There are a ton of checkups at the beginning. First day out of the hospital, one week, two weeks, one month. Also two week post-C-section checkup for mom.
Congratulations on the newest little Doper-To-Be. 
That’s one cute baby! Specially for a preemie - aren’t they usually very scrawny and scrunched-looking? He’s just lovely.
OW OW OW. Bloody hell.
He is cute-- c-section babies don’t have the pointy heads. 
Also, I’m not sure he’s really considered a “preemie,” since he was over 5.5lbs, and was past 34 weeks. I think a baby has to be smaller than 5.5lbs, or earlier than 34 weeks to be considered a preemie. I had a friend who delivered twins just three weeks before their due date, and they were 5lbs 10ozs & 6lbs 4ozs (IIRC). They were tiny and kinda wrinkly, but they never were in special care, and went right home with mom, after 2 days. She’d had two previous babies, and had no trouble delivering vaginally. Sheesh.
My son was in special care for 12 hours, so that’s where he was when I first saw him. He was 8lbs 4ozs, and was at least twice the size of the other babies there.
Oh my God. Zsofia, your son is just perfect. Look at his precious, precious face. Squee!
Felicitations and best wishes!
He’s absolutely beautiful!
I had a similar emergency c-section/lotsa post partum pain experience, and the good news is that you eventually get over all that horrific pain and soreness, but you’re left with an adorable baby and a wonderful guilt-inducing story to use on him whenever you need to…
…“and to think I almost died giving birth to you and you can’t even change the channel on the t.v. for me”…
…“so they cut me open like a baked potato to pull you out, but you’re sitting here crying about a little splinter?”…
…“yes, I know that girl is totally smoking hot and you love her, but did she go through hours of terrible labor and major life threatening surgery to give birth to you?”…
Yes, use this experience to your benefit whenever you need to for the rest of your life!!!
Once my son turns 13, I get to remind him that because I went through a c-section to have him, he doesn’t have to fast on the day before Passover (the fast of the first-born). Sons who are first-born children are supposed to fast this day, but they don’t count as first-“born” if they were delivered by c-section.
That is one really gorgeous baby. Congrats! And sorry it was such a difficult birth.
The people at the hospital seemed to call him a “late preemie” - I figured more because of things like his underdeveloped suck. But we were insanely lucky - we were expecting something more along the lines of 5 pounds, which would probably mean he’d still be in the hospital.
Mazel tov on Tater! Save this thread for when he’s older and read it every year on his birthday.
Childbirth, no matter how it happens, sucks, and it sucks a lot. Mine was relatively easy because it was heavily managed. I managed to go through most of it with no anesthesia of any kind. Of course, I felt like I’d been hit by a truck, and I looked about as good. It was all I could do to get out of bed to pee, which, thanks to all the IV fluids I’d been given during labor, I had to do often. Those four days in the hospital were the last private bathroom time I’ve had in the past 12 years. The sprog couldn’t latch because he’s tongue-tied, and I wasn’t able to keep up, so he went on formula when he was about a month old. He’s somehow survived to be 12 without killing himself, or without me killing him.
Oh, he’s adorable. I wish you and your young family much happiness. Babies are so much fun, later on! I promise he’ll have you giggling in no time.
Is it alright to call male infants beautiful? Handsome just doesn’t seem to sound right to me.
My niece’s only children so far are twins. And they were delivered via an unexpected C-section. Of course, niece lived in CA and both grandmas lived in GA, so there was a grandma shuttle going on to help out. It didn’t help much when my mom passed 10 days after the births, so my SIL had to fly out from CA to OH for the funeral stuff, and then back to CA. I think.
Anyway, don’t be stupidly proud, accept help. You certainly probably aren’t in any shape to go on grocery runs. Give yourself time to heal, so you’ll be healthier sooner. I don’t think Tater is going to notice whether it was mom or grandma who did most of the caring during his first 2 weeks or so.
Congratulations Zsofia. Sorry it was so rough, it’s not fair that now you have to heal from what was, well, basically surgery. But your baby is precious! Really beautiful. Before you know it you’ll be (accidently) waking him up so you can play with him.
That is one truly gorgeous baby! And I don’t say that lightly at all…most babies (in my opinion) are ugly little scrogs, and I include my own children and grandchildren in that description too!
So the baby you went and had ended up being the best looking newborn I’ve ever seen? How’d you do THAT??
Heal, rest, heal some more, love your baby, and I wish you all the best Zsofia!
Thanks - to be honest I was really expecting a far uglier baby.
My husband bonded way harder than I have yet and thoroughly believes this is the cutest baby that anybody has ever had and is a little insulted that he thinks he detects a note of surprise in other people, as in “wow, you two had a pretty cute baby!” I keep telling him that’s because white people have the ugliest babies so people steel themselves and prepare an insincere compliment at the ready before they see a picture.
Got really down and discouraged about the boob thing today. I haven’t been as diligent as I need to be about putting him on there every single opportunity even though he doesn’t get much and it hurts, and now I’m not getting as much pumping and it’s all just awful and hard. I know it will get better but it’s that stupid immature “it wasn’t supposed to be like this!” thing. I mean, I know people have trouble breastfeeding but that’s other people! (Like those other people who have life threatening complications. Man, I’m glad I’m not those other people!)
Congrats on the birth of your adorable son!
My mom always keep telling me how horrible the first few weeks of breastfeeding were for her. She even nicknamed me barracuda. She said she was crying and scabby and all around unpleasant. My pediatrician though, kept encouraging her to not give up. And it eventually worked out. After those weeks, she said, it was all more easier, although she said that even when she pumped, she couldn’t get a lot out of pumping. I think I was breastmilk fed for about 1 year or so (plus food). I have no experience, but per her, it does get better!
And congrats on the new baby!
Oh, just wait until someone else gets pregnant for the first time, and you read her posts about how she’s gonna breastfeed. You haven’t heard a really good evil giggle out of yourself yet, I promise.