Things people never tell you

No one ever mentioned to me that I could have an unmedicated, pain-free childbirth due to prayer and faith. No one ever told me that motherhood could be a task you slip into easily. No one ever said that the best sight I'd ever behold would be my son's peaceful, sleeping face knowing that the milk my body made created that serenity.

And no one ever told me that pregnancy and childbirth can completely trash your gall bladder! I have read dozens of books on pregnancy and childbirth. I've read hundreds of articles online as well. And I've talked to everyone from a doula to a midwife to an OB and not a single person ever mentioned that you may wind up with a cholecystectomy within the first six weeks after delivery.

Guess what I had done yesterday? Yep, my gall bladder was removed due to attacks I've been having. Three of the attacks occurred during the pregnancy and then cleared up on their own and never created another problem until I was a week post partum. They came back with a vengeance, bad enough to send me to the ER twice with pain.

All went well. Actually, it went much better than I expected. I was disheartened to learn I'd need general anesthesia not the la-la land twilight stuff I was hoping for. The main part of general anesthesia that bothered me was the whole intubating thing. I didn't like the prospect of having a tube shoved down my throat, but my anesthesiologist was a great one and made sure I was extubated before I even woke up so I never knew what was going on.

Everyone at the hospital was great actually. They had no problems with Scott, my mom and Andrew being with me every step from pre-op to recovery except for when I was in the OR for the surgery. They never made one comment about me having Andrew with me and were very considerate with my breastfeeding needs pre-operatively. The doctor also gave me post operative pain medication that is breastfeeding friendly.

I am recovering. I expected it to hurt more in some ways and didn't expect it to hurt as bad in other ways, but overall it is pretty bearable. The worst part is only being able to nurse on one side especially with a son who likes to dictate which side he eats on. We are coping though.

Poor Scott now feels the entirety of his "in sickness and in health" vows since I can't do much with Andrew other than nurse. The incision in my belly button makes it difficult to sit upright and play with him and the incision that is right at the bottom of my ribcage in the middle makes it uncomfortable to hold him in a cradlehold. Scott has been wonderful and waited on me hand and foot and doing an awesome job of caring for Andrew. I don't know what I'd do if I was on my own with a baby and four incision sites. I am so thankful to have a husband who is a very hands-on daddy as well as a considerate husband. The fact he had the same surgery and remembers the pain it caused helps as well, I am sure. ;-)