Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Life With a Newborn

I am not a baby person. 

You will never see me make a big fuss over a baby that isn't mine and chances are I will never ask to hold it. I am awkward with other people's newborns and get a bit nervous when I'm left alone with one. 

That being said, I love my newborns. I love the way they smell. I love their grunts. I love their tiny diapers and I love breastfeeding, even if it's all I do some days. My mom claws tend to come out shortly after birth and I become very protective and feel a deep need to be alone with my husband and children. I make people wash their hands before touching my baby and if my baby makes even a peep while being held by someone else, I take them back. You will never see me handing my fussy child over to someone else for soothing. That's my job.

My husband and I were talking today about how we take care of our newborn babes. Granted, there are tough days when our baby is fussy, tired, cranky, gassy, etc, but for the most part, our newborns are usually content. I nurse on demand, which means I breastfeed anytime the baby is rooting or needing to be soothed. Yes, it can be tiring, but it makes life so much easier to just nurse a fussy baby instead of trying to come up with creative ways to make it happy. We co-sleep so I am able to tuck the baby in the crook of my arm while we sleep and breastfeed whenever the baby starts to wake. I enjoy sleeping and co-sleeping is the only way we all stay rested.  I also believe in babywearing. I think I wore Finnegan everyday until he was around six months old. Babywearing kept him close and gave me the opportunity to easily do things around the house. 

I am thankful to have a husband who shares my parenting philosophies and who is completely supportive when it comes to taking care of a newborn the way nature intended instead of what is more readily accepted by our society. 

I am excited to add a third child to our family. I think transitioning from two to three will be much easier for me than it was to go from one to two kids. Sleep deprivation for the first month or two will make life interesting, but once we fall into a routine it shouldn't be too tough. Maeve and Finnegan will be great siblings if they can overcome the temptation to box down their new baby brother. Time will tell. 


2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am excited for you! I am just as protective of my babes. I think it was a good habit I developed with Liv because of her prematurity. I made a lot of people mad. Especially family who thought I should pass the kids around at gatherings. I must say, if we have anymore, that is one thing my jerk brother in law will have made easier for me, because I don't intend to go to anymore family gatherings! I was also upset when sooo many people came up to the hospital after Asher was born. I just wanted some time with *my* family, not all the extendeds. That being said, once the big day comes, let us know if you need anything, or the kids need some playtime with friends, or you need another mama to talk to. We're here!

Heather said...

Thanks Abby! I still have 4 weeks to go until my due date. I'm hoping we'll see you at least once before then :)