Baby Corner

[Fandango 1,439]

I'm with Lisa - that was some of the best sleep of my life! LOL They didn't interrupt me in the night at all with taking any sort of vitals. They'd come in before lights out, take my vitals, give me meds (including that WONDERFUL Ambien) and I wouldn't see anyone again until at least 7 am. Sometimes breakfast would beat the nurse there which was fine by me. I think if you're in the hospital because you're sick, you probably do get bothered in the night. But I think they know new moms need their sleep. At least my hospital seemed to.

ETA the food wasn't bad either. It wasn't a home cooked meal of course, but I really expected the worse and was pleasantly surprised.

Yep, that was my experience as well. The nurses were so awesome and cool, that now I'm friends with one of them. Many times, everyone would hang out in my room, so it was kinda like a little party, hehehehe. The food wasn't bad - you could even order burgers fries and milkshakes! Flat screen LCD big screen tvs with cable in each room too. And they were so nice to Scott, because he never left the hospital, that they would also bring him a full tray of food as well. The hospital had wifi, so he was able to work, I was able to mess around online.

The baby was in the room with us too...which most times, was awesome and gave me total peace of mind...sometimes he was screaming and I was frustrated and quite ignorant as to what to do, but during those times, I'd call the nurses, and they'd come and care for him/even take him down to the nursery when I needed sleep. And the ward was completely locked down and secure...he had an ankle bracelet on which had a transmitter...all the doors had security locks, and the system was designed so that when a baby crossed the perimeter, a crazy alarm would go off and lock down the ward, so that gave me peace of mind as well.

They also have these ladies who knit and make & donate these thick and fluffy blankets and hats for all the newborns. My nurses brought me a few different ones and matching hats too. And they sent me home with a case of sugar water bottles and diapers/wipes/ the lot.

Damn, can I go back to the maternity ward????? Waaaaaaaaaah

Edited December 10, 2010 by Lisa C

[Anna C. 4]

I can't complain about our postpartum day nurse, Pam, she was lovely. The night nurse... not so much. No she couldn't time it right, cause Jona did eat every 3 hours, but she came afterwards to check vitals. It was protocol to take mom's and baby's vitals every 3 hours... Soooo annoying! Jona was with us at all times, but the bed was horribly uncomfy and my IBCLC had suggested cosleeping to keep his temperature up (he did get a tad cool those first days), but the mattress was so soft (ick) and not wide at all... We kept asking for being released, but neither the ob nor the ped wanted to discharge us, blah. The bilirubin could have been easily checked at home too (on base they did it too), that was their reasoning, and the ob claimed my blood loss to keep me (seriously, 400ml doesn't even qualify for a hemorrhage, I finally got my hands on my records!). So it wasn't very pleasant for us... Especially since those peds on call kept asking for circ or HepB shots and we kept saying dude we just said no yesterday, back off already. Very bothersome!

LIsa, wow about the food, we just had this hospital food on a tray, yucki - they did bring it in for hubbie too, but even he thought it was awful and he is not exactly picky... They had very little choice and it just tasted bad. My best food in the hospital was the pizza I ordered when I was in labor!

I also think it depends on the needs and character of the family, a birthing center birth after all is like having a homebirth at somebody else's house. We would have opted for a homebirth, but there is a lack of providers in our area and our insurance only covers $1500 of the cost, while they cover 100% of the birthing center.... PLus they have the big aqua-doula tubs, birthing chairs, birthing hammocks and balls, all the cool equipment is right there... So there was no question to go with the center. I did try an obgyn for the first prenatals, but we clashed right away, and that was the most "crunchy" one around here... I had no troubles with my midwives at all. And I can reach them so easily, I have their cell numbers, no doctor ever gave that to me!

[TracyTN 237]

Yeah, I think its totally up to each new mother where she wants to give birth. But I thought it was worth mentioning that the hospital wasn't awful. Far from it, in fact. Although it was nice to sleep in my own bed.

[Mommy2ZaidnSalma 11]

Ohh i loved my hospital too. I recommend everyone to go there that i know. Im gonna see if my insurance will cover me to stay for 2 nights this time bc my first night home with Zaid was HELL because of my tears down below... Im too much of a worrywort to not be at the hospital anyway... Our food was great, my bed was fantastic, Sofyans was ok but who cares it wasnt about him, lol.

Sounds like a birthing center will be such an experience. You will have to share it with us after Eloise is born!

Im sick...again..stupid sore throat or something. Thank god its friday. I need to relax this weekend for sure

[chnst 6]

My hospital does 1 assessment on mommy&baby per 12hr shift, then 1 set of vitals at 4pm and midnight. I don't think that's too bad either. Most moms appreciate us coming in and helping with breastfeeding or other stuff. The only thing I really think needs improvement is that labs are drawn at 4AM! I'd be really inconvenienced if some lab dude wakes me up to draw my H&H in the middle of he night.

The food is friggin awesome at my place too. They just switched to 24/7 ordering- you can order whatever you want whenever you want it, including meals for support persons. And the quality is great too. Plus all rooms are private now, each birthing room has a tub, so I am really looking forward to that.

On another note- we took Ben to the pedi today and didn't get good news. He's had an enlarged lymph node on the right side of his neck for the past 8 months. It's so big you can't miss it. A lot of people (babysitter, hairdresser etc) have asked us about it. We took him to the urgent care doc around Easter to have it checked out but he told us its nothing he's probably fighting a cold. But it never went away. It's only on one side right below a mole under his ear.

