My newborn baby is now three weeks old, and I am experiencing what can only be described as the cliched emotional roller coaster that is new motherhood.
I have an older child. She is two and a half, so I blithely thought that having my second child would be easy. It is easier than it was first time around. I am a fairly calm and relaxed person anyway, so I don’t let the little things bother me too much. And it has definitely been an easier process to give birth and get through the first weeks with my second child.
For example, I was out of the house within the first week of her birth, whereas with my first daughter I didn’t venture out for at least two weeks, and then it was only for a tentative walk down the road and back.
The Wild Ride of Having a Baby
When you have a toddler, or I suppose an older child, you don’t really have a choice but to get on with life. You can’t just sit at home gazing at your newborn and devoting your sole attention to them. You have to ensure that your first child doesn’t feel left out, and that they are kept entertained as much as possible.
So it was that last week we found ourselves at the Churnet Valley Railway, riding on the Peppa Pig express train for the day. It was lovely. The weather was nice but not too hot, my father-in-law joined us, and he took charge of our newborn daughter so that my husband and I could spend some quality time with our toddler. Elliot thoroughly enjoyed meeting Peppa and George Pig, and she had fun playing with giant outdoor games and popping bubbles.
Recovering from birth trauma
Back at home, however, it is a different story. I am still recovering from the trauma of giving birth. Like I said, it is not as bad as it was when Elliot was born. Hers was an assisted delivery, and it subsequently took my body quite a while to fully recover. Georgina’s birth was natural and very quick. In fact, she took us by surprise despite being 2 days late, and I ended up having an ambulance ride to the hospital with sirens blaring through the morning rush hour! She clearly likes to make an entrance. Yes, I sustained some damage during the labour. It is to be expected. I am healing very well from it, and am glad for that fact.
One struggle for me now is the breastfeeding. The actual feeding part comes naturally to me, which I know is a blessing since several of my friends found themselves unable to breastfeed, or struggled to do it for more than the first few weeks with their children. My difficulty is the frequency at which my newborn daughter feeds, the fact that I seem to be constantly leaking milk and need to express almost as much as she feeds, and that my toddler is having a slight regression and has taken to feeding from me more as well. I certainly won’t force my eldest daughter to wean just yet. She can stop taking my milk when she is ready. For now, I simply have to get on with it and remember that this is a precious time of our lives. It will not last forever. I cherish these moments, leaky breasts and all!
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