So, we’ve checked out of the hospital, and head down to the car. Instead of going straight home, we seize the momentum, and stop off at Grind, down in Cronulla.
An excursion out with a baby – even a short one – is a bit more of a logistical exercise. For days – puff’s whole life – he’s been living in a plastic cot, in a trolley that has everything he needs either in it, or on call.
Suddenly, once we leave the hospital, we’re on our own, in a very real sense. There are no more midwives to respond to the push of a button, no immediate changes of clothes if he needs them, no convenient place to bathe him. Just us, and the rest of the world.
The biggest challenge so far is settling him: sometimes after a feed, he’s relaxed and easily goes to sleep, but at other times, he’s grizzly, and complains about – well, who knows what. We work through the new parent checklist: dirty nappy? wind? too hot? not wrapped tightly enough? but sometimes, it’s none of the above, and we just have to wait until he’ll go to sleep.
This is easy enough with two parents at home, but looks like it will be a lot trickier when I go back to work. Time will tell, though.
Ah, the joys of settling newborns! You are quite right, it isn’t always one of the above! Sometimes there is no reason except maybe they are tired and can’t seem to get themselves off to sleep.
Caelan was great – he did the whole cry for a few minutes in the cot, maybe a quite pat and rock, a few more minutes of crying and he’d go to sleep (good textbook baby).
Elisha was a whole other story. I had to put music on and dance with him to get him to go to sleep!! Quite tiring and frustrating sometimes. Don’t worry though, by 4months old he started to self settle. ( I know 4 months seems like a long time – it did!)
Best thing I kept telling myself – ‘this is just a phase, it will pass, it won’t be like this forever’.
I am sure you both are doing a great job and it will get easier as you get to know Ethan better.