Saturday, February 13, 2010

They forgot me!

Thanks for all the well-wishes! We'll be in the hospital 'til Sunday sometime.

Things have been mostly wonderful here. There are definitely some Crazy Hormones at work here, but most of them have been of the effusively happy variety, not the I HATE LIFE variety. Emmy has kind of a rough day yesterday and early this morning, which seems to have been mostly solved by two very incredible diapers (sorry, TMI). She's also a little slow when it comes to nursing sometimes. She's actually got a pretty good latch, despite her mouth being positively microscopic in comparison to Grace's gaping maw. But once she's latched she just sits there and stares, like, "Whaaat? What're you looking at? Oh, you mean I'm supposed to WORK for it now?" And she very strongly prefers my right side, no idea why (Grace was the exact opposite). One of the nurses showed me a trick for getting her going: touch my pinkie to the roof of her mouth until she starts sucking, then switch. It sometimes works. Sometimes it doesn't. This is because she is OBSESSED with her fists. I keep telling her they don't lactate, but she's determined to test that assertion until she proves it wrong.

Also, yesterday was a bit rough for me. I shooed James off for a half day of work. I want him to get things done while I have nurses taking care of me 'round the clock. Well, my one nurse left at 3-ish. I didn't see anyone else until 4:30. After I requested someone twice. And they forgot to give me my painkillers. Or forgot to tell me that I supposed to ask for them. Not sure which. And the lady in the room next to me was screaming and crying so horribly that I was certain she'd lost her baby or something. It was really upsetting. And even more upsetting because here I was selfishly wishing the walls had better soundproofing, when here's a woman who lost her child.

So I was stuck in a room with a baby who needed changes and attention and for me to be able to get out of bed, except that getting out of bed was really AWFUL, and that would have been not so bad, except that I couldn't get anyone to come to the stupid room.

This is really weird for this hospital. For my first stay, they were extremely attentive. They are less so this time, probably because I've done this before and seem to mostly have the hang of breastfeeding. I don't really expect the level of attention I got last time, and it's been kind of nice to be left alone. But they'd still been pretty awesome.

Anyway, a really sweet lady from the lab finally came in to do the heel-prick thing on Emmeline (I have now called her Grace approximately 43 times; I am no longer allowed to make fun of my parents for confusing the names of their five children on an hourly basis), and by that point I was almost frantic. I held it together okay, but before she left, I said, "Um? Do you know if it's been really busy on the floor or something today? I haven't seen anyone in hours, and I can't get anyone to come in here." She looked a little horrified and scooted out the door with her cart to get someone.

A nurse and an aid came in about a minute later with sweet, sweet drugs. The nurse was REALLY apologetic. I asked about the lady next door--not specifics; I know better than that--, but just if she was all right. Apparently she was fine (as in, had not lost a baby and was not in danger), but she was in really terrible pain. I said, "Oh! I thought she'd lost a baby or something! Oh, good!" Then felt like a jerk for that, but I'm pretty sure the nurse knew what I was talking about.

I still had a really hard time after that getting anyone to come in, but at least I could get out of bed and move around without wanting to throw myself out a window. And then James got back, and everything was much better. Twenty minutes later, new nurses came on, and! And! Mine was Joan! The one from last time who I loved so much. I was having a really hard time with Grace and nursing, and I think I was on the verges both of tears and of crazy when she stepped in and made it all better. And she did it again this time! With Emmeline and the lazy eating, I've been thinking I was doing something wrong. She watched us for a bit and said, "Well, you've obviously done this before!" Apparently Emmy is just being a baby, and I'm not doing anything wrong; who knew?

The nurse after Joan was the same one I'd had the night she was born, and she's even BETTER than Joan, if you can believe it. She loves babies and keeps exclaiming over how cute Emmy is, and she's taken her off my hands for a couple hours both nights. That's the only time I've really slept. She was also appalled about them forgetting me earlier that afternoon. She'll be back tonight, too, yay!

Emmeline is passed out face-down on my chest. She ate like a horse when Emily brought her in around 4:30, and then again an hour later. Been asleep ever since. So I think her extreme fussiness from yesterday is over with. I was starting to worry we had a colicky baby already! She's been quite content to smash her face right into my ribs, grunt and squeak every couple of minutes, and startle violently every five or ten before settling into some new and bizarre position.

I want to sit here and stare at her for another two hours, but I'm starving and need to order some food. I could wake James up, too, but I like for him to get as much sleep as possible so that when I need him to he can take the baby. He's been outstanding so far. I remember how bewildered we both were with Grace. With this one, there's been stress and some irritation--especially when she screamed and screamed, and we couldn't FIX it!--, but overall there's been a lot more laughter and happiness than snapping and irritation.

3 comments:

  1. I just have to say how impressed I am at your ability to blog so coherently while under the influence of some sweet narcotics. And so early in the morning!

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  2. That must have been awful to get forgotten like that. Especially after a c-section, when moving is tough! Still, I'm glad that you got wonderful nurses (and ones you knew!) and things got better.

    I hope you're enjoying sitting and staring at the new baby. And glad that things are a bit smoother this time with the new baby. Do you think it's all because you've sort of been there before, or do you think it's a difference in baby personality?

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  3. Happy Lovey Day!

    I know it would have been bad enough to have been forgotten with my easy natural birth this last time, can't imagine with actual surgery recovery!

    Hope you'll have someone helpful at home who is on the ball, too. It was REALLY, REALLY, REALLY hard for me [emotionally] not to pick up Jonathan, but I tell ya, after I did it once, I didn't forget and do it again. I hope for your sake that Grace does pretty well with climbing nicely up to you on the couch or whatnot, and that you can remember not to strain yourself. Will be thinking of you as I drift off to sleep tonight.

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