My poor friends...

I have dear friends that had a baby recently...well, she'd be one week old today in fact, and I just called them to see if I could come over to visit as planned, and they said they were at the doctor and would have to call me later. This worries me, as I know this was an unplanned doctor visit, otherwise they wouldnt' have asked me to come over this afternoon. Also, the father sounded very tense over the phone.

So I'm worried. Are they there for baby? I know she was jaundiced...is it not getting better? Is it worse? Is she sick? She's a lovely little girl, much what I hope to have myself.... I hope she is healthy and doing well.

Is it mom? Is she not recovering as well as thought? Birth was very quick, maybe they missed something. I've heard of the uterous tearing or something and people not finding out until it was too late, stuff like that.

These friends...they've been through a lot together. They're trying to build a happy family, a life. I hope that everything is well and they just went to the doctor for a silly new-parent worry and not something serious. I know that none of them could bear to lose another, and nor could I.

You think, when a mother and child are sent home from the hospital pronounced healthy and good to go...that they're good to go! But it's so hard to tell. Some things just take days to show up. Like the uterous tearing thing....women bleed for weeks anyway, and especially in a new mother, who's to say how much bleeding is too much?

It worries me for my own birth and baby, too, of course. I believe everything will go well. Probably better than I expect it to, actually, as I'm one of those plan for the worst kinds of people. I'm prepared to spend many, many hours in labor (my friend spent THREE! Not fair!). I'm prepared for pain, to want to give up, etc. What am I not prepared for? My baby not being okay. Or me not being okay. My husband needs me to be healthy, strong, to live a long life. And I need my baby to be healthy and happy, so that I can love her and raise her.

All this is almost enough to make me a praying woman.