Planning For Baby Number Two
We’ve been toying with the idea of having another kid. What would that mean to our family? How would if affect us financially? How would it affect my work? My time with C? The size of our house? Then there is the question of caring for a newborn…again. Although we have enjoyed every moment with C, could I really do six sleepless months again? But this time with another child vying for my attention? What would we do differently than last time? Would we change the way we feed? Diaper? Sleep? There are so many questions to ask and many different answers to explore. A new child will bring new challenges and force us to adapt- which we are excited about it.
There are, however, a few things about having a new baby that we would not change: Planning For Baby Number Two
Using a midwife
We loved our midwife. She was very patient with all my questions and supportive pre and post delivery. Every appointment felt personal, warm and focused, almost like talking to a friend. Unlike we had seen in the movies, pregnancy and childbirth was not a clinical process at all: It was a natural experience that both my husband and I were a part of.
When we gave birth, we were home from the hospital within four hours. Our midwife came to our home to check in 12 hours later and then again in the days and weeks following. We didn’t have to bundle up the baby and head to a Dr’s office or wait in line to be seen. Having a midwife for the birth of my son contributed to the most exhilarating, painful, overwhelming, terrifying, and amazing experience of my entire life.
Hug Plan
Developed by Huggies, Dr. Chambers & Dr. Campbell-Yeo, The Hug Plan is an extension of the birth plan that focuses on the immediate moments post-delivery. According to the studies behind the Hug Plan, continued skin-to-skin contact between mom and baby can lead to less postpartum depression, a greater exchange of sleep, and babies that cry less. The best part of skin-to-skin is that it can never be overdone. Hugging baby helps mother and baby understand each other and bond.
I was mid pregnancy when I discovered this research and knew immediately that I wanted to incorporate these findings into my own birth plan.
You can read these facts and more in this white paper on ‘The Power of Touch for Babies’ here.
Skin-to-Skin
As we had decided in our Huggies Hug Plan, my baby was placed directly on my chest after he was born. For the next hour, I held my son on my bare chest, adrenaline-fuelled and overcome with emotion as I attempted to comprehend the overwhelming reality of what had just happened. Having my little man on my chest calmed me (and him), and when he began to root for something to eat, breastfeeding and latching seemed to come naturally.
Over the next few weeks, my husband and I practiced skin-to-skin. I held the baby on my chest constantly and for a while, he would only sleep soundly on my husband or me. The baby never seemed to cry (for too long), he breastfed easily, gained weight beautifully and according to our midwife, was the perfect baby…which we obviously already knew.
Regardless of whether our next baby is a boy or a girl, a good sleeper or a bad one, latches immediately or takes a few days, these three experiences in the birth of our first baby are definitely things we want to repeat.