Irene’s Baby Journal – Week 1
There’s a new baby in the house and this is the biggest blessing for a household.
Lúa is absolutely wonderful and my heart is so full of love.
Baby Journal – Initial latch
Lúa didn’t latch after birth and then she slept for many hours. I was by her side, checking on her constantly and she was okay. She just needed to rest. When she woke up she was ravenous and I placed her close to my breast. I should have done it the physiological way where I lay flattish on my back with her on top between my breasts and just let her search and crawl to the breast until she gets it.
But I’m so eager to feed her after she’s spent over 12 hours without food that I skip the physiological latch and help her by placing my breast in her mouth.
Now I’m writing this, when I’m wearing my midwife’s hat I know I shouldn’t have helped her however I’m very proud I’m truly managing to remove my midwifery knowledge from my mothering. I’m a woman who has just given birth and who is doing; what she thinks is best. Not letting my midwife’s brain lead but my mother’s heart and intuition.
I’ve got plenty of midwives- friends who can ‘midwife me’ in my postpartum period.
Everyone is so happy because of the great event that has happened to each one of us! Jose is taking a couple of days off work and the girls are happy that Lúa extended their Christmas holidays a bit longer.
I try to be as much time as possible in bed with my baby, resting and admiring my piece of art. All the little noises, gestures, her smell… I can feel oxytocin flowing through my veins at a very increased rate. It’s pouring. It’s just pure love all around us!!
I feel absolutely fine and, yes I could get out of bed and do things as if she just hadn’t been born. I’m so full of energy BUT, it’s not the right thing to do. The only thing I should do is snuggle with Lúa and that’s exactly what I’m doing. Snuggle, love her, feed her, and sigh my love every few minutes.
She’s so fragile, so little, so weightless…
Head
Her head is very round. She hasn’t been long through the birth canal and she’s not a big baby. It’s quite normal that your baby’s head has the shape of going through the birth canal. It will get its round shape as she grows.
Hair
She’s got very little fair hair. It’s quite longer in the center at the top of her head giving her the tipycal baby curl you see in cartoons. However, I have to admit this is the first time I’ve seen it in a baby.
Eyes
Her eyes are grey-blue, like most babies when they’re born. It will take a few months until they change to their permanent color.
Newborns cross their eyes as they’re brand new. They’re still learning to focus their sight.
Skin
Lúa’s skin is soft and beautiful. I love her touch. She hasn’t developed any rashes although it’s quite normal in newborn babies. Usually it just means that baby is adapting to all the different textures and products in contact with their skin. Try to keep their skin dry and don’t apply anything to it. It’s important for the skin to adapt to its new environment.
Nipples
Baby’s nipples tend to be a bit swollen during the first few days after birth due to the influence of maternal hormones. Just let them be. Lúa’s nipples are different one from the other. This is absolutely normal and it will correct itself with time. Or maybe it won’t and that’s also okay. Nothing should be done about it for now.
Umbilical cord
We haven’t cut Lúa’s cord until a few hours after the placenta was born. We used a crocheted cord tie instead of a plastic clamp. The cord starts to dry when the placenta detaches from the uterine wall. I the first few hours after birth it becomes hard and dry. Try to leave it upwards so it will dry this way making nappy changes much easier.
Lúa’s cord fell off in this first week. The majority of umbilical cords fall of before the baby is 2 weeks old.
Genitals
Baby girls’ genitals tend to be a bit swollen the first few days, like the nipples due to maternal hormones. Some girls even have some reddish discharge and that’s completely normal. Just wipe them normally and remember the importance of wiping a girl’s genitals from front to back.
Finger Nails
Lúa has tiny little knives at the end of her fingers. They’re like paper-thin but at the same time very very sharp.
I bite her nails as the baby clippers and scissors don’t work for us. They need to be very sharp to be able to cut Lúa’s nails and I don’t want to put something so sharp so close to her skin.
Our friends who own a birth center said they’d come to give us the paperwork to register her, but they are facing some health issues and they don’t come until 4 days after the birth.
They’re bringing the weighing scales with them as we don’t have any and she weighs 2700 grams. She doesn’t like the scales at all, but as I’m ready to take a photo, I quickly do it and hold her again.
I’m taking that weight as her birth weight as the only reference I’ve got.
Knowing that my baby is getting enough food is a midwifery skill I do preserve and apply!
She’s eating and growing as she should.
The clothes we bought for her are quite big. She’s wearing the smallest ones and surely she’ll outgrow them very fast but for now, let’s not make the clock go any faster. I’m enjoying each moment. The whole family is.
Read more Baby Week By Week : 1 week old baby
