What is your name, your baby's name, and baby's age?
My name: Alexandra Zakrzewski Baby's name: Leighton Zakrzewski-Brown 10.5months old
How was your (or your partner's) pregnancy?
It was great! I really loved being pregnant! I was so fortunate to remain healthy and comfortable through the 9 months. I experienced occasional nausea when I was hungry and of course had to use the bathroom all the time but it was very enjoyable and manageable.
I gained 50lbs during my pregnancy and carried the weight all in front like a torpedo. I was asked many times if I was expecting twins- and while I was only pregnant with a singleton, my son was 10lbs 7oz at birth which is not an uncommon weight for a set of twins combined!
How did you prepare for childbirth?
We took pre-natal classes but I was also aware that you can only prepare so much for something as extraordinary as giving birth. I tried to prepare myself by keeping an open mind while also equipping myself with the knowledge of what does, and could happen during childbirth. I feel that knowledge is power and helps to decrease fear.
Was your birthing experience easier, harder or as you expected it to be?
My labour was going brilliantly until my big, big, baby got stuck and my cervix got stuck at 9cm... for four hours!!! The pain was manageable and I got to stay drug free as I wanted to but being stuck at 9cm was uncomfortable due to the overwhelming pressure to push without being able to yet!!
Because he was stuck and things slowed down, my son's heart rate started to fall and in the end he was vaccuumed out. He was purple! Within moments, nine pediatricians were running into the delivery room and were working on him and then he was fine and started to lose the purple hue and became nice and pink. Boy was that an overwhelming welcoming though! I have never felt so relieved, excited, exhausted and overjoyed in my life!
What one piece of advice would you give to expecting parents about childbirth?
Don't pigeon hole yourself and don't let others determine what your labour and birthing experience should be like! It is such a personal experience and you need to make sure it's your experience and not a cookie cutter replication. Things happen outside of what we hope and plan for (as noted above) and if you are stuck and locked into one scenario, a tough situation and complications can be further compounded with disappointment. It's great to be informed and educated and to have the confidence to speak out so that you and your partner are comfortable throughout the process but there also has to be a lot of flexibility.
Describe the first 7 days with your newborn
Probably the toughest question of the bunch. On the one hand I think I could likely describe every moment of those first 7 days with extreme clarity but on the other hand all I can remember is an exhausted fog! We were in the hospital from Wednesday at 3:30am until Saturday at 2:30pm. We had two check up appointments within the first two days of coming home and outside of that it was all about bonding with our new son and settling in as a new family!
Bottle or Breast?
He's a boob man! We were fortunate that both he and I took to breast feeding right away with no problem (aside from some soreness of course). At 10.5 months I still nurse 3-4 times a day but he also has a bottle of formula each day to help him prepare for weaning when I go back to work.
Who is on diaper duty?
Mostly me! (especially when poopy diapers are involved- daddy gets QUITE squemish and dramatic!)
What resource was the most helpful to you during the first 2 months (book, website, person, anything)
I visited a few websites that I came to trust, namely babycenter.ca.
Was there an age when it "suddenly got easier"?
I was lucky to have a pretty smooth transition into mommyhood- likely due to plenty of hands on experience in the past with others' children. Of course once they start to interact a lot more your confidence always grows because they can show you their happiness and appreciation (and sometimes their unhappiness too!)
What type of stroller do you use?
We have 3! We had a Graco that we used almost exclusively for the 5 months since we could attach our infant seat to it. We also have a Phil and Ted's running stroller
that we use for runs and walks in the neighbourhood. Lastly we have a Cosetto umbrella stroller for quick trips and shopping.
What was the best newborn gift you received?
Is it possible to name just one? The one that likely got the most use and created less work for me on a DAILY basis was our JJ Cole Bundle Me
. No taking snowsuits on and off for us!
What is your current can't-live-without gear for baby?
1)- Bundle Me!
2)-some sort of infant carrier be it a sling or front carrier.
3)-soothers! (we love MAM)
4)-White noise machine
5)- Infant swing/bouncer
Are you getting any "me" time?
I have played competitve soccer since I was 9 and was able to get to my sporty passion when my son was 3 months old. I loved being pregnant but the one downside was missing the summer soccer season. I was so glad to get back to it to a) get back into shape and get some exercise and b) have some ME time!
What did you find most surprising about your newborn?
From day one he's had such an easygoing personality! He is such a fun little guy who loves to laugh and loves to make people laugh. We are so lucky!