Motherhood the second time around – the first two weeks

Well if I didn’t do pregnancy very well the second time, I certainly did motherhood well – the first two weeks anyway. Owl (number 2) slept all day and mostly all night for the first week and a half. I don’t remember Star (number 1) doing that. Either my memory is shot, or she was very wakeful (the latter is most likely). While we had to work hard at establishing breastfeeding, we managed to avoid any major damage and hence avoid mastitis. I didn’t experience the day 3 blues, which hit me with a vengeance with Star. I had hot cups of tea. I napped every day.

Now Owl is a bit more awake, but still easier to settle than Star was. Is this because I now have a dizzying array of baby settling skills from all the practice? Who knows. My husband says there will always be a comparison, and the second baby will by default be easier or harder than the previous. Going by the theory of “retribution”, we expect Owl to be easier. And he is. A little bit.

But here it is. I no longer panic when my baby cries. I know everything is “just a phase”. I am more flexible with routines (and have none at this early stage). I know that self-care is vital. I know that babies are unsettled at times, and it comes to an end (eventually). I know that “bad habits” often don’t last, and they can also be broken. I know that there are no magic bullets, and no “baby whisperer” that solves all problems.

But perhaps we just lucked out this time. I am hoping so :)