Please Don’t Take My Baby and I Miss Mummy 2-in-1 Collection. Cathy Glass
‘She won’t stop crying,’ Jade blurted. ‘She began just after you left and she hasn’t stopped.’
‘Don’t worry. She’s probably hungry,’ I said calmly.
‘I tried feeding her,’ Jade said. ‘But she wouldn’t suck, so I thought she needed changing, but I can’t do the nappy. She won’t stop screaming.’
Clearly Jade (and Tyler) had panicked, which was understandable given the noise Courtney was making and that they were inexperienced parents. My instinct was to pick up Courtney but I didn’t want to take over, as that could have undermined Jade’s confidence even more. ‘Let’s get her nappy on first,’ I said to Jade, as I stroked Courtney’s forehead to soothe her. ‘Open the nappy so it’s completely flat and slide it under her bottom.’
I held up Courtney’s legs to make it easier for Jade, and she slid the nappy into place and then secured it with the sticky fastening tabs, while Tyler stood watching.
‘It’ll be your turn to change a nappy next,’ I said with a smile. Jade sniffed and managed a smile too.
‘Now put her babygro back on,’ I said to Jade. ‘Newborn babies often cry when you change their nappies or take off their clothes. It’s nothing to worry about; they just don’t like the feeling. They soon get used to the routine.’
Courtney whimpered a little but didn’t cry as Jade finished dressing her.
‘Excellent,’ I said. ‘Now let’s wrap her in the shawl so she’s nice and warm.’ I placed the shawl in Jade’s arms and then lifted Courtney off the changing mat and laid her in the shawl; then I helped Jade wrap the shawl around Courtney. ‘Good,’ I said. ‘Well done. Now sit on the bed with Courtney in the crook of your arm so you are both comfortable and you can feed her.’
Jade did as I suggested and I picked up the bottle, checked the milk was still warm and that it was flowing through the teat by shaking a little on to the back of my hand, and then passed the bottle to Jade. She put the teat to Courtney’s mouth but Courtney didn’t take the teat – or latch on, as it’s known – and, frustrated, screwed up her face as though she was about to cry again.
‘See!’ Jade said, immediately losing confidence. ‘That’s what she does!’
I sat beside Jade on the bed and placed my hand over hers and the bottle, as Courtney reddened with frustration at not being able to feed. ‘Try this,’ I said, and I guided the bottle so that the teat brushed against the side of Courtney’s mouth rather than trying to push it between her lips. Feeling the teat Courtney instinctively opened her mouth, searched for the teat and latched on.
‘Success,’ I said as she suckled and Jade finally relaxed. ‘A nurse showed me that trick when I had Adrian. Brushing the corner of the baby’s mouth with the teat, or nipple if you are breastfeeding, seems to stimulate a reflex action.’ I smiled at Jade. ‘Now enjoy feeding her. Hold her close so she can feel the warmth of your body and you can feel hers. I’ll be back in a minute to show you how to wind her. All right?’
Jade nodded and I left her feeding Courtney with Tyler looking on, while I went downstairs, took off my shoes and coat and went to find Paula. She was in the sitting room, kneeling on the floor and stroking Toscha. ‘It’s OK,’ Paula was saying soothingly to our cat. ‘Mummy knows what to do. Baby has stopped crying now.’ I thought that Courtney’s screaming, together with Jade’s crying, Tyler’s panicked shouting and me rushing upstairs, had frightened Paula.
‘Jade and Courtney are all right now,’ I confirmed. ‘Would you like to come up and see Courtney?’
Paula nodded and, leaving Toscha, slipped her hand into mine and we went upstairs. Tyler was sitting on the bed next to Jade as she fed Courtney. They both looked up and smiled at Paula.
‘Hi, Paula,’ Tyler said. ‘How are you?’
Paula nodded shyly.
‘Would you like to see my baby?’ Jade asked, far more relaxed and confident now Courtney was happily feeding.
Paula stood beside Jade and watched Courtney feeding, mesmerized. Indeed we all were, for there is something enthralling about a newborn baby feeding: completely engrossed, Courtney was the epitome of contentment, as all her needs were being met.
When the bottle was half empty I suggested to Jade that she wind Courtney. I showed her what to do: how to sit Courtney forward, support her chin and gently massage her back. I then moved aside so that Jade could do it; here was something else she would become more proficient at with practice. Tyler then had a little go at winding his daughter and laughed hilariously when Courtney burped. It crossed my mind that they were like children playing ‘mummies and daddies’, only of course this was no game – it was for real. I then told Jade she should give Courtney the rest of her bottle, which she did.
‘What time did you get here?’ I asked Tyler as we waited for Courtney to finish the bottle.
‘About ten minutes before you arrived,’ he said. ‘I left school early.’
‘Can he stay for dinner?’ Jade asked.
‘Yes, of course.’
‘I’ll text me mum and tell her I’ll be back later,’ Tyler said.
Once Courtney had finished the bottle and Jade had given her another little winding we all went downstairs. Jade, Courtney, Tyler and Paula went into the sitting room while I went into the kitchen, where I washed the empty bottle and put it in the sterilizing unit; then I began the preparations for dinner.
When Adrian arrived home from school five minutes later it was to a calm and quiet household. He was pleased to see Tyler and the two of them played on the PlayStation while Paula sat next to Jade on the sofa and gazed at Courtney, who slept.
When it was time to eat I suggested to Jade that she put Courtney into her cot to sleep. I went with her and she laid Courtney on her side, as she’d been shown to do at the hospital. Courtney slept until just before eight o’clock, when she woke for another feed. Paula was in bed by that time and I was reading her a story; Adrian was downstairs with Jade and Tyler. I heard Courtney begin to cry and when Jade didn’t come upstairs to see to Courtney I went down and into the sitting room, where Jade was still on the sofa.
‘You’ll need to warm up a bottle now, love,’ I said. ‘Courtney’s ready for another feed.’ I wasn’t sure if Jade hadn’t heard Courtney or had preferred to stay with Tyler and Adrian, perhaps hoping she’d go back to sleep.
Jade hauled herself off the sofa and we both went into the kitchen, where I waited while she warmed the bottle to the right temperature and tested it as I’d shown her. ‘Will you come with me while I feed and change her?’ Jade asked me a little anxiously. ‘I don’t like it when she cries.’
‘Sure. But don’t let it worry you. She’s not crying because she’s upset; babies cry because they are hungry or uncomfortable.’ I smiled reassuringly and we went upstairs and into her room. Courtney was a bit red in the face from having to wait for her bottle but soon settled once she was feeding.
‘She’s going to be a very good baby,’ I said encouragingly to Jade. ‘And you’re going to be an excellent mummy.’ I knew I needed to take every opportunity to praise Jade to build her confidence in parenting Courtney.
It wasn’t until Tyler had gone home and Jade was getting ready for bed, having said she was exhausted and was having an early night, that I thought to ask Adrian if he had any homework. The PlayStation was usually reserved for use at weekends and holidays, but Tyler and Adrian had been playing on it for most of the evening.
‘Yes,’ Adrian admitted a little sheepishly. Then he added quickly: ‘But it doesn’t have to be in until next week.’
I always preferred homework to be done on the day it was set so that it didn’t build up and become unmanageable, which Adrian knew.
‘Adrian,’ I