........for the first time on my blog, LeeAnna Marie Price, born
Thursday November 17, 2011 at 8:20 am, weighing 7 pounds 3.5 ounces.
I checked into the hospital on Wednesday
November 16, 2011, to give birth to our daughter the next day. As my husband and
the hospital staff was helping me settle in, my doctor came by to see me. He
then told me that my c-section would be done via an epidural. I went into shock,
as I had more or less settled on having general anaesthesia, as this was what I
had when I had my son. I told him how terrified I was of having an epidural as
I had read about the risks. He wasted no time in telling me that 90% of
his c-section surgeries are done via an epidural and it is really safer than
having general anaesthesia. You also experience far less pain. I said to him,
well that is why you are the doctor and I have to trust you.
After my husband left, I settled into bed and
began pondering about the events that would unfold the next day. I also
realised that I felt a sudden sense of calm and even some excitement. I figure
it had to do with the fact that I would now be able to hear my baby cry, and
would know right away that she is fine, something I did not have the privilege
of with my son.
I could hardly sleep that night as I kept
checking the time quite anxious to begin the next day. I was happy when the nurse told me that I will be awaken at 5:30 am, to be
prepared for surgery, as that made my night even shorter.
I was awaken at 5:30 Thursday morning as
promised. I had what would be my last real bath for a couple of days and got
dressed for surgery. My Anaesthesiologist came in shortly afterwards to brief
me about the epidural that will be administered
to me. I told him my fears and he basically consoled me the same way my doctor
did. I was by now even more comfortable with having this epidural done. Not
long afterwards my doctor came in, he asked me what kind of music I liked and
proceeded to select something that would be played in the background while the
surgery was being done. He then instructed that I be wheeled into the OR. All
members of his team were not present as yet, so he told me that my surgery
would be a little late. I did not mind at all as by now I was feeling really
calm and confident that all would be well.
My husband could not be there with me as he had
to take our son to school and have him settle in until his teacher arrives. I
was sad at that, but my doctor and his team made me feel at ease. I was administered the epidural and it took
effect shortly afterwards. All I felt was some tingling in my legs, then
gradual lost of feeling in the bottom half of my body. My surgery which was originally set
for 7:00am that morning, got under-way at 8:00 am.
The OR was buzzing with laughter and jokes that
I could hardly hear the background music. I find myself adding my little bit to
these jokes when I could, as I was battling nausea and heaviness in my chest. At
8:20 am precisely, our daughter was born, and I heard her cry shortly
thereafter. It was the most surreal experience I ever had. A relief swept over
me as I wanted to hear that precious cry so much. I was even more relieved when
they presented her to me and I saw that she was a normal, healthy beautiful
child. God is so faithful.
No sooner had my doctor finished stitching me
up, I began having the most unbearable pain. I guess I must have only received
enough anaesthetic to last the duration of the surgery and by the time I was
wheeled back to my room I was having shivers so much that I needed a blanket. I
remember I kept asking the nurse that was looking after me for pain medication
but she kept fussing over having my drips in place and said that my drips were
more important than any pain medication. I thought t myself, how cruel.
I received the pain medication at last but I did
not take effect right away, I even had visitors who were anxious to meet the
baby, but I could not be host to anyone at that time. I remember just shivering
and asking my husband to hold me.
I drifted off into sleep, and the next thing I
knew I woke up and the pain had subsided. I felt so much better and was even
able to get out of bed, with help of course and have my supper in a chair. By
this time I had more visitors and was able to be a good host, even though I
felt very drugged up.
LeeAnna did not quite get the hang of
breastfeeding right away, but with persistence and patience she eventually got
it, and refused to do anything else but feed for the rest of our stay in the
hospital.
By this time, I had received a roommate as I had
opted to share room. She registered for a vaginal birth but when things took an
awful turn, where her baby’s head was not engaging for birth and showed
frightening signs of distress when they attempt to intensify labour, they had
to perform an emergency c-section. Thank God, she and baby came through alright
and when she was well enough, we had some bonding time.
I was by now missing my son so much, because
children under a certain age are not allowed in the hospital. I sent for him
and when he arrived I was told that I could wheel the baby out in the lobby to him. I was excited
and he was too when he saw myself and his sister. We spent some quality time
together and when he was ready to leave he began wheeling the baby to the door
and saying, come mommy come, let’s take the baby home. When I told him not just
yet, he said, but she is my baby. I was so overcome with joy knowing that he
had accepted his sister and was ready to have her home.
The next day, Sat. November 19, 2011, I began
packing to leave the hospital as soon as I learnt that I would be going home,
and sure enough my doctor came and officially discharged me. I was so eager to
get home to see how things would change from then on with our family. Things
did not change much that first evening but the next day, our son began acting up.
I guess the reality of this little
person that he wanted to take home so badly, taking up so much of mommy’s time
must have now reached him. I remember later that day, putting the baby to bed
so that I could get some much needed sleep. He barged into the room almost
waking the baby. I was so mad I shouted at him, which had his father rushing to
us to find out what was wrong. When I told him, he scolded our son again and
immediately removed him from the room. I heard that he withdrew to a quiet
place in the house and cried. I began crying too, feeling so sorry for him, but that cry was also for something more as well, I had fought a long difficult battle with infertility for more than a decade long and have finally won, with three beautiful children to show for it, one God wanted for himself and the other two, he has so graciously allowed us to keep. God is truly amazing.
I know it helps and I have been advised over and over again to involve our son in taking care of the baby as much as we can, He has
even assumed the role of putting the soiled diapers into the bin and because
newborns change so many diapers in a day, each time he comes to the room and
see another soiled diaper, he would say, “another poopy diaper, oh man.” I
guess you can involve them as much as possible, but they will act up from time
to time. This is just a transitional moment for everyone and so we take comfort in that.
Things have not quite settled yet, but we are
doing better with each passing day. We are looking forward to when the baby
settles into a routine so that we can at least feel some sense of normalcy again.
In the mean time, we continue to take things a day at a time, giving God thanks
for his blessings and his continued favour on our lives.
