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She's having a C-section. He's having jitters.
He’ll be here in a little more than two weeks.
It’s too soon. We’re not ready. The house is a mess. Where will we put him? Where will we put all his stuff?
Breathe. He has to get here first. And we decided early on, after consultation with the obstetrician, that he would get here by a scheduled c-section. So unless he surprises us by showing up early, he’ll be here on Feb. 5. All I have to do is make it through the surgery without fainting. (Actually, I hear that almost never happens, but still).
There’s so much to think about now, and as a first-time biological father, I find it all a bit daunting. My wife will be recovering from the surgery, our kid will be wailing at all hours with no sense of time, our girls (my stepdaughters) will need to be reminded that they are special and loved...
How did humanity ever survive more than one generation?
As far as the c-section goes, I’ve learned in the last year that there are two groups of people who get the most medical advice – the terminally ill and the pregnant. Listen to the advice given by well-meaning people to the terminally ill, and you’d be amazed that anyone ever dies. Listen to the advice given by the same people to the pregnant, and you’d be amazed that anyone ever survives into adulthood.
And the advice is conflicting. One recent report links c-section deliveries to asthma. Yikes. We have our reasons for a planned c-section. Is it the right call? We believe it is – for us, anyway.
Gretchen Day-Bryant has a son in high school and a daughter in middle school. She’s lived to tell about the struggles of juggling little kids and work...
Joy Oglesby has an infant daughter and a sister 13 years her junior, whom she babies to the now-adult...
Cindy Kent Fort Lauderdale mother of three. Her kids span in ages from teenager to 20s...
Rafael Olmeda and his wife welcomed their first son in Feb. 2009, and he's helping raise two teenage stepdaughters...
Lois Solomon lives in Boca Raton with her husband and three daughters...
Anne Vasquez is the Online Editor in charge of overseeing SunSentinel.com. She is the mother of a 5-year-old boy and a newborn daughter.
Georgia East is the parent of a five-year-old girl, who came into the world weighing 1 pound, 13 ounces...
Brittany Wallman is the mother of Creed, 13, and Lily, 6, and is married...
Chris Tiedje is the Social Media Coordinator, and father of two boys and a girl all under the age of seven.
Comments
After 3 c-sections, I have only one giant piece of advice for the daddy to be: please pack a bag and do NOT leave the hospital for any reason while your wife is there. My husband did this and I could not be more thankful. It is very difficult to move around for the first 24 hours. In addition, I don't feel ayone should be left alone in a hospital these days, regardless of the quality of the hospital. There will be a comfy chair that unfolds for you to sleep on and your wife will never forget the help and comfort your being there will bring. Best of luck.
Posted by: caroline | January 21, 2009 1:55 PM
Good advice. I was told to plan to spend the first 24 hours at the hospital with her, then to make sure I get a chance to leave the hospital for a nap at home at least once. But I don't think I'd even want to leave with my newborn there.
Posted by: Raf | January 21, 2009 6:19 PM
Invest in a good breastfeeding pillow, like the My Breast Friend. It is very c-section friendly. Sometimes c-sections cause some minor issues that can affect the breastfeeding relationship. You can help by helping your wife position the baby or feeding the baby pumped milk while your wife rests. Congrats and good luck!
Posted by: Elita | January 22, 2009 9:18 PM
C-Section Recovery Kits
www.TheRecoveryKit.com
The Recovery is offering new customers 20% off all store items with the discount code: new20off
Help her to recover faster so that she is able to focus on what truly matters…baby!!!
Good luck to you!!!
Posted by: Melissa | February 19, 2009 7:14 PM