rheannymac
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So I never bothered doing a parenting journal...mainly because I never had time but I thought it's better late than never!
My little man was born 2 weeks overdue, and with a 2 & a half day labour I was more than ready for him to get here! Allthough my labour was very long and totally exhausting, I felt utterly empowered by it and would love to do it again!
I have to admitt, I very much struggled through the early weeks of Harrys life. People tell you how hard having a newborn can be, but I really don't think anything will prepare you for just how hard and demanding it is.
Our first night home with Harry (9 hours after his birth!) was brilliant, he slept fantastic only waking for feeds and I really thought wow...this is amazing. But that soon stopped!
From night 2 he refused to sleep, he screamed constantly and just never settled. By the time he was a week old I was a wreck. My midwives would ask how I was, and I put on a smile and told them I was great, but in all honestly I was really struggling to cope. It was putting a massive strain on mine & oh's relationship as he was struggling to cope with Harry too. He slept maybe an hour or two at a time, and screamed in between times. We ended up taking it in shifts, a few hours at a time each. We were both utterly exhausted.
Week 2 brought a bad stomach infection for my poor little man. He went onto anti-biotics which helped, but also brought on thrush so had to go on more medicine for that.
I first saw my health visitor the day after he was given his anti-b's and I swear she was my angel. She was so lovely and caring, and when she asked how I was....I broke down. I couldn't keep up the smile anymore. She gave me a massive hug and really reassured me that how I was feeling was totally normal and not to worry.
Several weeks passed and Harry was still not sleeping, he would go a few days settling in his pram, then would hate it all of a sudden. The amount of 2am drives we went on just to stop his crying is crazy!
I seriously doubted myself as a mother some days. I doubted my abilities to look after him, to love him, to do anything right by him....but with several pep talks from my HV and as time went on and Harry got older I began to find it easier.
Week 5 and we decided the best thing for us was to put Harry in his cot in his own room. I cried that night as I left him looking so tiny in his massive cot.....but it was the best thing we have ever done. We all slept amazingly. From then I have never looked back.
I'm not going to lie, the first 5/6 weeks were hellish. I cried so much, I felt like a crap mum, I even doubted having him at one point. But now he is 14 weeks, and my god, that little boy is the light of my life!!
Since putting him in his cot and him starting to sleep better, I have grown in confidence an unbelievable amount. I KNOW I am a good mummy, I KNOW I am able to do whatever he needs me too. I sometimes just look at him sleeping, or when he beams his beautiful smile at me and I just cry out of pure love for him. I am completely and utterly head over heels for him. Yes we have our bad days, days where I am exhausted and could sleep for a week. But I carry on because I have my boy and that is all that matters!!
It has been a very bumpy ride; he's had his tummy infection, thrush, constipation, sickness, we've had to change formulas several times till he settled on Hipp (which is amazing!!)
Nowadays Harry is such a happy little boy. He always has a wee smile on his face, which makes my heart melt every time! He's already developing his amazing little personality and I cannot wait to see him grow into a gorgeous young man. I beam with pride whenever I take him out.
I am so proud of how far he has come, and not only that but I am proud of myself, for how far I've come.
I never thought it was possible to have this much love for someone!
My little man was born 2 weeks overdue, and with a 2 & a half day labour I was more than ready for him to get here! Allthough my labour was very long and totally exhausting, I felt utterly empowered by it and would love to do it again!
I have to admitt, I very much struggled through the early weeks of Harrys life. People tell you how hard having a newborn can be, but I really don't think anything will prepare you for just how hard and demanding it is.
Our first night home with Harry (9 hours after his birth!) was brilliant, he slept fantastic only waking for feeds and I really thought wow...this is amazing. But that soon stopped!
From night 2 he refused to sleep, he screamed constantly and just never settled. By the time he was a week old I was a wreck. My midwives would ask how I was, and I put on a smile and told them I was great, but in all honestly I was really struggling to cope. It was putting a massive strain on mine & oh's relationship as he was struggling to cope with Harry too. He slept maybe an hour or two at a time, and screamed in between times. We ended up taking it in shifts, a few hours at a time each. We were both utterly exhausted.
Week 2 brought a bad stomach infection for my poor little man. He went onto anti-biotics which helped, but also brought on thrush so had to go on more medicine for that.
I first saw my health visitor the day after he was given his anti-b's and I swear she was my angel. She was so lovely and caring, and when she asked how I was....I broke down. I couldn't keep up the smile anymore. She gave me a massive hug and really reassured me that how I was feeling was totally normal and not to worry.
Several weeks passed and Harry was still not sleeping, he would go a few days settling in his pram, then would hate it all of a sudden. The amount of 2am drives we went on just to stop his crying is crazy!
I seriously doubted myself as a mother some days. I doubted my abilities to look after him, to love him, to do anything right by him....but with several pep talks from my HV and as time went on and Harry got older I began to find it easier.
Week 5 and we decided the best thing for us was to put Harry in his cot in his own room. I cried that night as I left him looking so tiny in his massive cot.....but it was the best thing we have ever done. We all slept amazingly. From then I have never looked back.
I'm not going to lie, the first 5/6 weeks were hellish. I cried so much, I felt like a crap mum, I even doubted having him at one point. But now he is 14 weeks, and my god, that little boy is the light of my life!!
Since putting him in his cot and him starting to sleep better, I have grown in confidence an unbelievable amount. I KNOW I am a good mummy, I KNOW I am able to do whatever he needs me too. I sometimes just look at him sleeping, or when he beams his beautiful smile at me and I just cry out of pure love for him. I am completely and utterly head over heels for him. Yes we have our bad days, days where I am exhausted and could sleep for a week. But I carry on because I have my boy and that is all that matters!!
It has been a very bumpy ride; he's had his tummy infection, thrush, constipation, sickness, we've had to change formulas several times till he settled on Hipp (which is amazing!!)
Nowadays Harry is such a happy little boy. He always has a wee smile on his face, which makes my heart melt every time! He's already developing his amazing little personality and I cannot wait to see him grow into a gorgeous young man. I beam with pride whenever I take him out.
I am so proud of how far he has come, and not only that but I am proud of myself, for how far I've come.
I never thought it was possible to have this much love for someone!
xx
Thanks hun, so are you! Your little man is just the most precious wee toot!
glad you've had a better day hun, Harry is gorgeous in that first piccy! Xx
