All my friends had told me that you bleed afterwards. No one had said how much. So what we didn't realize, in those first few hours, was that I had become some sort of a horror show.
After Pigtail's delivery, we stayed in the labor room for a couple of hours before they moved us to our permanent recovery room. It was well into the evening, and we hadn't had a thing to eat since our arrival at 5:30am, so The Gorilla set up his cot for the night and crossed the street to gather some dinner.
I had a Dr. Pepper and some chicken strips and it was probably the best meal I'd ever eaten. Pigtail stayed in the room with us and we alternately stared at her and then each other in wonder.
An email went out to friends. Teary phone calls and messages were exchanged. It was the best kind of exhaustion.
We eventually tried to get some sleep, and they gently moved Pigtail down to the nursery.
Every hour the nurses would come to the room and change my bedding and massage my stomach. It was hard to get rest this way, but I assumed it was all part of the procedure. In the middle of the night, someone finally told me that my uterus was not going down like it should, and that my bleeding was excessive. They needed to find out the problem.
The details from here on out are not pleasant. There was a lot of poking and prodding on my still-very-sensitive areas, and there were catheters and antibiotic drips and substantially more pain than I had experienced during labor and delivery.
The next morning, while The Gorilla was at Starbucks and my parents were on an airplane, my doctor ordered an immediate blood transfusion.
This sounds scarier than it is. I had lost a lot of blood, and the replacement would make me feel better. This was a path to recovery.
Though it was a bit of a distraction from the first few days with my baby girl. But my parents arrived that first day, and The Gorilla was a champion throughout. Both Pigtail and I were surrounded by love and support.
From a distance, that is. Remember my fateful decision not to wash my hair the night my water broke? After the whole ordeal, I was a pigpen. Because of my complications, I wasn't allowed to shower. For days. I was a sweaty mess during delivery (normal) and after another few days, that dirty hair was practically turning into dreads (not normal). I have never felt more gross in my entire life. I might as well have given birth in the woods and then stayed there.
There are thankfully few pictures of me - with or without my baby - during the hospital stay. I thought for a moment that I might regret that. Then I remember how I looked, how I felt, and I think, nah. It's alright.
We had to stay an extra day and night at the hospital, so by day four I was more than ready to leave. The Gorilla drove us home, and I sat in the back with Pigtail. We put on the Where The Wild Things Are Soundtrack - it will now forever remind me of Pigtail's arrival to the world - and as we drove down Beverly Boulevard on that bright Los Angeles day, I couldn't help but stare at the people on the sidewalks going about their day.
Do they know the whole world has changed? I wondered to myself. Pigtail is here!
"I might as well have given birth in the woods and then stayed there."
This made me laugh A LOT.
You definitely, definitely have great leverage to hang over Pigtail's head the rest of her life. "I almost DIED after I gave birth to you! The least you can do is clean your room!"
So thankful for modern medicine and the wonderful care you received there. And I totally know what you mean about how everything and everyone looks so different in those earliest days of parenthood.
Posted by: Megan@SortaCrunchy | November 04, 2009 at 06:25 AM
You are such a a talented writer and no doubt already fulfilling the roles of mother earth! Enjoy her, love her, and treasure her...I'm so glad Pigtail is here and you are recovering!
Much love from norman..Kate
Posted by: Kate Stanton | November 04, 2009 at 09:51 AM
Congratulations on the birth of your love! =)
I loved reading your birth story and I'm glad to hear you're on the mend!
(I thought the same thing about passersby on the sidewalk. How, I wondered, does everybody go on with their lives like nothing's changed? Because as far as I was concerned, EVERYTHING had.)
Posted by: Sarah @ BecomingSarah.com | November 04, 2009 at 06:06 PM
I have loved reading your delivery story. And my favorite part is that you were so concerned with your hair! I knew we had a lot in common!
Posted by: Whitney | November 05, 2009 at 08:55 PM
I think I was in that exact room after I delivered my son! :)
Wasn't it so nice to get out of there?
I am so glad they took great care of you. Can't wait to meet the baby. Think of you often and send good vibes your way.
Posted by: Nicki Cotti | November 05, 2009 at 10:48 PM