The Eccentric American Mama in Cumbria

The difference between this week and last is shocking. I guess people are right when they say the first two weeks are horrendous, once you get past those 14 sleepless nights things really do get easier.  First, I haven't cried once since we switched to bottle feeding. Initially I thought I would be depressed and regret our decision. While I do occasionally feel guilty it's nothing in comparison to the guilt I felt before when I resented having to feed our little boy. When we switched to the bottle I felt like I bonded with Cyril instantly, suddenly I couldn't get enough of his precious face. I also felt like I could leave our house, aka the prison cell. The day after switching we took a long walk. I now walk Cyril and Hobson everyday. I also meet up with a friend, who has a 7 week old, every Monday for a walk and lunch. We attend a play group on Thursdays and we'll be starting baby massage the end of April.  Cyril's getting into a sleep routine and because he can ta...

I wasn’t going to write about this but I want a record of how I felt this week for future reference and to show people that breastfeeding ISN'T for everyone.   To say that this week was easier than the first week would be a complete lie. Things quickly went from bad to worse as Josh, Cyril and I tried to sort out how to feed our little boy. The midwives kept saying I had the right equipment, produced loads of milk, and Cyril was latching on beautifully and getting plenty of milk, which was evident by his wet and dirty nappies, and his consistent weight gain. However, while Cyril was thriving I was falling further and further down the rabbit hole. Josh, and most likely Cyril, observed as the baby blues continued and started to resemble postpartum depression. I couldn’t go a couple hours without crying and every time Josh brought Cyril in to be fed I would cry because I hated breastfeeding. I’m not sure why I hated it, perhaps it was the pain, bleeding, and constant soaking of...

I had planned to write about the birth story but to be honest I'm still traumatised and feeling guilty about the whole affair so I'd rather not dwell on it, perhaps I'll write about it in the future when I'm more emotionally stable :) This week has been the most difficult and demanding week of my life. I cry every evening in anticipation of the night shift which consists of feeding Cyril every 2-3 hours, sometimes more frequently, on sore, bloody and cracked nipples. I know attractive right? I don't know why they don't warn you of this in the breast feeding classes. Every teacher, and article on the web, says breast feeding shouldn't hurt, you should just feel pressure. Well that's a big fat lie! It's excruciating, perhaps more so to a first time mom. And why shouldn't it be, after all you have someone sucking on a very sensitive area for 4-6 hours, sometimes more, everyday, around the clock, with no rest. My life consists of feedin...

I love a New York bagel just as much as the next person, and if I lived in NYC, with my brother and wife, I probably wouldn't have tried to make a bagel, ever. However, I don't live in NYC, I live in a tiny village in the middle of nowhere in England, and while the brits can make a mean scone,  croissant , and crumpet they are seriously lacking in their ability to make a decent bagel.  The store bought bagels are repulsive and don't even get me started on what they call a bagel at the bakery! Spurred on by my pregnancy craving for bagels, I scoured all of my best baking books in search of a NY style bagel to no avail. I blame the fact that all my best baking books were written by British people. Josh suggested I look on the internet, and voila I stumbled across this recipe.  Somewhat sceptical at first, based on the simplicity of the recipe, I decided to  persevere  and let me tell you that was the best decision I ever made. These homemade bagels...

How far along?  40 weeks Total weight gain/loss?  34 pounds, ugh, I was only hoping to gain 30 pounds total. I read that my weight gain should stop or even drop at this point, I guess I'm not one of the lucky few that this happens to! I'm not sure how much weight you lose on delivery day but I'm hoping it's a good 20+ pounds, otherwise I'm in for a lot of hard work in the exercise and diet department. Maternity clothes?  Yes, although I've started to go through my clothes and am sending a bunch of them to my brother's fiance, whose baby is due the end of June, since at this point half of them don't fit anyway :) I've had to hang onto a few maternity clothes though because I read that you look 6 months pregnant after giving birth, so my plans of fitting into my skinny hot pink cords (photo on right) have gone right out the window, especially since they only fit when I'm at my thinnest! Stretch Marks?  No, but I'm anxious to get him...