Week 0-2
Eye watering
Firstly. Incredibly non-intuitive UI on Substack webpage, and no android app! Think someone needs to do some work on it. Also would be good to have a dictate function. If anyone knows how to integrate google live transcribe into it, then let me know. In my opinon “live transcribe” is one of the most underappreciated google apps out there. Very useful for talking to patients that cant hear very well!
Well then. A lot has happened in the last 5 days. I havent had the chance to process my thoughts so i am just going to diarise events in chronological order in this edition.
Background:
Jen (my wife) 39+6 primigravida. Keen to get our “grain” delivered by due date. Lots of recent changes to the delivery plan, but elective c-section booked for 16.5.22 as wish to avoid risks associated with post dates, but keen for natural vaginal delivery
15.5.22
Been on the raspberry leaf tea, figs etc for a while. 9k walk previous day. No signs of labour so went for another long walk: Sloane Sq - Hyde Park - South Ken - Bat Park today. Few twinges at end of walk around 4/5pm. By 7pm there are definite signs of labour. Contractions mild pain, but frequent, lasting 20-30sec every 3-4 mins. After dinner we make the call and get in the car. Exciting. However, pain is increasing. Not very impressed with the MW input from the maternity assessement unit. 8pm - 1cm dilated. Pain is high. Apparently too soon to go to labour ward, but admitted to pre-labout ward. Not given much (if any) analgesia, put in dark bay. Hard hours from 10pm-4am. Contractions every 2 mins. Jen not well. Asking for epidural gets us nowhere, as only 3cm dilated and not on labour ward so cannot be done (apparently). By 8am, only 4cm dilated and waters not broken. Jen is physically broken though, staring down the barrel of hours of agony is inhumane, so after much debacle we are booked for immediate c-section. Finally meet some sensible doctors and we are in theatre around 9am. All female team. Jen so pleased to feel safe and pain immediately improves. The wonders of actual analgesia.
16.5.22
Our daughter is born at 9.10am 16.5.22. Weight 3.28kg. A beautiful baby named Lyra Grace Coad Hastings. Quite emotional. Extremely tired.
I had made a playlist. Not sure what was playing when Lyra emerged as volume low (I didnt want to make it into a nightclub). Music in theatre included- Coldplay Higher Power, Bruno Mars Just the Way You Are, D:Ream Things Can Only Get Better, Queen Under Pressure, Earth Wind and Fire Boogie Wonderland, Rick Astley Never Gonna Give you up, Starship Nothings Gonna Stop Us Now, Michael Jackson Dont Stop Till You Get Enough, Kylie Minogue Love at First Sight, Guns N Roses Sweet Child O Mine, Stevie Wonder Signed Sealed Delivered (Im Yours).
Reflecting on the night, it was not a good experience, felt quite powerless, didnt feel listened to and really should have been demanded to see a doctor. Being on the otherside of the medic-patient interface was interesting. I hope I am better to my patients. Levels of tiredness during remainder of day are +++. Manage to help care for Lyra as Jen was pretty immobile post op. Lyra is a very well behaved. I manage to get home via a boris bike across battersea bridge whilst the sun is setting. A mixture of relief, tiredness and love.
17.5.22
Return to CWH. Jen has been a star overnight, despite the pain from surgery, been up caring for Lyra all night and successfully breastfeeding. Long day on the unit. Passed all the baby checks and after pain controlled and breast feeding confidence up I convince Jen that she will be ok at home. Thanks to the staff and we exhaustly hobble to the front of the hospital for the selfie. Get home (ultra vigilent driving). Champagne and fish pie. LATE.
The night was long.
Furiously googling RR of newborn baby. Watching over her to ensure she doesnt stop breathing.
18.5.22
First full day at home. Barely able to function. So very busy. It is impossible to do anything though. Holding L and trying to do the house work is interesting
Up all night.
Lots of worries - Medicating Jen, counting numbers of wet and dirty nappies.
Trying to work out if breast feeding is working
Worried about everything including jaundice
19.5.22
Watching selling sunset at 4am.
Jens parents arrive to visit. Lovely sunny day. Champagne and the 40th birthday swimming pool cake. I did the evening shift before bed at 1230/1
20.5.22
Got some sleep but not great. Tired
Community midwive. (we go to them!) Lyra at 3.02kg but she is happy. Loss of <8%. Jen has mastered the feeding now. Less pain. Lyra seems happy.
More grated beets.
Finally writng the substack. Boris seems to have got away with Partygate. Wagatha christie trial into closing arguments.
Do we need to wash Lyra yet? Getting plenty of gifts
Saturday 21.5.22
Hard long night. Sleeping in my dryrobe (probably wont get any swimming use for a while) and watching selling sunset in the early hours.
Victoria came (meals on wheels - Lovely soup for lunch and Lebanese mesza for dinner. Francesca is very bright - writing and reading!
Everyone seems to love the name Lyra. (We are pleased with it - His Dark Materials/Book of Dust/Lycra origins).
Tim and Claire came in the afternoon and brought a lasagna. Very lucky to have all this food being given to us!
