Welcome, Jakob!!

Jakob Ragnar Erickson made his debut Tuesday, January 4, 2011 at 3:45pm and he is perfect!  4200 grams (9 lbs 4 oz), 52cm (20.5 in) long, and 35cm (13.8 in) head circumference.

The whole experience at the UniversitatsSpital Zurich was amazing and I wouldnt trade it for anything.  My labor started very quickly at 8am (luckily before Paul left for work) and by noon labor was halfway over and we were at the hospital.  Not once was medicine suggested and the midwife very quickly found things that worked for me.  I wasnt hooked up to anything and was drinking water through it all.  Paul was there the whole time and was able to cut the cord.  Jakob was immediately put on my chest for skin to skin and breastfeeding was introduced but he had been sucking on his bottom lip so long in the womb that we had to use facial massages to get him to feed correctly.  The hospital does rooming-in so your baby is always with you next to your bed and by the 2nd day the nurses slowly start handing the baby reigns to you.  My labor went so fast and my water broke so close to the end that I never got the b strep meds so they watched Jakob a little closer in the beginning but he was perfectly fine.

 

We stayed at the hospital for 4 full days and got amazing meals, great help and advice, and even got some good sleep.  Since breastfeeding takes some time they would encourage it as long as you were rested.  So at night when he needed more they would give him glucose water and I could sleep.  He barely fit into his coming home clothes because his feet are so big but he fit perfectly in the baby bjorn and rode the tram like a champ.  Before we left the hospital though the nurse who we had gotten close to did some last things with Jakob and he thanked her with a huge projectile poop and as she was cleaning herself he relieved himself all over the medical supplies.  lol  At home a midwife came for the first few days to keep checking his weight and other things and even teach me some exercises to restrengthen my abs.  All of this amazing-ness is covered completely by basic insurance and I am so incredibly thankful.  Jakob got a bath before we left the hospital which meant his little 3 day old legs were swimming in a sink full of water.  They dont wait for the umbilical stump to fall off here so he's already had another bath at home and loved it.  His little legs were kicking around and he didnt make a sound.  Of course he had to pee on mommy afterwards but it was worth it.  :)

He already has visited Paul's lab to meet everyone and today we went to the Mutterberatung.  It is a place where people can bring their kids to get basic checks for weight and height and ask questions and it's free!  So Jakob has not gotten back up to his birth weight but he's still gaining.  I think we're starting to see a little schedule which I would very much enjoy but we'll see.  A couple people have made us dinner which we are so thankful for.  The days I've cooked were not fun but I've almost mastered the napping!  Can't wait to take him to FL to meet everyone!