DISCLAIMER: HG Characters do not belong to me.
A/N: Glad to see people were liking the baby name! I wanted to go with something a little different and I have seen some good names chosen in other fics but of course I didn't want to copy them.
Chapter 105-Adjustment
Katniss sighs in frustration as she tries to get her newborn baby to eat. A nurse is standing beside her bed, she is still in the delivery room, for her visitors had just left. She had read in the book she had gotten from Gale's family on how to breastfeed but she is seeing it is much harder than what she was expecting it to be. Sienna was just opening her mouth and wouldn't latch on, and Katniss was becoming increasingly frustrated.
"She won't feed" Katniss says trying to insert her nipple into the baby's mouth.
"It takes practice and patience Mrs. Hawthorne, here, position your baby like this" and the nurse reaches for Sienna and places her directly in front of Katniss's breast. The nurse then grabs Katniss's breast and helps insert the nipple into the baby's mouth. Normally this was not something Katniss ever would have allowed a stranger to do, but she was exhausted for it was now almost 7 pm and she had been here 12 hours. She was also starving, but declined food for the moment stating she wanted her baby to nurse first.
The baby hungrily began sucking away and Katniss yelped "Ouch that hurts!" not expecting it to be as painful as it was.
"You need to break the suction, insert your pinkie finger between her gums and your breast and try again."
Katniss does as the nurse says and notices a big difference, no more pain, and sees Sienna continue where she left off. She doesn't know if it is her hormones or maternal instinct kicking in, but Katniss feels a sense of euphoria combined with overprotectiveness. Watching the little baby happily feed makes her want to protect her in a way she hadn't felt since Prim and River, and thinks perhaps, the sense to protect is even stronger since she just came out of her body. Before Sienna got to meet her visitors she had been given a bath, and Katniss softly touched the baby's cheek that was rosy in color.
"It is best to try to nurse eight to twelve times a day" the nurse says to Katniss. Katniss looks up and nods in response and says, "Thanks" and looks back down at Sienna cradled in her arms, continuing to feed.
Seeing that Katniss was content, the nurse lets her know she would be back later to check on them and quietly leaves the room. Gale then slowly approaches, for he had been sitting in the chair off to the side near the corner. Not wanting to interfere with Katniss's moment with the nurse, combined with the fact he had no clue how to help her, he kept his distance. Now that the nurse was gone, he felt it was safe to approach.
He smiles as he sees the euphoric look on her face. He also sees the fatigue behind her eyes and says, "Do you want me to get you something from the cafeteria?"
Katniss looks over and sees the food tray that was brought to her earlier that she declined to eat, guessing that most likely the food had gone cold says "Sure, that be great."
He bends down and kisses Sienna on the forehead and gives Katniss a quick kiss on the cheek before leaving. He comes back fifteen minutes later and sees Sienna sleeping soundly in Katniss's arms.
He quickly discards the old food tray and sets the new food tray down and says, "Here, give her to me" and takes the baby and moves the tray table over to her. She is still numb from the medication she was given earlier and cannot move her legs. She begins tearing into her food as Gale goes back to his seat with his sleeping daughter in his arms.
As Katniss happily eats her food, a different nurse comes in and says, "Oh good, you are eating. We are going to be moving you to a recovery room in about ten minutes. Do you want your baby with you tonight or do you want her moved to the nursery room downstairs?"
"She's not leaving my side" Katniss says pointedly, driving the point across that under no circumstances was Sienna to be away from her for any reason.
The nurse smiles and says, "Okay then. We try to encourage new Mother's to have newborns stay with them in the recovery room to help bond, but I see we don't have to do that with you" and the woman then tells Katniss she and another staff member will be back shortly.
"You know Catnip, it is okay to let Sienna be downstairs if it will help you get some sleep" Gale says as Katniss goes back to finishing the side salad he had gotten her.
