Umar He Is

Born Saturday March 22nd (four days before my own birthday) by emergency c-section weighing in at 2.95 kg (or 6.45 lbs for us Americans) and as cute as a button.

So I know everyone wants details especially after reading "emergency c-section". During my regular check up I had a non stress test (where they check the heart beat, movement and any contractions) the week before all was well but on that day things didn't look good for my little man. Every time he moved his heart rate slowed down, which is the opposite of what it should be doing. I did notice that his movements did slow down during the past couple of days and wanted to tell my Dr. just that. With a further ultrasound it was noted that the cord blood flow was not as it should be. So that ended with me rushing to L&D for a c-section.

Panicked I was, thinking all sorts of possibilities but alhamdulillah it all turned out well. I had a good Dr. for the epidural (which worked this time) and it was a quick in and out thing. Although my hospital stay was more like torture (more on that latter). And Mr. Man was even there to see his boy being nearly strangled to get out of my stomach. "I thought the Dr. was going to break his neck" For some reason Mr. Man thinks children magically come out of the woman's stomach just like Hannah does. A mental image he won't soon forget.

I was identified as an American woman by my womb, no I'm not joking. The Dr. who did the c-section was not my regular Dr. but he was very good. He worked in New York for some years and didn't realize I was an American. He stood over me talking about how "amazing" it was to see a uterus like this because the last time he saw one was in New York and he hasn't seen one since. If I wasn't so drugged up it would made for a good laugh, that morphine shot had me feeling zoned out. Evidently Saudi women have different womb styles than us Americans. So there you go real proof of my nationality any question, check the womb!

Can't say Mr. Man was having as much fun at this point for he was with Umar and the pediatrician who was checking him out. "Does that look normal?" he asked Mr. Man about Umar's nose. Evidently it is to squashed for him and insisted on running a chromosome test because he suspects down syndrome. We still don't have the results and there are no other physical indications so we are left here wondering. So not a good feeling.

He is a lazy eater which doesn't go well with my BF issues. Just like Mr. Man he wants everything served to him easily. So I am supplementing which isn't enough because he has jaundice. Oh yes just add things to the list something every new mother really needs more on her plate.

My hospital stay was...umm interesting. I'm sure they wanted me out as much as I wanted to be out. Several hours after the c-section I was still on morphine although I say it didn't do much for me and I had a catheter. A nurse comes in with a needle and this is how it went from there.

Me: "What is that shot for?"

Nurse: "To prevent against blood clots in your legs"

Me: "I don't want a shot"

Nurse: "You need it because you're not walking."

Me: "Than I want to walk. "

Nurse: "You can't you have a catheter"

Me: "Take it out I don't want it anyway, the epidural has worn off why exactly aren't I walking?"

Nurse: "We take the catheter out in the morning and you have the IV still"

Me: "Well take the catheter out now and you can take this IV with it"

Nurse confused and in shock "Oh you can't do that"

Me: "Why not? In the states I had a c-section and I was up and walking as soon as possible. There is no reason for this catheter, it is better for me to have it out. And this morphine drip, just get me some Tylenol and I'll be fine"

The nurse left confused came back with two more nurses and this whole thing was repeated. But thankfully to a very nice South African nurse who agreed with me. She called a Dr. and the Dr. was happy to see I was wanting to get up and about. For some reason it isn't the case for other women with c-sections but such is the way in Saudi, everything is a slow exaggerated process.

I grudgingly stayed in the hospital for 72 hours nearly being starved to death due to the horrible food they serve. And came home to my children who were about to fall apart with Mama gone so long. If all that wasn't enough for me at the moment our maid Sarti started so much drama when I was away and decided to go on strike when I cam home.

Yes welcome home Mama of five time to get the house sorted and get on with life. Good thing I didn't stay that other day that most women do here, the house would have just fell down completely. :)