Glossed

Just found this post that I wrote awhile ago, but never got around to pressing the publish button on!

In my efforts to put up photos etc, I glossed over the last 6 months and the whole transition to parenthood. Now anyone who spoke to me in the first 3 months post partum can stop reading, I know you were all bored to death with my talk of how much my nipples hurt.

As a doctor, I thought I had a reasonable grasp of some of the challenges ahead of me. I knew babies cry for no reason, breastfeeding is not always beautiful, poo becomes a major obsession, boys wee on you every opportunity, and sleep was a luxury. Knowing and living through are two totally different things.

I thought for sure the sleep thing would be my main concern, I mean I love to sleep. That was before the Human Hoover sucked on my breast. In recovery in theatre he was placed on my breast by a midwife and within 20 minutes I had a blister on my nipple. That's okay I thought, I'll just get onto it early, I got myself an appointment with a lactation consultant, and another. Within five days the tips of both nipples were totally raw. Everytime Xander cried for a feed, I wanted to cry. When I had to attach him, I would hesitate - pulling the nipple up to his mouth, then pulling it away and trying to psych myself up to put it in. I rang everyone for advice and tried almost everything that was suggested (thank you to floss for countless hours she talked to me). Eventually at about the ten week mark, I could feed without pain.

I had always glossed over these problems with a turf to a lactation consultant with my patients. I had no real understanding how hard and painful it really could be, how long it could take to heal, even when you're getting all the right advice. Now I groan in sympathy, prepare them for the long road of recovery, encourage them, talk to them about positions, tell them to call ABA and send them to a lactation consultant. If I see a pregnant woman who looks like she might get problems, I start talking to them about it straight away, trying to get them ready!

The worse thing is, my sister-in-laws found it was worse, not better, with the next children. Those early months of breast feeding are just about the only thing that would give me pause about another baby. Everything else I can cope with!!!

I'm totally glad I stuck with it anyway. The convenience of breastfeeding over bottle was worth the agony!

The Ocean

The inky blackness stared back at me
Glassy, but not still
Rolling and moving beneath my feet
And I watched the horizon
As the moon stared unblinkingly down
And I was surrounded by nothingness
I listened to the whispering
Of waves against the boat
And I let it still my heart
Into peace

An unlikely turn of events

In an unlikely turn of events, I have started using cloth nappies. I used to talk to friends who were using them and secretly wonder if they'd all gone mad (sorry guys). I didn't believe them when they said it was no trouble. Then one day as I watched a mum changing her baby out of her MCN (modern cloth nappy) and put a new one on, something inside me clicked. I thought about what I'd been reading about toilet training, remembered conversations with Margie about toilet training from cloth versus disposable, and decided this was doable (maybe something to do with Xander having more solid poos now).

Of course, now I'm using all my self control to not buy tonnes of different awesomely cute cloth nappies (ie the bonnibuns hungry little catterpillar ones, how can I resist??). I have gone with a OSFM (one size fits most) AIO (all in one - ie the waterproof layer is part of the nappy), with a waterphobic material layer built in to sit next to the skin so bubs bottom isn't wet, from bonnibun. Oh, and the booster clips out for quick drying. Plus it has clips which I prefer to velcro. I just have workhorse nappies, I have been resisting the adorable ones. I am very happy with the choice. Bonny is a Gold Coast mum, so they're part of the local economy, the colours are cute, the fit is slim, the process is simple. I use a flushable liner, so I lift poos out (theoretically) and flush them down the toilet. I dry pail the nappies, and I wash every night, because I think it's less gross, and also I didn't buy a tonne of nappies. They just go in the washing machine, warm, less detergent, no softener. It really couldn't be easier. In fact, I find it less annoying then taking a bag of disposables out to the bin every day.

Matt was hard to convince, so we are still in a compromise pattern. Daycare provides their own disposables, so he still has disposables on those day, which means I really am at this point only doing cloth four days a week. I bought some different nappies for overnight, but because Xander is in one nappy for 12 hours at night, the boosting required and the wool outer layer (to allow the liquid to evaporate through rather then trapping it against his skin) mean that it's quite bulky. It worked, he had no leaks, but he did look a bit ridiculous toddling around like a pair at night and Matt didn't like the head down angle he ended being on when asleep in his cot (due to the layers making his bottom so high). So for now we are back in disposables at night (still the original stash left over from when we started cloth). We have talked about giving the night nappies another go, but it's still a compromise in progress. I basically don't want to buy any more disposables when this stash runs out. Matt's still not sure. I am trying not to be too obsessional and unflexible as then he will be offside and dislike the whole thing all together.

At any rate why I think cloth is better? Turns out MCN's not tricky. Less rubbish around the house (good for environment). Cuter, way cuter. toilet training is easier (my main reason, I'm keen for an early trained bub). Price, honestly, don't believe what you read, you don't need 20 nappies, you need 12, maybe a few night ones, if you wait for the right price, it really isn't that big an outlay, and definitely is better then disposables.

Anyway, my first patient awaits me, I suppose they are probably more important then blogging about my latest obsession!!!

Ron Mueck

Went to the Mueck exhibition today at GOMA. The attention to detail on the statues is freakily lifelike. Here are some photos which seeing as they are taken on my iPhone are a bit crap.