Marisa’s Version:
Sleeping through the night was a strange experience because I knew that the next day, sometime after 1pm we would become parents. He had a very active night which made it all the more surreal. When it was time to get up in the morning, I wasn’t hungry as I thought I would be. I was nervous – about the surgery, about the catheter, about being in the hospital, about missing Christmas Day, about having to breastfeed, about having to be responsible for a child. So many things were going through my head. We had to get to the hospital for 11am and decided to leave around 10am to pick up a part for the car (it had been hit in the grocery store parking lot and had damage to the left rear light and bumper). As we left our driveway, I was feeling really anxious.
After a stop at the car place, we arrived at the hospital. We didn’t bring the suitcase or other bags up immediately – just what I had on, my wallet that had my insurance information and my meds in my pocket. It was a pretty busy morning in the maternity ward and we had to wait a bit before we were led to room 1003. There was a couple with their daughter in there when we arrived. They were about to be discharged and the baby was so small. I quickly changed into the hospital gown and cap and climbed into the bed. While we waited the nurse came in with the discharge papers for the other couple I began to freak out a bit over whether we knew how to put a baby in a car seat. Aidan said it would be fine and he’d be ready when it was time to go home. I asked him to experiment with my teddy bear, Tubby. He thought I said to experiment with our dog, Ptolemy. Sadly, I was too nervous to appreciate the humour of the confusion.
Around 12.30 our doula arrived and the conversation kept me calm for a while. I was warned that an emergency c-section was taking place so I would be taken to the OR when that was done. It was therefore closer to 2pm when they had me get on the gurney to go up one floor to the OR suites. I just kept doing my yoga breathing and tried not to think of the needles. Aidan got sent off to change and I was wheeled into the operating theatre. It was bright, the windows were letting in natural light, there was Christmas music playing and everyone was in a jovial mood. I, on the other hand, was scared to death. The anesthetist was quite entertaining with his dry British humour. Between his comments and the nurse who did the yoga breathing with me as he numbed my back and then did the spinal, I managed to get through perhaps the part of the operation that had me most fearful. As the numbness started at my feet and progressed up, they prepared me for the operation and then inserted the catheter (which I didn’t feel at all – thank God!). By the time Aidan came in, I was shaking. I wasn’t cold. I know part of it was expected but it was also a good measure of nerves. As they prepped my belly for the incision all I could think about was whether I would bawl or not when I saw him for the first time.
When the operation began I tried to listen to what everyone was saying while Aidan tried to keep me calm. I did feel the pressure that everyone talks about. The tugging was pretty strong ad I was just waiting to hear the first cry. When it came it didn’t seem real. They had Aidan go with the baby for the suctioning, etc. while I waited to see what he looked like. When they brought him over I felt so happy. He was amazing – this little guy who had moments ago been moving inside of me was laid across my chest and I was able to stroke his cheek. The nurse got a picture with me with the baby and then both Aidan and me with the baby. They then had to leave to go to the nursery while I was closed up and then taken to recovery.
The rest of the surgery went quickly – I rested my eyes a bit and then thanked everyone before the wheeled me out and over to recovery. There weren’t too many people in recovery but it was festive with more Christmas music. My nurse was Scottish so we had a good conversation. I really wanted to get to the ward, to touch the baby again but I knew I just needed to be patient. Soon enough, a maternity nurse came up, I was given the morphine instructions and was being taken down to the maternity ward. I was taken back to room 1003, this time on the window side of the room. They transferred me to the bed and said that they would tell the nursery that I was in the room. When they rolled in the bassinet I was so excited. Apparently Aidan and my parents were in the nursery along with our doula, who was taking pictures of these first moments. Aidan explained how best to hold him and I excitedly took him in my arms. It was unreal – after all these years I was holding our baby in my arms. No one could have ever described to me the feeling of protectiveness, love, excitement and nervousness that washes over you when you first hold your child. It was amazing. Aidan gave me the stats – he was born at 14:02 and was 6lbs 15.9oz and 18 ½ “ long. He had a full head of hair and was very alert. When I spoke to him he opened his eyes – these grayish-blue eyes that were framed by little eyebrows and spiky bangs like his dad.
