MW came. It was a strange experience. I opened the door and she told me I look really well. I don't. My eyes are swollen from crying.
She weighed my baby who has regained her birth weight and put on 200g above her birth weight. As soon as I heard that I felt proud.
I was drinking a cup of tea when the MW came. She told me off and said I should be drinking milk or milkshakes or I will keep the baby up at night. I said I felt low and she said I should have a snack after each feed, then a rest and that I'd eaten too many citrus fruits, onions and spicy food which has upset the baby. My baby doesn't seem upset to me. I have no idea how MW can tell if I've eaten onions by looking at me. She then told me to take multivitamins as I'm 'tired'. Had to explain the GP thing again for the sixth time today.
She looked at my CS incision, prodded me and said she was discharging me. I told her I've been crying and she gave me a list of baby clinics, asked me if I like liver and steak and told me to eat more red meat and take vitamin D supplements.
Then she reeled off a list of contraceptive options, quite at random, including two I know aren't suitable for me and none my preferred option. Not that sex is at the forefront of my mind today. She was ticking things on a list as she spoke and barely looked at me. I think she is really overworked.
I tried a third time to say I haven't felt well but she said I was doing brilliantly, put her sandals on and drove off. It was quite a whirlwind appointment and after waiting all day, I felt a bit WTF?
Two good things came of it. I'm really pleased DD is putting weight on. It makes all the feeding worth it.
It also made me laugh at the strangeness of it all. And if I can laugh, I must be a long way from how I felt earlier.
It's DH's birthday tomorrow. I'm trying to bake a cake and wondering why I do so much. I am also realising through this thread that my irritation with him may be entirely normal given his words yesterday.
I've told him he needs to help and also told him how. I will talk to him again once DD1 is in bed. He called his DM to see if she can help me next week. She is coming, but only for the day with DFIL and DGreatAuntIL who is quite bossy. They've suggested taking us out for lunch. I was thinking more of laundry and some practical help but that's not happening.
So I've called a cleaning agency who are going to send someone twice a week and also found an ironing service. If I know practical things are sorted I should be able to rest.
As I'm typing this I've heard I have got a family welfare officer from the military coming this evening. Someone suggested that I might access some support from the military upthread and they have been very responsive.
So despite the crap HV (that was crap, wasn't it?) I do feel I'm moving in the right direction.
Thanks for being there today.