Well, I'm re-thinking my idea of birthing baby at the hospital and coming straight home a.s.a.p afterwards... I'll decide at the time now.  A hospital stay might be more restful.  Having M.E. means I can't cope with lack of sleep or strenuous physical things well - they make me pretty blimmin sick - to the point that when it's really bad, reading and talking take too much effort and just can't be done!  And what is LABOUR if not strenuous?!?!!!  And how much sleep will I get afterwards??!!!  Ah, I can only laugh at that thought!  That's really why I'm so worried about how to cope with a newborn by myself.  But there's been some awesome tips given here - thanks .  I've got me a bouncer, already made a sign for the door asking people to come back later (for sleep times), and will have to let the housework down for a while, eat more take-out, and warn my parents that visiting will mean HELPING while they're here and if they think that's rude they can go home.  I think my in-laws would have the helping thing down already, and we have friends 2 doors down who'd be great too.  Also, when we announce her arrival, we'll ask people to give us a week or so before visiting (family and good neighbour-friends can though).   

I think it'll be interesting to see if my husband's very reasonable boss sends him home when he goes to work just after our baby's birth anyway (the boss is a family man)!  He's a hard worker, my hubby, and he enjoys his work too (thank goodness!), but on top of that our finances don't allow him to ease up much at all  ... we'll just have to see how that first week or two goes when we get there.  I've firmly rejected his idea of his teenaged sister staying here for the week to help out!!  She's a sweetheart, but I just want my man, and really don't want to be hosting extras in our home when I'll probably be uber-emotional, bleeding away, have issues with boobs and need sleep whenever I can get it.  I don't want to make it sound like hubby isn't helpful - this is the man who brings me a cup of tea in bed every morning and likes to cook us brekkie in the weekends and will rub my back anytime - he's a natural born helper, he's just over-extended right now, and I'm being a stress-monkey about having a newborn. 

Yay Jax is back!!  I hope Erin's (oh, I love that name!) sleeping improves soon - you have all my sympathies and I have everything crossed for you that she'll figure out nighttime is good for long naps!

Well, I was passing time in Farmers yesterday (waiting my hour for that Polycose test or whatever it's called) and sitting right there was a bouncer reduced to a pretty cool price as it was the last of that stock and a display item.  STOKED!  It's a vibrating one, but I didn't intend to get a vibrating one since I couldn't imagine having your head bobbed about being soothing.  But it has a bar for toys across the front and a good, comfy harness - and if baby likes the vibrations, then it's an even better bargain!  Thanks for the idea, ladies. 

I'm liking the bouncer idea, Janine.  I think hubby is going to have his eyes opened to how busy a new mum is when this wee one arrives... for now he doesn't see the problem - apparently we still get enough sleep, we just sleep whenever the baby does, and new babies sleep "90% of the time".  And breakfast and lunch we still get whenever we want it, because we're home and can do that.  And we never feel awkward about turning away visitors when we're just too tired to cope with them - oh, and our visitors always understand this and are really cool about it every time!!!  YEAH, RIGHT!! 

I'm off to add a bouncer to my list of things to get. 

Good morning!

Hubby and I were just discussing his time off work (or lack of) when this baby arrives.  She's our first bubs, and while I've always been really confident looking after children, I'm now starting to realise how little I know about parenting a newborn.  As hubby is self-employed (read that as: if he don't work, we don't pay our bills!)  there's no provision for leave of any kind, making him veeery reluctant to take a week off work for after the birth. 

I was wondering how much help people have found that they needed in that first week or two.  What I'm nervous about is - dealing with visitors when I'm exhausted (yes, I've already made a little sign for the door asking people nicely to come back another time, to use when I get naps - I figure I'll be grabbing my sleep whenever I get the chance and won't want to give it up for anyone but baby!); not having the energy to do what I normally would around the house (which is everything - but hubby rekons he can take care of cooking and housework after work); and being super-emotional but maybe finding myself alone, depending on who is or isn't visiting, and there's something very calming about my DH's company for those emotional times, and it's fair to say I don't find the same from my close family. 

So please fill me in on what sort of help you needed with a newborn baby in the home - practical support, emotional support, any kind really!  I'll stress less about this if I feel a bit more prepared.  Thanks!