Iss raat ki subah nehi

*Mummy type post

Now we had the morning after. I was with my VIP all the while waiting for Daddad to come back. The day went in a flurry of activities with calls, checkups, visits from S and B who were really helpful. Finally through it all came the dreaded hour of 2130. 2200 was the deadline till which visitors were allowed in the ward. K bid me goodbye at 2200 sharp. Yes even if you have a new baby in hand and have been through a life changing episode barely 24 hours ago, you are supposed to fend for yourself through the night all alone. 

As K left I was left alone in a ward with 4 other women with their newborns. Our pains, fears, joys, anxieties were separated by curtains. So though we could not see each other we could sense what the other person was doing. There was one lady whose kid was having difficulty feeding and she was a bit perturbed and was having repeated checks done by the doctors. She was recommended to have a pediatrician visit her in the morning. There was yet another lady who was snoring through - I was a bit baffled as to how did her baby let her sleep! :) Yet another lady was wheeled in the last moment. Her spirit was simply contagious. She was chirping around. She was asking questions and responding with such enthusiasm. Really hats off to her energy and vivaciousness. 

As for me, I was with a really fussy Chiyaa. She was just not  happy in the baby basket. I was getting sleepy and exhausted. But seeing no other go, I kept her with me and tried dozing. A couple of nurses came over and helped a bit in taking her for sometime while I literally caught forty winks. The night was sooooooo dreadfully long. I kept staring at the watch. Minutes were passing slower than a snail on sleeping pills. Grrrr... I tried calling my mom and passed some time. Ashu too called and made some minutes roll by. Since it was not 'allowed' to use phones before 0600 in the ward, I was not forthcoming in going on jabbering through the night. There was the 'baby symphony' too. One baby would wail leading to the waking up of the other sleeping ones and you had a pandemonium in your hands.

To make matters worse, sometimes I felt too hot. Then some hours later I was too cold. Some times my back went numb and I adjusted the inclination of the bed. At others it just did not work and I had to re-adjust it all over again. When you are destined not to sleep, everything goes wrong. Around 4 in the morning one of the nurses predicted - dont worry it will be day soon and she will sleep, thats how babies are. I was like finalllly. I can sleeeeeeeeeep. For I have this talent of being able to sleep anywhere anytime for any duration. Around 530 finally the little birdie drifted to sleep. Believe it or not I was wide awake. I was like WHAaaaattttttttt!!!!!!! Sleep where art thou? It was just toooooo unfair. Now just like I waited on sleep I had to wait for K and me being the over smart one had asked to 'take good rest and come araam se'. How I regretted those seven words :( 

Lest he heed my words when I least wanted him to, I made a call at 0700. Gingerly I asked 'when might you be coming'. He told he had just flopped and slept and would refresh and come ASAP. Now ASAP could mean anything. As soon as what was possible? There was a possibility of just brushing and dashing. There was also a possibility of making 5 phone calls and having a good nice cuppa coffee and a shower!! Yieksssss. I did not want to think of any other possibilities. An attendant came over and asked me to get my breakfast. Well.... what was I to do with the baby? Leave it?!!?? Are you allowed to? To answer my prayers, a nurse came over, and rolled over all the curtains. Finally all the women in the ward could see each other. She announced - let there be some fresh air (a la Let there be light :D ) And she literally ordered me, I will change the nappies you go grab your food. !!! Ok. Let me risk it. I took the shortest time possible to the canteen area and grabbed my plate and came over. I was just done with my cup of tea and K came over!!!!! Hallelujaaaaaaaaah.


Finally there was sunshine!