This is my 3rd delivery, so I feel like I know the ropes as far as bringing babies into this world via c-section. Although we have now delivered each of our kids at a different hospital in Bryan/College Station, they are all similar and we have had great experiences at each. And I like to call this a "hospital hotel" stay because it is. It is nice and clean and people do everything for you: bring you anything you ask for and help in any way they can. I spent my entire time visiting or sleeping or holding Everly with no interruptions from my other two loves, Atticus and Grace. It really is a helpful time to have a few days, at least with a c-section, to get moving again more easily and get pain and nursing under control. In fact, they give you the option to stay 2 or 3 nights and I definitely chose 3 nights. For some reason, I just really like being in the hospital for those first few days after I have a baby!
Scott and White Hospital is only 2 1/2 years old so everything is very new and nice. Our room was a great size and we got setup around 3:30 on Thursday. That afternoon was spent with nurses in and out to check my vitals, give me medicine in my IV, bring me water and my liquid diet and mash on my stomach to get that uterus contracting back down. I nursed Everly and we loved on her.
Vic stayed most of the day and then GG stayed the night with me, as she ended up doing each night we were there. I did finally throw up after attempting a liquid dinner, but after that, I was better and still glad it was not during my delivery. The kids did not come up that day - too much going on. And that turned out to be a good thing because with the exciting day and babysitters and knowing GG was coming and that the baby was FINALLY coming (Atticus would ask me EVERY day if the baby was coming that day), Atticus had a major meltdown when Vic got home that night and told him we had a girl. It's funny because Atticus has said and wanted a girl all along until just a few weeks ago when he decided we needed a boy to outnumber the girls. And, honestly, Vic thinks it was a combination of being exhausted and seeing Vic arrive in GG's car without GG that put him over the edge. But, as of the next day, when he met her, he loved her and has ever since. He's not even mentioned wanting a boy since that night.
So, the night was normal. At about 9 pm, they took Everly for her first bath and she came back smelling sweet and with a little hat with a bow on her head! And though S&W has a new policy of not taking the baby to the nursery at night, our nurse did take Everly between feedings to give us a break. Truthfully, Everly was the ideal baby (and still has been). She would eat and go back to sleep each time giving us rest. So, it was not that different from the nursery taking her between feedings and her staying with us.
At around 9 am the next day, I was unhooked from my IV, started on oral medicines, got my foley catheter out, and got out of bed for the first time. The first time to get out of bed is always tough. It's hard to pull myself out of that bed after laying there so long and of course my mid-section is sore and tight and not helpful at all. Then, standing up and actually walking are tough. But, it gets better and better as the days go on.
Late that morning, the kids finally got to come up. That was really fun! They were excited to see her and when they arrived, she was in her baby bed, so they just looked at her through the plastic and told us she was "so cute" and "so adorable". They did not want to hold he yet, but mostly Atticus was so interested in her. Grace plugged her ears when she cried, but then was really more interested in the hotel room and climbing into my bed to watch cartoons on the big TV. Atticus had lots of questions about the hospital room and our baby. And it was fun to see them with their Big Brother/Big Sister shirts on and be so excited.
Notice Atticus touching my stomach. He was very interested in how the baby got our and that she wasn't in my tummy any longer.
I finally took a shower around 1 or so which is the BEST feeling in the world. It's always a little embarrassing because I can't do that by myself. I can't bend or move well at all, and Vic has to dress and undress me and dry me off and bring me everything. But, it's part of the husband job. The kids stayed awhile longer enjoying our luxurious accommodations. And I snuggled with Grace and rested a bit.
Our first family of five photo!
Eventually, everyone went back to the house for GG to nap and Vic to come back up to the hospital for a little while. After months of very few turkey sandwiches, he even brought me subway for dinner!
Then, we had some visitors to meet Everly! Our friends Chris and Katherine, Lucas, Meghan, Lizzy, and Lane, and Cecilia, Josie & Isabelle came up that evening to visit us. It's been so much fun to share this pregnancy with Katherine, Meghan and Cecilia, especially with Meghan also being pregnant. Her sweet baby girl is due mid-May and I can't wait for our little girls to be friends like their mamas!
