Recovery from Merrae's Birth

Well, yesterday I wrote a BOOK : ) about Merrae's birth. I said I wasn't going to get detailed with that but there was a lot to tell about the experience.

The recovery was pretty tough as well. After my doctor finished stitching me up he put some type of numbing foam on me and then I sat on ice. I felt fine after that other than being exhausted. It was a weird experience getting into my new room because I had to use the bathroom for the first time and that seemed scary to say the least. The nurse that helped me was real sweet. I was so weak and she guided me a long as I took baby steps over to the toilet. She even had to help me sit down and guide me through the whole thing showing me how to begin to take care of myself. I had that numbing foam on hand which was a life saver.

When she brought me back over to my bed Matt came back from helping bathe Merrae. He left her in there to get all her tests run and came back to rest with me. They said they'd bring her to us when they were done. Her pediatrician came to check her out as well. We started to rest and all of a sudden my body started shaking uncontrollably. My first thought was that I didn't eat enough after such a long hard day. All I had was some apple juice and crackers. We called for the nurse because it started getting scary and worse. They seemed concerned but also said it was normal to some degree but that I needed to eat more. They brought me a sandwich and I continued to shake. They told me to try and relax and it would stop. It took a while but it finally stopped. Whew. Scary. The anesthisiologist came to check on me after that and said it was the epidural wearing off that made me shake. Has anyone else had this experience? One of my ankles was so swollen it hurt. That was also a result of the epidural or the fluids given to me through the IV or something. Not sure.

When the nurses came in to check me down below periodically they would just say, "Bless your heart". I knew it must have been bad down there with my episiotomy or hemerroids or something. I didn't ask. I'd rather not know! : ) They said, make sure you keep ice on this. Thank goodness my doctor prescribed me more of that numbing foam to take home with me. I would hurt so bad once it started wearing off. Come to find out, I was given a 3rd degree episiotomy....I'll let you look that one up instead of describing it! My pelvis hurt real bad too. Come to find out, I had sprained my tailbone when Merrae came out. It hurt to sit on my episiotomy and it hurt from the pressure of the sprained tailbone. They gave me pain medicine which I really needed in a bad way. I'm usually not a medicine taker. I like to just tough stuff out instead of putting stuff in my body. But, I knew I needed it this go around. I was concerned to take it because of nursing Merrae but if I didn't take it it would have been hard to take care of Merrae.

Matt and I got a little rest that night but it was interupted by people coming in to check on me. They brought Merrae in a few hours later and we tried to nurse. She was so sleepy and we had a hard time trying to keep her awake to make attempts. But, we kept at it every few hours and she got better and better. She would hang out with us during the day and then at night we would have them keep her in the nursery so we could get more rest. I told them to still bring her in every few hours in the middle of the night to try and nurse. Whew. We were all so tired. It kills me now thinking that I had her in that nursery and not with me at night but I had been given the advice to take advantage of others helping me at night. I think it was good for me to get rest and Matt and I were overwhelmed at learning what in the heck to do with a little thing like a baby! But, I like to keep her under my wing and it makes me sad to think we didn't just keep her with us all night.

My doctor allowed us to stay in the hospital an extra night so we were there a total of 3 nights. We are so thankful for that. We needed to be taken care of considering all the pain I was in. We were also a little scared and learning what to do. Things started getting easier and I was able to take care of myself really well by the time we left. It was funny, the day we left Matt said, "I can't believe they are going to let us do this...take this little baby home with us to care for". I said, "I know". We could barely get her dressed. : ) Here we are leaving the hospital.

The car ride was so fun.....riding home as a family with a precious little baby girl. As we got home Matt snapped a funny picture of me walking by the car bow-legged in pain. Can't find that pic on my computer though. Darn. I wasn't in the most pain from the episiotomy, it was the sprained tailbone that hurt me so bad. That lasted for about 4-5 months. It hurt to sit down and to get up and walk. That made it difficult to take care of Merrae. Matt and my mom had to help me a lot.

I stayed on the numbing foam and pain medicine for a week or two and then stopped because I didn't want it to hurt Merrae in any way. I toughed it out from there but atleast it got me through the worst of it.

Breastfeeding was hard at first. I was really sore and had to pump a little on one side because it hurt too bad for her to eat on that side. There were a few days where it would hurt so bad I would literally yell and cry. I had learned in classes that it would be this way but then it would get better so I toughed it out. It did and everything turned out great. I nursed her for a year, that was my goal. It was so easy. I didn't have to mess with bottles. I lost my weight real fast and it made her so nice and healthy and soft. She got sick a few times over the year but overall she really did well health wise. She has been a real easy baby and good sleeper and eater.

So, that's our story and I'm stickin' to it! I guess I'll do this again in the future. Merrae is kinda worth it. : ) Right after I gave birth I told Matt that it was aweful and I never wanted to do it again....that I wanted to adopt. Believe it or not I've changed my mind. I haven't forgotten all the pain but it was well worth my precious gift from God. She is the joy of my life. (God is my biggest joy but she and Matt are a close 2nd). : )