ET80 Posted November 2, 2018 Share Posted November 2, 2018 1 hour ago, The Gnat said: Yeah, we're at a birth center or that's the plan, so we'll be there for a few hours after the birth but then be heading home hopefully. My wife and I had that plan, but then she had to have an emergency C-section (our son's umbilical cord got knotted up so they had to get him out ASAP - everything was OK in the end, but was incredibly scary at the time). Another note - and I sincerely hope this isn't the case - if you do find yourself in a similar situation where they have to go off schedule, you CANNOT panic. You have to be the picture of calm and serene. Your wife will freak out, and you have to bring her down. I remember I was in the hallway, on the phone with my Father In Law, and the nurse rushed up to me and and filled me in on what had to happen next. My wife was in the bed being wheeled out, crying and freaking out (as we're my mom and sister - that didn't help matters at all) and I calmly walked over, firmly told my mom/sister to wait for us in the waiting room (first and last time they listed to me on command) went to my wife and calmly told her everything would be OK. She continued to freak out, but I held firm and continued to tell her everything would be OK and I'd be in Op Room shortly. Once she was out of site... yeah, I started to panic a bit. But I got scrubbed up and joined her shortly after (by then, she was epiduraled up and was perfectly OK). I'm 99% certain this won't be the case (and 100% hoping it isn't) but be prepared... without looking prepared for off schedule stuff like this. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Gnat Posted November 2, 2018 Share Posted November 2, 2018 1 minute ago, ET80 said: but be prepared... without looking prepared for off schedule stuff like this. Yeah, we have doula there to help us think through decisions or to help be a calm force in a situation like that was well. I also know I'll have to be that as well in general and to keep my wife not too focused on everything that is happening because she's get too wrapped up in everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woz Posted November 2, 2018 Share Posted November 2, 2018 Just now, ET80 said: I'm 99% certain this won't be the case (and 100% hoping it isn't) but be prepared... without looking prepared for off schedule stuff like this. Yes, this. I was trying to come up with a way to say this, but you did it much better than I. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woz Posted November 2, 2018 Share Posted November 2, 2018 Just now, The Gnat said: Yeah, we have doula there to help us think through decisions or to help be a calm force in a situation like that was well. I also know I'll have to be that as well in general and to keep my wife not too focused on everything that is happening because she's get too wrapped up in everything. One of the jobs you didn't know you just inherited will be to comfort your wife in the case things do go wrong (and it doesn't have to be the level that @ET80 described, either). She will beat the everloving stuffing out of herself, coming up with all sorts of reason that it is all her fault. Your job is to convince her it wasn't. You may not succeed, but you must absolutely go forth anyhow. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ET80 Posted November 2, 2018 Share Posted November 2, 2018 2 minutes ago, Woz said: Yes, this. I was trying to come up with a way to say this, but you did it much better than I. Hey... I'm lovin what you're bringing to the table on this one, bud. Think we're feeding off of each others' energy in this thread, it works. Anything else you can think of? Diaper changing, breast pump scheduling, swaddling? The dreaded drive home? (Our hospital was two minutes away from NRG, and the Texans were playing the Jags the day we were scheduled to leave - so I concocted a plan to leave at halftime, based on traffic patterns in the area on gameday). #ModsRPeeple2, you know. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woz Posted November 2, 2018 Share Posted November 2, 2018 Just now, ET80 said: Anything else you can think of? Diaper changing, breast pump scheduling, swaddling? If they can get score a lactation consultant from the birth center, that's to the good. You would think it would be "stick boob in kid's face and GO," but it doesn't always work like that. If the kid is jaundiced, that's normal even though you will freak out because the child is yellow. The docs will give the baby some injection (I cannot recall what) and it clears up relatively quickly (a week or so). Diaper changing/swaddling ... that just comes with practice. If you have a boy, you'll likely get the spray once or twice before you figure out how to avoid it. My son didn't do that so much as the 4 foot fountain of poo. I mean, hippos would have been in impressed with that one. Just now, ET80 said: The dreaded drive home? You will never drive as slow and as carefully in your life as you do the first time you leave the hospital/birth center with your newborn. Just now, ET80 said: (Our hospital was two minutes away from NRG, and the Texans were playing the Jags the day we were scheduled to leave - so I concocted a plan to leave at halftime, based on traffic patterns in the area on gameday) I couldn't even begin to contemplate what I would have to do had the traffic been like that. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woz Posted November 2, 2018 Share Posted November 2, 2018 Just now, ET80 said: Hey... I'm lovin what you're bringing to the table on this one, bud. Think we're feeding off of each others' energy in this thread, it works. It's easy to since that stuff is long in the rearview mirror. Thankfully. I mean ... you'll enjoy it all! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ET80 Posted November 2, 2018 Share Posted November 2, 2018 10 minutes ago, Woz said: I mean ... you'll enjoy it all! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woz Posted November 2, 2018 Share Posted November 2, 2018 Just now, ET80 said: Well, I had meant it more for @The Gnat, but ... who can predict the future? (Mr. Snippy says it ain't gonna me) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ET80 Posted November 2, 2018 Share Posted November 2, 2018 47 minutes ago, Woz said: Well, I had meant it more for @The Gnat, but ... who can predict the future? (Mr. Snippy says it ain't gonna me) Yup, samesies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramssuperbowl99 Posted November 2, 2018 Share Posted November 2, 2018 1 hour ago, Woz said: I would love to watch the exhausted, bedraggled new mother pull herself out of the bed that she is resting on and strangle you with the PIC line if you were so foolish to say that to her. My go to right now with toddlers is "what are they gonna do, say no?" It gets a reaction no matter how many times I say it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manny/Patrick Posted November 2, 2018 Share Posted November 2, 2018 I just had a baby a week ago. Let me just say, a boy is a lot different than a girl. He loves to be swaddled, do a lot of skin to skin. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woz Posted November 3, 2018 Share Posted November 3, 2018 23 hours ago, ramssuperbowl99 said: My go to right now with toddlers is "what are they gonna do, say no?" It gets a reaction no matter how many times I say it. May you be blessed with three. Simultaneously. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woz Posted November 3, 2018 Share Posted November 3, 2018 @The Gnat - from my wife: "If your wife is allergic to wool, she will want to avoid lanolin based cremes for soothing sore nipples. Instead, you would be wise to order "Nipple Butter" right now [her emphasis] so that you have it on hand. It's completely all natural, so I didn't worry about it getting a bit in the kids' mouths. You wouldn't think nipples crack and bleed, but it happens and it sucks. It hurts until your nipples toughen up." Also, "let her sleep. Let her sleep. [yes she said this twice in a row] Anytime you play the 'I Didn't Hear the Baby Monitor' game of chicken... if you think a wife won't remember each and every time you pull that, you are dead wrong. Resentment can build up a lot in the early years, so don't be that guy." [yeah ... not one of my better plays ... be better than me] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Gnat Posted November 5, 2018 Share Posted November 5, 2018 @Woz Good to know, no wool allergies, and I believe that my wife has ordered some nipple creme/butter already. I will remember that about sleep. I think that'll be one of the hardest things to get right for us. My wife has some FOMO and it can keep her from wanting to sleep, so I'm going to have to safe guard her against that, and unfortunately I don't get that much time off from work, so that first week I'm going to be able to help with letting her sleep as much as I possibly can. We had some friends where one half of the night one of them would be on baby duty and the other half of the night the other one would be on baby duty, they weren't breast feeding so I think that made it easier for them to work that schedule, but we've talked about trying something like that, but I'm sure it'll take us some time to get it figured out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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