List/Grid Author Archives: Sylvia
Lessons from Baby’s First Christmas
For the holidays, my husband and I took our 11 week old daughter, Peanut, to the U.S. to meet my family and our friends there. I tried to anticipate how to help Peanut adjust to a complete change from her daily routine of being mostly at home with me. What I was not prepared for, though, were some of my reactions. I have a difficult time still fully comprehending that Peanut is her own albeit…
Baby’s First Immunizations
My daughter, Peanut, celebrated two months on this planet this week with her first major rite of passage. She had her first series of vaccinations today – DTaP (diptheria, tetanus, whooping cough), IPV (polio), Hib (bacterial infections), and Pneumococcal. And, yes, just as all the parenting articles state, it is just as big of a deal for the parents. It truly felt like a first rite of passage into parenthood for us too. We make…
First Night Away: German Christmas Markets
For our first overnight outing, we took our seven week old daughter, Peanut, to the Christmas market in Aachen, Germany. We always said that we are not going to be the parents that bend to our daughter’s every need, but who a re we kidding? We chose Aachen because it is the closest Christmas market to the Dutch border. Instead of taking a day trip by train to the markets like half of The Netherlands…
Parenthood: Early Days
Leaving the house for the first time after giving birth was like slipping into another dimension. I went out of the house for the first time five days after my daughter was born to buy a few button-down tops in hopes of making nursing a little bit easier. My lower back ached and my legs felt cartoonishly heavy. I trudged the streets slowly, bleary eyed and disoriented. I have walked these streets to do my…
Due Date
Cue the trumpets and cheering crowds….We’ve crossed the finish line. My due date is today. And…nothing. I am still pregnant. I have thought about this date so many times and put so much energy into thinking about what labor will be like. I have also spent hours imagining what our little baby girl will look, smell, sound, and feel like. Despite my midwife repeatedly telling me that first born babies are late eighty percent of…
Swimming Through Week 39 of Pregnancy
In my search for pain relief, I have also taken up swimming again. I found a one piece swimsuit in the plus size section of our local department store. I mention this only as a tip to other pregnant woman. It was about half the price of anything I found at maternity shops. That seems to be the trend in general with maternity clothes, but I digress. There is something quite liberating about being nearly…
Pregnancy Massage
In my quest for pain relief in my third trimester of pregnancy, I decided to try a massage specially designed for pregnant woman. It seems to be a small niche in the market here. I found two spas in my city, but it took a week to get in for an appointment. Like with most niche offerings and especially those labeled ‘maternity’, I am very cynical initially about how specialized the treatment will actually be….
Pregnancy Pain Management: Floatation
I have been really fortunate so far in my pregnancy and have not had any morning sickness or much of any symptoms to speak of. That is all catching up with me now, though. In the process of “lightening”, the baby has dropped so low that she is creating pressure on my lower back, pelvis, and inner thighs. This results in varying degrees of radiating pain. It can make walking, sitting and lying down uncomfortable….
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