the post with a lot of random baby stuff

it's 3 week birth day for this 3rd child of ours today, and life with him in it seems like it always was - he is such a sweet sweet little soul.

(are these not the cutest little twig legs you have ever seen? and in those booties?!!)

i wanted to share a bunch of baby stuff with you - in answer to some questions and also stuff i just love and want to tell you about incase you might love it too :)

beginning with this picture ivy drew the day after the birth. i think i cried (i'm sure i did - nothing unusual in those first few days) when she showed me, it is so beautiful and hilarious and accurate (right down to the sling and the bag hanging on the hook behind me, not to mention the 'screams' coming from my mouth). i will cherish this forever and ever, banjo's two big sisters welcoming him with outstretched arms.

i had ivy tell me her version of the night's events and wrote it in my pregnancy journal ("banjo swam up to mumma" being my favourite bit), and in my weepy newborn state i also typed out his birth story which turned into somewhat of an essay. as my body heals, mick goes back to work and no-one is making me dinner anymore (!) his birth now feels like something that happened both yesterday and forever ago.  i'm so glad i wrote it while fresh in my mind - now time to go back and write the girls stories.

 

baby stuff! i love it, don't you? i have simple needs - banjo has one little chest of drawers in our room with all his belongings in and on it, i've had to be extra resourceful this time too with our move and not having much money to spend. so, we don't have a ton of baby stuff - but we make what we do have count! and luckily we still have all the essentials leftover from yindi.

slings are definitely essential! i have 3 different ones, all used for yindi - the one above is great for a teeny babe and then again when they are a big heavy lump on your hip! it's a maya wrap i got 2nd hand, but apparently they are easy to make and i'm going to try one out for my sis-in-law using the instructions found here - i'll let you know how it goes! the sling is pretty much the only safe place to keep him out of his mischevious 2 year old sisters hands.

(everyday beautiful gnome hat)

one drawer of clothes! most everything is hand-me-downs...ivy and i dyed a lot of our old girly baby stuff into browns and greens for this boy of ours, i've also been making several pairs of pants from old jumpers/sweaters...and just enjoying having a small, simple stash of clothes and keeping up with the washing. since we came back to australia with a small amount of clothing each - it's been so nice just having what we need (and what fits!) and more regular washing/putting away in it's place (as opposed to my usual routine of a gigantic pile of clean washing in my bedroom that cannot be put away due to overstuffing of all drawers/excessive amounts of illfitting clothing etc).

the few clothes i have bought for him (thanks to a gift voucher from my lovely friends) are from nature baby, a new zealand company that make beautiful, simple clothing from natural and sustainable fabrics - they have the sweetest stuff.

i normally give myself a months grace after having a baby and use disposables - but i was actually dying to get into them early this week! i have some simple chinese prefolds from a friend that i am just putting into nappy covers (i LOVE these eco-fleece covers), and my old faithful hemp nappies/diapers  - they are easy to use and now come with funky coloured stitching! i need some more covers and am hoping to make some this week from some old thrifted jumpers (anyone want to come an babysit so i can actually do that?!)

at the moment banjo sleeps with us at night, and in the hammock during the day (if i'm lucky - his sleeping place of choice is in someone's arms). he's having some tummy/gas problems which is a bit of a challenge but i took him to the chiropractor today and hopefully things will improve...i am longing for more than a 2 hour block of sleep!

it has been a much much better recovery physically and emotionally this time for me - even though he was so huge and yes, i had stitches! being at home made such a difference - i'm so grateful to have been here in perth where homebirth is a free option on the community midwifery program. i had an awesome midwife who visits us weekly until 6 weeks, the care and support and checkups on my own couch have been so wonderful (oh and the birth pool i used was awesome! best $180 i've ever spent) and i still feel on puffy happy clouds for getting this experience i wanted so badly!

