Trying Not To Be "That Mom"

I can't remember who told me this. Could have been a former manager at Coles, or maybe Erin, knowing what Rob does, or could have been another dozen people I know who are, or know, EMTs. But someone once told me that it was standard when a mother calls 911 for an ambulence, that when the EMTs arrive, their very first question is "Is this your first child?" because that can help them determine that ACTUAL seriousness of the injury or problem or whatever. And I probably laughed at this statment, and thought "HA! Silly mother's. I'll never be like that!"

I came to a realization... I am like that.

I place several phone calls to my mother, casually asking how she is, but in actuality, I am calling to ask a question about whether the thing my baby is doing is normal, or should I be freaking out and going to the hospital. Before today, it was always me overreacting (internally, never actually freaking out so people could see it).

So, this morning, Rosalie woke up just before 6am. She went to sleep about 11pm, so it was a pretty decent 7 hour sleep (yesssss! *win!*), but when I went in to feed her, she had a bit of burnt orange puke around the collar of her sleeper and on her face. None on the bedsheet, none on the blanket. I feed her only wearing her diaper, but I put a different sleeper on her afterward. Within 15 minutes she was back asleep, which is unusual. Normally she takes about an hour after eating to be completely out again, to the point where I can move her. So I went back to bed, and at about 6:50 I heard her again. But it wasn't crying, it was like coughing. Little coughs, barely audible from our bedroom. I get up to check on her and she is wide awake with this orange coloured vomit covering the front of her sleeper, and bedsheet and blanket got a bunch too.

If it had been the normal, whitish, milky coloured vomit, I wouldn't have thought twice. That's normal. Sometimes when she eats too much some of it comes back up. No biggie. But this? What the hell is it? Where is it coming from if she didn't ingest it?

So I wake up Roland, because at the very least, we're going to need to bath her. While I am waking him up, she is on the verge of falling asleep in my arms. Is this considered lethargy? I mean, she hadn't slept enough overnight. Even with the 7 hours, she's supposed to be getting 8-10 hours overnight (plus the intermittent napping during the day, which should equate to approximately 16 hours), so maybe she should be sleeping. Or is she sick?

So, we pop her in the tub and she's good in there. She generally likes her baths now. And then after the tub she cries a bit, and just sits for a bit in her bouncy chair... this is pretty consistent with how her mornings generally are. So what am I to think?? Maybe she is fine?

So what do I do? I book a doctor's appointment for the earliest time I could get, which is 3pm. If it happens again, I'll go to the mediclinic or if other symptoms start (like a fever kicks up) then I'll go to emergency. I'll be that mom that freaks out over something that could be nothing.

But I now have a theory about the whole "is this your first child?" question. We freak out about these things because we have never dealt with anything like them before. And in some ways, babies function different than we do. For example, I know for a fact that their temperature is more sensitive than an adults because they are so little. Just like a cows temperature is way less sensitive than a grown humans. Cows don't get cold outside in the winter, because they are freakin' huge. So mom's go through this process of finding out what's wrong or how much kids can take by playing everything on the safe side. So with our next baby, if they throw up burnt orange coloured puke, I will already know if it's a problem or not. And I may also find out from the doctor, what I should or shouldn't be concerned about when it comes to puking.

This business of parenting is so much about learning on the go. People will give you little tips about this and that before they happen, but you can't possibly find out everything beforehand. I'm sure when this is all over, and I tell another mom about it, I will here the "When [insert child's name here] was little, [s]he had something similar..." stories...

~*~

Ok... Book review... This one's a new one, because I have read it (relatively) recently. During my pregnancy to be exact.

Creating Your Birth Plan helps expectant mothers make informed decisions about the assistance they'll require for childbirth. Designed to encourage collaboration between pregnant women and their caregivers, it includes information on:

- What to expect when delivering in a hospital, in a birthing center, or at home
- How to select an advocate to ensure expectant mothers' wishes are honored by their caregiver
- The natural stages of labor in a problem-free birth
- Explanations of various medical or surgical interventions, and potential complications and benefits of each
- Natural alternatives to drugs, technology, and surgery

This book was given to me as a recommended read for my prenatal class. I found this book extremely helpful for preparing for my labour when I had no idea what to expect. Every decision you can possibly have is laid out in this book with your options and an explanation of the pros and cons of these options. It's comforting to know it was written by a doctor who's been in labour and delivery for a long time and know's what she's talking about and has seen it all (or so it would seem). It is an American book, and being a Canadian, our health care system is quite a bit different, being that cost is not an issue with most alternative options. 

It's a great book to have with you at the hospital as a reference. It covers and intervetions that may be offered to you during your labour, so you can ask for a couple minutes to think about it and then reference the book; although to be honest, I had other things on my mind at the time, and never did. But if you are a more dedicated control freak than I am, you would more than likely find it extremely helpful.

A recommend for any pregnant woman!