Weight - Archie lost 60g (down to 8lb 10oz) at his day 5 midwife appointment which was around 1% of his birth weight. The midwife said that was the equivalent of a big feed or a nappy, so he's pretty much stayed the same which is brilliant, especially when it's normal to lose up to 10%. I think it helps that my milk came in so quickly this time around and he fed like an expert from being minutes old too.
Appointments - The midwife visited us at home on day 3 to check all was well. The house was remarkably calm when she arrived - both boys were fast asleep on the sofa cuddled into me, so we felt particularly smug about that! We then had to take Archie to the hospital for his day 5 check because the midwives were too busy to come to us and he had his heel prick tests done and was weighed too. We just need one more appointment by day 10 and we'll hopefully be discharged.
Milestones - Archie lost his cord on day 5. Henry was particularly pleased about this as he really didn't like it at all when we were doing nappy changes etc.
Personality - So far he seems pretty laid back. He sleeps in his Sleepyhead in his cot on a night and is waking for a feed after 1.5-2 hours. This sounds pretty awful but compared to Henry at this stage, it's amazing. He doesn't fight being put down generally and is happy on his play mat or in his swingy chair for around 10 mins at a time....it's amazing how much you can get done in 10 minutes!! He's wide awake on an evening and a bit grizzly, happiest being left to comfort cluster feed. He absolutely prefers men and seems to settle for them a lot easier than women. Having Mr B being able to settle him is a real novelty, Henry was the total opposite and only ever wanted me. It's meant that I've been able to leave a grizzly baby with his daddy and been able to put Henry to bed every night like I always did; something I was so worried about not being able to do once the baby arrived.
Feeding - My milk came in on day 3 and since then he's feeding well and lots! I'm quite sore on one side so I'm not sure whether he has a dodgy latch, but it's definitely started to improve. At night he feeds every couple of hours, but only for around ten minutes at a time which is so nice. My wake ups with a tiny Henry were epic and I'd be awake feeding for well over an hour each time he woke, so I really can't moan about ten minutes. In the day if we're busy, he'll feed less than if we're just sitting and snuggling at home; as soon as he's anywhere near me he's just rooting for a boob!
Sleep - Really good considering. I'm not sure whether it's the fact that we're used to less sleep these days because Henry still doesn't sleep well after three years, or if Archie is just a better sleeper then Henry was, or if we just know what to expect this time, but this whole first week has been a lot easier going. He's generally sleeping in blocks of around two hours at night, although he's done 3.5 hours a couple of times and also a night where it was every hour. The best part is how quickly he'll settle after a feed in his Sleepyhead, which is in his cot next to the bed. I put him down half awake often and he'll just snuggle in and fall straight to sleep which is great. He naps all day still, some short little cat naps and then others which are hours long. I've been trying to join him every afternoon too, usually accompanied by his beautiful big brother to give me the best cuddles.
Days out - We've really taken it easy this week and it's been so so lovely. At one point I was looking on my Timehop and there were photos of lovely outings we'd had last year and the year before and I suddenly felt sad that we weren't doing anything any more exciting than staying in the house or popping round to my mum's, but I soon snapped out of it. My little Archie is only ever going to be this tiny once. I'll never ever have this week back and I'm so glad that we've been able to spend it quietly together as a family of four, getting to know our littlest cub and showing him off to our closest family and friends that have visited. Lovely days out will happen again very soon, but for now it's been delicious spending a week in my house full of beautiful boys. Having said that, we did have a lovely afternoon for Henry's 3rd birthday at Wheelbirks yesterday. It was just for family and a few friends and we had such a lovely time. It's amazing how much more laid back we are this time. The thought of being out on day 6 for a good few hours, having lunch, poo explosions to deal with, a constantly feeding baby, a toddler to keep an eye on....it all sounds pretty stressful, but it honestly wasn't. It was so lovely to spend time with our closest family and friends and also lovely to have so many people willing to cuddle or rock our baby boy. Henry was thoroughly spoilt too and enjoyed the first of his birthday celebrations.
Family life - I really don't want to jinx anything, and I'm sure we'll have bad days and weeks to come, but this week has just been so so perfect. Henry has been beyond anything I could ever have imagined. He hasn't played up, been naughty, looked for attention, been jealous, cried or had even the tiniest of tantrum. He's been loving and patient and for a child that's not even three, I think he's amazing. I honestly thought he'd be jealous of certain people with the new baby, my mum and step dad particularly, but he honestly hasn't, not even in the slightest. He adores his baby Simba so much, constantly wanting to hold him and stroke him and 'help' him to have his milk. Whenever he hears the words nappy change, he runs and gets the mat, a fresh nappy and the wipes ready. He's just been amazing and I'm so proud of what an amazing big brother he's been this last week.
A week postpartum - Honestly, I feel great. The fact that I have been able to give birth to a big baby without so much as a paracetamol or a stitch continues to amaze me and it's helped so much with my recovery. The after pains this time were awful, so so much worse than with Henry, particularly for the first couple of days. The midwife said that they're always worse after your first birth which is weird, I'm definitely glad to be rid of them now. My tummy is soft, but pretty much back to how it was and my old clothes are starting to fit too. On day 2 I was wearing pre-pregnancy jeans (albeit my 'fat day' pair) and my tops all seem to fit too. I've lost 21lb, leaving 11lb to go to be back to where I was at Christmas time when I found out I was pregnant. That being said, I probably put on half a stone over Christmas so I'm really not that far off where I was in January! The human body really is totally amazing.
My boobs are still sore from feeding. I don't remember it being this painful last time but maybe it was. I've had a bit of blood from one tiny crack which is obviously taking its time to heal...understandable when they're being fed from all day, everyday! The pain only lasts for around 10 seconds when he first latches though which isn't too bad. Hopefully it'll start to get less painful this week.
All in all, a really beautiful week that I'll never forget. Now, if I could slow down time a bit for week 2...
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