Things I Will Do Differently

Wow, two blogs in a row. What I would really like to do, considering this recurring and perpetual cold I have had throughout this pregnancy, is go downstairs and lie on the couch to make my misery and my belly ache go away. I feel compelled to wait until Liam is asleep, though, to make sure he doesn't get into trouble. Of course, how can I not want to sit here and listen to him sing his rendition of "I'm Bringing Home a Baby Bumblebee" at the top of his lungs?

I was looking at my pics from Liam's birth and was inspired to compile my list of Things I Will Do Differently this time. I may be a little too optimistic, but I feel like, despite the two-year-old consuming our lives as well, some of those "aha" moments were such learning experiences and will save us considerable sanity considering we have the benefit of knowing them ahead of time.

-The reason the pictures inspired me was because I was SO PUFFY. So, whether we induce again or whether I go into labor spontaneously (please?), I will HYDRATE. I probably would have had my Cervidil about two hours sooner, but somehow they figured out I was too dehydrated and had to pump me full of bags of IV fluid. Bags of IV fluid make you have to pee. I waited an excruciating 2 hours with the Cervidil in before I was allowed to pee (as it needs to be in at least 2 hours to work, and too much movement can cause it to fall out). I had been thrown into labor during that time, but lo and behold, when the two hours was up, it fell out. That was about 1 am, so labor stopped for 4 hours til the Pitocin started at 5. Had I been able to convince them that I was adequately hydrated, I might have been able to carry out labor for longer and jump-started it with less pitocin intervention. Maybe I would have given birth sooner than 5:55 the following evening, and maybe I wouldn't have been so darn PUFFY in my pics if I hadn't been full of IV fluid!

-Here was our ridiculous routine that we followed each time Liam woke up during the night those first couple months: Go downstairs, get bottle of breast milk out of fridge (remember - I had to pump exclusively), fill Pyrex measuring thing with water, heat it up for a couple minutes, put bottle in there and wait around until it came down to room temperature, go upstairs and feed crying baby, change diaper, pump for 20-30 minutes, hold baby until he goes to sleep, put baby into Pack N Play, wake baby up during the transfer, repeat the process til the transfer is successful, rinse the pump parts and the bottle. Ridiculous!

I don't really know how I will end up feeding the baby - maybe breastfeeding will work, in which case that part of the whole thing will take care of itself. If not, I am not above using formula throughout the night. Three bottles full of water will be ready, and the formula dispenser will be prepared. Under no circumstances will I go downstairs for bottle prep. There will be no pumping every 3 hours for any reason. One way or another, the ridiculous routine described above will not be carried out.

-The shield. Before giving up, I will be more faithful to the shield. This actually worked with Liam, but I always felt like I was cheating and that he would become dependent on it.

-I think most of my faithful readers already know that I will not stress myself out over breastfeeding again. I lost too much bonding time and too much sanity over this. I have a perfectly healthy boy, and while I'd love to be able to breastfeed for some indeterminate length of time, I am not willing to lose myself again over it.

-Back to the above concept of heating up water in the Pyrex, placing the bottle in it until it's warm (which never happens), and listening to baby cry as I deprive her of her bottle for several minutes...I will use the microwave. It is a revolutionary invention that shouldn't be ignored. It took us 8 months to realize that 25 seconds in the microwave takes the chill out and doesn't come close to creating hot spots. For insurance, it can be shaken. This no-microwaving rule was made as a blanket thing for the parents who might think 5 minutes is okay. I want those 8 months of my life back.

-Everyone always said "take advantage of the nursery" at the hospital. They say it's your only opportunity to get some rest before you go face the music at home. I think this will be my only opportunity to truly bond with my baby without a whole lot of interruption. I may make use of the nursery for one stretch of sleep or so, but I hope to be able to just take the time to bond. As soon as I am able to after the birth, I am going to start hogging her! I just feel like I didn't take advantage of some of the most critical bonding time (bonding on my part), though part of that was not by choice since he was sent in for observation.

These are just some things that I have been pondering, at least pertaining to what works for ME and for US. I learned a lot, and I am thankful for the benefit of that knowledge. I think we all find our own way, hard as it may be. I am cautiously optimistic that, because we have learned what works and does not work for us, and because we are not being thrust into the world of parenthood for the first time, it will be a little easier. I can't downplay the hellacious challenges that we have in store for us, but at least these few things may be made easier this time around. Perhaps I'll even look halfway decent in some of my first pics with Baby Girl, too.