preschool child drawing on paper

How much longer til preschool?

Posted on by Jelena

No. I’m not already counting down the days until my 3 month old goes to preschool. However, I have more than once wished I didn’t take my 4 year old out of daycare in the last few months in moments of frustration. This child rearing 2 kids thing is a completely different ball game!

Terrible two’s and a threenager

Yeah, we luckily escaped most of this.. or so I though. Is there such a thing as late onset threenagerism? I’d hear stories from other mum’s about their kids when they were 2 and 3 and I thanked my lucky stars that our daughter wasn’t like that at all as it seemed super exhausting.

Well now I’m dealing with attitude with a capital A, empty threats, late night parties and so much mess on a daily basis. If this is a preview of what’s going to happen when she turns 13, I’m moving to Hawaii.. on my own…. without a phone.

There was one in the bed and the little one said

“There are monsters in my room!” This has now become almost a nightly pattern where two little feet pitter patter to our room, and then 2 minutes later dad is walking her back. Maybe she is just trying to train him to wake up multiple times a night so he can do the breastfeeding some of the time instead of me in the future? :o)

Along with this we now have a very independent 4 year old that is truly testing the system. For a kid that loves story time, the threat of no bedtime story had worked a treat when dinner took 45 minutes plus to be eaten, or other shenanigans happened. Had being the operative word, as the little turd/genius is now totally cool with reading herself a story.

She’s also happy to go without an after dinner treat for not eating her dinner. She has worked out that means she doesn’t have to finish her food. If she is quiet enough in the morning, the old phone which plays her lullabies is now her personal gateway to YouTube kids. Well it was for a day when I thought, “Wow, she is having a huge sleep in, I feel so refreshed!” And then found her on it. Now the phone lives on top of the fridge.

Tricks of the trade

The old “stand in the corner” and go to your room methods no longer work either. Go to your room equals “I get to play with all my toys” (took long enough to work that one out), and she now asks which corner I want her to stand in with a bored expression. Kind of ruins the fun of it.

I will take my hat off to this one though. She duped me for probably 3 days with the tooth brushing in the morning. Didn’t kick up a stink at all, made me smell her minty breath and all! And then my husband caught on and realised she was actually just eating the toothpaste as the toothbrushes weren’t even wet. Yep, the kids got balls.

Woosa moments

So when i’m trying to get my baby to sleep for the 4th time in an hour because storm trooper has busted in and woke him up 3 times, I do sometimes remind myself that it’s only 2 months til Feb (preschool starts then).

But instead of turning into a banshee (which I have done), I’m trying my very best to stay calm. I’ve even decided to practice mindfulness meditation to help by downloading the Smiling Mind app. How am I doing? Well, with my kegels, trying to lose weight, fit in a nap once in a blue moon and look after 2 kids while still renovating a bit… pretty shite.

I’ll say it again, I’ve managed up to 50 people at once and had to performance manage some tough ones.. but this is by far the hardest management gig yet.

Person holding jar with money

Expensive.. but think of it as an investment

Posted on by Jelena

These cute, cuddly, little balls of love we call babies really do add a lot of meaning to our lives. On the other hand, they can be very expensive.

Apparently they cost up to $10,000 in the first year, and close to $300,000 until they are 17.

Exxy worth the cash

Certain baby items with expensive price tags can probably be gone without. In saying this, some products I have come across definitely made the first year much easier! I totally missed the memo on second hand items though.

If you’re short on cash and aren’t looking for mattresses and things which are better new, try Gumtree and other online marketplaces. You can often grab a bargain from a mum who is cleaning out her house. And sometimes the items haven’t even been used.

Baby swing or bouncer

Oh how I wish I bought one of these before 3 months in with my firstborn. No more peeing, cooking, and trying to have a shower while your baby either screams or you practice becoming a one handed expert.

One the upper scale, there are crazy good swings that have lullabies, rocking, vibrating functions (you name it) to keep them entertained.

For a more portable option though, for the same price as a takeaway burger you can get yourself one of these beauties from Kmart. Hello free hands!

Poo catcher

The best $40 you’ll ever spend on some plastic by buying a twist and click nappy bin. No more running out to the rubbish bin so your house doesn’t smell like a zoo. Word of warning though, the refills are expensive.

Portable baby seat

One to use once your baby can support their head well enough. It’s great as a booster seat, high chair for feeding and just a nice little spot to put your little one when you need to get something done. Very easy to clean too as you can take the insert out in a flash.

Co-sleeper baby bassinet

I was silly enough to spend over $1200 on the cot I bought as it converted all the way from a bassinet to a single bed. Problem being, it was all fixed together, the cot side doesn’t come down, and getting up and walking even a few metres when you are already sleep deprived…torture.

Enter my solution for at least 6 months, maybe even 9 (we’ll see). I found this awesome co-sleeper that can be wheeled around, have the side down and attach to your bed with straps, can be used as a rocker, and packs up quite small to take as a portacot as well.

It even came with a carry bag and mosquito net. Needless to say you can tell I’m totally in love with it. The best part? It’s way bigger than a regular bassinet as I use my normal cot sheets on it.

