I recently enjoyed a two night retreat. My "hosts" provided a spiffy cotton outfit, daily massages, a menu to order from with delivery and pick up of the dirty dishes. Ah, it was heaven.
Well, actually, it was my maternity suite at the hospital. But, you see, after the delivery of our second child, I was determined to savor and enjoy the time he and I had at the hospital so I tried to think of the whole experience as a retreat: Two and a half days and two nights to just focus on ourselves. Yeah, that cotton outfit was a hospital gown complete with frontal slits to facilitate breastfeeding, the daily massages felt like the nurses were pummeling my abdomen to shrink my uterus back down to normal size, and those meals? Well, they were hospital-grade meals indeed.
But, we still enjoyed it.
As sad as I was that our older son, Lucas, wouldn't be able to visit me and meet his new brother in the hospital due to H1N1 concerns, that also meant that new baby Nathaniel and I had just over 48 hours all to ourselves (with a few visitors including my husband and the grandparents coming and going, of course). Sure, I missed Lucas and was anxious to get home, but I also knew that being home would mean balancing the needs of a newborn and a preschooler, laundry, meal preparation, cleaning and all those other day-to-day demands on a mama.
Since this was my second go-round with labor and delivery, I was also much more comfortable in the hospital this time. I knew what to do with the teeny tiny baby in my room. I wasn't surprised by the need for mesh underwear (yes, first-time moms-to-be, there is mesh underwear and you will appreciate it!) or the industrial sized menstrual pads or the sitz bath.
And so for two and a half days and two nights, I didn't do a thing but take care of myself and my baby, order as much food as I wanted from the hospital menu, enjoy the fact that my meals were both delivered and picked back up, and most importantly, hold and adore my new baby for hours.
A retreat, indeed.
Original post to DC Metro Moms. Aimee Olivo writes about life with her boys at Smiling Mama and about family-friendly activities in Prince George's County, MD at Out by Ten.
Rose said...
I got four days courtesy of my c-section and I LOVED it. Loved not sharing a bed. Not having to be "in charge." It was very relaxing and just lovely!
Congratulations on the new baby!
January 27, 2010 at 11:43 AM Angie B said...
Congrats on your new baby! After enjoying the two day "retreats" at the hospital for our first three kids, we had our fourth at home last year. I've gotta say, the comforts of home won out over nurse abdomen massages and hospital food. ;) But I did have grandma keep our then 5 year old for a couple of days so I didn't have that balancing act immediately. You're right, savor the moments!!
January 27, 2010 at 12:17 PM Victoria Mason said...
Congratulations! I didn't enjoy my "suite" the first time but the second time I loved it. I'm already looking forward to that part with the third as well.
January 27, 2010 at 01:15 PM amy m said...
Congratulations, my friend!! Sounds like you enjoyed your little vay-cay before heading home to the chaos of two little ones!
I also found that I became waaaay too excited for my doctor appointments with babies two and three. The quiet of the waiting room--the chance to read the paper or a magazine in peace--was sometimes blissful.
January 27, 2010 at 05:01 PM Sue @ Laundry for Six said...
Congratulations!!! I loved my hospital stays after the first baby - a retreat indeed. Now if the beds were just a little more comfortable and the food a little more tasty...
January 28, 2010 at 06:20 AM FabulousMissS said...
I'm so glad you wrote this because I'm going in tomorrow morning for my repeat c-section. (The VABC plan was foiled because of my petite (!?!?) pelvis, LOL) I'm going to desperately miss my toddler and that scares me more than surgery, epidurals and gowns with frontal slats but you are right ... my meals will be delivered and cleaned up and that alone is priceless! I am hoping to get home in 2-3 days, we'll see. Noah can't visit me either - new Sibley rules and I've very bummed but it will be okay.
Congratulations on your new addition :) I hope things are going well for you all.
January 29, 2010 at 05:29 AM Stimey said...
I also loved staying in the hospital and totally treated it as a vacation. They practically had to kick me out.
January 30, 2010 at 02:44 PM Jessica McFadden said...
I felt the same way with baby #2! I sent my hubs home to sleep in a bed and give our older child continuity. And I remember allowing the nurse to take my second baby to the nursery to weigh her, rather than insisting it be done on a scale in-room, and nonchalantly watching an episode of SATC. And I never once filled out the nursing log.
So so so glad you are finding baby #2 so wonderful with your experience and of course your smiling mama love!
Original post by Smiling Mama. Thanks for reading!
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