E'Lana's Story(COMPLETED)

C-5: Baby's First Day

|Dalton and I came to a compromise a few hours after our son made his arrival, when the nurses requested we tell them the name to put on his birth certificate. Instead of Hayden Azariah Sewell, I knew in my heart Dalton deserved the last name. So, his birth certificate reads Hayden Azariah Rivas.|

7:28 AM - Sunday, May 14

It was hard to believe at this point I came into the hospital at five on Friday the 12th, had Hayden at 6:42 AM the next day, and it was now soon to be 7:30, Sunday. He was officially over a day old, and every single second has been special and treasuring. I was back on my feet despite the pain, trying to move around. I wanted to be able to tend to Hayden when he cried. It was already bad enough the nurses were taking him in and out of the room for tests.

He was only five pounds, thirteen ounces, but his heart was beating nice and steady, and he seemed more than ready for the world. However, the doctors felt he should stay until Tuesday, just to be sure. So when they told me I could go home today, I felt ... wrong. I didn't know how other moms left their kids at the hospital, it seemed like such a difficult task.

I had no choice, though. I wasn't allowed to go back to school, having just pushed a child out of my vagina. I needed time to fully recover, but I couldn't even be amongst Hayden at home until Tuesday, and Dalton had to go back to school tomorrow. He was at least excluded from work for the next four or five weeks. He didn't quite have enough money for our apartment and furniture seeing as that now a lot of it would be going to buy things for Hayden. The leave for him was proving to be a setback in his head, as he wanted us to be in a place we could call home for the time being while providing his son with everything he needed. Other than that he was just a man, he wanted to be in control of our own special household and not live under the roof of his parents. I understood that, and I dawned on our delay alongside him, but was secretly very relieved we'd be living with his mom and dad.

By the time he went back to work to earn the rest of the pay, I'd be accustomed to being a mom and would be ready to venture on my own. I knew that Mrs. Rivas said I was welcomed to call her whenever I needed her when we got the new place. I think she was wanting that more than I did.

8:57 AM

A nurse knocks on the door and welcomes herself in. I hear a squeak from the clear hospital bassinet next to my bed. I peak over it to look down at Hayden, who's somehow freed his little arms from his swaddle to stretch them out. I wish I can take him home with me. Ill be spending a lot of time at the hospital the next couple days. I asked if I could have a room to stay in, to be with him, but there were no available ones, and the ones that would become free, would soon be taken by patients who really needed them.

"How are you?" A lady who's name I've now learned is Josephine, asks me.

"Better," I respond. "Are you sure he has to stay?"

"Yes ma'am. Not that long though, you should be happy. Most babies born his gestation are here for a couple weeks. Your boy just needs to be confirmed for his leave. Trust me, we want him with his mom as much as you do. In the meantime, I think you should start to broaden your supply of milk. You haven't pumped recently, have you?"

I shake my head. "Not yet."

"You should do that. What we have is enough to last him seven or eight hours at best, given how much he consumes in every go."

She was right. I would be out the hospital by noon, and Hayden was a greedy little boy for someone who's stomach wasn't bigger than a cherry. "I'll do it," I tell her. She nods, and asks for me to get up so she can monitor my movements to make sure all was well with the healing process of my body.

I do as told, and I am granted access to sit back down when my son begins to whine. I miss Dalton, he'd been gone the last couple hours. He was helping get my things from home over to his parent's house. I guess we were technically back together.

I feel comfortable saying that. I start to think about school again as I carefully hoist my little boy into my arms. The nurse helps me to get him into position, and I pull my shirt up enough to lean him in. His eyes open partially, and he begins to root, mouth wide and searching. When he clamps down on my nipple, I hiss softly. My boobs were full and it'd hurt almost every time. At first I thought it were I who were doing something wrong, that maybe he wasn't latching correctly, but the lactation consultant that was assigned to me told me it were just the fact I was engorged and needed to get rid of some of the milk. She said it'd get better after a while. I believe her. There's a lot that comes with motherhood.

I'm trying to absorb it all. One baby step at a time.