Sunday 22.5.22
Back to CMW- Stiches out of LCSC wound. Lyra is obviously getting some good milk now as weight is up to 3.14kg (up by 120g). Jen managed a poo. Got Lyra into her posh air france pram and walked to Bat park. Whoop whoop. Evening chat with A Team on zoom and then it was lasagna time. Managed to post my announcement on the socials. Strava obviously. Lots of congratulations via Insta and FB. Always nice to feel some positive social feedback in the long dark hours.
Monday 23.5.22
Amazing how quickly the morning goes. Seems to be midday and very little achieved. Lyra is a guzzler in the morning tho, so is on the boob for a lot of it! Very chilled. Jen getting stronger. Almost hit by an explosive poo. Will need to be a bit more careful when cleaning and drying the bot bot.
Annoucement published in the Times today. Lyra Grace Coad Hastings. Will attach a pic if i can. Lyra is managing to sleep a bit in the cot and sleepy head so maybe will improve at night too.
Booked Birth Registration for Chelsea Town Hall. Jen thinks this adminstrative task will be romantic. Im not so sure.
Did some bedtime reading with Lyra. She didnt seem very interested! I finished season 5 of SS. Really is a poor show. Going to start some educational programmes now.
24.5.22
Umbilical cord fallen off! Gilly on her way. We need to have a family photo today. I will try to get one!
02.06.22. Platty Joobs celebrations begin today.
Enjoyed watching the “Unseen Queen” the other day.
A new approach to the documentation of the latest of the weeks activities. Sitting here at 9am on the first day of Her Maj’s Plat Jubilee. What is the definition of the a jubilee, as opposed to an anniversary? Speaking of which, yesterdays learning point (from Times Xword) was a HUNDREDWEIGHT. This is 1/20th a Ton (imperial). Apparently Bojo wants to bring back the imperial system. This seems very regressive to me. Various comment pieces in the papers. Marina Hyde always very readable.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/may/31/pounds-ounces-pints-boris-johnson-gibberish
Ok. So yesterday was a first for me… A focal neurological event. I had a scintillating scotoma in my right eye. Associated with a transient hemi cranial sensory disturbance. Lasted around 15 mins, no headache. I popped 400mg of ibuprofen and 900mg aspirin. I figured it must be a migraine. Very strange. Never had a migraine before. Stress/Lack of sleep maybe?? I hoped I wasnt having a stroke, and fingers crossed its not a brain tumour. Onward.
Lyra had another visit to the community clinic. Has gained 150g since the last visit and is now at 3410g (thats 7Ib 8oz to the Brexiteers amongst you). £200 in waitrose doesnt get you much these days. The cost of living crisis is real. I had a very middle class moan to the waitrose delivery driver about it. Mwah. Unfortunately I have come to the conclusion I am middle class. We registered Lyra’s birth at Chelsea Town Hall on the KINGS ROAD, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, on Monday. Lyra Grace Coad HASTINGS. Remember that name. She will go far.
Also yesterday I managed to go for a run. The de-training effect of a newborn is real. It was sunny and good for the soul though, so I will try to do some activity every day in June. Lets see if I can manage a decent(ish) 5K by the end of the month. Other memorable events of yesterday was my continued development of my skills in the kitchen. A sausage delight. And a bit of CPD. If you want a podcast to keep you uptodate with recent papers in Resp med then I would recommend https://twitter.com/respguru
Tuesday was tennis themed. Lars made an appearance at Prairie and I spent the evening shift watching Nadal v Djocko at the French Open QF. Nadal really is a decent player. Very high quality game. Lyra and I do enjoy our evenings together whilst Mummy is sleeping. I tend to read her a story or two. (Last night we had the classic Ahlberg books - Each Peach Pear Plum and Peepo!)
Postman continues to bring lots of gifts. Very grateful to you all. We will send cards!
Sunday, I had to go to WORK! Shock horror for 2 reasons. It meant Jen would be solo for the first time with Lyra, and secondly, I was not expecting the shift at all. Asif!. Actually wasnt too bad. Nothing very exciting - standard stuff… Frail elderly, AF with rapid ventricular response (yes - pedantic), etc etc.
Memorable notes Weds 25th through Saturday 28th….
How to know how much milk Lyra is actually getting? Often felt a bit anxious about this. The books tell you she needs x mls per feed, x number of times per day. This is stressful especially when the NCT group on whatsapp seem to be doing all sorts of techniques and calculations etc. We are just putting Lyra on the breast and assuming its going ok!! Also worry about Jen a bit. She is still in a fair amount of pain. Hard to know if this is just the nature of c-section recovery or if there is any proper post surgical complication/infection/endometritis etc. The problem is having a bit of medical knowledge! Am keeping an eagle eye on her. 27th PGoss came for coffee then we had a weigh in (3260g) and then direct trip on the bus to Sloane Sq to see some of the Chelsea Flower Show shopfront flowers. This was probably a trip too far as it was hot, and busy and Jen hit a bit of a tiredness/pain wall. Flowers - average. Chicken burger in Grainger & Co - excellent. 25th - Mum and Dad and health visitor came. Dad continues to have a limp from the athritic knee. I hope I dont get that too soon, I’ll be 60 when Lyra is 20! Ouch. Oh yeah due to flash rain storm - 1km black cab from Bat park to home. £7.50. NO COMMENT NEEDED.
That is the end of this edition of the newsletter! I will see if I am able to upload some photos.
Let me know what you would like to hear in the next edition.
Cheers,
Rob