My biggest concern pre-surgery was getting Riley to me. I wish they would have let her stay with me. Of course I was grossly overestimating my ability to take care of her immediately after surgery. The hospital said she could come before and stay after visiting hours as long as an adult was with her. Coordinating this was the hardest part.
On the first day once the tube was out I remember begging to be moved off of my sweaty, bandaged back. Left side, sleep, right side, sleep, left side, etc. I'm also told my face was horribly swollen and I have a vague memory of Michael and the baby being there. It's very surreal.
The next day I was together enough to call Michael and ask when Riley was coming. I was still in the ICU, but between the amazing lactation consultant and my incredible friend who braved the ICU with her baby on one hip and mine on the other that was an amazing day. Both of those women are my heroes. It was despite all odds an overall good day because of them.
The next hurdle came when they announced late that afternoon that they wanted to move me to a "step down" unit and then to my actual room later on. So, first moving after major surgery always sucks. Second, they said I could not have a private room. I wasn't trying to be a diva I just didn't want my baby around sick people or to a lesser extend to breastfeed/pump in front of some stranger. Even though I had arranged everything months in advance and gotten permission I was informed in a nasty tone that a private room was not "medically necessary" because "nursing mothers don't have special privileges."
I called the afore mentioned amazing lactation consultant and told her about the nursing staff's plans. She swept through that unit in a hurricane of efficient putting-people-in-their-placedaness. After she left the nurses tune changed to "we have plenty of beds. We'll keep you here until your regular room is ready".
Following my move out of the ICU I remember everything in a blur. There was lots and lots of itchy tape which is perfectly sensible with an incision the length of your back. However, promptly complaining about the horrible itchiness of the bandage when the physician's assistant asked about pain was clearly surprised her. Don't get me wrong this was by far my most painful surgery (I would rather give birth), which is why I tried to focus on anything, but the pain. It itched horribly, still does.
There was so much pain that I kept that Morphine pain pump (same thing they gave me after the C-section) for 4days. Until this point I have never kept one of those (I've had at least 5)for more than 48hrs. I still feel like a wimp about it. Speaking of pain medicine at least once a day a nurse or other member of hospital staff would freak out about me feeding the baby. Cue the so amazing lactation consultant. She set more than a few people straight. I have to say I was completely insulted that no one bothered to ask me whether I was sure it was ok to feed the baby. Clearly the woman with the breast pump next to her bed since she was admitted and once a day visits from a lactation consultant is just "winging it" and keeping her fingers crossed she doesn't dose her only daughter with something harmful. Come on!!
Overall, I am beyond blessed to have had enough people who love me to always have Riley with me most of the day for time I was in the hospital. Thank you all so much. I couldn't have gotten this far without her or you. Thank you.
Someday you can thank Riley for being a good distraction, post op.I was real glad you had those lact. consultants. And you are most certainly blessed with some incredible friends. Im so glad you are progressing so well. Im so proud of you. You are such a good mom.
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