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Thursday, July 24, 2003
baby doll baby - 07:51 PM
on tuesday i went to a breasfeeding class at the hospital in which i'll be having the babe. it was quite informative.
i plan to breastfeed, you see, all going well. of course, it's up to baby really. if he or she decides that the boob just isn't the thing, then i suppose i'll be using a bottle. either way though, i'll be using my own breast milk, i'll simply express it.
the lady covered the basics, like latching the baby onto the boob properly, what to do if you get cracked nipples, how having a caesarian can affect when the milk comes through, mastitis, etc. it was only a small group, so we got to ask questions too.
we watched a video where a lady was showing a group of women various ways of positioning the baby & how to ensure that the baby would latch onto the breast properly. it showed her with some individual women also, with their actual babies, where she helped them to get the babes to latch on right, so that it didn't hurt to feed.
before the video started, we were given a cloth doll each to practise on. the dolls had rather funny faces drawn on them. in fact, they were so ugly they were kind of cute, if you know what i mean. most of the dolls were dressed in shorts, a top & a little hat. my doll didn't have a hat, but it did have a pair of disposable nappies on under its shorts & a hospital tag around its wrist with a name on it. the name was a kind of play on the name of the hospital. when i noticed it & said so out loud, the girl next to me commented, "someone's got far too much time on their hands." 
as the video was on, i watched the way they held the babies & i followed suit with my doll. i felt a bit silly, but i figured it was good practise to see how it would feel to hold a real baby comfortably. the others just sat their dolls on their laps until the lady who was teaching us said, "you can practise with your dolls! don't be shy!"
later on, we still had the dolls & despite everyone else, i hugged mine, wondering what it would be like if my doll was really the baby inside me, instead of just cloth & stuffing. i've been looking forward to meeting my baby face to face, but that was the first time that i've really wondered what it would be like to hold my own child. i didn't necessarily feel 'motherly' as such, more so i felt wistful about getting to meet a friend whom i've been talking to for a long time & have grown to love somehow, even though they haven't been able to talk back to me.
i'm really looking forward to meeting my baby. no matter how bubby comes out (my obstetrician has ordered another ultrasound at thirty-six weeks, in just over five weeks, to see where the second placenta is lying. if it's in the way i'll have to have a caesarian) i'm really keen to have the little thing lying on my chest & seeing what face it has, how big it is, counting all its fingers & toes, looking over its whole body & being full of wonder at how this tiny little human grew inside me for nine months.
why hasnt someone made sure the babydolls in the classes, that we must take to learn how to do all this stuff, are less like a voo-doo doll and more like a baby? its even worse now to know that not only my country, but yours now as well, expect us to have class with little voo-doo babies!...on behalf of you and me and every other woman who has ever had to go through class with a funky lookin baby, i say..THANK GOD OURS DONT COME OUT LOOKIN LIKE THAT!!
yeah, that was lovely
there's nothing quite like holding a little baby.It makes you feel so good, specially if you haven't had the chance to for a long time (I just came from working in the Nursery).It's just such a special thing.Back in year 11, 2001, my teacher ordered in one of those virtual babies (the ones they used in big brother!). everyone got to take it home either for the night, or the weekend. i took it home for the weekend and found it to be a real challenge to take care of it. it's so much like a real bub...
made me feel all clucky.. and it was only a doll!!
i can't wait until you have your bub!!
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that was nice