Mango Lassi // Welcome Baby Isabelle (II)

Part 2 of Isabelle’s birth! You can read Part 1 here. 

Because of coronavirus, no guests were allowed in the hospital. It was nice to have these days alone -just B, Isabelle, and me bonding.

After Isabelle was born, we moved to a different unit in the hospital. It was the middle of the night and we were exhausted and wide awake simultaneously thanks to the adrenaline.

In our hospital, people stay 1-2 days after vaginal delivery and 3-4 days after C section. (Thinking I would be in labor forever, B packed way too many clothes)

I didn’t have a lot of – ok, any – experience with babies. The nurses kindly showed us how to swaddle, change diapers, and breastfeed over the next day and a half. Isabelle was hungry as a piranha and ate like one too.

We got to enjoy the first of many sleepless nights. She may be tiny, but she had powerful lungs.

Isabelle was wrapped in the iconic flannel blanket you see in all baby photos – the white with blue and pink stripes. Apparently, all blankets in hospital maternity wards in North America come from the same manufacturer. They’re called Kuddle-Up blankets, and they come from the U.S. company Medline. It’s been around since the 1950s. They actually have other prints, but nearly hospitals get the striped one because it’s cheaper and is now a classic. (source, source)

I was too tired to be bored, but B quickly got cabin fever in our hospital room and was eager to go home. We didn’t leave the room because of social distancing. Hospital food was not fun to eat, but we didn’t order take out since the hospital didn’t like people going in and out for safety. We spent a lot of time videochatting with family and friends (many commented on how great I looked right after birth, and that B looked like he was the one who had just given birth haha).

Because Isabelle was so small, she had additional blood sugar monitoring during our stay. We were thrilled all her bloodwork was normal, and she was already at her birth weight by Day 2 (babies lose weight after birth and have 2 weeks to regain their birth weight). 

We were discharged and went home as a new family!

Mango Lassi adapted from Simply Recipes. One of my last cravings before Isabelle was born. 

Mango Lassi

Ingredients
1 cup plain yogurt
1 cup milk or almond milk
1 cup mango, chopped (fresh or frozen)
honey or sugar, to taste
cinnamon, saffron, and chopped pistachio, to garnish

Directions
Combine mango, yogurt, milk, sugar/honey into a blender and blend until smooth.

Top with cinnamon, saffron, and chopped pistachio. Serve chilled. Enjoy!