I was 9 months pregnant and my due date was July 21st, 2005. I had a "textbook" pregnancy, little bit of morning sickness, normal weight gain and all the usual symptoms. I had just began maternity leave and the was looking forward to resting for a week. Well, the next morning, my water broke! After rushing to the hospital, and 13 hours of labor, the OB decided to do a C-section. They prepped me in minutes and before I knew it, my Doctor was cutting me open. 5 minutes later, my life would change forever!
My baby boy was born! And the next statement from my Doctor made me numb..." It's a boy, and he has a bit of a cleft". He was born with a cleft lip and palate. I still hadn't seen him, but could hear a gurgling newborn cry. My husband was trying to be strong and went over to cut the cord. A thousand thoughts were in my head...first was pure joy! Then fear, anger, guilt, and sadness. I had no idea what would be in store for me, my son, and my family.
That is the beginning of my journey as a Mother...the most rewarding, happy and joyful part of my life. But, it is also the most challenging and difficult. When I learned my son was born with cleft, I quickly got over feeling like a victim, and soon felt blessed and proud to have a new baby boy. Time goes very fast, and it is so important to cherish that time and bond with your newborn.
With C- section, i had to stay in the hospital for 5 days. My pediatrician showed me a before and after cleft surgery pictures, and that helped tremendously. A newborn is overwhelming, and the addition of cleft made it even more challenging. Feeding was frustrating. I had always planned to breast feed, but that quickly changed when, Jahan could not. We had to get a special bottle called the Haberman. It helped, but the best advice I got from a nurse was to use a regular bottle and cut a tiny slit at the tip. Then the baby doesn't need to suck as hard. But just be careful not to make it too big, to prevent choking. Our goal for the 1st 3 months was to get to 10 lbs...for his first surgery.