Once all visitors were gone, Vic headed home and GG came up and we had another night of nursing, meds and squeezing in some sleep! Everything was going really well as far as Everly nursing and sleeping and my recovery was going as normal. I was staying on those pain meds and my vacuum pump on my incision area was doing its job. The only thing that was I don't recall in the past was when I would nurse, I would get the WORST pains that were similar to contractions but they didn't end. This terrible contraction pain would start and sometimes last the entire time I nursed if not a little more. Whew. It would take my breath away. The nurses said it was totally normal, but I almost wanted another epidural for this! Otherwise, all was going well!
On Saturday, Grace and GG shopped awhile and Vic and
Atticus came to visit. Grace and GG eventually came up as well. Steve
and Janice came into town and met Everly and visited at the hospital
before heading to our house to play with the kids and stay the night.
Also, our friend Debbie came in the morning and Kristi, Kendall and Maci
came that evening to love on Everly. We have the BEST friends to come
visit us!
See his little lips? He is saying "she is so cute!" as he has said over and over about her.
This is one of the sweetest pictures Vic took of Everly!
During this day, Everly's bilirubin numbers were a little high and she was looking a little yellow, so we were working hard to get her to poop! She was eating well and plenty, but just didn't want to poop and that is what we needed. Finally, she did. So, we kept up our feeding schedule in hopes she would keep pooping and keep those bilirubin numbers low. We thought this would be our last night in the hospital and knew we would get to go home the next day.
However come the next morning, when they drew her blood for what we
thought would be a final time, her bilirubin came back too high, her
blood sugar too low, and her sodium too high showing she was dehydrated.
So, the baby doctor decided she needed to stay another night to get
those numbers in the right range. Thankfully, there was nothing to do
but feed her regularly and draw blood a lot more and the doctor said
everything would normalize. Also, they said that part of the reason her
blood sugar was low was because I was not providing enough colostrum to
her yet. My milk had not come in yet, so that made sense. But, she was
not getting enough nutrients quiet yet. So, we did have to supplement
with formula after I would nurse and try to get a certain amount in.
That was not easy because she would fill up from nursing. But, we tried
it. So, there were no major concerns, but she just couldn't go home. So,
we did 3 hour feedings with little feet pricks or blood draws from her
feet about every 3 hours as well. By night time, we only had to do it
after 12 hours. She had her little foot pricked so many times that she
stopped even caring when she was pricked and would sleep right through
it. They discharged me Sunday night, but I got to stay in my "hotel" one
more night!
Finally, Monday morning all of her numbers were in the right range. Earlier that morning, the lactation specialists came in to check in on us since we had to supplement the day before. And they setup a pump for me to pump once and feed it to her before we left. Around 12:45, we finally headed home! One funny thing about leaving was all of the loot we went home with. They made goodie bags for me: c-section underwear (this may be TMI, but I would pay money for these things if they didn't give them away...they make c-section recovery so much better), feminine and bathroom needs, lanolin, and a water bottle; for Grace: a fleece blanket, diapers, wipes, receiving blankets, baby hat, aspirator, a plastic tub, formula and bottle nipples, and all of the pumping supplies from when I pumped (it's probably $50 worth of stuff just in the nursing bag). I just thought it was great and they sent a LOT of some of those things. I just didn't remember that much from my other deliveries.
So, our stay in the hospital went really well and I enjoyed myself! ha! The staff and nurses and doctors are just SO nice and helpful! I know things are easier when we have a healthy baby and a nice surgery, but I would give high reviews to Scott and White!
We headed home...the long 5 minute drive. The kids were SO excited to have us home! We settled in, Atticus decided he wanted to hold her, and our little family of five plus GG was complete!
And, finally, by the end of the night, we put her in her brand new sleeper and hat and she, being the perfect baby, ate and went to sleep easily...for 3 hours at least. What a beautiful little girl we have been given...little Miss Everly Joye!
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