With Colby, I just bring his bassinet into the living room in the morning, and he stays out here all day with us. Not to say that he ever actually sleeps during the day. I've tried leaving the bassinet in the bedroom, but I don't think he likes to be left alone down there. Sometimes he will nap, but most of the time, if I want him to sleep a bit during the day, I have to hold him. I have to hold him all the time to make him sleep.
I ave thought about putting him into his crib during the day for naps, as I don't want him to have a hard time transitioning to his crib once he's outgrown his bassinet, but I don't feel comfortable without him on a monitor, and the Angelcare is too much of a pain in the butt to move to and from different locations all the time.
If I have to use the washroom, or I am straightening his room a bit, or have to answer the phone while doing a diaper change etc, I leave him in his crib without the monitor. He seems to be okay in there.
Was Ian like this with Greg? Not at all.
He was 31, I think, when Greg was born. So maybe its and age thing. But I thought you were supposed to become more patient as you aged... Anyways, Greg was in hospital for 5 months. Ian was with us in Victoria for the first 6 weeks of his life; but we stayed at the Easter Seal House, and not in the hospital then, so there was still distance from Greg. And then, when we transferred to PG, I stayed in the hospital, doing all the feeds, and Ian just came up on weekends. So he was really kind of eased into the whole thing, and when Greg came home, he was on a really established 4 hour routine. And he was such and easy going kid, that he didn't even care if you went longer than 4 hours between feeds and changes. He never cried for anything... not even when his teeth came in. You could put him on a blanket on the floor, and just leave him there for hours, and he wouldn't fuss. That was actually how I handled him when I'd had my wisdom teeth out, and I was still pretty drugged up; he went on the floor and I napped on the couch beside him.
But Colby is different. He is colicky. He doesn't sleep. He doesn't settle. He needs constant attention. He refuses to schedule. He will wake up if anyone so much as breathes near him. There wasn't as much time for Ian to adjust to him.
I don't think this excuses the way he is with him at all.
He actually said the other day that Colby isn't fun, and that Greg is fun, because Greg can play video games, watch movies with him, ride bikes etc... So I think Ian forgot what it was like to have a baby in the house.
Still, it doesn't excuse his actions.
I think we've decided that my dad will drive me down to the hospital that day, and he'll leave me once they admit me. Ian will stay at home with the kids. Then my dad will drive home, and when I am about to go into OR, I will call Ian and let him know, so he can pack up the kids and leave to come get me. By the time he gets everyone together and drives down there, I should be almost ready to be released. But this avoids Ian having to be down there for 6 or 7 hours, with a newborn, trying to figure out what to do with him and how to feed him. Instead, he just has to drive down, collect me, and drive home, which will be maybe 3.5 hours total.
I still worry about leaving them alone at the house, especially as I will be in a different town from him, all day long.
not looking forward to having it again!
you really dont need the extra stress. my neighbour had to have her appendix out when her bub was about the same age, she stayed in the mat ward whilst in hospital so that bubs could stay with her. I dont know how long your stay will be or what the hospital is like but maybe something similar might be helpful?
