4.26.2015

Second Babies are Rewards after hard first babies

It's no secret that Cami was a very difficult baby, so when Dave and I decided to add a member to the family I was a little scared.
Pregnancy went relatively well and as the induction date came closer, my anxiety grew greater. Cami's birth was also a difficult experience with 18 hrs of labor and some serious puking with contractions. Even after all that, it still took 2.5 hrs of pushing to welcome my stubborn piece of joy to the world.
Emily was not all "butterflies and rainbows. From start to finish was 26 hrs and like 22 of those hrs was labor. The contractions were constant but not bad compared to Cami's and I avoided pain medication until my water broke. After that things progressed pretty quick.
There were two things from here that we decided to do very differently
1. Skin to skin: I am not a hippy, but I heard that this is pretty amazing for mom and baby. I requested it as soon as we got to the hospital. It was everything the " hippies" days it would be. Right after birth, the nurse handed me new, naked Emily and put her on my chest. Right then we bonded and I felt something immediately. It can't be matched.
2. Screw the hospital nursery: Some of you have just pulled back your head and raised your eyebrows in judgment. With Cami, countless people recommended the nursery and we took advantage and sent her to the nursery every night. The first night home was pure hell. She was accustomed to the brought lights from the nursery and knew night to be her day.
We kept Emily with us in the room the whole time with a few exceptions (various baby tests and exams). 
Honestly, it was easier. We could tell when she actually needed something, which is more important than some nurse  guessing and prodding you for feedings. When we got home, the first night went really well with minimal crying for all parties. Emily has been a champion sleeper from the beginning. 
Raising a baby again has been surprisingly good. The real challenge now is not baby related at all, it's figuring out a way to raise two kids instead of one, learning to balance your time and include big sister without making her feel like an after thought.