Our little munchkin. We just realised that we still have that wrapper that’s lying behind her… wow!
After the shaking, screams and sobs that characterised,our childbirth, we could not wait to hold our baby in our hands. That was enough compensation for the ordeal we went through. We heard her tiny but tough cries as the midwives cleaned her up and clothed her. We lay on the sturdy delivery bed, slowly recovering from our ‘near-death’ experience. As our shaking body became stable, we were eager to see what our seed looked like.
Finally, a grinning midwife brought her to us. We held her and thanked God for blessing us with a child. We prayed that she will lead a life devoted to the Lord and fulfill her purpose on earth. After our significant prayer of dedication, we began watching a movie titled- ‘New Baby Part 1.’ She was a beauty to behold. Clad in a machine crocheted ensemble, her pink face spoke innocence, quietude and piece. The joy that filled our heart to have been able to bring such comeliness to the world was immeasurable.The hurdles of the
first,
second and
third trimester were over. We were ready to face our new life as a mother. We were moved to the maternity ward, where the hospital stench that was undesirably present in the delivery room failed to show up. We were rather hit by the sophisticated smell of food in the air. We settled into a rigid hospital bed that was offered to us at the end of the room. It was the last empty bed standing. That was evidence that several women chose to be busy with their partners at the same time of the previous year. The result- several simultaneous births and a filled-up hospital wing.We saw a new mother continuously stare at her new baby. She was definitely in love. Where two or three women are gathered, there is always a drama queen. This time, the crown was on our bed neighbour’s head. She took a large piece of
wrapper and tied her tummy firmly as though she was on a mission to end her life through a nonsurgical imposed tummy tuck. She whined about how her husband wanted her to keep tying her tummy so she could be in shape. She kept chewing different kinds of food as she paced in the room as though she was searching for something.We had planned that we will eat anything and everything to revenge on all those times when we failed to eat due to pregnancy-induced nausea. However, the stress from childbirth left us with a repugnance to food and some sickness in the pit of our belly. Food was not even the last thing on our list. It was out of the list. Sleep was the first item we needed to check. Our body was weary and we badly needed to rest.Our mother quickly brought a cup of Ovaltine and milk for us to drink. We refused, saying we wasn’t hungry but she insisted, stating, “You need something in your stomach so you can feed the baby.”. We succumbed and gulped down the beverage. That was our initiation into the fattening sessions new mothers go through after delivery. Shortly after tea, we were offered Pepper Soup. After Pepper Soup, it was Rice and Stew. They kept telling us how a full tummy was essential for a decent flow of breast milk.
Enemies of progressThe aunties, uncles, friends and well-wishers that kept coming to see us made it impossible to close our eyes in a sweet beauty sleep. As we lay on the bed in the faded hospital gown, we felt how post-partum bleeding soaked the heavy pads we worn and drenched the white hospital bedsheet. It was a great discomfort. The bed sheets were eventually changed.We had read in the pregnancy books (we read lots of them) that breastfeeding within the first hour of delivery was important so we expressed a desire to breastfeed our baby. Our pastor’s wife, who was tending to us brought our baby to us so we could feed her. We tried to practice what we had rehearsed by watching other mothers. However, we failed to get our baby to latch on properly despite her moving lips that were searching for the boobs. Our pastor’s wife came to our aid and tried to place our tiny nipple into our newborn’s mouth. As she struggled with us, an elderly woman in the ward joined her. She seemed like one of those women who knew everything about childbirth. All three of us battled frantically to enable us breastfeed for the first time as though we were trying to solve the crisis in the Middle-East. In the end, the tiny lips began to suck and stimulate the flow of colostrum.
We stood up to take our first bath after delivery. That enabled us assess our after-pregnancy body. Our pregnant elephant ankles were still there. Our tummy looked semi-pregnant. It was like the mid-wives forgot our daughter’s twin in there. It was depressing to look at the whale we had become but our baby was so worth it. After our bath, we wore a nightgown as the custom of postpartum women in Cameroon is. Then we settled in to snuggle with our baby.
Watch out for our next post still on the postpartum experience. That experience is a handful. Got something to say? Please comment below. We love you!
P.S: If you you enjoyed this post then you may want to read all about our first pregnancy and childbirth by clicking below:
HOW we FOUND OUT ABOUT MY PREGNANCY plus THE FIRST TRIMESTER
THE BEAUTY OF THE SECOND TRIMESTER
We STARTED SNORING IN THE THIRD TRIMESTER
AN EPIC FIRST CHILDBIRTH
