We went into hospital at about 7.15a.m. and one of the first people I saw was one of the Brampton Community Midwives, who was just finishing a night shift: it was nice to see a friendly face. A midwife had been assigned to me to be with me in theatre and then to look after me the following day, so I met her next: I had a book of Arthurian legends with me and she said she enjoyed the Arthurian tales, so that was a good start there as well. The anaethetist also came in - one of the Dads from school - so that was another friendly face.
I felt a little nervous about the operation in the end: not surprisingly I guess. I think my main fear was that the anaesthetic wouldn't work completely for some reason. The most painful bit in fact was having the canula stuck in my hand: it felt like quite a large metal object for a small vein, and wasn't too comfortable when it passed over my wrist joint. I could then feel my toes tinging and wriggle them a bit but felt nothing from the top of my abdomen to my feet, so it was all systems go.
The baby came out really quickly (unlike with Daughter, whom I remember there being a bit of tussling over and in fact the hospital staff told me they even had to use one forcep - I felt bruised around my section scar for days afterwards) and immediately started making duck impressions.... various comments were bandied around about there being no problems with his lungs! In fact he continued to object fairly wildly to birth and not having any clothes on for some time afterwards.
I hadn't asked for the baby to be cleaned this time before being given to me, so he was covered in the white-ish grey-ish stuff which babies are born with, and his head had some blood on: but it was amazing how quickly the stuff was absorbed by his skin, almost like a moisturiser. After a while the midwife and Husband took him out of theatre and went to weigh him and put some clothes on him while I was sewn up: I was then wheeled back across the corridor to 'my' room and re-introduced to Baby Son, who now was semi-dressed (Husband had found it too traumatic trying to get his second arm into the babygrow). There's a photo of Husband, Baby Son and me but it's not a good one: I look as if I have double chins. Later on a different midwife came in and washed his hair: of which he has plenty. He's almost halfway between the other two: Daughter had more and darker hair; Older Son had brown hair and slightly less than either of the younger two. Like Daughter his eyes are a really dark blue which looks as if it will go very dark brown: Older Son has the most beautiful chestnut brown eyes, which were showing signs of the colour they would be from birth (maybe because he was 2 weeks late).
The hospital was lovely: it felt quite relaxed compared to Bristol, which seemed more like a baby-producing factory and where the wards were hot and noisy and my overall impression and memory are of the colour grey: Carlisle is a dusky pink and a light wood colour, and not one of the midwives ever made me feel stressed or stupid or a failure.
Breastfeeding has been working well this time: he's had some minor top-ups of formula at times when he's got frustrated at not getting anything from me, but I'm hoping that in a day or so that will no longer be necessary as I seem to be producing more milk: not enough to leak everywhere but enough that Baby Son considers he can be wasteful and sick some of it up sometimes. My stomach still feels fat and quite firm, but Husband insists that it's not going down any more slowly than the previous two times. I wonder if my singing has given me fairly strong stomach muscles.
I think the midwives forgot to give me any painkillers the day after the birth, as at about 4a.m. the first night I felt a bit sore: but also well enough to get up to go to the toilet and to ask to have the catheter taken out. The next day I asked whether I was meant to have more pain relief and was given paracetamol and diclofenac: I'm not in agony but sometimes have a little bit of discomfort, and the anti-inflammatory I guess may help the wound heal. Today I've taken fewer drugs though as I haven't felt the need: I was also given a drug to stop blood clots and when I queried why I needed it when I have mild thrombocytopaenia, was told I still did. I hated administering it as it means jabbing myself in the stomach and today decided to read the leaflet - which says don't take it if you have thrombocytopaenia or if you're breast-feeding. So I've binned the last two doses - especially as I think I'm being fairly active. I've just got my fingers crossed now that I don't develop blood clots, and I do feel a bit like a naughty school girl....
Baby Son is gorgeous and as settled as you can expect a newborn to be. His first few days he had a few 6-hour sleeps: they seem to have gone out of the window now as he feeds more regularly (generally about every 3 hours, but sometimes more often) but he's so far given us about 4+ hours peace at a time at night. Today he seemed to spend more time awake and looking at things around him: it's lovely to see his eyes open and that funny newborn look on his face: I particularly find it appealing when they make that 'o' with their mouths. He's really good at holding his head up already as well and will sometimes lift it up to have a look around, if he's on your shoulder: we had our first trip out today, to Houghton Garden Centre, and Husband was walking around with him while I had my cup of coffee in peace, and reported back that Baby Son was very interested in everything.
Husband and I are definitely having a case of having fallen in love with him completely. Whilst it is of course tiring and our tempers have not been perfectly even (the other two seem so big and bouncy and at times irritating, though they're just being normal 5 and 6 year olds), we do seem so far to have been blessed with a contented baby and we only feel tired, not stressed. It has made us feel sad about the first two times, as it should have been like this, especially with Older Son. But maybe a first child is never stress-free.
We feel very, very lucky - and as it happens Baby Son has just woken up for a feed, so I must stop for now. Au revoir!
Congratulations to the whole family! Sounds like you are all adjusting well to being 5 instead of 4. Thankyou too for the photo, now we can all have a peek. Know what you mean about the little "o" mouth, very cute.
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