Everyone Loves Baby

The wait is over - the baby is here!  She arrived almost three weeks ago completely healthy.  The Singapore hospital experience was a little different than the NL hospital experience I had over 17 years ago, but everyone here loves babies just like everyone there loves babies.

I had a scheduled Cesarean, so we knew exactly when we'd go to the hospital.  From arrival to room and nursing baby, about 2 hours passed.  I received detailed information about what the epidural would be like - that was a plus.  Terry, however, was not allowed in the OR until after I'd already received the epidural and the cutting had started.  I consider myself fairly independent and brave... but boy, I was glad to see him!  The anesthesiologist had the role of photographer so we got OR photos, unlike last time.  My teen and Terry followed baby while she was weighed, cleaned, etc. while I was sewn up and recovering from surgery.  They both fell in love at first sight.  I love that my teen was able to participate like that.

Throughout the hospital stay, I was treated by many wonderful nurses and nursing assistants.  Everyone was shocked that I had a 17 year old and a newborn and the comment every time was, "Such a big gap, lah!" with an occasional question, "Why wait such a long time?" and the common comment, "Ah, a good helper, lah."  One nurse loved my teen, thought she was beautiful.  She came in around 4-5 am to take my blood pressure and temperature and would have a chat with me while my daughter or Terry (they took turns staying the night) slept on the companion's couch.

I also am not one to take medication unnecessarily.  So when nurses came with handfuls of pills, I asked what they were for and why I need to take them.  I am not sure they are used to such questions. I turned down some meds - I'm not sure what they thought of that.  It's private health care here, so you pay for everything and I guess prescriptions are easily handed out.  The docs prescribed three pain meds, meds to treat stomach upset from the pain meds, trouble sleeping meds, meds to relieve itching from the after effects of the epidural... I didn't take most of it.  And I was down right confused at the thought of a new mom taking a sleeping pill!  Maybe it's just me, but I can fall asleep the instant I have the opportunity to do so!

I was told the food at this hospital was fabulous.  Hmmm.... I would not consider it near that.  My companion (my teen or Terry) and I both chose our meals each day.  There were a few decent meals once I was on solids, but they were not fabulous by any stretch.  I also got tea or Milo (a local drink something like hot chocolate) for mid meal snacks.  And each afternoon I got the best snack of all... a confinement meal of fish and papaya soup!  It's considered 'heaty' and I ate about 1/2 of my first dish but it was really 'fishy'.  Apparently it helps your milk production.

All in all, the hospital stay was decent.  We ended our stay with a photo with some of the nursing staff.  One nurse wants us to visit her at her home.

The attention a baby brings is the same as home.  Everyone says hello.  Everyone smiles.  People goo-goo and ga-ga over baby.  Aunties just adore the baby!  They come up to us and say, "Ah, so cute, lah!  Boy?"  One of us responds, no, girl.  "Ohhh, one month old?"  Nope.  One week.  Two weeks.  "Ohhhhhhh......." *Concerned look and frown on face*  As I mentioned in an earlier post, most babies and moms go in confinement for a month so it's quite frowned upon to bring baby out before that.  And my beauty has been out and about all over Singapore!  One auntie actually stepped backwards as if in fear she'd infect the baby when I said the baby was less than one month old.  We get lots of smiles and lots of frowns and concerned stares.

Regardless, our beautiful baby girl is surrounded by love.  Even the locals frowning upon bringing her out love the baby.

New life is precious.  Babies are brilliant, aren't they?  Worries go away in those moments you look into a baby's eyes.  Babies don't judge and don't care what others think.  It doesn't matter where in the world they are, they just ARE.  They are completely present.  I try to live like this and I've raised my teen to live like this, but our new family addition is a beautiful reminder.