Recovering from childbirth in a Spanish hospital

sleeping soundly
what big feet you have
ready to go home
precious angel


After my husband left the hospital and Reyes was in his crib beside me asleep, I was in and out of a fairly peaceful sleep.

I was lucky to have a room on my own, so the only interruptions were the nurses coming in to change my drip or check on some other tube that was coming out of me.

My luck with my own room was short lived. At about 10.30pm when the constant buzz outside my room was lowered to a soft buzz and I was just about out- A Spanish family arrived. My bed was nearer the door so the entourage had to walk past me to get to the other side of the room.

Let me explain the room. 2 beds, 2 chairs, 2 beside tables, 2 cupboards, 1 window and 1 toilet/ shower- so your typical 2 bed hospital room.

Well imagine 12 people crammed into it. Including me and Reyes, there was the pregnant wife, her husband, the mother, the grandmother, the 2 sisters and 2 friends.

As soon as they were all settled, 10 euros in coins was put into the television that was between both beds. This equated to 10 hours of non stop Spanish television. The grandmother was plonked in a chair in front of it and the rest of the entourage went off to have coffee and a cigarette.

I was now awake. On their return, there was much conversation going on. Between all 8 of them, all together, at the same time. After about an hour, the pregnant lady started to get bad contractions. She was sitting on her bed with 6 of the others, including her husband who was in deep conversation with one of the friends. No one, and I mean no one was taking any notice of her- except me- listening to someone going through contractions a short time after you have just gone through it is not something I recommend. It brings it ALL back. Anyway, after each contraction she was rushing to the toilet to be sick, clean herself up again, come out and wait for next one. Finally she must have said to her husband to call a nurse. They had her on a stretcher and off to a birthing by 2am. Now sleep.

At 5am, guess what, they were ALL back. A lovely little girl was born. Finally everyone left.

My room mate and I managed to communicate, sort of over the next 5 days as we both had to stay in for that long. She was lovely. Her husband stayed most nights. Snoring, farting and unwrapping to eat lollies till all hours of the night. Needless to say, I was pleased when they finally said I could go home.

That afternoon, 5 days after Reyes was born, we left the hospital as one family. It was great. He does sleep through anything, which is good.