but we still did not seem to be prepared for this. I suppose no one is. Luckily our parental instinct kicked in and we figured it out. We slept for a few hours at a time. Unfortunately because of my tear (and the trauma of childbirth), I was not able to move very well. So Brian had to get up with Austin every time. There was no way I could have gotten him by myself. The one issue I had was I was unable to urinate after giving birth. I tried several times but I was unsuccessful so the nurse put in a foley catheter overnight. That also made moving around even more difficult. Everything down in my perineum area was extremely swollen and painful. The nurse gave me ice to help however it is going to take time before everything heals.
In the morning, it was really busy time. Everyone came in to visit us from the hospital. Our pediatrician came in and assessed Austin. She said that everything looked good, so that was encouraging.
All we really wanted was a healthy baby and so far that is what we got. We are extremely blessed. Then several nurses came in to do assessments on me and Austin. My doctor came in and said everything looked good as well. The lactation consultant came in and gave us some instruction. She was helpful. Breastfeeding is something I really want to do. I know it is going to be a challenge but I have determination that this will work. I was more nervous about breastfeeding than labor. The lactation consultant was encouraging and I needed that. Brian has also helped me with breastfeeding. I had a hard time moving around with Austin and getting him to latch on. Brian has really been a great support for me.
It was noon before we knew it. I took a shower to try and feel better. I did not realize how much bleeding one has after giving birth. It is kind of scary. We called our family and talked with friends. Brian uploaded some pictures of Austin for people to see. Everyone was so excited about him. My parents came up to visit us. They brought Brian some cookies and me a muffin. It was very nice. Brian really liked the cookies. They got to spend time with Austin. They are so excited about him too. He is really the center of attention these days. It is so cute! I never realized how exciting having a baby is. We are really enjoying this experience.
After my parents left we worked on breastfeeding again with one of the nurses that we had. She was kind of harsh and not encouraging. In fact, I started crying while she was there.
Brian stepped in and put the nurse in her place. The nurse had me pump to help with my nipples. It was helpful but she was not gentle at all. Breastfeeding should not hurt but you do feel the push and pull motion and that takes time to get use to. The nurse was trying to tell me it was supposed to be painful and I needed to get used to it. Most of the pain wasn't from Austin but from how rough she was handling me trying to get the latch started. Brian and I ate dinner and tried to get some sleep. Austin sleeps a lot but he does not like sleeping by himself. He either wants to be touched or rocked. Brian has become the expert on this. I am trying but I am having a little harder time moving around so getting Austin during the middle of the night does not go easy for me.
All and all we had a good first day with Austin. He is adjusting to his outside life and we are adjusting to parenthood. This has been an amazing experience. It has brought Brian and I even closer together. We are so proud of our son. He is absolutely perfect!
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