Chapter Nine: Constance's Return
The next day seemed to come quickly because before Constance knew it, she was allowed to hold Star and Star was healthy enough to be discharged from the NICU.
Constance held the small bundle skin-to-skin and was allowed to bond with her. She already knew how to feed Star, winder her, and change her nappy. Stat looked around, but the light was too bright for her so she shut her eyes with a little cry.
"There, there, Princess." Constance soothed, "Mummy's right here, little love." She knew that a newborn's vision would be blurry until their eyes changed.
"She's perfect. She looks just like you." Mildred marveled.
"She does." Constance agreed. The nurse came to change the dressing and made sure that enough strips had been used to cover the stitches. Constance was shown how the strips went on and told how to change them when necessary.
That night, Constance was discharged with the baby and driven to the Academy. She was brought to the Staffroom.
"I have to give Star her medicine." She said. Mildred retrieved one of the syringes and a baby bottle nipple. Constance gave the baby her daily dose of medicine.
"She's beautiful, Constance." Amelia smiled.
"Thank you. Ohhh… I know…Star's hungry. Mummy will nurse you soon." Constance said as Star began to fuss hungrily.
Mildred went off to her room, thoroughly exhausted.
"Well, Millie…What did HB have? Maud asked.
"A four pound baby girl… Constance Nightstar Lynn Hardbroom, known as Star… She had to stay in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit overnight for observation and she and Aunt Constance weren't discharged until tonight because the doctors wanted to make sure that neither of them had any complications." Mildred explained. "But, Aunt Constance had a tear in her uterus and started hemorrhaging. Surgery was done to repair it as well as a transfusion. Star had trouble with the suck-swallow-breathe reflex and would pant and tire herself out. She's been put on medication for the next few days to teach her to remember to breathe after sucking and swallowing, and to remember to breathe. She still has the problem with the sucking reflex."
"Is Miss Hardbroom all right now?" Asked Maud.
"She is, but she needs to relax in order to recover from both the birth and surgery. The incision is very tender so it's hard for her to move." Mildred replied.
Meanwhile, Constance sat down in an easy chair, supported by pillows. She placed a shawl over her chest to maintain her modesty and coaxed little Star to latch on. Star was having trouble finding the nipple. She let out a tiny frustrated cry.
"It's all right. Take it easy. You'll get it, little love."" Constance murmured, guiding her towards the nipple. Star found it and latched on, beginning to suckle. Constance stroked the preemie's throat to make thing easier for her. Star was able to get a few ounces in her before she began to pant.
"All right, all right, slow down, Star. Breathe…" Constance encouraged, placing her fingertips on the preemie's heaving chest. " Nice and slow…that's it…Shhh." After a moment, Star's breathing began to calm.
"There you go…" Constance crooned.
Normally Constance was not one to sweet-talk anyone or call them cute little nicknames, but this was her daughter. Usually, Constance called Star 'little love' or 'Princess', but the fact that Star was so tiny and helpless made her think about mewling newborn kittens, so she also called her "Kitten". The only other person she called a nickname was Mildred, now that the girl had found her true bloodline.
"There's Mummy's good girl." Constance said to the newborn as she began to wind her. Star lay against the rag on Constance's shoulder.
"All right, come on." Constance coaxed.
Mildred came in. "She's just finished a feed, I see." She smiled. "Her room has a windowpane so she doesn't catch anything."
Constance merely nodded. Star burped after a while.
"What a good girl you are." Constance praised. Star was a bit fussy.
"Come on, let's go see what the matter is." Constance told her baby, going up to Star's room. Ten minute's later, she sat boding with her daughter in her own dormitory next door, gazing at her with love.
That evening, Constance was getting Star ready for bed. She changed her nappy and got her ready for her first bath which was a sponge bath. She took out a warm cloth and dipped it into warm soapy water. She gently ran it along Star's tiny body. She made sure to stay away from the umbilical cord area as it was extremely tender.
"Don't be afraid. This is just a cloth. It won't hurt you, I promise." She murmured softly, running it over Star's tiny arms and upper body. She sat Star forward and washed her little back. Once she was done with the baby's upper body, she carefully washed her lower body. Putting a clean nappy on her, she wrapped Star in a clean towel.
"Mummy will wash your hair tomorrow when she has someone to help her." She told the baby. Star snuggled into the fluffy towel, letting out a little cry of protest.
"I know…You didn't like your bath. " Constance chuckled. She dressed the preemie, holding her close. "This is your first night home." She told her. "I know you are scared but it will get easier.
Constance rocked the baby in her arms as she took her around the Academy for a tour.
"This is your room. Your changing table is along the wal on the right side of the window. Your cot is along the wall on the left size. The ebony black rocking chair is by the window and your wardrobe which matches every piece of furniture in the room since the wood is black, is by the door." She said to Star.
After she showed Star the nursery and her own room, she went to the Potions Lab to show her where she had taught for years and would go back to teaching \potions class when she returned to work following Maternity Leave.
"And this is Mummy's desk, and the lab tables, and the mini-cauldrons." She said in a soft voice. "I'm going to show you the Staffroom next."
After she had gone on a tour of the entire castle, she went to get herself ready for bed and settle Star down for the night.