Post Partum Depression

Someone asked me if I had the "baby blues" and I told them no, but I may have been wrong. I'm very happy about the baby and I feel even closer as a family, but I cry at the drop of a hat now. I'm not sure if this fits into the category of hormonal readjustment or post partum depression. My husband is keeping a close watch on me though LOL. He just wants to make sure I'm stable minded. Well if any thing changes in my feelings other than the crying spells I will let you gals know.

Cesarean Healing

I'm finally feeling better from the cesarean. It was very difficult for the first 2 weeks because a blood clot was sitting directly on my incision and swelling had appeared. There was limited walking and very painful mornings when trying to get out of bed. Thankfully my husband has been there to support me all the way through this. FMLA leave is a blessing indeed. The pain and swelling has diminished greatly. Today I only had to take one pain pill and that was an 800mg Ibuprofen. I'm getting better slowly but surely. My darling daughter Patty is thriving. She is breastfeeding vigorously and following all the milestones for a little person of 2 weeks old. Her umbilical cord fell off yesterday from all the alcohol washings so we decided to give her a real baby bath today. Although she enjoyed it, I still feel as if she is too little and I'm going back to sponge baths until she is bigger. I never knew I would feel so much love for one person. She is just what I dreamed she would be.

Baby Lullaby

This song put baby Patty to sleep last night. I've never thought of it as a lullaby, but it calmed her down and had her snoozing in no time.

Kum ba yah, my Lord, kum ba yah!
Kum ba yah, my Lord, kum ba yah!
Kum ba yah, my Lord, kum ba yah!
O Lord, kum ba yah!

Someone’s laughing, Lord, kum ba yah!
Someone’s laughing, Lord, kum ba yah!
Someone’s laughing, Lord, kum ba yah!
O Lord, kum ba yah!

Someone’s crying, Lord, kum ba yah!
Someone’s crying, Lord, kum ba yah!
Someone’s crying, Lord, kum ba yah!
O Lord, kum ba yah!

Someone’s praying, Lord, kum ba yah!
Someone’s praying, Lord, kum ba yah!
Someone’s praying, Lord, kum ba yah!
O Lord, kum ba yah!

Someone’s singing, Lord, kum ba yah!
Someone’s singing, Lord, kum ba yah!
Someone’s singing, Lord, kum ba yah!
O Lord, kum ba yah!

Kum ba yah, my Lord, kum ba yah!
Kum ba yah, my Lord, kum ba yah!
Kum ba yah, my Lord, kum ba yah!
O Lord, kum ba yah!

The Lullaby player

Conjunctivitis

Yesterday during our Christmas celebration, my brand new daughter, Patty, developed a severe case of conjunctivitis. One of my sisters, who has five children, told me to gently wipe her eye with a warm cloth to keep it clean until I could call the pediatrician. Being insecure, I consulted some websites which confirmed what she said and also mentioned that the infection usually clears up on its own within a week. However I also noted that using cotton balls and throwing them after each use was more sanitary. Some of the websites explained that one form of conjunctivitis was caused by the baby scratching his/her eye and transferring bacteria. Well I had filed her nails, but she was still scratching at her eyes a lot, so my husband covered her hands with mittens. I was extremely worried all night and considered just going to the emergency room, but we kept gently wiping with warm water to keep the debris out of her eye. Lo and behold by 9:00 this morning, her right eye was clean and clear. It's now 4:00 in the after noon and there is not a slimy eye booger in site. WHEW!

Wow

The doctor attempted to turn the baby (which was excrutiating) but she turned right back around. I was hooked up to an IV and urinary catheter, then whisked away to an operating room for a spinal block to prepare for a recommended cesarean. A anesthesia was administered and I lost all feeling from the chest down. Of course during all of this my blood pressure was sky rocketing and I was shaking like a leaf. I think I may have been having an anxiety attack. Fortunately my husband was right there with me holding my hand. After they removed her from my uterus and checked her vitals, my husband took a few pictures and then he accompanied the baby and staff to the nursery where she was dressed. Still I had not physically seen my precious daughter. I was rolled back to my room and waited a good 30 minutes until my husband and child were returned to me. Even though most of my birth plan was thrown out the window due to circumstances, the hospital staff was excellent. Every one was very kind and helpful during my week long stay. The only complaint that I have is one nurse who was a bit overzealous. She insisted that I was starving the baby because I was not producing enough milk. Thankfully no one else had this opinion, including the pediatrician. I'm now home breastfeeding very successfully.
P.S. I will share in the next couple of days why she could not turn :-(