Home is where you start from: new baby

Saturday, June 09, 2007

new baby

Daddy's girl

My sister gave birth Friday afternoon, the baby's name is Madison. She has 2 brothers, Spencer and Evan. The baby is just beautiful, mom and dad happy, grandparents very excited. I took the hour drive to the hospital and back, blissfully alone. An hour in the car without being talked to..it's a rare treat. I do not like the hospital she delivers at tho, I must be thoroughly spoiled by the hospital I've always gone to, but it just seems wrong to be basically left alone so much, and to have to have family go and ask for help all the time. She had a c-section (I've had 2, so I remember how it was) and she came out nauseous, sweating...she sat up suddenly to throw up and got lectured and commanded not to move her bed up after pulling her stitches...but did any nurse look into medicine to help with it, or get her an ice pack?? That would be no. She kept complaining that she was hot, the sweat is dripping down her face and she tells them that the hotter she gets the more she will throw up. Nothing, nada. I had to go and get ice packs for her. She was itching from the morphine...said the same thing happened to her last time...no discussion about getting her something else that won't make her eyeballs itch. Growl... And to top it off, she couldn't get the baby to latch on, she's hot, trying not to throw up, hands shaking as she's holding baby, trying to nurse baby in an almost laying down position because they commanded her to not lift the bed..and she was all alone at that point. No one was checking on her, I was afraid to leave her. She needed a shield, they helped last time...but the lactation nurse was gone and they didn't think they had any around. Hello!! um, people giving birth all day here, a need to keep nursing supplies in stock doesn't come up??

working myself into a rant here. So, o.k. I do not recommend Riverside General Hospital for having a baby..in case I was vague here. lol. kind of... oh, and her room-mate stole her flowers!!

She was hoping to go home the next day if she could talk them into it. can't say I don't blame her!!

on a lighter note...

"Yes, my precious baby, you are welcome to your mother's heart, welcome to her time, her strength, her health, her tenderest cares, to her lifelong prayers! Oh, how rich I am, how truly, how wondrously blest!"
-Stepping Heavenward by Mrs. E. Prentiss

Labels: family

posted at 7:00 PM
7 comments

7 Comments:

At 8:42 PM, Amy said...: Congratulations on your new niece! What a sweetheart. Daddy is clearly smitten.

I refuse to comment extensively on the frustrations you felt, because I would be raising my blood pressure to unhealthy levels. Suffice it to say, I am continually appalled at what passes for perinatal health"care" in this country.

I hope your sister is able to go home soon and that she does not suffer any complications from her surgery.
At 9:38 PM, Joyful Days said...: Oh my! After two c-sections of my own I know what they are like. And I had good care. I am praying for her, Jenny.

Many congratulations for them & their new sweetheart & prayers for protection and healing.
At 8:32 AM, Cyndi said...: Okay,

(1) Welcome, Madison! God bless you, Little One. May you lay hold of all your Heavenly Father has for you, all the days of your life.

(2) You are a terrific sister, Jenny! So sweet of you to love on your sister in her time of need, and be her advocate in that way. Wow.

(3) This post made *me* want to send your sweet sister some flowers! Bless her heart! I'm praying peace, comfort, and healing for her in the days ahead. I'm especially praying for her and Madison to begin a beautiful new relationship on this side of the womb. :)

You're a good aunt. :)
At 10:45 AM, TheNormalMiddle said...: Oh my....bless her heart for the hospital experience. But a sweet reward to take home, right?

Congrats aunt!
At 7:14 PM, Susanne said...: Praise God that you were around for your sister. Unbelievable what goes on in "healthcare" facilities!

What a beautiful babe she is though. Hope mom and babe can soon go home!
At 12:27 AM, Hen Jen said...: go sisterhood!! feisty comments!! There was more to the ugly hospital story, but I didn't want to go totally all negative. I did try to stay sweet this time, and when I went for the ice packs adopted a diplomatic "lets be a team, can you help us out?!" -tone, not the snarky, mad 'tude I worked up at the last birth..over I cannot remember what..more of the same. It was really sad tho, the whole experience, it was more like the whole ordeal was done to her, and had to be survived. My experiences at our hospital were never like that, the nurses actually "nursed" you.
thanks for the sweet thoughts, I will pass them on to my sis.
At 6:55 AM, Barb said...: I'd be worked up too, Jenny. There's no excuse for that kind of care, or lack of care really.

Poor thing. It sounds like she was just miserable and having a baby should not be like that. I agree it's unforgiveable that they didn't have nursing supplies on hand.

Thank goodness you were there. Imagine if you hadn't been.

The one thing I vividly remember from Krissy's c-section is that after laboring for two days and finally ending up in surgery, she was dirty and sweaty and felt awful and needed a shower. No nurse would come help at all. And the room was full of visitors, twelve hours after her surgery. No policy about visitors in the maternity ward at all.

I was totally furious. I ran everyone out of the room and helped my daughter get out of that bed and helped her shower. She cried and cried. It broke my heart.

I swear, I think it would be much nicer to just give birth at home.

Makes you wonder what on earth you're paying for when you see the ridiculous bill afterwards.

Now I'M all worked up. Sheesh. This made me mad.

But congratulations on that beautiful baby. Love, love the name Madison and may very well have a little granddaughter named Madison myself someday. Krissy loves the name, too.

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