Growing with J.A.C.I.E. (All Time Low Fanfiction | Jack Barakat)

Chapter 26

Jack pushed the stroller into the examining room, stopping it in a corner. He sat down beside it, making sure the doctor's appointment was all about me, and not him and Eliza. We were lucky that my OB allowed both of them to come to the appointment. Since Eliza was still being exclusively breastfed, I couldn't just leave her at home alone with Jack and his parents. Her feeding schedule meant that I needed to feed her just before the appointment, and we'd barely be home in time for her next feeding.

I took a seat at the desk and my obstetrician entered soon after.

He took his place across from me and gave me a warm smile. "Well, Jacie, how's motherhood treating you?"

I managed a tired but genuine smile. "It's a rollercoaster, but we're getting through it."

He'd been with me for most of the journey, only missing out on the very first few months when we were still in LA. But other than that, he was the one watching over the entire pregnancy and was the doctor that helped me give birth to Eliza. He'd been one of the most positive influences, making sure I was well taken care of and could ask any questions I had, whenever I had them.

"Well, that's good to hear," he continued smiling as he pulled up my file on his computer. "Now, how are you feeling postpartum? Any concerns or changes since we last spoke?"

I considered the questions, trying to remember the past few weeks even though I already had an answer prepared. "I think I've been recovering pretty well. I'm exhausted, but I guess that comes with the territory."

He nodded, his gaze attentive. "Any pain or discomfort?"

"Not anymore, no," I shook my head. "Maybe still a bit tender, but things have only been improving."

"Good, good," he took a few quick notes. "We'll do a quick physical exam in a bit. For now, I just want to discuss your recovery with you. How's the bleeding?"

"Still going on, but much lighter than even a few days ago," I answered, Eliza grunting in the background. Jack gave her a finger to play with, listening intently to the conversation but not straying too far from her.

The doctor continued to ask me a few more questions about my physical recovery, checking up on how I felt my pelvic floor was doing as well as how breastfeeding was going. Luckily, everything seemed to be going pretty well, all things considered. With the horrible labour I had, I honestly assumed recovery would have been a bitch.

Eventually, the doctor guided the conversation into another direction. "Given your recent delivery, it's essential to discuss family planning. Have you thought about contraception?"

I paused, realising I forgot that this would also be a point brought up during this appointment. "Not really. We've been too tired and busy to consider it."

"That's understandable. It's good to have a plan before the time comes. We usually suggest parents wait 18 months to get pregnant again. What contraceptive methods did you use before getting pregnant?"

I leaned back into the chair, contemplating the question for a second. "We used condoms."

"Are you comfortable using them again?" he asked, acknowledging my response.

I nodded and Jack decided to contribute, "I'll probably get a vasectomy at some point, after things have calmed down. But we still need to discuss the specifics now that Eliza's actually here."

The doctor listened to the additional information Jack gave and asked, "so you're not planning on having any more children in the future?"

"We talked about it before I got pregnant," I answered. "One child makes the most sense with our busy lifestyles and goals. But we also realised we might change our minds after Eliza was born, so we still have to properly discuss it again."