As Baby LJ and I sat contentedly in Clissold Park post feed, a Mum pushing a buggy approaches.
Now, I'm not one of those new Mums who feels that they have joined an exclusive club, but as I smile at the stranger with her baby, I feel a connection. We are both protecting the most precious thing in our lives and on this perfect sunny day in the park, we know that the outside world can hold dangers that we need to guard against. In that smile we have found some unity and the world doesn't feel such a scary place.
Wednesday, 23 June 2010
Let's Get Physical....
In a concerted effort to get out and about in and around N16, baby LJ and I ventured to post-natal pilates at Yoga Home.
It is a great class where the babies lie on mats next to their Mummies, as they attempt to re-gain pre-pregnancy bodies. It felt really good, to gently work muscles that haven't been worked in over a year.
Baby LJ looked bemused as the instructors voice grew louder over the chatter, squeals and cries that emit from a room full of babies. He occupied himself for probably half the class and then found himself staring up at me from beneath my down dog! During the pelvic floor exercises, I found the irony inescapable as a knowing smile crept across his face! "Yes you are right, if it weren't for you, I wouldn't be doing these" I think to myself. Clench one, two, three and hold one, two three...release!
As we broke off from the exercises, for an urgent feed, I realised that in my hurry to make the class, I had forgotten the muslins and as breast milk sprayed onto Baby LJ's face, what seems funny at home, feels hideously embarrassing and stressful in public, next week we'll pick a spot in the back row....but we are going back!
It is a great class where the babies lie on mats next to their Mummies, as they attempt to re-gain pre-pregnancy bodies. It felt really good, to gently work muscles that haven't been worked in over a year.
Baby LJ looked bemused as the instructors voice grew louder over the chatter, squeals and cries that emit from a room full of babies. He occupied himself for probably half the class and then found himself staring up at me from beneath my down dog! During the pelvic floor exercises, I found the irony inescapable as a knowing smile crept across his face! "Yes you are right, if it weren't for you, I wouldn't be doing these" I think to myself. Clench one, two, three and hold one, two three...release!
As we broke off from the exercises, for an urgent feed, I realised that in my hurry to make the class, I had forgotten the muslins and as breast milk sprayed onto Baby LJ's face, what seems funny at home, feels hideously embarrassing and stressful in public, next week we'll pick a spot in the back row....but we are going back!
Wednesday, 9 June 2010
9 and a half weeks - what a ride!
So as I come out of the wonderfully hazy, baby fog, baby LJ, now 9.5 weeks old, lies sleeping in his cot, sucking his thumb. We've been through it all, recovery from the "op", sleepless nights, tears...of joy and despair, feeding, doctors appointments, jabs, screaming fits (baby LJ and me), we've been sprayed with runny brown poo, in what's been affectionately named a poonami, first smiles, glorious, heartwarming, face filling smiles and mostly pure joy and overwhelming, unconditional, love.
Every day is a milestone of sorts, but not just for baby LJ for me too and I've got my new mummy L plates firmly in place still. (Incidentally, it didn't take long before we were scurrying to the shops for a "baby on board" sign, they didn't make sense 9.5 weeks ago, but all it took was one angry hoot from a van, as we pulled more calmly away from a set of traffic lights and we're joining the army of other road users who use signage to indicate their precious loads!)
Typical mid June weather yesterday, pouring with rain, I packed baby, carseat, buggy, rain cover into the car, when we got to the supermarket all I needed to do was unclip the buggy seat and slot baby in car seat in it's place.....no problem, the rain pelted down and try as i might, I twisted and turned, pulled and yanked, nothing was budging. If only the instructions that i managed to find before leaving the house, hadn't been in Dutch.
Baby LJ slept soundly, which is unusually. More often, he looks at me as though he is distinctly unsure of the mother that he has been landed with, bemused and mildly amused as I rush around trying to pre-empt his every whim and get to grips with our new life and all of it's challenges. I get husband on the phone who talks me through it 5 or 6 times, I can tell he is desperately trying to think of a more idiot proof way of explaining it.
Success! Next stop post office and Mothercare - where we end up breastfeeding in the carpark. That's enough for one day. I tell myself that if i've achieved one thing all day, then i'm doing well - yesterday there were several notable achievements, mainly centred around leaving the house and not physically pulling my hair out!
Now that we're up and running and as Stoke Newington has one of the highest birth rates in Britain or even Europe, we're about to discover what Hackney really has to offer us new mums and their babies, provided I can erect the buggy of course...hold on tight!
Every day is a milestone of sorts, but not just for baby LJ for me too and I've got my new mummy L plates firmly in place still. (Incidentally, it didn't take long before we were scurrying to the shops for a "baby on board" sign, they didn't make sense 9.5 weeks ago, but all it took was one angry hoot from a van, as we pulled more calmly away from a set of traffic lights and we're joining the army of other road users who use signage to indicate their precious loads!)
Typical mid June weather yesterday, pouring with rain, I packed baby, carseat, buggy, rain cover into the car, when we got to the supermarket all I needed to do was unclip the buggy seat and slot baby in car seat in it's place.....no problem, the rain pelted down and try as i might, I twisted and turned, pulled and yanked, nothing was budging. If only the instructions that i managed to find before leaving the house, hadn't been in Dutch.
Baby LJ slept soundly, which is unusually. More often, he looks at me as though he is distinctly unsure of the mother that he has been landed with, bemused and mildly amused as I rush around trying to pre-empt his every whim and get to grips with our new life and all of it's challenges. I get husband on the phone who talks me through it 5 or 6 times, I can tell he is desperately trying to think of a more idiot proof way of explaining it.
Success! Next stop post office and Mothercare - where we end up breastfeeding in the carpark. That's enough for one day. I tell myself that if i've achieved one thing all day, then i'm doing well - yesterday there were several notable achievements, mainly centred around leaving the house and not physically pulling my hair out!
Now that we're up and running and as Stoke Newington has one of the highest birth rates in Britain or even Europe, we're about to discover what Hackney really has to offer us new mums and their babies, provided I can erect the buggy of course...hold on tight!
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