Baby throwing water out of cup

I don’t want your boobs and I cannot lie

Posted on by Jelena

So here we were, 2 months down and we had finally gotten into a groove. You could even say we were starting to develop a routine.

I’d finally worked out that you need to have your shower and get dressed before the husband leaves for work. That’s if you don’t want to still be in your pyjamas at 10. I no longer got pee all over my hands and clothes as I scrambled to contain the fire hydrant while changing nappies. And I was winning on the breastfeeding front. My boobs no longer felt like they were being attacked by razor blades (yep they still hurt second time round at the start).

Spilt milk

Just when I felt like my mum of 2 under 5 routine was going alright, the kid decided to stop wanting to breastfeed. No big deal.. we’ve only just slaved away at this for the last 2 months including expressing after every feed when he was premature.

So there we were… trying every feed anyway. You crying, me thinking WTF, us both getting frustrated. This never happened with my daughter so I had no idea what was going on.

We gave in to the formula, and I once again became best friends with the pump. Luckily, the night feeds still worked a treat. I also noticed if he wasn’t too tired he would feed for a little bit in the day. BUT my steriliser went into full time work anyway, and we went through a glorious few days of vomiting and gas until we found the right formula too.

Victory

Finally, after almost 2 weeks, we are back to normal. I couldn’t tell you exactly what happened or why he decided he no longer liked my milkshake flavour. Speaking to a few friends, they said they went through it too. Some persevered, others dropped the breastfeeding earlier than they wanted to. Either way, food is being consumed and that’s number 1. Keeps us guessing, right?

Toddler and baby surrounded by love heart of flowers

Baby round 2, mum the wiser

Posted on by Jelena

Are we really that much wiser with the second baby? Here I am at the 8 week mark, and it’s probably more accurate to say “none the wiser”. 

Amnesia

First tip.. no matter how good your memory is, you will NOT remember things from your firstborn that well. Yep, I’ve once again relied on Dr Google’s sage advice, forgot how long breast milk can be stored for, re learned tired signs for babies and the list goes on. A little part of me wishes I’d now written some things down.

In saying that, there is a kind of calm in dealing with certain situations now. I no longer hear ghost babies crying while in the shower washing my hair, and I’m actually ok with letting him cry for the 20 seconds it takes to pee (rather than trying not to drink anything until someone arrives home 3 hours later so I can finally go). I don’t practise my ‘light as a feather’ tip toe into the room while he is sleeping in fear of him waking up either. 

Mum hacks

One perk of being 4 years into motherhood is that as your confidence grows, your tolerance for crappy situations decreases. You start looking for smarter ways to get by. Here are some things I’ve found helpful along the way:

Disposable undies

Yep, I’m talking about those attractive incontinence beauties in the supermarket aisle. These are great for the first few days of recovery. I found them pretty useful when I had an emergency caesarean first time round as you can just rip them off and throw them out when done.

Baby washers for breastfeeding

If you’re lucky to have a baby like me that may get distracted while feeding just as you have the let down, a wash cloth tucked into the bra has been a lifesaver. Saves your clothes, stops the flow, and I also sometimes use it as a bib for the bub as well (in case they feel like a vomit halfway through). I usually just buy a few bulk packs from Target.

Night-time nursing pads

There’s nothing I love more than waking up for a feed partway through the night and discovering that my top is drenched in breast milk. I sleep in maternity tops with the built in bras. So if I know it will be a while in between feeds, I cut a nappy in half and use that instead of nursing pads.

Vomit catchers

Otherwise known as a traditional hand towel or those nifty burpy bibs you throw over your shoulder. I always put one of these down in the bassinet or cot where little man’s head will be in case he vomits. Saves changing the sheets every time.

Ice cube trays for milk storage

If you prefer to section breast milk in smaller quantities, bigger ice cube trays are perfect for this. I buy ones with a lid that fit 60mls in each square.

Pool noodle for bed bumpers

When your little one is a bit bigger and it’s time to take the side of a cot down. Instead of buying the bumpers, buy a pool noodle (cut it in half if going in a toddler bed) and place it under the sheet. Works a treat with stopping your little one from falling out.

Apps

Last but not least, there are some great apps out there. The ones I am currently using are below:

Baby connect – For keeping track of feeds, sleep, nappy changes etc. This was great when I had to report all these things for our premature baby to the midwifes instead of having to write it down or remember.

Sleepy sounds – For all your lullaby and white noise needs, ranging from nature sounds to vacuums.

HomeDoctor – The easiest way to book an after hours home visit from a doctor.. and it’s also free of charge.

The Wonder Weeks – Based on the book, this app will be like a magic crystal ball into why your baby is being a turd at certain times.

BabyCenter – This amazing website/app will give you week by week updates on your baby’s development as well as suggesting activities. A baby bible of sorts.

Feed Safe – A countdown timer of when you are safe to breastfeed again if you have had an alcoholic drink

Kegel Exercises – You no longer have to remind yourself to do these, or even count as this app will do it all for you.

baby getting weighed after birth

Tear or cut?

Posted on by Jelena

I never thought I’d have to decide whether to attempt to have my second baby naturally, or to have an elective caesarean (hence the tear or cut). My story is a bit backwards in that sense.

