Not safe

Child birth may be called labor, but to call it a battle would be more accurate in my opinion. In ancient Sparta women who died in childbirth were awarded the same posthumous honor that was awarded men who fell in battle; and for good reason.  The hazards of child birth are quite real and persist today.

If I wasn't at the hospital for this event, there would be no blog, no baby, no me. Preeclampsia is not common complication but it was a hazard I faced and survived. (Thanks to the medical professionals looking after me.)  The whole event was rather traumatic.   I had an emergency cesarean section and for the first five minutes in which my new son was in the world he required assistance to breathe. An overwhelming experience that left me thankful that my son and I were alive.

I still don't know why the doctors thought this day would somehow fade from my memory.  My sense of time for the whole ordeal may be a bit warped, but the events live crystal clear in my mind.

Now  it's good for a new mom to have support from their friends and family; however there is one group that this level of interest is not wanted from.  I'm looking at you in the pretend hospital getup and the volunteer tag on your chest.  Fuck off!

People who "volunteer" at the maternity ward are creepy and need to stop! No mom needs a random stranger wandering into her recovery room under the pretext of offering a free newspaper.  News flash!  I have had plenty of strange doctors, nurses and consultants in my room and don't want to add random peeping-tom to the list.

I must confess as an extremely hormonal and drugged up new mother in a cheap hospital gown; the only thing that kept me from throwing what ever was near by and throw-able at a volunteer was the fact that I was physically drained and liked my stuff more than I hated this intruder.

A recovery room is a personal place.  So if you are not a medical professional or an invited guest, stay out of the recovery room.