**ok this may freak you out, i am reluctant to share - but i will incase it is of interest! please know i realise this is not for everyone and i am only sharing my experience...i believe my recovery has been helped along by eating part of the placenta (i know, you are squealing in disgust right?) - no, i'm not whipping up placenta curries or sitting down to eat it with a knife and fork!  after the birth we put the placenta in the freezer and then cut up tiny pea size pieces (and kept them frozen also) so i can swallow every day with grape juice - i promise i can't taste a thing! many studies have been done about the benefits of eating the placenta which interested me, so i did this with both ivy and banjo's placentas.i have also heard of a kit you can get to encapsulate your placenta which surely makes it um, easier to swallow?!

so. nothing like a placenta-eating conversation to kill the mood hey? i can't even remember what else i was going to share/link you to now! it's late, and my babe is sleeping so i will sign off - but please feel free to share your fave baby/birth links and stories in the comments, and i will also try to answer any questions in there also...

happy weekend!

Comments

[Lindsay R]

thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing such personal, wonderful stories with us. i have never met you personally, but i feel a connection anyway, in terms of similar ideas/thoughts/feelings/hopes, etc. you're an inspiration to me on a daily basis, and i'm thankful to have this amazing internet world to have found you! i have three little ones also, and i relish every bit of baby/birth/family story i can get -- yours are among my favorite!!! wishing you tons more juicy moments, i know you will have many. and in the moments when things get a little tough, just know that other nicer moments are just around the corner. love, love, love to you and your family from the middle of no-where oregon! ;-)

[kate]

precious baby boy, creative drawing by ivy, inspiring on the cloth diapers, and not even a bit disgusting on the placenta....just beautiful and healthy.....enjoy this time..

[Jacqueline]

The best babystuff is the stuff that you make yourself! Only with the twins it was hard to keep up with the clothes so i had to buy it.

Never heard about the placenta eating - but I think that frozen little parts are definitly the way to go! :-)
Animals do it all the time, so there is much more to it than we might know!

[Stacy (Mama-Om)]

Cute!!! Those are great booties.

And I'm not too grossed out by the placenta. Almost wish I were having a third baby so I could look into doing it myself. :)

[olya]

such a fun, warm and glowing post, thank you! and those booties are just perfect for Banjo's twiggy legs.

you won't see me squirming in my chair about the placenta ;-) I've been planning to do the same thing myself this time, after our baby is born, just haven't decided yet whether it's going to be powdered and encapsulated or just frozen...

oh, and that drawing of your birth by Ivy? that's simply brilliant and such an incredible treasure to have.

[Jeanelle]

Hysterical Article about Placenta Eating from a first time father's point of view...

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1908194,00.html

Your baby is beautiful!

[Renee]

Thanks for the Banjo pictures. He's such a little chunker. My babies still look like skinned chickens at three weeks.

[Heather]

The drawing is adorable! I love the baby hammock. I've never seen one of those.

As for the placenta eating, I've heard this does wonders for leveling off the estrogen surges so you don't go through the crazy postpartum phase. It you dry it in a dehydrator and then blend it in a coffee grinder, you would be able to put it in capsules just to make it easier to take. Just a thought.

xoxo
Heather

[www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1595854639]

yay, i really enjoyed your baby post:) i love your blog, it's so homey and cozy. i love to peek into your sweet life, it inspires me.

[Elicia]

i've heard about the placenta thing... it seems kinda icky but that's such a better way to do it that in like a smoothie!
i'm happy to see your little boy :)

[mccabe]

OH DEAR LORD
he is so, so sweet!!!
love his little face and that
he "swam up to you..."
ah! a merman in the flesh!
:)
xoxoxoxo

[meg duerksen]

wow.
i have never even heard of that. i have heard of planting it? but not eating it? interesting.
i just did exactly what the hospital and dr's told me too....and now that i am all done having babies...i SO WISH i had tried doing things my own way. anything that i would have liked. but i was too scared.
home birth or midwives....i wish i had tried.
good for you!
he is so cute i would love to kiss him all day. what a blessing!

