Paige Cameron
Tell us a bit about yourself
This is a bit hard to answer! I feel like it is a job interview question haha. Well... I'm a first time mama! I have the best partner, a wild sausage dog and five cute lil chickens. I love hiking, cooking, beach, friends, mountains, chocolate. I also can't sit still and love lists, calendars, reminders and spreadsheets (if you know me you know).
What were you doing before babies?
Working for Defence as a Communication Manager!
How did you come to be a mum?
Our gorgeous little girl was an oopsie (Am I allowed to say that? Maybe don't tell her that), a beautiful surprise. It took me a while to process it, but through each day of my pregnancy I grew more excited and in love. My partner and I knew we wanted kids, and probably both assumed we would chat more seriously about it after we got married, but hey the universe had other plans. And I honestly believe it was meant to be. There really is no perfect time, and I feel like I would have never felt ready and always would have had a 'I just want to.... before'. If I could turn back time I wouldn't change a thing. We have said from the moment we found out that we are so lucky to have a home, good health and money to start this new chapter together.
What has your feeding journey been like? The day she was born to 4 months old... Hard. So damn hard. So hard to the point I truly believed I could not have another kid. I had Sage in the afternoon and that night, all three of us slept from 11PM - 7AM. I think that sent me on a bad tangent. The first few days I didn't have any milk and she wasn't latching well. Day 3 my milk came in and she had learnt to latch much better but she had lost 500g and the midwives were concerned. This is where the breast pump business started, I had to feed her on the boob and pump every feed to top her up with a bottle of expressed milk. I'll never know if this didn't help my breastfeeding journey but I can't change it so I have to not worry about it. Sage fussed on the boob for about 14 weeks before I gave it up and just gave her bottles. Weirdest thing but, she will happily have boob at night but not during the day. Doctors, midwives, lactation consultants, paediatrician, friends, family, fellow mamas, my partner and I = bazzled. At one point there I was feeding 20 mins both boobs, pumping 20 mins, waiting an hour and pumping 20 mins again to make sure I had enough milk for top ups. She is a slow weight gainer which has caused me a lot of stress, so it is really important for her to be offered a bottle every feed to make sure she is as full as she can be.
Did I mention her allergies? Ha. More challenges! After many appointments with doctors, midwives, lactation consultants, a paediatrician and a dietitian - we did some tests and it turns out Sage is allergic to dairy and soy. Yep, bye chocolate for me! I cut those things out of my diet and definitely saw a slight improvement in her weight gain, poo's (which are normally very mucous'y) and overall happiness but the paediatricians seems to think there is something else not agreeing with her. So I then cut out dairy, soy, eggs, oats and nuts. No improvement meant wheat and corn would be added to the list. After cutting out so much for my diet, and spending on average 4 hours a day on a pump I was ready to move to formula. She has to have an allergy friendly formula which the doctor warned me tastes yuck and not many babies like, so I tried that a few times and she didn't want a bar of it. We had to slowly introduce, mixing small amounts in with breastmilk. Fast forward to now, she is on full formula and I have so much more time, and has reduced the stress of needing to pump on the go and in public. We have just started solids which has been fun! Sage is loving pumpkin, blueberries and apple! The past month on formula has made such a difference for us, we are all a lot happier!
Feeding has been one hell of a ride for us.
What has sleep been like in your house?
They say you get a good sleeper or a good eater (if you have both count your lucky stars) and we have a good sleeper that is for sure! It was a rough first week as she was hungry, but once we sorted that out she has had very few bad nights. She feeds well, and goes back to sleep to the beautiful sounds of the breast pump. We really weren't doing day naps well, for a long time, but after some advice from a family friend we introduced white noise, swaddling and made her room extra dark and she goes down mostly really well. The hardest bits… For us! Feeding. Without a doubt. (I've cried more the first 4 months than I have in my entire life. And also just getting used to having someone else rule my world. I have had to learn to accept that the house won't be spotless all the time, I might be late to things etc.
The best bits…
The smiles, the giggles, each milestone - everything from looking into your eyes, to holding your finger, smiles, giggles. Each 'first' we are so darn proud and excited. How do you make time for you? Asking for help most of the time. Or trying to figure out ways to make it work. I like walking, so I take her with me. I like cooking, so I sit her in a rocker on the kitchen bench and play with her while I cook. I take some solo time - going for a run or seeing a friend. My Mum and Dad have been my rock in this journey and have often come over to help.
What’s next for you and your family?
Just enjoy our new little family. We just want to spend time at the beach, hang with friends, and make memories.
A piece of advice for our readers?
Don't be afraid to say no to anything. If you don't feel like visitors, just say so. If you feel uncomfortable, tell them. If you are overwhelmed with advice, say that. Also - every challenge, you will overcome. It is a physical and emotional rollercoaster ride and through hard days, exhaustion, confusion... you will overcome it all. Motherhood has been a massive learning journey for me but my golly, when I see that sweet little smile and are bursting at the seams with love - it reminds me that this is the sweetest thing to happen in our lives. Enjoy every minute, even the hard ones.