I am feeling anxious today. I suffer from chemical anxiety (ie my serotonin uptake is wacko). It's an easy fix but since I am sleep deprived and my cat's biopsy results still aren't in and it's worrying me hey, guess who has bitten all her nails! I shall walk home for the exercise. I shall eat a healthy meal with my darling and cuddle my cats (who are now going to be totally freaked out by the thunderstorm overhead) and then go to my support group.
So here's what I am thinking. Since I am going through basic training for new born's with this cat thing, it is clear that I need to have some sleep in order to avoid my anxiety ramping up too much. My friend (SMBC) hired a night nurse for two nights a week so she could get a decent sleep at night every so often. I was thinking of doing the same thing (for the baby, not the cat~!). How much do you think that would cost? What are the pro's and con's? What do they actually do?
Another good thing about getting pregnant in September is that you'll have the baby in June. Babies born in winter are more prone to colds and flu just because more people in their environment are sick. By Halloween 2010, she'll be just big enough to hollow out a big pumpkin, cut two leg-holes and sit her inside it to have her picture taken (cutest pumpkin ever!). Sleep is definitely important. If you can hire a nurse a few nights a week, I say go for it. Cost? Hmmm, NYC? Not so sure. $15, $20 an hour? Check around online or in your phone book for home care nursing agencies. You can always inquire as to what they charge per hour. Perhaps you could find a nursing student for cheaper.
ReplyDeleteI would say yes to the night nurse, especially if it makes your life/job/marriage easier. And I would say probably $25 or more per hour. What do they do? Well....feed the little one a few times, play video games on the computer (or video poker), hang out on Facebook, watch TV. (I'm being funny!) I think you could probably get them to do laundry or dishes and stuff, especially baby-related.
ReplyDeleteHi EB -- first of all, I just have to say it is so totally cool that you have lost all that weight. It is super-ass hard to lose weight at 40 (or it has been for me anyway), let alone one has to deal with all the reasons that eating the wrong things in the wrong amounts at the wrong times is an issue in the first place. You inspire me to try harder b/c I see it can be done.
ReplyDeleteSecond of all, GOOD FOR YOU for already thinking through what you'll do after the baby is born. If I could change one thing it would be to have thought things through a lot more and to have been braver about asking for what I wanted at that time. Instead, I came home from the hospital and went straight to my regular things: shopping for baby crap I had forgot to buy (none of which we really needed); cooking and cleaning for my visiting family; coming downstairs every morning to be social and, well, you get the picture, etc. What one really needs to do I really, really think is to TAKE TO BED with the BABY for at least the first 2-3 weeks if you at all can. And have people bring you stuff and take care of you. Do not let your mother's husband come over and start taking apart the electricity in the house at all hours of the day and hammering and running a drill to "help" you. You do not need that shit.
Buy yourself some cute PJs and stock up on old New Yorkers or whatever you can read in small doese and take to bed to recover and bond with your baby and just to rest and figure out your little one. If you decide to b-feed, it will work so much better with that kind of contact too. I say, hire whoever you need to to make that happen. That's my best baby adivce. Well, that and, you know, just be yourself with him/her. Espeically if/after you go back to work, I thing, if a night nurse would help you: go for it. I have no idea how much in NYC. Check with the hospital, or the la leche league or something like that, I guess, they probably know. When Will's sister had her baby, his mother went to visit and took the night feeding most nights so the sister could sleep. My sense is that this was tremendously helpful. I think the thing is, when families lived more in community there would be sisters and older children and lots of people around to help in a really natural way, but because of how things are now, we have to be more attentive to recognizing the need for that kind of help and seeking it out. Sorry to go on and on.
So glad you're thinking about this and glad too to hear that miss kitty seems on the mend.
Elizabeth
Hey, autumn baby would be lovely! At least a conceived in autumn baby - I guess the actual baby would be a summer baby...
ReplyDeleteI must say the night nurse idea is extremely appealing to me! Have no idea what they would charge or anything, but for the first couple months until baby sleeps through the night (or a goodly portion thereof) it would be GREAT! But of course, it depends on your family and how you work. If you breastfeed it is harder for someone else to do the night feedings, but they could bring the baby to you at least (which is huge) and take them back after. I am a big advocate of the different room for baby, we had D in our room for one week and I was a WRECK. Every noise I was awake and checking him. One room away with a monitor it was wonderful. But if you do b-feed I recommend a pump, I thought it was weird but it was great once I figured it out. I could go out for short periods without the baby and DH could do some of the feedings which was great for him (and me!) Of course if you use formula it won't matter as much. Good luck whatever you decide!