[Warning: TMI post about childbirth
unpleasantness! Not for the easily embarrassed or squeamish or my
dad!]
So labor? Piece of cake. Not a
particularly delicious piece of cake, mind you, but at least once
it's over, it's over.
But the recovery – nobody talks about the recovery!
My friend said it best when she told
me, “You will lose all dignity in the hospital.” Labor is bad
enough – you bleed, tear, get stitched up, and parts of you which
are better left unseen are front and center. (But for the record, I
did not poop on the table! I've never been so proud.)
But afterward, I still had a shred of
dignity left. Even after a nurse put one-size-fits-most granny
panties and a diaper-sized pad on me, I still had dignity. But then
I was wheeled down to recovery, and told that a nurse was required to
help me use the bathroom.
I held it for a long time. Oh yes, as
long as I could muster (which, post-childbirth, was about 30 seconds
after the urge came). But that fateful moment came when I got the
required help. She walked me to the bathroom. She sat me down on
the toilet. She proceeded to instruct me on the 10-step process on
going to the bathroom, and then she watched. And then I flushed my
remaining dignity down the toilet.
3 comments:
Yes, the having someone accompany you to the bathroom is not pleasant.
haha, I have to say that didn't really bother me that much after everything else. But yes, I was SO proud that I didn't poop on the table too! Go us!
I never talk about the recovery with first time moms because there's always the chance that, instead of a vaginal delivery, she'll have a c-section. Basically, once you know which delivery method you'll have, it's too late to discuss certain things.
I agree with Jessica--after everything else, going to the bathroom supervised totally didn't phase me. And, actually, the hospital we were at for Adelaide's birth had TWO folks go in with me. Mazel tov. :)
Post a Comment