Tag Archives: new baby worries

New Baby Help

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12

As I joyfully and nervously await the arrival of my baby son, I am trying to gear up.  Ideally, I would calm my jitters by employing a fleet of nannies 24/7, but alas, this is not the year for that!

Help!
Creative Commons License photo credit: D3 San Francisco

I’m trying one tactic with friends and family, saying straight out: When the baby comes, I will need your help, please! Holding him so I can shower, keeping me company during marathon nursing, playing with Vivien. I also would love to have a food service deliver 3 meals a day and later a personal trainer to get me out of bed 3 times a week. Unfortunately, that is not a realistic 2009 plan. So, maybe I should just ask folks for a casserole and friendly walk when I can. I am starting to be more upfront about this because I do remember how hard and isolating those first 3 months can be… and how that can lead to postpartum depression.

I’m not Mama Walton, and that scares me. I know I need some help. What helped you when your baby was new?

Bracing for the New Baby

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10

As my girth enlarges, I’m starting to get a tad bit of new-baby dread. Here’s what I’m thinking about:

1) Worrying that he is healthy. The mind, goes doesn’t it? I was lying in bed last night rubbing my belly, sending him good vibes and chants of “healthy, healthy.”

Big yawn
Creative Commons License photo credit: davef3138

2) Vaccinations. Going through the shots again! I learned with Vivien that I really had to sack up for those. And since I’m having a boy, I’m more freaked out about the whole autism/shot link.

3) Choking. I’m so in preschooler comfort-zone that I kind of forgot until last night about the choking thing. Mashing up food in tiny, tiny amounts, and spooning it in. I saw a little bracelet Viv was given on the floor last night, and since bending over is not my strong suit these days, I left it.  Then I thought, wait! Soon I will have to clear the decks of all little bits, as Junior will be jamming it all in his mouth.

4) C-section recovery. Particularly those first two hours, when I felt like I was sliding off the face of the earth. Pretty uncomfortable.  Not acute pain, but unpleasant. I had planned to have a vaginal delivery the first time, so I had a nice doula who held my hand and that really helped during the transition back to earth as my family ran around with excitement, which at that moment I could not share. When my sister had her C-section, she seemed so happy afterwards. Hmm, I missed that gene. Should I have the doula again? Does it make sense to have one just for two hours?

I’m sure other worries will come…