Birth Story- Part 2

So, we were being wheeled up to the post-partum wing when I left off before!

We got up to the room about 9:00 pm. Our entire family was waiting outside in the hallway, and they had to stay there for another 45 minutes or so. I know they were getting ansy! We met the nurses that were going to take care of us that night. They had a lot of information for us to read, and a video to watch.

This time is a little hazy for me, I was on a lot of medication from the surgery. I remember the nurses making sure Logan was ok, taking his vitals and everything. They gave me more medicine too. I remember getting Methergine for bleeding, since I had hemorrhaged and they weren't sure how my uterus was going to handle the bleeding. I also got a shot of Nubain because something made me extremely itchy. I didn't have the shakes anymore, so that was a relief.

Finally, the family got to come in. They had waited 3 1/2 hours to meet the little guy and they were excited! Our parents came in first, then the siblings, and then the friends. Everyone was very happy to meet him. Only a couple people actually held him, but a million pictures were taken!

By 10:15, I was completely exhausted so everyone left. The nurses came back to hook my legs up to compression cuffs so I wouldn't get blood clots while I was confined to the bed. I couldn't get up out of bed or eat until 6am. I was starving!

They finally let me have some jello later that night thank goodness!

The first night went fairly well. Poor Nick was completely thrown into fatherhood, since I wasn't allowed out of bed. He had his first experience changing a diaper, with me trying to guide him from the bed. Boy was that funny!

The next day was full of lots of visitors and lots of feeding the little piglet. He had his hearing test done that morning. It was a little early, so his left ear didn't pass. They said not to worry because they normally don't do it until at least 24 hours old. Since he was only about 15, there was plenty of time.

That night, he was circumcised by the OB, and he also got his first Hepatitis B vaccination shot. He was NOT a happy camper that night. We also found out that he absolutely hated the little bassinet that he was supposed to sleep in. Nick and I ended up taking shifts with him in our bed or sitting with him in the rocking chair. It was a long night.

I had gotten out of bed a couple of times during the day, but it was really hard. They wanted me to take a shower but I was really scared of the incision. Nick finally helped me in there while Martha and my friend Jeanene watched Logan for us. I definitely felt a lot better after the shower!

The next morning, we saw the on-call pediatrician. Logan had been super fussy all night, so we asked if he could have some baby Tylenol since he had just had surgery! The doctor okayed it. The next time the nurse came in, I asked about it and she said something to the effect of "Oh, he might not be hurting that much, let's just give it a little while because it makes him sleepy." Ok.. I might not have been a parent for more the 36 hours at that point, but I know when my baby is hurting! I had to call another THREE times for her to finally bring the medicine. Three hours after it had been prescribed. I was NOT a happy camper.

The other daytime nurse that was taking care of me wasn't much better. At one point, she came into the room to give me a pill. Nick was taking care of Logan, and I was trying to make it to the bathroom. I had gotten out of bed, and there was extreme pain from my incision. I was hunched over the end of the bed in pain when she came in. She handed me the pill and walked out. She didn't even ask if I was ok!

I did not like the daytime nurses at all. We had those same two ladies the whole time. I am thinking about writing to the hospital. It was ridiculous!

Wednesday night, Logan was tested for jaundice. His levels were a little high with the skin test they do, so he had to go for a blood draw. The blood draw revealed levels that were within the normal range, but still a little high.

That night, the nurses came to take Logan to the little nursery for a few hours so we could get some sleep. I had a really hard time with that. I felt extremely guilty for letting someone take my baby from me. I didn't feel like I was being a good mother. I finally calmed down and feel asleep.

Around 3am, they brought Logan back and woke me up. They said that he had lost too much weight. He was down to 6lbs8oz. They only like to see maybe a 10% loss of birthweight at the most. So they put me on a strict feeding plan. I had to feed him for at least 15 minutes on each side, and then pump with the breast pump and feed him that, and then feed him formula to fill him up! It took feedings from 20-30 minutes to close to an hour.

He pretty much stopped fussing once he had a full tummy. He was just one hungry kid!

In the morning, we saw the pediatrician and the on-call OB. They both okayed us to go home.

At about 2 pm, we were finally discharged from the hospital. Nick's parents were there to help us home.

-Kristin