Any suprises?

[annekevdbroek]

I am wondering if anyone has had suprises with their babies. For me Mr #2 is so different from Mr#1 that there have been lots of different suprises, even though technically we are now "experienced" parents.

The first suprise was Emmett's dark hair. Mr. #1 is blonde blonde blonde and was a fat rolly-polly almost 9 pounder. Emmett is small and dark. His hair may change - but when the OB first showed him to me I was so suprised!

Also - BF is SO EASY this time. Mr. #1 had all sorts of latch problems, my milk came in late, I suspect that the hospital snuck him bottles, I gave him a paci before I knew better, got not-so-great advice from a lactation consultant, and seeming gallons of spit-up, etc. Mr. #2 can pretty much latch himself on (already!), handles the abundant milk, doesn't spit up, and gives lots of feeding cues. Easy-peasy!

Oh - and he sleeps pretty well! Both babies have had very easy temperaments - happy and easy going and just pleasant all around. So, that has been very nice.

[daytripper75]

My big surprise is figuring out that my first baby was actually a VERY difficult infant. I just thought all babies were that intense!
Number two is so easy going it is unreal!
Suzy

[meggles]

Molly is such a good little baby. She only fusses when she's hungry or gassy and she is sleeping 5-6 hours at night. Oh, and I was expecting a dark haired/dark eyed baby (like me) and got a golden haired, blue eyed baby.

[MacKinnon]

Isaac is a sweet, easy baby. DD had dairy sensitivities that took months to sort out. She never slept, was colicky, etc. The first weeks were really hard. Isaac just crashes out, sleeps for 2 to 3 hours, wakes to nurse/poop/nurse back to sleep! He is starting to have longer wakeful periods.

Nursing is harder this time than I expected. I only nursed DD on the right, she developed strong preferences for the right. I want to use the left this time but it's like starting over. I am not use to positioning on the left, I let him latch wrong and now I have blister. I am engorged and it's terribly uncomfortable/painful. I thought nursing would be so easy after nursing DD for 2 1/2 years, but he is a different baby, different situation.

And I have the baby blues... I cried today for half an hour. No reason, just cried. Took a nap with DS and felt better. Accused DH of hiding the remote control so I couldn't watch the DVR of Desperate Housewives, cried...

[Shenandoah]

A few surprises here. First is that I had to have another c/s. I was SURE I'd vbac. But given that my labor was even more difficult this time, which I wouldn't have thought possible, my recovery has been much easier. After about the first 3-4 days (in hospital) I bounced back this time. Last time it took weeks.

Last time I had HUGE hormonal swings. I cried everyday, multiple times. And I don't think it was ppd. I think it was hormonal. I also had hot flashes, night sweats, etc. It was awful. This time I've have a few hot flashes but they've been spacing out and I've only had night sweats the first week. Much better.

Oh, and I'm not hungry at all. Weird. Last time I was starving. I've been eating only what I can because if I try to force it and eat more I just feel sick and get horrible heartburn.

As for the baby, he's a little better nurser than ds#1, but also I'm not quite so engorged so that helps. He certainly sleeps more. Ds#1 never slept more than 10 out of 24 hours. EVER. Ds#2 is sleeping about 18-20 hours a day. It's nice because it gives me time to spend with my older kids.

[bleumoose]

Our surprises are similar to others' --

my recovery has been so much easier without the tear and stitches I had last time. PP hormones aren't as bad, either. Breastfeeding is enormously easier, this baby just latches on and goes to town, where ds1 had trouble for months. DS2 is an awesome sleeper, which ds1 wasn't. In fact ds2 is so mellow and easygoing, DH and I can hardly believe it - it really showcases how difficult ds1 was.

[blastomom]

Kai looks NOTHING like his big brother. In fact, he looks nothing like anyone in the family, except for maybe my Mother-in-law : .

I was surprised at how easy it was to push him out. After three days of labour he gently entered the world with three sets of pretty easy pushes.

I'm surprised at how good my 2 1/2 yo has been around his "baby brudder kai". Koa has been very gentle and loving and hasn't shown many signs of jealousy--even when I'm nursing baby! That reallly surprised me, especially since Koa only weaned a few months ago and is still really fixated on the "girls".

I'm surprised at how calm I was throughout the whole labor/delivery/recovery. Save one brief breakdown when I thought we were heading down the path to a repeat cesarean, I was uncharacteristically calm and poised. I was the one calming hubby's nerves once it was time to push and I even took the time to get my camera and take pictures right before and right after Kai was born.