held vertically he can push up with his head and arms to his waist. If lying on his back he can pull his head up a bit, and he has a strongish grip with his hands. His suck reflex is getting stronger and stronger.

Breastfeeding is going well for the most part; he has minimal issues latching and wantng the breast. despite bottle topups and being offered dumies and formula on occasion, it doesn’t seem to have confused him or out him off of the breast, and breast milk, which is AWESOME.

He’s feeding around every 2-5 hours lately, on demand, and he usually likes a 30-60ml topup with either breastmilk or formula.

We’re trying to get him into a routine of formula top-ups at night to make him fuller and sleep loner, and breast milk top-ups during the day.

I’m beginning to learn his patterns, traits, habits, and distinctive cries and whimpers now.

So far he looks more like me and my brothers than my husband. (Shrugs) especially his ears and nose. 😛

he looks a little like my mother in law when he frowns though, and his eye shape is similar to hers.

Over the past 2 weeks for the baby we’ve bought Sudocream, as he got bum redness 2 days ago.

We’ve taken many photoshoots of bubsy, such as; hands and toes, christmas shoot, newborn left on the doorstep, little boy in blue, and newborn wrapped in white rug.

We still hope to do the hand and footprints, proper shoot with him and us together, and some more newborn-type shoots. I’m hoping to get them done either today or tomorrow, before he gains too much weight and looses the new-born look and temperament.

Things I’ve been doing:

Feeding him formula at night and breast milk at day to get him fuller.

Reading him stories (i try to read him 1 a day.

Repeating calming phrases when he’s upset, such as “you’re ok” and “mummy’s here.”

Saying “Hello” “Goodmorning” and “Good night” at appropriate times.

Singing my made up “wakey wakey baby” song when he falls asleep between feeding sides.

Singing along to my breast pump to waste time and take my mind off the boredom and pain.

Making sure I have all equipment ready BEFORE I commit to a feed / change / bath.

Using: top to toe bathwash on occasion, using chux wipes with water for changing, and sudocream, rather than wipes which we think caused the rash. using huggies babywipes, cos pampers are too big, and cause him to wee everywhere.

Cleaning under his balls after poos, and making sure his penis is facing DOWN when I put the nappy on.

MY PROGRESS:

(For myself I’ve bought nipple cream: hospital recommended Lansinoh?? and neighbour recommended one from palmers, but I haven’t got that one yet.)

For myself I’ve also bought Coloxyl, as I had constipation, and still do on and off, as well as more iron supplements, and some ointment for my blood clots i my legs (which I got on the 23rd, 3 days after I gave birth.) The blood clots are in the superficial veins on both legs. I also have to have some injection in the stomach every day for anti-inflammatory-ness for the clots. I had 2 scans for the clots, and upteem thousand million gazilion checks of my legs. They gave me T.E.D. compression stockings to reduce the swelling but they are too small. Apparently my claf was 68cm and the stockings only went up to 66cm in the hospital. I’ll try to order some bigger ones online when I can. there was much debate amongst doctors and nurses about whether the too small stockings are helping or hindering, as they keep bunching up. As of yesterday I’ve taken the damn things off! As a hint, if you ever have to put some on, you can wash them in the shower and just pat them dry, and to get them on use the bag on your foot and slide them over that ;P

Apparently the stitches are healing now, and the bleeding has slowed down considerably. I think the bleeding will stop by Saturday, but am unsure. They said I could bleed for up to 6 weeks though.

For cleaning of the stitches I was advised to use salt water on the area. I tried it but hated the feeling, and it made it smelly and itchy and weird, so I didn’t do it after the first 2 days. Yesterday i tried putting witchhazel on the pad, but it made everything ache and feel awful, so from now on it’s water and regular pad changes only!

GIFTS RECEIVED:

So many, so I’m bound to miss them. I wanted to do hauls and such but who’s got the time!!!

From memory I got gifts from:

My hubby: A blue bear and 2 balloons from the gift shop

Dad: $100

Perry: $50

Shaun and Som: A toy giraffe, a card, and 1-2 outfits.

Sarah: A family (3 peas in a pod) ornament and a christmas decoration saying ‘LIAM,’ which must’ve gotten packed somewhere because I can’t find it and I’m SPEWIN’ cos it was gorgeous!

Nora (M.I.L): a $300 flight here to help us out, “Liam” snowman ornament, leather sandals, a little christmas outfit, and a $140 giftcard for Coles (for christmas for us.)

Marie from across the road: Toy, card, suit.

Anne and Annie (Noras friends): summer growsuit and pull on booties, cards.

Ana: Card, and 2 music sticker packs for me.

Mum: Perfume, Card, Small brown teddy, savlon and Curash Nappy Cream, chocolate, small travel pack of creams and powder for bubs. (There may have been more but I forgot.)

Music Corner (work): A congrats card.

Hospital staff: Bounty bag 2, a chrissy card, and a cancer council christmas bauble.

Steph (Mother Carer): A bag of books, and some helpful pamphlets and handouts, including 2 books for bedtime (1 had a CD), one with black and white shapes (because that’s all they can see for now,) and a recipe for lactation cookies, which she’s going to help me cook on saturday. Hubby and I went shopping for the ingredients yesterday but I couldn’t find the main ingredient; ‘Brewer’s Yeast’.

A little girl called Charlotte who is now 9, and was in the special care unit I was in 9 years ago!: An entire laundry hamper of goodies, including things like maternity pads, tissues, nappies, a teddy, muslin wraps, small food cups for when he starts solids, etc.

Natalie T,  who sold me the breastpump for $60: A whole bag of beautiful, great condition clothes from her son, 0000 to 00.

ANON: 2 smelly sticker packs. (WE don’t know who this was from!?!?!)