Week one with Ezra
We had to stay in the hospital for over a day and initially Ezra struggled to breastfeed so we were given a bit of formula. He kept throwing up but apparently this is normal for newborns. Nick was only allowed to come and stay in the hospital for one hour but it was helpful as he was able to cook some meals so that we wouldn’t need to cook initially. Ezra and I had to be monitored for 24 hrs in the hospital because of having gestational diabetes and I had a fast heart rate and some other abnormal readings but we were allowed to go home on Sunday afternoon (17th January).
Ezra seemed to be changing his mind about only wanting to be bottle fed, using a dummy and then at some point he figured out how to latch on and did not want his dummy or to be bottle fed anymore. I started expressing in the very beginning as my preference was for breastfeeding him. Ezra seemed to be very unsettled and it was such an adjustment to have a newborn, nothing can prepare you for it especially if that newborn seems to just be crying for no reason and not stopping. He was very gassy and seemed to have a tummy ache.
Unfortunately, my back started to really hurt and figured it out that it was reinjured because of labour, I couldn’t walk, stand or sit and was in constant pain, this made everything much harder. I was also an emotional wreck after the traumatic labour experience, with the constant pain and all the hormonal changes. We had a midwife appointment and she was happy with Ezra.
We didn’t have to cook this first week as various church members came and dropped some meals off for us, how kind of them, they made yummy dinners for us and we were able to use the meals Nick cooked the week after. We were receiving gifts in the post for Ezra all week and saw quite a few people at our door step as they either dropped some food off for us or some gifts or both.
Our 1 weeks old little miracle, Ezra’s update “I feel calmer now that I have gotten used to the outside world a little more. I also love eating as much as possible, I cry a lot if mummy and daddy wants to change my clothes or my nappy and I love making them smile with my facial expressions. I am so lucky to have received so many presents and cards from so many people, I just wish that I could see you and socialise with you in person too as I very much love to interact with people on the screen for now. I am so glad that my grandparents came to visit me this weekend as it’s going to be a long time until I am able to see my grandpa again. I hope that the poo poo virus will go soon as I would love to celebrate my new home and my arrival with my new friends and family. Lots of love to you all.”
Week two with Ezra
We were discharged from the maternity department of East Surrey Hospital although the appointment wasn’t straight forward as I was in a lot of pain and Nick wasn’t allowed to come in with me. I couldn’t lift up or carry Ezra or anything because of my very painful back so the midwife had to help.
The meal train has stopped this week but we were lucky that Nick has previously cooked enough to have food for us for a bit longer as there is no way we would have had the time to cook and I wasn’t able to stand or walk or carry anything because of my back and some other church members did cook for us later on when we asked for help again.
Ezra was still very clingy and we couldn’t leave him alone or put him down, he wanted to be with us all the time and cried and screamed a lot. He was very unsettled but made some very cute faces too. He has very big eyes and when he is alert he is adorable but it is very hard to calm him down sometimes. We have started to wonder if he has reflux and colic.
Our curious little boy is 2 weeks old today. He says “I have grown a lot in two weeks and I love eating a lot. I am not good at sleeping in my own cot but want to sleep next to mummy and I have been making mummy and daddy very tired with waking up most hours to feed. I like screaming at night to make sure that my parents don’t get a good night sleep. I do love looking around with my big eyes, pulling funny faces to make mummy and daddy smile and my body is becoming stronger every day. I get a tummy ache and get windy sometimes which makes me uncomfortable. Thankful for so many presents, it’s nice to feel loved and mummy and daddy says very sorry but they might not remember who gave me what. I already know that I am not alone and loved beyond measure, I hope you do too. A big hug to you all. ”
Week three with Ezra
Daddy went back to work this week which has made things harder. Ezra was still very unsettled, not letting us sleep, screaming a lot and not wanting to sleep in his cot. Nick went to pick his mum up to help for a night which helped us to have a bit more rest. Up to this point Ezra was only breastfeeding for a couple of minutes at a time but he finally figured out how to breastfeed by the end of this week and he started to feed for longer periods at a time but was still unsettled after the feeds like he couldn’t eat enough.
Nick’s mum gave a new name to Ezra: screaming baby and said that Nick was definitely not like him when he was a baby whereas my mum sent me a photo of me screaming as a baby in which I looked identical to our little one. Ezra slept in a pram while being with Editha and he was happy to be left alone to sleep for a couple of hours for a change. We bought a moses basket which helped him a little bit more although not longer than an hour at a time with sleeping on his own after the weekend.
Presents and cards continued to arrive, have never received so many presents and cards in the post before. People have been really kind although having a newborn at a time when the rules don’t allow people to help has been really tough. Unfortunately, Nick’s parents won’t be able to help in the future as grandpa Alan is ill, we hope and pray that he will recover soon. Other people have volunteered to cook for us again as they have heard about our struggles and once again it was so helpful as I am still unable to cook or get up from the sofa because of my back. The osteopath and physiotherapist said that unfortunately improving my back and pelvic joints will take quite a while.
Because of the feeding issues I developed mastitis which wasn’t fun but didn’t need antibiotics after a weekend of expressing but later on had another 2 sets of mastitis and had to take antibiotics.
We have now had the experience of sleep deprivation and having the hardest job of all time for over a month due to this gorgeous boy who has only just learnt how to sleep more than scream. Having a newborn really does turn your world upside down, nothing can really prepare you for it especially at a time of a pandemic and restrictions and no available family support.
Ezra’s update: “I have kept mummy and daddy very busy this month, I need all their attention right now. I still only sleep for an hour at a time which must be very tiring for my parents. I have a very strong body, love kicking and punching and the osteopath who saw me said I should be a sportsman in the future. I am often uncomfortable, it’s very hard to swaddle me, I will kick and fuss until I am free. I look forward to my tongue tie appointment next week, hopefully they will help me to be able to feed better. I love having a bath and also being outside. I love pulling faces and have started communicating through other ways as well. ”
1 month with Ezra
Challenges
Traumatic labour and after effects.
Coronavirus meant that we weren’t able to have much support, this was very hard with a screaming baby, not sleeping, pains, aches.
Ezra screaming so much and being very unsettled, it would take hours sometimes 5 hours to get him to sleep. Later we found out this was because of a severe tongue tie, stiff neck and reflux.
Doing shifts with Nick, not being able to share a bedroom or have time together.
Breastfeeding challenges, 2 mastitis in a month, back problem.
Highlights
Baby Ezra has arrived safely and loves his new home and his daddy and mummy.
At the end of the month someone suggested that Ezra could have a tongue tie which would explain a lot so we now have a referral for an assessment.
Ezra has become a bit more settled at the end of the month after I have stopped breastfeeding and only expressing because of the possible tongue tie, breast inflammations. He still struggled to eat properly even with the bottles. Expressing all the time is tiring though and hope to return to breastfeeding after the tongue tie assessment.
Ezra likes being outside and likes being cosy and loves having a bath (not on his own yet).
Ezra has started smiling a bit and he is such a strong boy and loves to interact with us.
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