Baby Smells

Writers: Chelle, Paula
Date Posted: 5th October 2015

Characters: Uetia, Rhosyn
Description: Rhosyn check upon the new mother and offer tips (and offenses).
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 1, day 8 of Turn 8
Notes: Mentioned: Briata, U'das, Solieira, Drumilla, Reeva

Receiving the report from the healers that Uetia had finally had the baby, Rhosyn knew she should go and
see about her wingrider. Depending on how long it took her to recover to go back to the wings, she could still
be flying with her for a little bit. Besides, she liked Uetia-probably because she liked U'das. So even though children made her nervous, she made the trip to the greenrider's weyr.

}:Sirjath, mine comes to see your rider to see if she is doing well:{ Orlaith announced, knowing Rhosyn would be
there fairly soon.

**Well, I'm here and not going anywhere,** Uetia replied. She was trying to figure out these nappies-things. It
had looked so easy when the midwife or Drumilla had tied them. But when she tried, the damn things always ended
up too loose or askew. As a result, poor Sabi had stuff leaking along her chubby little legs.

Walking inside, Rhosyn was immediately assailed by the smell. Wrinkling her nose, she sighed and spotted the source
of the smell. "Seriously greenrider? This is not sanitary."

"Blame her for it," Uetia said and lifted the baby gently to the waiting bath tube.

"Naturally. What are you feeding her to cause that?" Rhosyn didn't come too close seeing the infant. It wasn't that
she was afraid of children-she just never felt comfortable around them for many reasons. "Whatever it is, find something
else."

"I'm breast feeding her, naturally," Uetia sounded indignant and defensive. She washed Sabia and her hold of her was
sure and strong. She might not be very good at tying nappies but she didn't hesitate to handle her otherwise. Sabia seemed
to like being bathed.

"Well I do hope you aren't feeding her rotten milk." Deciding to change the subject and realizing that really the subject at hand was her whole reason for visiting, Rhosyn searched for words. Quiet as she considered her options, she thought this might not have been the best idea. "And you have everything you need?"

Uetia found that remark offensive. Rhosyn had a child herself, didn't she know how they smelled? Sabia's body odors were perfectly normal. "We have everything we need, except the fostermother," Uetia replied sharply. Taking the baby out of bath, she wrapped her into a towel. Before the birth, Uetia hadn't had the energy to find one.

"Have you not spoken with Solieira? Usually she makes those arrangements." Admittedly, the Weyrwoman herself was a poor
judge of what it took to take care of a baby and who might be best. Although, she had chosen Briata herself and hadn't screwed that up.

"Yes, I have and she's looking for candidates for me," Uetia's tone was frosty. She hadn't approved of any of Solieira's suggestions yet. Truth was she didn't want to give away Sabia. Uetia had been surprised to find out that she had a strong mother-instinct....a mother instinct of a female feline or proddy gold. She was ready to tear apart anyone who threatened her baby, or just looked at her wrongly.

"Well hopefully you'll work it out before you have to go back on duty." She didn't say it but the implication was obvious-it would be impossible for Uetia to raise a child herself and deal with a green dragon. "Do you have help from your family?" Of course, unlike the goldrider Uetia had plenty of it.

"Yes, I have," Uetia replied. And thank Faranth for that. U'das had brought her father for a visit and they both had doted over Sabia. Cousin Seluda had given her plenty of good advice. She did wish she could talk with one of her sister-in-laws too.

"Well that's good. I was going to say, Briata is fostering my girl. Maybe she could give you some tips until you do find someone. You've got a little time." Maybe Reeva knew someone. She knew about children anyhow.

Uetia nodded. "I would be nice to have someone from my family to raise Sabia," she said a bit wistfully.

