First Kiss

This post is en entry in August's Write-Away Contest at Scribbit.

It had been a long eighteen hours. I’d been hooked up to all kinds of machines. I couldn’t go to the bathroom without five minutes of preparation. I didn’t sleep more than two hours that night. I’d been induced, even though my water had broken four weeks early. My body wasn’t quite doing everything the way it was supposed to. The induction failed, and they eventually wheeled me into the operation room and prepped me for a caesarean.

Within minutes, I couldn’t feel the lower half of my body. It’s a little scary not being able to even wiggle your toes. I was very sleepy, but awake.

They began the procedure, fifteen or so people all around me, one of them my husband. I felt the pressure as the scalpel cut into my skin. Moments later, I felt a release as my baby was lifted out of me. I couldn’t see her, as there was a curtain blocking my view, and I didn’t have enough control of my body to twist around and see behind me. I heard the first cry, and the nurse confirmed it was a girl. I felt relief that she was out, she was crying, and so far still safely in the room. I listened carefully, worried about her lungs. Her initial Apgar score was nine out of ten. Wow! They cleaned her off, wrapped her up, and gave her to my husband. He brought her around so I could see her, but I still hardly could as bundled up as she was. I didn’t need to right then. I was grateful to know that she was healthy.

I continued to drift in and out of sleep as I was stitched back up and moved to a recovery room. My baby was taken to the nursery. I slept for an hour or more while my husband called family. When I awoke, the nurse brought my baby to the recovery room for me to meet her while they waited for my permanent room to become available. She helped me sit up (the anesthesia was still wearing off), then she handed me my wrapped up bundle.

I looked down at her, all swaddled tight and fast asleep, and I gently kissed her cheek. It was the first kiss of many that I would give my daughter.