Finally allowed to leave the hospital today. Home at about 2pm.
We’re both wasted. C both mentally and physically. I have the benefit of getting more continuous sleep that last 5 days, which gives me an edge. Tbh though, I have slept like shit the last month or so and it shows. After C went to the hospital it just worsened. Now we’re home and can finally try to find our own rhythm with baby stuff and not be dependent on the short calm moments we found at the hospital. It has been very noisy and exhausting there with constant interruptions hence lacking sleep for C.
I have to give credit to the staff at the hospital though. They have been fantastic. Always helpful and patient. Equipment and support stuff like diapers, baby clothes and so on, has been plentiful and in good shape too.
After 3 days being “locked up” gets to you though. Tiny noises slowly become a pain in the butt, and we really started longing for our home, where most noise can be controlled by a remote. It really is silent here when we close the door. What we can’t control are things that need doing. Diaper changing, baby feeding and of course feeding the zombie-like parents.
C just hit the sheets and I will too soon. Since we came home, I have sat down trying to relax plenty of times, and I may have gained 30 mins all in all. I shouldn’t complain at all, C really got her number up. She mostly slept 1½-2 hour every night before she’s was woken up by hospital staff to feed our tiny troublemaker. In the day time, I’ve seen her sleep perhaps 1½ hour straight but ½ hour is most likely before interrupted by noise out of our control. My best shot is that she might manage to get 2 hours of sleep in the day time and its not near enough to make up for the lousy nights she had there. Being home will help in the long run, but so far, it has been even busier.
1 hour ago I stopped a 1½ hour baby feeding marathon where the little bugger just kept sucking the life out of a bottle.
So we’re home, and that’s a start.
Hey Peter,
I’m an Australian friend of Ryan, also in Suzhou, Married to an Anhui Lady with previous 2 daughters under the belt, and a 3 y.o. grand-daughter – and dammit, I’m only 48 ! Dad & Poppy before 50……
I knew it, I should have made a tape recording of silence in the house before the 2nd baby came along, because there isn’t much quiet thereafter! She was breast-fed until 2 y.o.
Used to unplug the phone and take the nipper down into the town in a pram with a warm bottle of formula and dispopsable nappies and wipes for 2 coffees and the newspaper, some shopping for 4 hours 8am-noon so that Madam could have 4 hours uninterrupted sleep. Nice Granny in the Butchers’ shop says “Oh, my – where’s Mummy ?” – Looking into my bright blue eyes.
Me: “She’s at home asleep after a long weary night with this one on the teat every 2 hours or so”
Her : “Oh I see”
We usually used washable cotton nappies & a plastic cover on for environmental reasons, but travel requires exceptions.
I’m no bearded tree-hugging unemployed greenie hippy (although I have a full Nordic trimmed beard for winter in China), but we elected to have a ti-tree twig filled pillow and mattress. The pillow was selected because of its breathability even if the baby was face down on it due to the gaps between the twigs in the filling, same as the mattress if she turned in the night. Lightly clothed, light quilt.
No synthetic sponge rubber stuff, thanks – we didn’t want a Sudden Infant Death Syndrome small white coffin !
As far as the night waking, it’s normal for the first 6 months, then they should settle into a routine. We used “Controlled Crying”
http://www.bellybelly.com.au/articles/baby/controlled-crying-controlled-comforting-sleep-training
to get her into a routine.
Google “controlled crying”
I can assure you as a stranger, the process works. It’s really hard at the beginning, but it’s part of teaching the child.
Don’t know what languages you’ll use :-)
It was agony for Madam, but the nipper was gradually eased into the fact that we were nearby. 2 mins crying, comfort, pat back to sleep; 3 mins crying same…4 mins crying, 5 mins, then 10 mins, 15 mins, 30, 60. Sometimes me, sometimes Madam 50:50.
It takes mutual discipline and agreement. You may face some issues with a Chinese Honey.
Nipper quickly caught on to crying in the night doesn’t always get “them” running. She got plenty of attention in the daytime, 65% of our time was me playing with her, reading to her, pram rides under the trees, listening to the birds, then talking about dreams.
Controlled Crying = Psychological damage my arse. She’s now in a Gifted Child Program and a solo clarinet player in her orchestra.
I apologise if this unsolicited advice offends you – offence definitely not intended. Just thought I’d share……..Just a whisper from a Dad to a Dad.
Jamieson
Hi Zak,
Thanks for the advice. We need all the help we can get being our first kid and all.
Even though he only cries when theres an obvious problem in the daytime, it’s another matter in the night. At least the last 2-3 days, where the whimpering siren never relaxed much.
I’ll check up on controlled the crying method, which to me makes a lot of sense. Now I just have to convince the mommy, who like all moms, is constantly worried. Well I am too, but not as bad as the missus ;-)
Cheers for dropping by, and thanks for the input. Much appreciated.
Peter