Getting To Know Malcolm

Firstly, a huge thank you for all the congratulatory messages we received over the past week.  We feel so lucky to have such a wide network of supportive friends and family, and it is comforting to know that you're out there, rooting for us as we get our bearings as newly-minted family of six.  As you can imagine, there's a lot of adapting going on over here!

Being that Malcolm is officially one week old today, I thought I'd add a few details about his birth, which went very smoothly.  As I was the first c-section of the day, they were actually ready for us an hour and a half before the scheduled start.  I was very excited to meet Baby Z, so it suited me fine.  Edward was at home, having breakfast with The Ducklings to keep the day progressing as normally as possible, so he had to rush to get to the hospital on time before they could start the procedure.

Once we got to the operating room, they tried to put in my spinal block.  However, like last time, they had a hard time finding the right spot.  After a few attempts (yikes!!), they decided to give me an epidural.  Apparently, I have scoliosis in my back, so it seemed to be a better option.  However, it took forever to work and everything was delayed for almost an hour until I was numb.  At one point, protocol requires all the professionals in the room to introduce themselves.  When they got to the anesthetist, he stated his name, and when asked if he had any concerns, he said "Yeah, I hope this epidural works".   Not exactly the most comforting words, but everything was fine; and once I was ready to go, Malcolm made his grand entrance.

I'll never forget how it felt to leave the recovery room with Malcolm in my arms.  It was so starkly different than the last time I left that room after waiting for what felt like an eternity to catch a glimpse of our children as they were whisked by on their way to the NICU.  Malcolm and I snuggled under a heated blanket while Edward made a few phone calls.  Malcolm started to nurse a little, and we dozed off and on.  It was very peaceful.

Eventually, we got wheeled into my room, which, as Edward mentioned, had a panoramic view of the Experimental Farm.  As Edward was needed at home, I spent much of the next three days alone with Malcolm.  What a powerful bonding experience.  I could sing to him, feed him, nuzzle him, watch him snooze, cuddle him, rock him and gaze at him whenever I wanted.  No alarms, no wires and monitors to stress over, no nurses to ask for permission, no clock to watch.  No worrying about wet lungs, dry diapers, low feeds, high temperatures.  Eventually, I had to let go of the way The Ducklings came into this world, and accept it for what it was: a miracle of modern technology that allowed our children to thrive.  Time has allowed me to look at them for what they are today, not at what they were then.  However, being able to celebrate every aspect of Malcolm's arrival was deeply moving and meaningful for me.

As I mentioned, Malcolm started nursing before he was even an hour old.  This was but a hint of what was to come.  We nursed so constantly in those first few days, that my milk came in late Saturday night, which is unusually fast after having a c-section.  Malcolm lost just shy of 6% of his birth weight, but by Sunday, he was starting to gain again.  Since being home, he's been nursing with a vengeance.  He is a very hungry hippo.  Yesterday, we had two marathon nursing sessions yesterday -  in addition to shorter ones - but I fed him from 10am to noon, and then from 2pm to 5pm.  And he's actively nursing for much of that time.  It's kind of insane.  Yesterday, my postpartum doula (who helped us immeasurably with The Ducklings) and who is also a lactation counselor, came by to assess the situation.   We weighed him at the beginning of the evening feed and again ten minutes later and determined that he took 2 ounces in that time.  He's definitely surpassed him birth weight of 7 lb 2 oz.  In fact, according to my doula's calculations, he's gained more in two days than most babies gain in a week.  Luckily, my body is able to keep up with him.  Although these marathon sessions are tiring for us both, I know it will pass.  In fact, today he's eaten on a more regular schedule and is sleeping a lot more.  Every day is different.

In any case, we're continuing to get to know our little guy, and it is a wonderful experience.  We can hardly wait to share our Muppet with the world!