"Oh my God!" Screamed the nurses as I collapsed in the lift with a naked, newborn baby at my feet. Their gazes moved over to the puddles on the floor and my mother. I saw them moving their critical eyes towards my baby, and then them gasping at her head. There was a little ball of skin and bone attached to the right side of her skull, just above her right ear.
"There's a deformed head on the side of her face!" Screamed someone, suddenly darting forwards to retrieve my new born girl and cutting the umbilical cord. Another nurse pressed the "keep hold" button on the lift, causing the doors to permanently stay open until the button was pressed again. Another went in and got my mother, and another went and grabbed me, telling me to try and stand up. A janitor came up and cleaned the mess on the floor, and generally gave the lift a scrub and dry. I was lead to a clean, airy room with a lonesome double bed and a crib and a miniature bathroom.
"Have a shower, dear. I understand you may be a bit sore, but there's a seat in there if you need it. We'll look after your baby. Give her a wash and things. You can put on the first nappy but hurry in the shower. The bed will be ready once you come out. We have some maternity pajamas and a dressing gown. There's some spare underwear we've laid out for you with a towel. Feel free to use the soap and deodorant we've provided." I did as the friendly nurse said and emerged from the bathroom in about two minutes, fully dressed and fresh. When I arrived in the room, Julie (my daughter), was freshly washed and waiting, naked on a big fluffy white towel, kicking and waiting for someone to dress her.
"That's right, love. Make sure she's on tight." I was breast feeding Julie for the first time ever. It felt weird, and I still ached, but at least she didn't bite. The nurses said she was extremely gentle and quiet. The doctors have attended to the lump on her head, but it was no extra head, or a problem. It was just an extra thing that should have gone with my water, but it got stuck on her head. It's gone now.