November 18th
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The whole story 1: In the begining |
1:24pm - The midwife offers me the chance to tidy up the belly button of our new baby with a pair of scissors, but I decline to cut the remaining bit of the cord (they had already cut the cord to Jackie). I'm handed a vernix (looks like goose fat) covered baby in a yellow hospital blanket. Take her to show Jackie who pronounces her gorgeous (and then later admits not having her glasses on which means I could have shown her a monkey and she would have said exactly the same).
2pm - I'm still wandering around with a baby in my arms as Mary gets someone to come in and stitch Jackie. This takes ages during which time I stand and watch the blood pump on to the bed from some cut or other. Hope my daughter isn't traumatised by this. At least the goose fat is soaking into her skin, which suggests things may look better when I get my camera out. Walking around the room I stumble across the placenta which has been left in what looks like a pie dish near the bed. Can't really make out the size as its in a pool of blood, but I walk away happy in the knowledge it will probably feature in a nightmare in the not too distant future.
Measurements have been taken - 7lb 1oz, and everything seems to be present and correct.
2:30pm - All finished, although Jackie is still a bit of a mess and needs to go for a shower to get the goo off. It's a pity they don't do the same for Baby Smithen - her hair is still matted with blood and all sorts of horrible items I just don't care to think about. As I sit alone with the baby, I just pray she doesn't cry - what would I do then?
3:30pm - Take the first photos of my little girl "Baby Smithen". Jackie has a go at breast feeding and is successful first time. Obviously our daughter takes after her Dad on the eating stakes - get some food in quick before the headache kicks in. That said, given the shape of her head, I imagine she already has the headache and the food is for comfort.
5:30pm - Spend a couple of hours trying to settle on the name. It comes down to Abigail or Grace, and after much repeating and asking the nurses we settle on Grace. I like it anyway - hope she does in later years.
Jackie is wheeled down to the ward as I carry our seven bags. For a minute it looks like we might get a private room, but end up in a ward with five other women all of whom have had c-sections. There is room for a cat either side of the bed, but we won't be holding any swinging competitions.
6:30pm - I emerge from the ward to phone home to tell the news. Mum and Dad are shocked - Jackie's Dad begins to call other people on his mobile while I'm still passing the details to her Mum - real time jungle drums. The funniest response came from Dick and Jo's little boy Jack who said "I've got you as a friend, Olivia has Jackie and now Madeleine has baby Grace." He also told me he knew "hundreds" of Graces, questioned why it wasn't Abigail and asked whether she cried in the night because he "knows what that's all about".
Went back inside (after a toilet stop - no time before, impressed my bladder held really) and sat holding her for a few more minutes. A midwife came around to do the first nappy change and what a delight that was - black tar filled the whole bottom of the nappy. It was so sticky that the cotton wool buds stuck to the girl's gloves and she spent ages doing it. Have I really got to do that several times a day? Apparently not as the black stuff disappears after a couple of days to be replaced by the more usual brown and green. Sounds great.
Decided to leave about 9pm. Came home and was on the phone to various people for a couple of hours before cutting myself a huge piece of cake, making a big cup of tea and just leaning back in the chair. What a day!
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