Delivery was MUCH smoother and improved than nearly four years ago. Quick review: that involved three hours of pushing, immense pain, epidural wearing off and then not working, finding out I had to have a c-section, baby's heart rate slowing, and finally being put under general anesthesia because the epidural wouldn't work. I woke up in a drug-induced fog to meet baby Collin and had the double recovery time of old fashioned labor plus a c-section, which involved hard core pain management.
Flash forward: We came to the hospital bright and early Friday morning with our bags packed, camera ready, and car seat installed. It was like going to the airport. Collin was at my parents ready to spend four nights with them and meet his baby brother.
I was nervous. Not only was I about to have a baby I was volunteering for major surgery. We came to the maternity unit and were welcomed to our spacious room, which could've been a hotel suite minus the medical supplies and hi-lo bed. Sure the colors and decor are an 80's peach and the TV doesn't have HBO but I'm not going to complain. There was a pull-out coach for Mike to sleep in (albeit one that had metal springs poking out but it's better than the floor). After we signed all the paperwork and I was dressed in my fashionable gown and got an IV and we were off to surgery. I met the anesthesiologist who seemed kind and personable and was pretty confident I wouldn't need a general this time.
Mike waited outside while the most painful part of the procedure involved me getting a spinal (huge needle in my back). Thankfully the pain didn't last long. It's a weird sensation being in an operating room. The acoustical version of "Such Great Heights" played in the background while I tried not to panic and blinked away tears. Pretty soon though the medicine started to do its thing and I felt myself getting warm and numb. This time when the doctor asked me if I felt a sharp thing poking me, the answer was no.
"The reason the general didn't work last time is because you have pretty severe scoliosis," the anesthesiologist told me, to my and my OB's surprise. I had a mental image of those teenagers in back braces but apparently as an adult it's not too serious, just screws with stuff like anesthesia and causes shoulder and back pain.
I started feeling calmer (thank you drugs) when Mike came in fully dressed in scrubs and stood by my side. It was a pretty weird sensation but I felt no pain, just a tugging feeling as the doctor reached for Milo. I could hear her say, "You've got one tight pelvis." And I was glad I didn't end up trying a V-bac because I'm almost certain, I would've had a repeat of last time.
Then I heard that sweet newborn cry and watched as Milo was cleaned off and wrapped in a blanket for me to hold. He was about a pound smaller than Collin was when he was born and just seemed so tiny. He had a bit of soft blond hair and fuzzy skin with tiny fingernails already long enough to scratch his face. His eyes stayed closed most of the time but when they did open were that newborn blue grey so it's hard to tell if he'll have blue eyes like me and his brother or brown eyes like Mike.
The rest of the day Mike and I bonded with baby. I felt the aftermath of the drugs and constantly had the spins like a long night of drinking. I couldn't keep much down and was loaded with pain killers. Later in the afternoon my parents, brother and Collin came to meet Milo. Collin was very excited to meet his baby brother. He had a huge smile and wanted to hold "his baby."
Breast feeding, though still not easy started out much less stressful this time. Milo almost immediately latched and just like his brother is a very good eater. Milo also met his papa, and Collin and his grandparents came one more day to visit. Unfortunately Nona (Mary Ann) was sick with an infection and a high fever and obviously couldn't meet Baby Milo until she's feeling better.
The nurses we had were great and attentive and for hospital food, Providence isn't too bad. It's hard to get much sleep in a hospital with being woken up to take my medication and vital signs. Milo slept for pretty long stretches and overall just seemed to cry when he was gassy and needed a diaper change or hungry. Already he seemed more chill and less emotional than his brother, who would kick his feet away from you and scream at full volume, even as a newborn.
After three nights we left the hospital. I got around much better but still depend on Oxycodeine and ibuprofin. So far, feeding continues to go smooth and often! Suck that fat away, baby. Apparently when babies get that first taste of milk they want to eat. A lot. it's like baby crack.
It's been nice to rest at home and with Collin in preschool for three days and Mike at home for two months it makes things that much easier.
Milo wakes up two or three times at night to eat (or to change his diaper) and sleeps with us so although we're still tired, it's not too bad. Especially when we can take family naps while Collin is in school. Unfortunately Collin seems to be giving up nap time at home and still likes to wake between 6 and 7 am (and 7 am is lucky).
They say colic doesn't set in until two or three weeks so I'm really hoping our easygoing baby sticks around. And I have to say, we deserve it after Collin. Don't get me wrong, I love the kid but he is not easy in the least. He's jubilant, confident, gregarious and sweet but also a wild, thrill-seeking, emotional roller coaster. Mellow would be a great complement to Collin's personality (and sanity saving for us).
Collin is a sweet big brother. Though I think it'll be a while (like until Milo can defend himself) that we'd leave them alone in the same room together. He loves to give Milo hugs but I don't doubt he wouldn't try to lift Collin by himself like Hurley our cat. He's also been a great helper. At the same time the whininess and not listening has increased. I'm trying be as tolerant as possible. It's especially hard when I'm nursing and Collin tries to get in my face or purposely will do something naughty. But I recognize this is life-changing for him! We've been his whole world and now he has to share it with another little person.
I can see why people say you enjoy a newborn the second time around more. Starting out, labor was a whole less traumatic, breastfeeding wasn't a month of hell, and we're more confident this time around. It's still scary and strange to be responsible for a tiny little human though. It'll be exciting to watch him grow and change and see how his personality evolves.
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