Third Time but Still in the Dark

You would think, going into my 3rd c-section I'd have a decent idea of what I was going into, that my past experiences gave me some knowledge to rely on.

That packing my bag would be easy, figuring out who would watch Kenzie-no problem, making freezer meals and grocery trips, piece of cake.

You would be fairly right, until a few weeks ago.

Been there-Done that

Now?

-Now, packing my bag I have to think about things differently. I don't want to pack anything I might want asap when I get home, because everything, including my bag will need to be washed.

Do I bring a pillow and blanket like last 2 times? probably not.

I'm packing an older pair of slippers so I can just toss them when we leave. A carseat cover to protect baby as much as possible as we walk him through the hospital to the car. A separate, nylon bag for all the hospital stuff they give you that is usually a bonus and now is a question mark.

-As for who is watching Kenzie, we are lucky to have family. But it is involving quarantines and passing Kenzie and her stuff off like a hostage exchange. No physical interactions especially when Kenzie is brought home, in case we got anything while in the hospital, we don't want to risk passing it along to anyone.

Same as for us, when she gets home, it's clothing and everything right into laundry and showers.

-Freezer meals? My freezer is stocked, but we are 3ish weeks into quarantine and still a week+ out from baby. So the likelihood of us breaking into those sooner than baby arrives, is high. Luckily my husband did an extra stock up shop today to ensure we would at least have necessities. Because new baby = parents being EXTRA cautious of anything coming into the house, and Drs essentially saying to essentially lockdown for the 2 weeks once we are home. Again, ensuring we don't pass anything to anyone.

The C-Section itself, as of now, is being done by a Dr I might get to meet once! For safety my Drs. office has all doctors alternating, 1 week in office, 1 week in hospital rotation, 2 weeks at home doing telemedicine.

It's a great system to keep them and patients as protected as possible, but given my history, this was a big hit to my feeling 'comfortable' with the C-Section and the whole deja-vu around having another son. I've known my doctor for longer than I've known my husband! Not having her there is hard for me.

C-Sections, kinda suck

Another big change?

Maternity leave!

We expected to come home after about 4 days, now, as long as me and baby are healthy, they are getting everyone out in about 2 days. Which is fine, but after a c-section you aren't in the best shape to come home, change clothes and shower asap to keep things clean.

Not to mention the now present toddler.

The no picking up for 6 weeks, wasn't a huge deal when she was going to be gone most of the day. Now, she will be home. Already weeks into this new normal of mom and dad being around, and she always wants to be all over me. Not sitting on me while on the couch has been the end of the world, multiple times.

Let's hope she will want to 'help' with the baby and doesn't hate the kid.

Originally, my husband was going to take some PTO. He had no time off with Kenzie, and Spencer was a different story.

This time- we were finally going to be able to settle a bit, together.

Now, with what is happening at his work, he will actually be doing more work than normal. Not on PTO.

So, while we will be home together, he won't be in the position we expected.

We will have a toddler at home, who generally needs constant interaction, and I will be healing from my 3rd c-section in almost as many years, while learning a newborn and attempting to do it all on a serious lack of sleep.

Oh and those newborn photos I wrote a blog about a while back, how excited I was to finally have some, and to have them be done the right way, with the family and Spencer's quilt and all of that. Yeah... once again, not gonna happen.

I will get photos, and Spencer's quilt will be in them, but this is not the joyful-happy-healthy-we got to bring this son home- story we were hoping for.

So- for anyone in the 'not my 1st rodeo' ring. This might not be your first rodeo, but think of it like your last rodeo you were roping cattle, and this rodeo, you are barrel racing.

Same venue....VERY different events.