"You heard the nurse Gale, I need to feed her probably every 2-4 hours. I won't be getting sleep. I'm prepared for it."
The truth was Gale wasn't entirely sure he was prepared for it. He knew having Sienna was going to be an adjustment, he knows that he and Katniss would be getting very little sleep. But now that she was here, he was beginning to think no amount of preparation really prepares you for being a parent.
He wonders if Katniss will be saying she's prepared for it when they go home tomorrow night.
OCTOBER 17
Katniss, her Mother, and Gale walk into their brand new home with Sienna wrapped up in a baby wrap tied to Katniss's body. The scent of fresh paint in the air in the minute they walk in. On the second day of being born it was as if Sienna figured out she was no longer inside Katniss's body and was very unhappy about it. She screamed when she wasn't being held by Katniss and a nurse recommended keeping her wrapped up tight to help give her the sense of being back in the womb. So far it was working.
Katniss was also in a lot more pain today too. Her medication from the previous day had worn off, she was experiencing contractions and was bleeding heavily. She still had to wear her maternity clothes for her stomach was still big and she still looked pregnant. Her body had definitely seen better days, but to her it was all worth it. Despite the pain and feeling completely uncomfortable, she wouldn't have it any other way. Once inside Gale helps her upstairs to the nursery while her Mother takes Harper out, for they had just been on the long train ride from the hospital. It was almost 9 pm and Katniss was functioning on about eight hours of sleep total in the last 52 hours.
She sits down in the glider and Gale helps her as she begins unwrapping Sienna, once free, the screams begin. Gale gently holds the baby as Katniss reaches down her shirt, pulling a pad out and then just pulling her shift off completely. Not wanting to hear another scream, she unstraps her bra and moves her arms up waiting for Gale to hand the baby to her.
Not used to seeing her so exposed in a non-intimate manner Gale gives her a look as she begins nursing. "What?" she says defensively as the screams immediately stop.
"Sorry, it's just….I didn't think you would just whip your shirt off with the door open, especially when others are around."
"Well I didn't want to do it on the train. And I am only going to do it around you, and maybe my Mother. If you think I will be doing this in public, think again!"
He laughs and begins unpacking her bag from the hospital, putting Sienna's things away. Once finished, he watches as Katniss continues nursing Sienna, moving her to the other side. He lets Katniss know he will be downstairs and sees Mrs. Everdeen fixing a quick meal for them.
"I can be here for another week, then I will need to go back to District 4" she says as she fixes a plate for Gale.
"Thanks for staying, I think we are definitely going to need your help." Due to the fact that they had moved not even ten days before Sienna was born there were still boxes all over the house that he needed to unpack. Gale was off from work for three weeks and the plan was to get the entire house unpacked before he went back.
After going through the first night with a newborn he realized unpacking might have to come later, but with Katniss's Mom here he just might be able to pull it off.
He gets a plate ready for Katniss and heads back up to the nursery and sees a passed out Katniss in the glider, protectively holding a sleeping Sienna in her arms. Gale almost cries tears of happiness at the sight of them. Looking so peaceful and not wanting to disturb them but knowing that Katniss needs her sleep, he slowly, gently, and almost silently moves Sienna from Katniss's arms and moves her into her crib, the first time the baby has been placed in it.
He then picks Katniss up and carries her to their bedroom and turns on the baby monitor that is hooked up to the nursery. He sees her stir slightly but she continues to sleep as he pulls the covers up over her and pushes her hair out of her face. He then turns off all the lights and closes the door shut and heads back to the nursery. He looks down at his daughter and whispers, "I hope you like being outdoors little one. Because me and your Mother are going to have so much fun teaching you how to hunt. But I am going to need you to calm down once you get used to being in the world. You need to let your Mom get some rest when you are not feeding, can you do that for me? She can't hold you all the time."
He then bends down and kisses the infant gently on her forehead and goes to sit in the glider, quickly drifting off to sleep while the food plate sits on the dresser, going cold.
