Friday, June 25, 2021 we went to the hospital for our scheduled C-section to meet our fourth baby boy, Nico. It was almost like deja vu because we were just there 14 months ago having our third son, Luca. Needless to say I knew what to expect and it made me a little less nervous. We arrived around 11 o’clock in the afternoon and got checked in. If you have had a C-section or any type of surgery you know that they require you to fast for at least 12 hours. I did just that but that is probably one of the hardest parts of the process. You’re pregnant, hungry and thirsty...not a good combo!
After they hooked me up to the heart monitor, got my IV in and went over their medical questions I was starting to get more and more excited knowing we were that much closer to meeting our sweet boy. My doctor came into our room to go over a few things and then she said we are ready to go and that they could walk me back to the OR. They had Paolo go into a small waiting room while they administered my spinal and prep me for surgery. This maybe took all but ten minutes. Next thing I knew I was laying down and feeling a little pressure and they lowered my drape down so I could watch them pull Nico out. What a feeling that was to see my son pulled out of my tummy; an experience I will never forget. After they cleaned him off and weighed him the nurse brought him over to me so I could give him a kiss on those chubby cheeks. I have done that with all my boys and it’s so special.
Once they finished with my C-section they wheeled me back to the recovery room where I slowly started to sit up. We were all being extra cautious because normally after all my C-sections (this was my fourth) I tend to throw up for about six hours. However, this time my doctor had prescribed me an anti-nausea patch to help. Thankfully I was fine and I did not throw up and could hold our sweet Nico without feeling so nauseous. We were in the recovery room for about an hour and then they moved me to a nice room where we made ourselves at home for the next few days. I know you’re wondering...what was your first post surgery meal?! It was homemade SPAGHETTI. Best dinner of my life, haha.
If you’ve had a C-section you know that you need to be in the bed for at least 12 hours before they can remove the catheter and before you can try and stand up. I was determined to get my catheter out and to stand up at exactly 12 hours. So during those first 12 hours let me just tell you how sweet it all was. I LOVE the newborn stage and I love the smells, cuddles and skin to skin. And we got to do just that. It didn't take long before Nico was already latching and eating like a champion and then he’d snuggle on me and fell asleep. The bonding time is so special to me and it’s a sweet moment you’ll never forget. I missed my other three boys but this alone time in the hospital with just Nico was so special.
After 12 hours (now it’s about 1:30 am) I called my nurse and asked if you could take out my catheter and get out of bed for a bit. She agreed and helped me get out of bed and by then most of the medication had worn off so I could feel the tenderness of my incision. It felt good to take a few steps and not feel so trapped. I am not saying this is for everyone and you know your body more than anyone so do what you’re comfortable with. For me this is what I needed and it worked well.
Then the next day on Saturday morning getting out of bed became easier and I was able to do it more frequently.
If you are familiar with our family you know that when we went to the hospital to have Anthony we had an emergency C-section due to a fever I ended up getting. They put Anthony in the NICU for two days to make sure he didn't have an infection. During those two days I was very miserable due to the C-section, exhaustion, and not being with my new born baby. Then when we had Leo we were unsure what we were going to be dealing with as far as his health, so I was a wreck during our three day hospital stay. Thankfully, when we had Luca we had a normal scheduled C-section and actually enjoyed our hospital stay even in the midst of COVID. Now, with Nico it was also a nice and relatively easy C-section and hospital stay. Paolo would get up in the morning and go get us a yummy coffee and some breakfast and then I was able to just enjoy breastfeeding Nico and having hot coffee in a quiet room. We facetimed our other boys since the hospital still wasn’t allowing a lot of visitors. We didn’t really mind the quietness though and took advantage of it (for the most part) and our sweet new baby boy.
We were able to go home Sunday morning and I am pretty sure every nurse knew it. I would let everyone know who walked into our room that we’d like to go home first thing Sunday. I was able to walk okay and Nico had been checked out by our pediatrician and I also had been checked by my doctor. Sure enough, around 11am we were heading home with our fourth baby boy.
Stay tuned for more adventures with our family of six...