The nurses were fine, but we couldn't communicate very well, so we never really got on friendly terms. And of course they kept coming in when we were trying to sleep. They came in one night just after midnight to take her and test her hearing. Then they came in around 4am to poke at my belly. Then they came in at 6:30 to take her, and they said they would have her for three hours (they take all the babies together to see the pediatrician and get baths and I don't know what else, and they put them all in this giant rolling cart, wish I had a picture). So I thought, okay, at least I can get three hours of sleep! But right when I fell back asleep, they came in at 7, flipped on the lights, opened the window shade, and made me get out of bed so they could make the bed. Good morning, ha! Then they bring breakfast around 8, more people come in to mop the floor, and the ob-gyn makes rounds around 9am. Finally I get my baby back, and Tim is allowed to come in (he was not allowed to spend the night.) What a productive morning doing everything except what I want- sleep. This was the routine for both mornings, which is why I was absolutely not staying for a third.
Ben's very first time seeing Federica, he climbed up to get a good look.
A few minutes later (and with his new bus from Federica) he came back to see her again.
The hospital itself was nice enough, clean, and fairly modern, but my room was very simple. Bed, bed table, and one little table and chairs where they put the food. The food was okay, pasta, vegetables, and meat. The first day for lunch and dinner my meat was deli ham. Apparently if you want regular food, you have be there to place your order 24 hours in advance, so the next day I was able to have chicken. But breakfast was a couple cookies and a bowl of hot milk (optional splash of coffee in the bowl of milk) with a side of toast packets, jelly packets, and sugar packets. I will never understand this breakfast concept, but it must be popular. The chocolate chip cookies we buy for snacks/dessert at home are called "ore 8", meaning 8am, meaning they are meant for breakfast. In fact, the back of the cookie package says "for a great way to start the day, have three cookies with a bowl of milk and a glass of juice." I guess it is nutritionally equivalent to the only other breakfast option around town, a croissant. Obviously, Italians are not big breakfast people. On the other hand, I guess it is also nutritionally equivalent to the American options of a bowl of frosted flakes or a donut. (On a side note, they do have plenty of cereal or yogurt options here at the grocery store, which is what we normally eat for breakfast, and on weekends I make eggs or pancakes, with pancake mix I found at the international market, but we still have to import our own syrup from the US- thanks moms.)
Anyway, back to talking about the hospital, they also showed me how to take care of her, change diapers, etc. They don't use wipes (but thankfully they do sell them at the grocery store). They just take the babies over to the sink and wash them, just like they do at Ben's daycare, and just like the adults use bidets. They also kept asking if she was nursing well, and they did NOT give me a free gift "for nursing moms" that was a can of formula. Very good nursing mentality over here. Even out in public, which I have already done a couple times, nothing but smiles, and most women don't even bother to cover up.
We had several visitors, our friends from work.
So overall the hospital experience was fine, but we were very happy to go home.
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