CREEK ROAD GANG
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Having Babies Is Great!
Part 2Len Gottesman
copyright 2010
The new baby’s basket was ready and Danny excited about welcoming his new brother or sister into his room.
“The second child is so much easier!” Eve exclaimed. My mother is ready to come as soon as I go into the hospital. My breasts are full of milk for Suzanne or Tommy! It will be wonderful!”
We were ready when Tommy our 7 lb. 5 oz. baby was born, but not for the Staph infection which descended on Eve! “Your baby is beautiful and healthy,” the nurse announced as she put him into Eve’s arms, “but you have a small Staph infection and we can’t chance infecting the baby. We’ll have to feed him in the nursery for a day or so. Here’s a pump you can use for your breasts. Once the infection is gone you can begin breast feeding your baby.”
“It would be best,” she continued, “if your husband were to stay out of the room. He can wear this hospital gown and visit with you from the doorway. And, he can come to the nursery window and see the baby at any time. In fact, although this is not hospital policy, he’ll be able to hold the baby in the nursery for a few minutes at a time. Please don’t worry. The infection will be cured quickly. I’m sure. Soon, you and your baby will be back to normal.”
“Len, there’s nothing I can do,” Eve sobbed. “They said I can’t feed my baby! I’m sick.”
I, the helpless, confused college professor tried to assure her, “Your mom and I will do everything that is needed at home. I’ll be here with you as much as I can.” Forcing a smile, I said, “Soon this will be gone. You’ll be better and we’ll all be home together. I’m sure they‘ll take good care of Tommy.”
Eve’s Mom did not take the news easily when I picked her up at the airport. “What do you mean, ‘Eve is sick?’ When you called, you said she and the baby were fine. Please tell me what is going on.”
“Mom, “I said, “the doctors and the nurses all say both she and the baby ARE FINE! Eve just has some sort of infection and they’re being extra careful. They promised this will be cured in a few days and everything will be back to normal.
“In the meantime, Mom,” I assured her, “Danny and I need your help here at home so that I can get to work and then help take care of Eve. Only I am allowed to visit Eve and the baby, now. Maybe tomorrow or the next day you will both be able to visit. I will do whatever I can.”
As soon as I stepped out of the room she was on the phone to Cleveland. “Frank,” she said urgently, “Please try to come tomorrow. They say that Eve and the baby are sick but that they will be better very soon. I’m really confused and need you to be here. Please try to come as soon as you can!”
The next day I was up very early. Three year old Danny had to be awakened and dressed. I needed to go to the hospital to try figure this whole mystery out. What was really wrong with Eve and the baby? How serious was it? Why couldn’t she nurse the baby? When would they be better? What made all this happen? I was very confused and very worried. I also needed to teach a class in the afternoon, and then d drive to the airport to pick up my father-in-law at 5pm.
When I got to the hospital Eve was in tears. They wouldn’t let me into the room. There was tape with a “Quarantine” sign on the door. As I stood in the doorway, Eve pleaded, “I don’t understand why I can’t feed my baby! I feel fine and he is fine. I have lots of milk. It’s soaking my bra and all they do is give me a pump. I think they’re throwing the milk away!”
The “party-line-nurse” recited, “Your wife and baby are fine, Mr. Gottesman. They will both be out of quarantine very soon. Your son is getting plenty to eat and is doing fine! We have very good medicines and very competent doctors. We just need to protect your baby and all the other babies and mothers in the hospital from getting sick. Staph is a very serious infection. We need to be extra careful. Everything will be fine, I promise”
I was against a wall. In tears, I went to hug our baby who was smiling and wiggly. I gave him back to the nursery nurse and went off to teach my class.
As I walked in the door, the phone rang. “Lenny, you have to come home right away,” my mother in law demanded urgently. “Danny has been hurt. I’m afraid he may have broken something. He is crying very hard and I don’t know what to do!” I was in my car in less than three seconds and on my way.
When I got home, Danny was in tears, but intact. He had caught a finger in the swinging door from the kitchen to the dining room. Apparently he and his grand mom were have a fine chase in the open kitchen doorway and out the swinging door to the dining room. On each round the door opened and swung shut. The last time around the door shut on his hand and he got pinched. Everything was fine, I reassured my mother in law. “Just use this ice pack on the finger. It’ll get better quickly!”
I chuckled with a little relief as I headed off to the airport to get my father-in-law.
The next morning, we had a family conference in the hospital with the Eve’s obstetrician and our pediatrician and an official hospital doctor we had never met before. “This is your wife’s third day in obstetrics,” the official said. “All our tests are negative and we think that we will get to the bottom of the infection very soon.” “Since you are Jewish, we imagine that you will be having a circumcision. We have a very good room here in the hospital that is completely safe against infection. Why don’t we agree that she and the baby will stay here until after the circumcision and then assuming that all continues to be normal, they can go home.”
We agreed and on the eighth day we all rested at home!
“The second child is so much easier!” Eve exclaimed. My mother is ready to come as soon as I go into the hospital. My breasts are full of milk for Suzanne or Tommy! It will be wonderful!”
