Babymoons

This is a picture of Lyric when she was brand new: I can't believe that was only 2 1/2 years ago.
I had a discussion this week with my client that had her baby on Friday through the night about how babies change your life. She was saying that she doesn't know why she felt so busy when she brought her first baby home and that now that she's had her third she wished she had more time to spend just with the baby. I remember feeling the exact same way when I had Lyric.

I encourage all of my clients to have a "babymoon" once their new little one arrives. Sometimes it's not possible, but I tell them that if there's any way they can swing it, to try to have people help with the older siblings so that they can spend time alone with their new baby...especially in the first couple of days. My reason for this is twofold: firstly it is vital to the breastfeeding relationship that the baby is able to eat often and spend a lot of time closeby mom (preferably skin to skin and in bed resting together), secondly so that the mom can enjoy her newborn while she has the opportunity to do so.

Lyric was born on Mother's Day morning. My mom was able to make it to the birth (barely:) and her and dad spent the day here and then took Izzy and Obi back to Waterloo with them for 2 days so I could be alone with the baby. Joel had to head back to work, but I had time to be alone with Lyric. I can't begin to tell you how much I enjoyed that time (I remember similarily really studying Obi and enjoying him so much). We laid in bed as much as possible together in those first 2 days of her life and I did nothing but breastfeed and fall in love. Holding her, staring at her little body, smelling her sweet baby scent. I drank it all in, and treasured it. Of course I still had the afterpains etc. to deal with, don't get me wrong, but I enjoyed her so much.

I remember wishing that I had been that relaxed when I had had Izzy. Just like my client said, it's hard to believe how incredibly busy and overwhelmed you feel when you have your first baby. I worried about everything. I had trouble breastfeeding, I felt like I needed help every time I fed her, bathed her, or anything. I remember being up those first few nights with her and honestly thinking I was in a different world and I wondered if my life would ever feel 'normal' again. I felt like the world outside was a world I was no longer a part of. It was really strange!! I remember thinking I would never sleep through the night again; and that I would definitely never be able to breastfeed Izzy outside my own home (after all it took at least 3 hands to just get her latched).

It's really too bad that when we have our first, and we have all that time alone with our baby... to get to know him/her, that we are so nervous and overwhelmed that we don't even enjoy it (maybe other people don't feel that strange after their first...I don't know). Maybe I should have had more babies so I could have experienced that 'babymoon' again. ..nah, my family of three children is absolutely what I wanted and I've never looked back since making that final decision.

Melanie