Welcome to our final installment of the birth of
Jacob. Thank you for allowing me to
share this journey with you and share how much it has healed me and changed who
I am as a wife, mother, and even a caregiver!
If you need to read parts one, two, or three they are linked there.
After spending an hour in the recovery room, Robert
called his Mom to let her know that we were heading up to our room. Jacob was to room with me, something that I
love, but I was uncertain of this aspect of my stay since I was not allowed to
move for at least 6 to 8 hours. This is
yet another area that God began to show Himself off for me.
When I arrived in the room, my nurse, the nursing assistant,
and the floor charge nurse were all there to meet me. Each one introduced themselves, explained
what their roles were in the hospital, gave me their call information, and in
general made sure I was comfortable. Robert
and I were both impressed at how kind everyone was and how much they wanted to
make sure we were taken care of and settled in comfortably. Each one of them even offered to go and get
Robert some snacks, sandwiches, and drinks.
We were impressed.
My nurse for Saturday was Brandi. She was amazingly sweet, popping in right at
the four hour mark to make sure I was getting all of the pain medication I was
supposed to get, topping off my water, and refilling my cranberry juice. She would snuggle Jacob while I got ready to
nurse, changed dirty diapers without a grimace or hesitation, and in general
treated me like I was a queen. Were my pillows
not comfortable enough? No problem, she
fluffed them. Was I in too much
pain? No problem she would rearrange me
to make me comfortable. All in all, I
was pleasantly surprised on how sweet she was, especially with my last nurse experiences
at the other hospital. My nurse on
Sunday was actually Brandi’s mom, Linda.
She was just as kind as Brandi and also went above and beyond to ensure
that Jacob and I were well taken care of.
My night nurse for both nights was another beautifully kind woman named
Lacey who was expecting her fourth baby.
We had many discussions on how people look down at large families and
how we enjoyed having so many little ones, even the ones that were surprises!
Jessica was the nursing assistant for both
Saturday and Sunday. She had the unpleasant
task of helping me with the more yucky issues that come after pregnancy. In spite of these tasks, she treated me with
so much kindness and compassion. When I
was crying at having to be taken care of, and believe me there were plenty of
tears over how helpless I felt, she would squeeze my hand and calmly remind me
that she was here to care for me. In my “Mommyness”,
I struggled with needing help in the most basic of ways. It is my job to care for everyone else that
way. Yet here she was, doing things that
I would normally do for myself, and still treating me like I was a person of
value and importance! My nightly nursing
assistant for both nights was Becky and she also went above and beyond, even
helping with Maggie on Sunday evening, but I will get into that in a little
bit.
For now, let’s go back to Saturday after our delivery. After about an hour my crew arrived. I heard them before I saw them; it’s hard to keep four excited kiddos quiet, even in a hospital. The boys were so excited to meet Jacob. Maggie was also excited, but she hung back letting the “little kids” meet him first. Little did she know what she was in for this weekend!
Meeting Maggie.
Meeting Ethan.
Cole wanted to see!
John Robert looks so grown holding him.
Cole keeps telling Daddy, "See the baby!"
All four of our boys in one quick shot!
After Mimi took the big kids home, Robert and I
were complimented by the staff. Each one
of the nurses, including the charge nurse, popped in to tell us how beautiful
our family was. They complimented us on
our children, their manners, their excitement, and their obvious love for each
other. Of course Cole was the hands down
cutest two year old that they had ever seen, or at least that’s what I heard
them say.
Robert’s Mom had to go home on Saturday and she
took John Robert and Ethan home to Indian Town with her; so Robert had to go
home to stay with the other two kiddos that night. Once again I was in tears. How was I going to care for the baby when I
was hooked to all the wires, a catheter, and unable to stand? I was still slightly woozy from the anesthesia
and I wasn’t able to move on my own yet, let alone move with all the wires and
machines. Who was going to change Jacob’s
diaper? Who was going to get him when he
whimpered? Who would put him back to bed
so I could rest? What was I going to do?
Once again the staff stepped in and went above and
beyond. Lacey and Becky changed diapers,
snuggled Jacob, and even helped me walk for the first time. More than that, they cheered me on, encouraged
me, and told me how amazing I was doing as a new Mom who just had a
c-section. When I would start to feel
over whelmed with pain (because I kept forgetting to push the button for my
pain pump), they would hold my hand or just stop and chat. I knew I wasn’t the only patient on the
floor, but I was treated that way, and it was wonderful!
On Sunday when I was finally up and walking
around, I went and got my nurse, Linda and Brandi came along too, so they could
see Cole kissing Jacob and telling him “Hi Buddy!” They left all their paperwork and came to
chat and see my kids. They didn’t just
pop in; they stopped and wanted to know things about us. The nursing staff even bent the rules for us
by letting Maggie spend the night with me on Sunday night so I would have someone
from home close with me to help me. Becky
came in, helped us set up her bed, and offered us snacks like we were having a
slumber party and not in the hospital at all.
Maggie slept some (more than I did! HA!), but even she noticed the kindness
that seemed to ooze into the room when any of the nurses came in.
Finally Cole got to hold his "buddy".
He was so sweet and gentle, rubbing his head and giving kisses.
Mama has no more wires on and she is dressed!
Daddy mentioned to Maggie (our photographer) that he loved how Jacob was in orange and blue already!
Up, packed, and ready to go home!
As excited as I was at the prospect of taking a
shower in my own bathroom and finally sleeping in my own bed, I was a little
sad about leaving. WHY? I was leaving people who had taken the time
to go above and beyond their job description to ensure that I was treated
well. Within the walls of Maternity Room
421, I was more than a patient; I was a person that deserved to be treated like
a queen because I was a woman who had just taken part of the miracle of life
called birth. I was valued as more than
a number on the chart, I was Jennifer Best, wife and mother. I was special.
This hospital
restored my faith in hospitals. The
staff treated me with more kindness than I had been treated in a long
time. They went above and beyond, even in
the little things like cranberry juice put in cups to my preference, all the
way to letting my daughter stay with me.
This hospital eased my fears over a surgical delivery. They helped me cope that my plans were not
going to come to fruition. They didn’t
stand in judgment of me for having a large family instead they welcomed all my
children and enjoyed getting to know them the short time that they were
there. I was not just a number on a chart;
I was a person of intrinsic worth and value.
I was not a blob in a bed to be dealt with; I was someone who had real
fears, real concerns, real needs, and real joy.
God used Jacob’s birth to bring healing to Robert
and myself when it came to how we viewed the medical community and the
hospitals experience. I am forever grateful
that He called me to walk this path of a c-section and to endure all the fear,
anxiety, and ultimately healing that went with it. While I do still wish I would have had a home
birth, I do not feel cheated or betrayed in any way, and to me that says a lot
about the journey that we endured to welcome our son Jacob into our lives.
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