This has been a busy week for us and the little Sprout. We had our baby class on Monday, where we got a tour of the 4th floor. That is where the delivery will take place. I have experience with this floor, which brought back painful memories, which I will talk about later. During our class, we also did some practice breathing and things like that. I think Shannon will be just fine.
We were going to watch a video, but again, the video components were messed up, and the sound wouldn’t work. Our instructor called tech support, but they never came. She was somewhat frazzled by the whole thing. I think everyone in the class was actually ok that it didn’t work, so we didn’t have to watch any more videos about placentas and c-sections and stuff like that.
She gave us enough details about it, as it was. Our class also got all the details about what happens when the “bag of waters” breaks and what happens if the doctor has to break it. It’s with this device that looks like a giant crochet hook. It isn’t really the most pleasant looking thing in the world. Hopefully Shannon won’t have to have that used, but it is there if needed.
We talked more about birthing positions and practiced more breathing techniques and things like that, and then we went on the tour. The birthing rooms are on the 4th floor of the hospital. I have been there before, when I was 27. No, I haven’t given birth. I had a hysterectomy, and that is where I was sent for my recovery. Yes, I was sent to the 4th floor, surrounded by rooms with little babies and happy families, enjoying the new lives, while I was recovering from my surgery, groggy and in pain, throwing up, feeling awful. Being 27, the prime of baby-making years, it was incredibly irresponsible of the staff at the hospital to put me in that part of that floor. It was insensitive, and beyond comprehension. For my part, I was at a point that I had accepted the fact that I wouldn’t have kids of my own, even when I was 15. It was hard for me, of course, but the thing that was the worst was being in my room, trying to rest and recover from my surgery, and hearing the little babies, crying all night, hearing family members asking for things for the new moms or new babies at the nurses’ station, while I was trying to hold down water, or trying to get up and walk around.
To make matters worse, after I got home from said adventure in the “baby ward” when I was 27, I started to get flyers in the mail congratulating me on being a new mom. I also got diapers, formula, wipes, and other related baby samples. It got frustrating and started to sting every time I would get something in the mail. I wrote a generic letter to mail to all of these companies that said there was a mistake at the hospital and that I was there for a hysterectomy, not a baby, and to remove me from their mailing lists. I also wrote a letter to the hospital explaining the situation and how it made me feel and everything that it had caused. Needless to say I got many apology letters.
Anyway, on our tour we saw the rooms and learned a lot about the birth process in the rooms. We learned where all the “stuff” is, like the birthing ball, and the stool and the bar and the tub and all that good stuff. So now we are all set and know what to do and where to go.
On Tuesday, we were up at the hospital keeping my mom company while my dad had a little procedure, so we went and got pre-registered for our little Finnian to come. It was the fastest pre-registration that I have ever done. We just had to turn in the form and that was it. It was brilliant.
On Wednesday, we had our 36 week appointment with Angie C, a wonderful midwife with the Samaritan group that we see. She is great. She went over our ultrasound from last week. Finny is in the 30th percentile for size, and she is apparently a “perfect little girl”. We have another appointment next week, since we are at the weekly appointment stage.
We are down to 24 days and counting now. We can’t wait until we get to meet our little baby girl. She can stay cooking for a little while longer…but we will be here and waiting for her to make her grand entrance to the universe.
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