Monday, May 16, 2011

Things I Would Do Different

I read one of my blogging buddies blog about what she wished she would have know when having her first babies. I don't feel like I am entitled to claim such an opinion, as I am only on my 2nd child, (she's on her 4th) BUT I certainly know what I will do DIFFERENT!!!
  • Breast Feeding- I was very adamant that I was going to nurse exclusively. I even got upset with the nurses for giving Ella a bottle. Nursing is the best and I wanted the best for my baby! Well, flash forward 4 months...she had only gained 2 pounds from birth, had dropped dramatically in the percentile and was constantly crying. In hind sight, I realize this was because she was always hungry. I started supplementing, flooded with feelings of guilt. At 6 months she was done with me completely, and she preferred a bottle to me. This was because she was just starving and I was not giving enough for her.
  • Lesson learned? I will not be so narrow minded this time, and will feed my poor starving baby in the event history repeats itself!!! Of course I would rather nurse than anything else, but if it ain't happen' this time, I'll admit defeat!!
  • Sleeping in- I would drag myself out of bed at 7:30, no matter what time I went to bed, because I thought I needed to maintain some form of schedule no matter what.
  • Lesson learned? I will sleep half the time Brent has FMLA, (6 weeks!) and as much as possible until this baby is 3 months old!!
  • People touching the baby- This time I will just be flat out rude if yucky strangers try to touch my infant.
  • I will do whatever necessary to make my child sleep. Even if it is going for a car ride, walk, rocking or bouncing!
  • I'm very happy to be a home this time where our child's room is not in a dark, dank basement.
  • I am very happy to have one good cat and not 2 evil cats!
  • I like to envision my due date and focus my inner chi on when I will deliver. This time around I have envisioned a certain date that will put me around 37 weeks. Now I would like to clarify- I am not trying to have my baby EARLY. I am trying to keep it in there that long!!!
  • I am thoroughly convinced that this 2nd time around will be a little easier than the first time. We are still struggling with what to do with the first little angel we received!

So what are your lessons learned? What would you do different? Something that you think would just solve everything?

3 comments:

Terril Family said...

The one thing I am definately going to do different is force a binkie on this baby. My other kids never took a binkie and I became the human pacifier if you know what I mean. Hey, and we should talk nursing/ supplementing with formula ( I learned a lot with Macy). Anyway, I think you are an awesome mom and little Scarlet will be great no matter what.

Annie Leavitt said...

hahahaha- i think i could write a 7 book series on "things i would do differently".

this time around i would like to arrive at the hospital in active labor, NOT have pitocin, and be able to leave in 12 hours.

but sometimes i have to just go with the flow of things too : )

ps- scarlet is the BEST name ever.

Amanda Monk said...

WAIT WAIT WAIT! try to go over my due date (into aug?!)and have VBAC! The c-section was a breeze for me and Estella and delivering Estefan naturally was hell-ish for the both of us. I still want a VBAC:)Oh ya and I would like for Ashley to post a picture of her belly:)