[claudia]

I have 3 children of my own - it´s really true what they say about them growing up so fast by the way. Mine are now 17, 15 and 14 and it still feels like yesterday and forever ago that they were born. My eyes almost popped out when I read about the placenta, hmmm, not sure what I think about that. Love all the little baby bits and baby Banjo of-course. I´m sending some healing energy your way.

[tara pollard pakosta]

what a GREAT drawing!
baby banjo is PRECIOUS!
I had home births with both of my girls, but I have never heard of the placenta eating thing and almost threw up when I read more about it! I have a weak stomach though! HA!
tara

[jaz]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAa you just made me crack up SO BAD!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!

Awesome.
(still laughing)

[domenico]

Will you consume the whole placenta? Do you wash it or boil it before you take it? My mum buried hers in the backyard.

[Katie Squires]

I loved reading ever word of this post, you are so AWESOME!! really, please keep sharing :) :) :)

[Tula]

I adore hearing about your babies, all three. You make me want to go back and redo my three babies (although they aren't quite babies anymore, all are over 20). Much love to you and yours.

[CageFreeFamily]

Lovely, lovely post. Thank you for sharing everything. I have never known a woman to consume the placenta and NOT have a much easier time recovering in all ways. It seems to have a profound effect for healing, emotional balance and hormonal balance. I've heard that consuming it all in about a week has the most dramatic results, so I'm going to give that a try this time... If I can ;-) Seems like a lot, but strawberry smoothies here I come ;-)
xoxo

Happy for you!

[Emily]

Congratulations on "bouncing" back after your baby! Your stories make me wish I was able to have another one or two or more, but i have two which is more than I thought to ever have had. I have to admit I've never heard about eating the placenta in human mothers. But on the farm I grew up, it was expected for the cows, horses, and sheep to eat theirs and my dad said it was a sign of a good mother. I have to admit a little bit of squeamishness on the idea of doing it, but when I think of how quickly the animals got up and started caring for their young and seemed to recovery (even from a difficult birth) it does make sense.

[Serena]

Thanks for sharing this beautiful post with us, Em. I have heard about the mother eating part of the placenta before and, while it may sound a little off-putting, it's really quite natural. I've heard that drinking a cup of your first morning urine is also supposed to have very beneficial affects on the body. I've never tried it so can't vouch for it but, apparently, it's true.

Your post also reminded me of a simpler time when the kids and I returned to Australia from the States with basically all our belongings packed into our suitcases. It's been now ten years and we've accumulated sooooooooo much stuff that I sometimes yearn for the simpler time where we had only a small amount of belongings. The simple life truly has a lot going for it.

[tamsin]

your blog is a favourite of mine and i love seeing ur beautiful families journey! banjo is so precious, as are ur girls! there is something so intoxicating about a newborn! the births of my children couldnt have been more different to ur experience,{caesarians} but after all it is just that 'your experience' so perfect and profound! as is the decision to eat the placenta, if that is ur thing then im all for it...much like eating steak i guess? keep on keeping it real girlfriend!

[collette]

Sadly, I have never given birth. Pregnant once but miscarried. I still love baby stories about the birth and all that goes with it and this was so lovely to share. I am not at all grossed out by the placenta and I love the fact you gave birth in the tub. It may seem weird but years ago my best and closest friends invited me to be present during the births of two of their children. It was hands-down the most amazing thing to experience and I will never forget it.
Even though I have yet to experience giving birth, I have had the privelage of being step-mumma to two.
Banjo is awesome and I too love the drawing Ivy did. How beautiful that they got to experience the birth as well. I think it's a celebration.
Glad you are savouring every moment.

[Holly C.]

Thank you for sharing your lovely family (and placenta eating story, of course).☺

[Alison Gibbs]

Oh what a sweet little man you have there. I just love the drawing - their little eyes don't miss anything - right down to the tiniest detail. It is amazing how many clothes some babies have and don't need, just having enough to get by on sounds perfect to me.
Alison