It Has Been a Roller-Coastal Ride

It has been three weeks since Baby Matty arrived and as expected... our lives were thrown off course as we try hard to adjust and fit into our respective new roles.

First we had problems with direct breastfeeding as Mummy's nipple was a little too short and Baby Matty had problem sucking on it. To top it off... Baby Matty inherited the "impatience gene" from Daddy and Mummy... hence he was too impatient to wait for the flow to come in. Every feeding session was a nightmare leaving Baby Matty crying and Mummy frustrated (and in pain due to the cesarean wound). In the end... we decided that breast pump was the best solution.

The days following were the toughest for us. Baby Matty's biological clock was in sync with America time. He sleeps during the day and stays awake through the night. Daddy and Mummy were sleep deprived as a result. Physical exhaustion was only part of it... we had to fend off the many unsolicited advices, opinions, views (whatever you want to call it) from the elders. Mummy had it the worse as compared to Daddy. "Why are you not wearing long pants?", "Why are you eating so little?", "You are suppose to sit down and stop walking around.", "Stop washing your hands so many times a day." (wait till you hear about the number of showers I take each day)... blah blah blah and the list just goes on and on. To make the situation worse, we had no privacy at all... I couldn't express breast milk nor lie down to rest with everyone walking in and out of the room trying to play with Baby Matty. I was at the verge of slipping into post-natal depression by the end of the first week... not because of the baby but the stress that I get from the people around.

By the third day after returning from the hospital... Baby Matty had to be admitted again due to his jaundice. The house became quiet once again. We managed to get things done and more rest without him around... but we missed him terribly.

Then came the second week... when Mummy experienced extreme pain. The pain was worse than that from the cesarean... the only one physical pain so far that could make my tears flow. Thinking that it was due to blocked ducts, Mummy spent hours and hours in the shower trying to clear the blocked ducts with hot compression for days... but strangely to no avail. It was only when fever set in the second time did we realise that it was breast infection and not blocked ducts. We had to get a lactation consultant in the end to help. The pain did go away but somehow the milk flow dropped drastically since then. With the big appetite that Baby Matty has... Mummy is now wondering how long I can still breastfeed him.

Currently the biggest question now is "To carry or not to carry?". Daddy hasn't been very pleased with his folks for running to Baby Matty every time he cries (actually Mummy is just as guilty at times). It doesn't seem right to let him go on and on but at the same time we cannot allow him to have his way all the time. Big dilemma!!!

Having seen the pediatrician yesterday, we found out that Baby Matty's misbehaviour for the last few days could be due to the formula milk. Apparently, cow's milk has more phosphate than breast milk and chemical reaction takes place when phosphate comes in contact with calcium in the baby's body hence reducing the calcium level. Calcium controls the nerves and with the reduction in calcium... it affects the nerves and therefore baby will be more irritable. Makes perfect sense to us as Baby Matty started acting a little strange one day after Mummy came down with fever and had to stop giving him breast milk.

Parenthood hasn't been easy... but I guess that it happens to everyone. We stumble and learn along the way. The most rewarding part is the change that we get to witness day after day in Baby Matty... when he tries hard to control his facial muscle and manage a little smile... when he tries hard to hold his own pacifier and stop it from falling out... when he tries hard to grab the milk bottle even though knowing very well it is still not quite possible... when he tries hard to toilet train himself and making those funny noises as he pushes his poo out... and of course not forgetting that he now weighs 4.5 kg and measuring 58 cm in length with a head circumference of 37 cm.

Baby's Home

Your little brother, baby Matthias was delivered on 1st July, at 11:24 am. By an amazing coincidence, his Chinese birthday is the same as Mummy's & the time is only 5 minutes apart, Mummy was born at 11:29.

Unfortunately, Daddy was unable to be there to witness his birth, but we could hear him long before we could see him. He had big strong lungs & was shouting his lungs out even before leaving the operating theatre. He was huge for a newborn, at 8 pounds 5! He had lovely long hair & sharp nails, probably due to the fact that he is so overdue. The shape of his face is Daddy's but the eyes, nose & mouth are all Mummy's. But looking at Baby Matty, one could see the resemblance from Daddy's baby photos.

For a 4 day old baby, Matty certainly has his parent's character as well, including our impatience. When it's time for him to eat, if he doesn't get his milk quick & fast, he starts crying at the top of his lungs. It's a bit harrowing on the first couple of days, but Mummy & Daddy are slowly beginning to cope.

We are all still learning with everyone having their ideas on how things should be done. I'm sure that Mummy & Daddy will be able to handle it! Wish us all (including Baby Matty) good luck!