Stitches

Taking a trip down memory lane, 4 years ago I’d had a very healthy accidental pregnancy. I’d come to terms that my 2 month Europe trip was no longer happening. And I was trading pints at Oktoberfest for nappies.

There was not much to report throughout as I felt relatively normal. I had the first trimester vomiting throughout my extensive traveling for work. However, I was still managing a few workouts at the gym. Towards the end I felt like I was going to have the baby early (I had labour symptoms 3 weeks prior), but ended up being a week overdue. All the checkups were normal, the baby’s head was down, and I was ready to go.

The big event

Having 2 false labours the Sunday’s prior, my contractions started around 3pm. We tried not to get too excited until they became a few minutes apart around 8:30-9pm. We spoke to the midwife who came out to check me, and advised us to go in. Arriving at the birth centre, we had another examination. The midwife said that she thought I’d have the baby pretty quickly once my water broke. And break it did not… I walked up and down the halfway all night.

5am came, with no pain relief and I was buggered. We did another check, and all of a sudden I was being wheeled around the corner and signing forms for an emergency caesarean. Apparently they couldn’t feel my baby anymore as it had turned.

It was a pretty big shock, and quite disappointing given I’d gotten so far, but we had a healthy baby girl. Recovery was slow… so slow. I hated the daily blood thinning injections, and having to stay put and not lift was an absolute killer. I learnt my lesson about rest very quick, when 3 weeks post surgery I thought I was fine and overdid it. Half a day on the couch to recover.

Ala naturale

Again, second time round my pregnancy was very normal apart from the pelvic pain (which sucks balls big time unless you get a pair of these Godsent pants). Given the first time caesar, we got booked for an extra ultrasound at 31 weeks to make sure the baby was the right way. I was pretty sure the little bugger wasn’t as couldn’t feel anything near my ribs. As suspected, he was sideways.

I tried not to get too disheartened even though I was set on a natural birth. We still had time! Again I felt a lot of pre-labour symptoms and had a false labour for around 4 hours on the Saturday night before I had him. Monday we had more symptoms, but I was booked in for an appointment about turning him on the Tuesday anyway.

External Cephalic Version (ECV)

Meeting with the doctor and midwife at 36 weeks, we did another ultrasound and he had turned (the wrong way). Feet first, the doc took me through the ECV process (they pretty much push your uterus around – I’m oversimplifying). I accepted the risk of a potential caesarean if there was bleeding or the baby’s heart rate was a concern, and we booked in for the following Wednesday (3 weeks out from the due date). Before leaving I asked whether they wanted to examine me due to the fake labour etc. but got told to just go home and continue as normal.

See you guys tomorrow!

I yelled the above to my co-workers as I left at lunch time for a pre-school interview for my daughter. I’d taken half a day off on the day after my appointment to do this and see the physio for some pelvic pain relief. I’d felt pretty niggly all morning, and had a lot of back pain and pelvic pain… not contractions like my first pregnancy though.

I called my husband while walking the dogs to see if he was at our house renovating (we were housesitting) and told him I’d come see him after my 3pm physio appointment. Driving home from the physio, the back pain got worse. By the time I got to the house I even felt a bit nauseous.

He took one look at me and said, ” Are you alright? No way you’re helping me!”
I replied that I actually thought I needed to sit down or something. As our whole front of the house was a big concrete and dust pit I headed to my daughter’s room. I called the midwife to let her know I’d had some sporadic contractions but nothing consistent 5-10 mins apart and promised to call her back if things changed.

Hung up the phone, baby kicked, felt something and thought I’d better check it out. I got to the tiles at the bathroom and my water broke. Thinking I had heaps of time, I told my husband to call back the midwife. Then I jumped in the bath to rinse myself off and went hunting for some clean clothes. Also worth mentioning my labour bag was at the house we were staying at, so we detoured via there as well.

Feet first

Remember how I said I thought I had heaps of time? In the 10 minutes it took to get to the other house to get my bag, things had ramped up and I wasn’t sure I was going to make it to the hospital. As we sat at the traffic lights behind multiple cars on Hindmarsh (staring at the hospital straight ahead), my body starting involuntarily pushing. Hubby jumped out of his door thinking we were going to have a movie moment, while I yelled at him to get me to the hospital as our baby was breech. Add in a cop car trailing us when he sped off at 120km, and we made quite an arrival.

I managed to make it up the stairs to birth suite, and was met with my midwife calling, “Someone press the emergency button, the baby is breach!” To which I replied, “Too late, the feet are out!” 8 minutes is all it took for my son to jump into this world feet first. Drama aside, the whole event was under an hour.

So..cut or tear?

For me, having had both experiences, I’d go natural all the way. It’s worth noting that I did go to an information session that outlined the risks and benefits of cesarean vs natural birth after a caesar, so I could make an informed decision.

The recovery time and overall feeling afterwards actually blew my mind given my experience first time round. In saying that, post surgery recovery wasn’t completely horrible. I just felt stuck at home and a bit useless but definitely more time for Netflix down path no 2 :o)