The afternoon and evening proceeded with many visits, a liquid dinner for me and so many pictures. When everyone left at 8pm I had a very long night. I watched a bit of a movie while I began working on breastfeeding with the help of the nurse. Third time was the charm as we finally got a good latch at 10.50pm. The rest of night and early morning consisted of frequent feeds, learning to burp and trying different holds (clutch was best). At 6.30am the catheter was taken out and I was helped to clean up and change into my clothing. By the time Aidan got there I had been up and walking a bit, had visited the bathroom and had gotten diapers and clothing for the baby to wear. I spent the day tracking wet and poopie diapers, we both participated in the baby bathing class, we bathed our baby and spent a lot of time talking about which name suited him. As you know, we agreed on Liam Rórdán Klaus. ON this day I also gained a roommate who had an emergency c-section.
Christmas Eve was odd for me. I was totally absorbed with Liam and didn’t think much about what was going on outside in the real world. Aidan had brought in the basket of goodies that I had made for the nurses and they seemed to like it. I tracked breastfeeding and wet and poopie diapers. I tried to be the perfect patient and my doctor agreed to let me out on Christmas Day. I was overjoyed. I got to know my roommate. When Aidan left to go to Midnight Mass I was pretty sad but Liam kept me busy – he was up every hour to feed.
I was so excited in the morning. I had a great shower, had my staples removed and did my discharge paperwork with the nurse and was told that Liam had only lost 1/2lb since Wednesday. The car seat exercise was passed with flying colours and in no time I was in a wheelchair being taken down to our car. Taking Liam home was better than any homecoming that I remember. Perhaps it was a similar feeling as when we came home after our wedding reception. In any case, it was a wonderful way to spend Christmas Day! We introduced Liam to the dogs and spent the afternoon figuring out where to change and feed him. Aidan’s parents provided Christmas lunch and came up later in the afternoon to spend some time with us. My parents came up in the evening with Christmas dinner. We then proceeded to have our first night where we needed to figure out how both of us would deal with changing and feeding and burping our new addition.
Aidan’s Version:
We arrived at the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital at about 1100 and went to the Maternity Ward to check in. They weren’t quite ready for us so we spent a few minutes in the waiting room. We then transferred to the room, where the previous occupants were checking out. We sat around whilst they did some preliminary checks and then at about 1330 we left the room for the Operating Theatre. I walked with the team up to the entrance and then was passed some scrubs and told to get changed. I did and waited staring out of a window until I was told to come along to the Theatre. I went in and Marisa was lying on the table with a screen between her top and bottom halves, wide awake, as Dr Wilmot did what he had to do the other side. Marisa was shaking a lot and so I tried to keep her as calm and still as possible. Then out of the quiet came a couple of gurgling screams which then cleared and I knew that he had been born. They called me over to the incubator unit and I had my first look at the purplish little screaming person. They pinked him up with some oxygen and he responded well and so after a few minutes they brought him over so that Marisa could see and hold him. Then it was back in the incubator and out of the theatre to the nursery. I went and got changed and then headed down to the nursery. Marisa’s parents, very excited, were already there anxious for their first look. We went in and the nurses were cleaning him up a bit and preparing for the weighing. They weighed him, a good 6lbs 15.9oz, measured length 18.5” and head circumference 13.75”. Then we sat in the room for an hour or so, time went by quickly, waiting for Marisa to come out of recovery and down to the ward. Although her legs etc were numb, she was quite bright as we properly introduced the boy. He opened his eyes for about the first time when she first held him. I phoned the announcements to the family. My parents and sister came later to have a first look.
The next few days were spent at the hospital. The Thursday was the first bath. Several people came during that time, Jessica & Mike from work, Grandpa Young, My parents, Marisa’s parents, Brendan and Suzie, Emily and William. On Christmas morning, the carolers came to spread some Christmas cheer. By then we were packing up to leave, having passed all of the required milestones. At about 1015 on Christmas day Marisa was wheeled to the entrance with the bundle and we drove home
