When we went to check Mackenzie into her room in Peds, we were told that they would have a bed and one of us could stay overnight. Even though I had just delivered less than 48 hours ago, we both agreed I should stay so I could continue to nurse her.
Unfortunately, when the child is the patient (vs the mom) a bed is not always a given. Instead they had a recliner chair for me to sleep on. I took one look and almost broke down crying again. I was so uncomfortable and could not imagine sleeping in a chair for the next week.
After some discussion, Jeff and I agreed that it was best we both head home for the night. The nurses all assured us that they would take extra care of our little girl and that we could call anytime to check in on her. It was one of the hardest decisions I made, but that night we headed home without Mackenzie after all.
The next morning (and the following days after) we got up bright and early to go be with our little girl. One of the best things about being in Peds was that we had our privacy. In the newborn nursery, we wouldn’t be able to sit and cuddle with our little girl without numerous people walking by and staring. Peds also allowed visitors during regular hours, something that was originally not going to be possible in the nursery.
While we were there, Kenzie’s original hospital pediatrician came to check on her and unfortunately she was diagnosed with jaundice. There were some issues with how the pediatrician told me the news (she literally blamed ME!) so when Jeff returned, we requested another pediatrician. Dr Alegria was a God-send and took her time explaining things and answering all our questions. Kenzie’s jaundice ended up not even needing treatment.
On Sunday my mom stopped by to visit for the first time.
While we were there, Dr Alegria mentioned that since Kenzie was gaining weight and showed no other signs of complications, we may be able to take her home on Sunday vs Tuesday. We were so excited and kept our fingers crossed that it would work out.
Because my milk had not come in yet and we wanted to ensure Mackenzie gained weight, we supplemented her diet with formula. We were laughing because towards the end of her stay, she would try her best to hold her own bottle with her little hands.
She found her thumb!
Since all our shuffling around, we missed out on newborn pictures during the first 2 days. The peds nurses called the photographer and on Sunday she came to our room and snapped a few pictures.
Earlier on Sunday, we also got the okay from Dr Alegria to be discharged later that evening. Around 8pm, we signed the final paperwork and were all set to go home.
After spending 5 days at the hospital, we were finally going home as a family of 3.
