After Delivery

I thought I'd cry when the midwife handed me my baby. I didn't. I was too tired to feel much of anything at first but relief.

Elise was born, she was put on my belly for a second, Husband cut the cord, then the nurses took Elise to the other side of the room where there was a little station set up to take care of her. Everyone but the midwife went to the other side of the room with Elise.

I was tired and still a little loopy. I know that they had to give Elise oxygen. At one point I looked over and they were tapping her foot to wake her and I thought something was wrong, that she was unresponsive or something. But they told me she was okay.

I felt really sad being on the other side of the room by myself while everyone else got to see Elise and then hold her. I only got to hold Elise for a second after she was born and I didn't even get to see her face. My sister came back over and stayed with me after a little bit, which I really appreciated. I just felt jealous that everyone could see my new baby except for me.

Back on my side of the room, I had to deliver the placenta. I was afraid it would hurt or be uncomfortable, but I barely felt it. I gave the tiniest little push to get it out. The midwife asked if I wanted to see it, which I did. It was smaller than I expected.

After the placenta, the midwife examined my lady parts and told me that I had ripped and would need some stitches. She said I also had some lacerations that would not need to be stitched. She gave me two or maybe it was three shots of lidocain in the lady place so that she could stitch me up. And guess what. It didn't do a damn thing. I felt every stitch. Three stitches, which means 6 needle pokes in my skin, then I felt her tighten it up and tie it off. I yelled out and one point and my mom said from across the room that Elise heard me yell and became alarmed. She knew my voice already.

A nurse brought me some ice packs to put on my lady parts. And believe me, it helps. They want you to keep ice down there for 24 hours at my hospital. And I gladly did so.


Once I was repaired and the baby was washed, measured, medicated, etc., we had a little time to say good night to our family before they moved me to my recovery room. My hospital lets you stay in the labor and delivery room for two hours after the baby is born, then you go to the room you'll be in for the rest of the hospital stay.

Before they moved me to my recovery room, they monitored all of my vital signs for a bit and then a nurse went with me to the bathroom to see how much I would pee. Apparently, new moms are supposed to pee a certain amount within 24 hours or something's wrong. So I had to pee into this container that the nurse set on the inside of the toilet seat. She watched me pee, which normally would feel like an invasion of privacy, but after having a room full of people stare at your crotch for 2 hours, it didn't even phase me. It looked like I was peeing pure blood, but I'm sure I was just peeing and bleeding at the same time. There's lots of blood after you have a baby.

There were more invasions of privacy once I reached my recovery room-- more on that later.