"Maybe....don't you have family still crafting? Perhaps they could take her. Or do you want her to stay in the Weyr?" Rhosyn knew with a rider it was different. It wasn't hard to visit a child who wasn't nearby so sometimes it was better for them to be with family than to be fostered in the Weyr with someone who was not. She wasn't a fan of sending her weyrbrats elsewhere but if it made Uetia happy then that's what they would do.

"I have crafter-relatives and their wives. But I won't have my daughter growing up in a place where she can't be who she is or become what she wants to be," Uetia said with determination. She wondered if any of her sister-in-laws would be willing to move to the Weyr. The Weyr always needed more fostermothers and it had a port, so they would still see their seacrafter-husbands. She would think about that idea some more.

"Very well. I'll try to see who I can think of though I'm sure Solieira probably listed everyone. Then again we get new women every so often that need work." She didn't say it but every now and again they received one of the holder girls that had left home and didn't have a job. Fostermothering was an easy task for most of them since they had been raised to do it.

"She's very effective, you know," Uetia said with dry tone. Not to mention she was family-friend. Still, Uetia needed to stop backpedalling around the issue if she wanted to return to fighting wing. Physically, she was recovering fast from the birth.

"Oh I do know though she's getting up in turns. I will regret the day that she finally decides to retire." The same thing could be said about the day that U'das had decided to retire. Then again, River Bluff had quite a few important Weyrfolk that were aging. Perhaps that was a testament to how well the Weyr flew.

"Yes, that will be sad day," Uetia agreed. "Now, if you excuse me, I have this nappies-thing to figure out. I'm a dolphineer. Shardit, I can make hundred different knots. One piece of rag between baby's legs is not going to best me," Uetia said with all dignity she could muster.

"Move over greenrider. I may have only had my daughter for a brief time before giving her to Briata but it wasn't that long ago." Despite her nose wrinkling, Rhosyn came forward and grabbed up Sabia. Putting her hand under the baby's bottom, she brought her over to the clean table. "Where's the diaper cloth and the powder?" She didn't need to clean the child since Uetia had just bathed her, thank Faranth.

"Over there," Uetia pointed to a basket at the corner of the table. She was taken aback for being pushed over so abruptly-so badly that she didn't protest. She was keeping a sharp eye on Rhosyn though. If Sabia as much as squeaked, she would snatch her baby back, Weyrwoman or not.

Fiddling with the needed supplies, Rhosyn made quick work of things. The longer she dealt with children, the more they tended to wriggle. One hand held Sabia's legs together while the other put the cloth under her rear. Then she had to get the cleaning cloth. That took a little wiping and swiping. "Alright shake the powder twice, Uetia." While Uetia handled that, she was trying to get the pin.

Uetia did as she was told to and observed what Rhosyn was doing. Her problem was, as far as she could see, that she was being overly cautious with her baby.

"Nicely done." Wrapping the diaper cloth up and tight around the baby, she pinned it in the front. Then with Sabia lying there on her back, Rhosyn tugged and checked to make sure the cloth was snug. "There you go. You just can't let it be loose but not too tight."

"I'm worried that if I pull them tight, it will hurt her," Uetia admitted. She picked her baby up from the table. "Thank you," she said to Rhosyn. "I'll put her to sleep now."

"If they're so tight on her legs that she cries or they turn red, then you have a problem. But this much is fine. Has to be or you get leaks and then that'll cause rashes and chafing." Rhosyn let her go, thinking it odd that she was the one giving this speech out of all people. Still, she had younger siblings once upon a time and had had a baby, like it or not. She also remembered feeling somewhat clueless like Uetia had.

"Right. I don't have much previous experience about babies so there's lot to learn," Uetia said and lowered Sabia to her crib.

"Aye there is, but you'll get it. And we'll find you a good fostermother to help you." Rhosyn had other duties to attend to so she gave a small wave in Sabia's direction and then turned to go quietly. "Remember to wash the dirty cloth. They start stinking pretty quickly."

Uetia was bristling again. Like she didn't know that.

Last updated on the October 25th 2015

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Baby Smells