Hi, y’all! Kaiser has been home just over a week and he has been an absolute DREAM. He’s pretty much on a rotating schedule of sleeping, feeding, pooping and repeat! Today I’m here to share baby Kai’s birth story along with some tips y’all gave me for adjusting to mothering 2 🖤
Kaiser’s Birth Story
I scheduled an induction mainly because Emmett was born a BIG baby – 9 lbs. 9 oz. when I was 40 weeks! So, this induction was scheduled for 39 weeks in hopes that he might be a little bit smaller (lol joke was on me – he was over 9 pounds too). Another reason we scheduled the induction was because of info my OB shared about the Arrive Trial. This was a trial published into a medical journal that concluded inductions don’t necessarily increase the risk of a C-section for low risk pregnancies. You can read more about it here!
We spent most of September 22nd, the day before Kaiser was born, soaking up our last day as a family of three and preparing for little man. There was lots of cleaning, couch time and playing with Emmett.
We checked into the hospital at 10 PM and made our way to our labor and delivery room. Our sweet night nurse got me all set up – I showered with antiseptic soap, got hooked up to the bands that monitor baby’s heartbeat and my contractions, had an IV inserted into my arm and got my COVID test #2020 The test itself wasn’t the worst thing but the after effects were because it made my sinuses went crazy. I’m talkin’ watery, red, puffy eyes crazy. Not pleasant at all.
We started the “cervical ripening” (such a weird term lol – it sounds so vaginally technical) around 1 AM. All they do for that is put a tablet behind my cervix so contractions can begin. This process obviously makes mama uncomfortable but I tried my best to get some sleep afterwards. The nurses came back in to do a second tablet around 4 AM and I ended up being able to sleep until about 5 AM. The first thing I did when I woke up was my makeup. That may sound crazy but it’s just my way of getting the day started!
The nurses started my Pitocin around 6 AM and my doctor came to break my water shortly after. This part was probably my least favorite because it was just so uncomfortable – I mean water pouring out from down under is NOT an enjoyable experience. My epidural went in at 8 AM and worked like a freaking charm 🙌🏼
The waiting game didn’t last long and by 9:30 AM my body was about ready to push. The crazy thing is that we had to wait for the doctor to get out of surgery so I just hung out laying on my side until he got there. I was comfortable and everything was painless – if I were in pain, they would’ve had the doctor on standby come in so I could push. THANK GOD FOR THAT EPIDURAL!
I started pushing at 11:26 AM and Kaiser was born at 11:34 AM 9lbs 1oz. and 21.5 inches. As soon as I heard his little cry, I burst into happy tears. The amount of joy I had in that moment was unexplainable and something I’ll never forget.
We owe a huge thank you to the staff at Memorial Hermann Katy. Y’all are amazing and I can’t express enough how appreciative I am that you made us so comfortable, safe and reassured.
Tips for Adjusting to Mothering Two
The Kaase house has a bunch of transitioning going on. I’m trying to figure out how to mother a toddler and a newborn, Bryan is adjusting to being back at work, Emmett is taking on the role of a big sister, Kaiser is adjusting to being with us and the dogs… well, they’re still living their best life. SERIOUSLY THOUGH – IT’S BEEN A LITTLE CRAY-CRAY.
Naturally, I looked to you guys for tips on how to mother 2 kiddos and y’all did NOT disappoint. Below are some of the tips I got from fellow mamas! The first 3 were the most popular tips.
- make the toddler your HELPER – get diapers, check on the baby, give the baby the paci, help the baby get to sleep, etc.
- have a special basket for the toddler to play with while you nurse and only bust it out during that time – it can have things like special snacks, water and sensory activities
- when the baby sleeps, dedicate undivided time and attention to the toddler
- if the baby starts crying, verbally prioritize the toddler to make her feel important – “hi [baby name], let me finish this puzzle with [toddler name] real quick” or “hold on one sec [baby name], I’m helping [toddler name]”
- give the toddler a baby doll that can be her “baby” so she can mimic you
- leave the house chores for later and focus on the babies 🙂
- snuggle with the toddler while nursing the baby
- when daddy gets home, take the toddler on a little date – even if it’s just to the backyard, on a walk, to get ice cream or a quick trip to the store
- send the toddler to Mother’s Day Out as a “big kid activity”
- simply do your best and take it one day at a time
- a beer a day 🤪
Have a great day! Here’s an adorable picture of Kaiser and Emmett before you head out.