We were ready when Tommy our 7 lb. 5 oz. baby was born, but not for the Staph infection which descended on Eve! “Your baby is beautiful and healthy,” the nurse announced as she put him into Eve’s arms, “but you have a small Staph infection and we can’t chance infecting the baby. We’ll have to feed him in the nursery for a day or so. Here’s a pump you can use for your breasts. Once the infection is gone you can begin breast feeding your baby.”
“It would be best,” she continued, “if your husband were to stay out of the room. He can wear this hospital gown and visit with you from the doorway. And, he can come to the nursery window and see the baby at any time. In fact, although this is not hospital policy, he’ll be able to hold the baby in the nursery for a few minutes at a time. Please don’t worry. The infection will be cured quickly. I’m sure. Soon, you and your baby will be back to normal.”
“Len, there’s nothing I can do,” Eve sobbed. “They said I can’t feed my baby! I’m sick.”
I, the helpless, confused college professor tried to assure her, “Your mom and I will do everything that is needed at home. I’ll be here with you as much as I can.” Forcing a smile, I said, “Soon this will be gone. You’ll be better and we’ll all be home together. I’m sure they‘ll take good care of Tommy.”
Eve’s Mom did not take the news easily when I picked her up at the airport. “What do you mean, ‘Eve is sick?’ When you called, you said she and the baby were fine. Please tell me what is going on.”
“Mom, “I said, “the doctors and the nurses all say both she and the baby ARE FINE! Eve just has some sort of infection and they’re being extra careful. They promised this will be cured in a few days and everything will be back to normal.
“In the meantime, Mom,” I assured her, “Danny and I need your help here at home so that I can get to work and then help take care of Eve. Only I am allowed to visit Eve and the baby, now. Maybe tomorrow or the next day you will both be able to visit. I will do whatever I can.”
As soon as I stepped out of the room she was on the phone to Cleveland. “Frank,” she said urgently, “Please try to come tomorrow. They say that Eve and the baby are sick but that they will be better very soon. I’m really confused and need you to be here. Please try to come as soon as you can!”
The next day I was up very early. Three year old Danny had to be awakened and dressed. I needed to go to the hospital to try figure this whole mystery out. What was really wrong with Eve and the baby? How serious was it? Why couldn’t she nurse the baby? When would they be better? What made all this happen? I was very confused and very worried. I also needed to teach a class in the afternoon, and then d drive to the airport to pick up my father-in-law at 5pm.
When I got to the hospital Eve was in tears. They wouldn’t let me into the room. There was tape with a “Quarantine” sign on the door. As I stood in the doorway, Eve pleaded, “I don’t understand why I can’t feed my baby! I feel fine and he is fine. I have lots of milk. It’s soaking my bra and all they do is give me a pump. I think they’re throwing the milk away!”
The “party-line-nurse” recited, “Your wife and baby are fine, Mr. Gottesman. They will both be out of quarantine very soon. Your son is getting plenty to eat and is doing fine! We have very good medicines and very competent doctors. We just need to protect your baby and all the other babies and mothers in the hospital from getting sick. Staph is a very serious infection. We need to be extra careful. Everything will be fine, I promise”
I was against a wall. In tears, I went to hug our baby who was smiling and wiggly. I gave him back to the nursery nurse and went off to teach my class.
As I walked in the door, the phone rang. “Lenny, you have to come home right away,” my mother in law demanded urgently. “Danny has been hurt. I’m afraid he may have broken something. He is crying very hard and I don’t know what to do!” I was in my car in less than three seconds and on my way.
When I got home, Danny was in tears, but intact. He had caught a finger in the swinging door from the kitchen to the dining room. Apparently he and his grand mom were have a fine chase in the open kitchen doorway and out the swinging door to the dining room. On each round the door opened and swung shut. The last time around the door shut on his hand and he got pinched. Everything was fine, I reassured my mother in law. “Just use this ice pack on the finger. It’ll get better quickly!”
I chuckled with a little relief as I headed off to the airport to get my father-in-law.
The next morning, we had a family conference in the hospital with the Eve’s obstetrician and our pediatrician and an official hospital doctor we had never met before. “This is your wife’s third day in obstetrics,” the official said. “All our tests are negative and we think that we will get to the bottom of the infection very soon.” “Since you are Jewish, we imagine that you will be having a circumcision. We have a very good room here in the hospital that is completely safe against infection. Why don’t we agree that she and the baby will stay here until after the circumcision and then assuming that all continues to be normal, they can go home.”
We agreed and on the eighth day we all rested at home!
* * *
Author Biography: Len
Gottesman grew up in Cleveland, Ohio as the first grandchild from
Grandma and Grandpa’s litter of 13 kids of whom 9 lived. He went on to
be the first to finish high school, the first to go to college, and the
only one of his many cousins to get a PHD. With a heavy load of
expectations on his back, he had no choice but to become a psychologist!
Now retired for many years, he is enjoying reviewing his life’s
experiences. See Len's stories "The Four
Questions" , "Apple Strudel
Day!", "A Beautiful Girl
in a Flying White Cape!" and Having Babies is Great, A Mother's Day Memory.
