Blessing and Curse

We should finally get to go home from the hospital tomorrow. This is both a blessing and a curse. Much of the hospital stay has been helpful:

• Check-ups for Mom and baby to make sure everything’s working right
• Knowledgable people to answer questions (nurses, lactation consultants)
• Food delivered straight to the room (well, technically it’s food)
• Readily available pain meds
• Someone to take the baby for short periods

But despite all of these positives, the negatives almost outweight them.

• Limited menu of not very good food, that is only for Mom (unless you cheat)
• Uncomfortable sleeping arrangements
• Have to drive home just for a shower and to feed the dog
• People constantly in the room

That last one deserves some special scorn. I understand that people are trying to do their jobs and the idea behind all of the visits is Mom and baby’s health, but it’s a little excessive.Many of the things they do and require feels so unnecessary and overly mandated.

Between the hours of 630am and 930am this morning we had the following visitors:

1. Mom’s nurse to check on her (inspected incision)
2. Medical tech to take vitals
3. Mom’s nurse to remove epidural
4. Mom’s OB (inspected incision)
5. Nursery nurse to check on baby
6. Baby’s Pediatrician
7. Staff change, new nurse inspects Mom (including incision)
8. Housekeeping
9. Med tech to take vitals
10. New shift Nursery nurse to check on baby (with two shadows)
11. Housekeeping (again)

So, on average every 18min someone came into the room and did something.  That kind of makes sleeping pretty difficult.  Which with a baby needing to be fed every 2-3hrs and refusing to sleep when not held, is already difficult enough.