Well the past couple of weeks the mole has been changing and growing and 2 days ago when I came home from work the little mole was bleeding. So we took him to the pedi again today, and he took it very serious, got all concerned and referred us to see a dermatologist asap to remove the mole, send it to histology (sp) and biopsy the lymph node for cancer.

I'm trying to think positive, but it was so scary to hear the doc actually talk about your biggest nightmare. We called the dermatologist and they couldn't give us an appointment til next year (go figure), then our pedi called us this afternoon to make sure we got an appointment and he said Ben needs to be seen the next few days. So he called the dermatologist office himself and voila- we have an appointment next thursday. So so so friggin scared.

[Mommy2ZaidnSalma 11]

<3 Praying for Ben and lots of good news.

[tnh9479 1]

I'll keep Ben in my thoughts and prayers as well.

L/D at the hospital I was camped out in for three weeks was great. I still see my favorite nurse. I am her son's physics teacher this year! They went out of their way to get me some egg crates to put on my bed since I was to lay on my left side most of the time. They helped me alter the menu, found a small fridge for my room to put extra food and stuff my husband brought for me.

Postpartum was a nightmare. I was left to myself ALL the time. Not so great for a first time mom by herself with twins! I was a wreck by the time I was to leave.

[Anna C. 4]

@ tnh: Awww that sounds horrible... Especially after your story and delivery, that's not nice!

@ Steffi: I'm glad the ped got you in earlier... It's a shame they tried to push you off for so long. I hope everything will be alright. I didn't get it fully, the swollen lymph node is below the mole? He made have scratched it open, I accidentally did that a lot with one that I had removed in Germany, full drill with biopsy.

How come all those specialists in your area are booked up so badly (I remember your troubles to get in with a gastro specialist)...

Edited December 11, 2010 by Anna C.

[Eveline 9]

I guess what Steffi meant was that the swollen lymphnode has been fighting off something and at the same time there's a suspicious looking mole. If you put two and two together I can see where the pedi got alarmed.

Here's to hoping that it's really nothing serious. I'm keeping you in my thoughts. You've been through so much with Ben and his GI issues I really hope that it's just a minor little thing.

[Fandango 1,439]

praying for Ben ...and for you/hubby too

[Vi Mazzella 4]

All the good energy for you and little Ben, everything is going to be ok

I haven't been here for a long time. I'm super busy now, I don't know If I told you but I started my own homw business. I'm a chocolate lover and I love my country too so I decided to put those two together and the last time I went to Peru (August) I took some lesson of how to make these peruvian chocolates called "chocotejas" are make with dark chocolate and filled with dulce de leche and raisins, almonds or pecans, they are deli deli deli. I brought all the supplies from Peru, molds, chocolates,boxes, even the dried fruits, and I started adveristising them on facebook for my peruvian friends that live here, my hubby sold some at his job and people started placing more and more orders and now became a really good business, specially now for Christmas .

The only thing is that I have to make them while Sofia takes a nap or when she goes to sleep and for example this weekend I have to complete like 15 orders so I'm going to make sure that daddy takes her to his parents house so I can have some time to make them.

Sofia....

Is talking non stop, just like her daddy, she is so cute, her poor daddy is going to have lots of headaches hahahaha poor Silvio .

She is still into saying "mine' specially when she sees me hugging daddy so funny, I keep telling her thta I met him first.

Mommies I have to go...

If somebody is interested in trying my chocolates I'm sending them all over the States, please feel free to send me an email vi_mazzella@hotmail.com

[chnst 6]

Evi: yep. the lymph node has been swollen for almost 8 months now, non-tender etc. I never thought there could be a connection with the mole until a few days ago when I realized how much it had changed and that it was bleeding. But he's only 2 years old, I really hope its nothing. The pedi said part of why he is so concerned is that he just had a 5 year old diagnosed with malignant melanoma in his office a few weeks ago with very similar symptoms. This is going to be the longest week of my life I think. I just want it to be over with and find out.

Thanks all for the well wishes, I am hoping its nothing.

[Mommy2ZaidnSalma 11]

Stef, my friend is a pediatric nurse and said she sees alot of toddlers whose lymphnodes stay swollen for a long time (6mos-2 years sometimes) after an onset of infection. Didnt Ben have hand-foot-mouth around 8 months ago or so? Im sure your freaking out regardless but she made it sound like its SO common in kids. I pray its nothing. Ill be thinking about you guys.

[MARM 7]

Evi: yep. the lymph node has been swollen for almost 8 months now, non-tender etc. I never thought there could be a connection with the mole until a few days ago when I realized how much it had changed and that it was bleeding. But he's only 2 years old, I really hope its nothing. The pedi said part of why he is so concerned is that he just had a 5 year old diagnosed with malignant melanoma in his office a few weeks ago with very similar symptoms. This is going to be the longest week of my life I think. I just want it to be over with and find out.

Thanks all for the well wishes, I am hoping its nothing.

I pray that all goes well for Ben and your family. I would think if it were of a concern, the first doctor who noticed the lymph node more than a few months ago would have suggested you see a specialist then.

[chnst 6]

Thank you! yeah it doesn't help much when you're preggers and all hormonal to begin with... I'm in between and optimistic. I was hounding the pediatricians at work today, and they were concerned too. OMG one of them said "could be lymphoma" er thanks doc... I wish I could fast forward to thursday, the waiting and not knowing is killing me. I wish I was like hubby, he's always so positive and calm.

Vi: wow congrats on your business! So glad you're busy with something you like doing. That sounds like such a fun job! What do you do when you run out of supplies? Good excuse to return to Peru?