21st Feb, 2008
04:00: Got up, got ready and had my last LONG hot shower
05:15: Left home for the hospital
05:35: Checked in at the hospital and prepped. That small bottle of whatever it was they made me drink… was VERY nasty, yuck…
06:55: Wheeled into the OR.
IV put in… the most painful bit of the whole experience
They let Brett in, couldn’t recognise him in hopsital scrubs.
Spinal put in, totally wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Felt legs going warm, then nothing more
OR: very bright… lots of things beeping
The anaesthetist Dr. Yee showed me his invention, a Yeescope, I forgot what it was for… but probably around the same time, they were cutting me open and stuff
Felt quite a few hard pushes on my stomach
07:18: Nurses called out for Brett to take photos
Heard Kaitlyn crying, the girl has a very good set of lungs...she was very loud
Nurse passed her to me to cuddle and kiss. I thought she was really small by the way they wrapped her. She stopped crying for a bit when I talked to her.
I thought she looked exactly like me except she had very light brown/blonde hair.
Brett left with Kaitlyn and nurse for tests and weighing while I got sewn back up.
Felt headache and face itched, apparently from the spinal
08:15: Was taken to recovery
I waited and waited and waited for Kaitlyn to be brought to me. This is the worst part of it all
Nurses prodding and etc. every 10 minutes or so and I kept drifting off
09:40: Kaitlyn was finally brought to me for her first feed. She wasn’t so small after all. She’s perfect.
Brett took care of Kaitlyn while I was in recovery.
12:30: Was moved to a shared room, and finally had Kaitlyn there with me, all was well
22nd Feb, 2008
11:30am: Finally moved into my own room
The dressing on the incision was taken out
IV was taken out, and I was free to walk around.
I felt quite well considering having had a “major” surgery
23rd Feb, 2008
Kaitlyn had been an absolute angel for the first couple of days, waking only to eat, every 4 hours ON THE DOT, then going back to sleep again, not even stirring
24th Feb, 2008
Had a rough night as Kaitlyn was crying a lot, most likely from not getting enough to eat as my milk has not come in.
25th Feb, 2008
Another hard day/night, Kaitlyn’s a bit jaundiced and really upset when she couldn’t get enough to eat. I finally consented to supplement with formula. So begins the routine of breastfeeding, bottle feeding the “top up” amount, change her, wrap her, then pumping, sterialising everything… by the time one feed ends, I have 30 minutes or there abouts before next feeding begins…
But I felt better as Kaitlyn is once again sleeping well and waking on set schedule without fussing, and jaundice is easing.
26th Feb, 2008
We came home this morning! We are continuing the routine of breastfeeding and pumping hoping the supply will increase soon.
27th Feb, 2008
First night at home went very smoothly. Kaitlyn waking only once in the middle of the night.
