Birth story!

Our baby girl is a week old! 

She was born on the 13th October at 4.59pm by emergency section and weighed in at 7lb8 of perfectness.
 
 
I had arrived at the hospital for my monitoring appointment on the Monday morning, I was relieved to be there checking in again as she had been very quiet again the day before. The midwife hooked me up and came back after a bit. I knew having had so many that the trace wasn’t great and she said I would have to stay on for longer and she would need to get a doctor to look at it. I then hear her ringing and saying the trace was suspicious. I’m starting to worry but hearing the heartbeat over the monitor reassures me. A short while later 3 doctors/consultants appear. They have looked at the trace and say that baby isn’t too happy. Prolonged decelerations and also sudden decelerations. They need to bring the planned c section forward to today and say that would be the way she would need to come as she was already showing signs of distress. They ask when I last ate and say that they will do it in the afternoon or sooner if needed. 
 
I’m in panic mode now, I thought I had another 2 days of being pregnant and getting things ready. I ring James to come in with my bags and the parents to help with my boys. 
It’s a stressful few hours wait as I know that baby isn’t too happy and she is not moving so I spend the whole time waiting for movements. I feel 2 the whole time. They put me back on the monitors to check in on baby. There have been a couple of emergencies and I’m told baby will be here within the hour if needed or a few hours. The doctor comes back to check the trace which again I know isn’t good. She goes away and comes back with the hospital gowns. 
 

 
 
 
Now I think it’s starting to get real. I’m starting to panic! I have to put the gown on, take off all my jewellery and just bring a bag of valuables and first outfit for the baby. 
 
We get taken down to delivery ward and put in the recovery room. I see the cot and want to burst into tears. They then take me into theatre and the oh has to go and get changed. It’s pretty scary in an operating theatre I’ve never been in one before. I have to sit on the bed/table and the anaesthetist starts looking at where to put my cannula. I’m feeling very scared and alone at this point and wishing James would appear. They inject local anaesthestic into my hand and then set up the cannula. The other anaesthetist is spraying my back with something freezing and poking at the base of my spine. James has returned and is allowed to sit and hold my hand whilst they give me the spinal. I’m so scared I’m shaking all over. The spinal is done and I’m told I will feel a warm sensation spreading. I’m amazed that I do as I’m worried it’s not going to work. I then have loads more monitors put on me and I’m layed down. They don’t at that point put up the screen. Oh no they then pull up your gown and paint you with disinfectant stuff and sort out your catheter. In full view!! The anaesthetist is spraying me up both sides to check how far the spinal has spread and they keep tilting the table to help it. Finally the screen is up and they start feeling and pushing on the bump. They do this for a few minutes, apparently they did a test cut but I was so nervous and scared I can’t remember. I just remember waiting to feel pain. I don’t think I could have got through it without James being there, he was really calming stroking my head and reassuring me. We hear the waters go and then the consultant says babies head is out. I can hear her say oh dear little one what have you been doing with this cord, it’s very tight. After what seems like a minute or two we hear a little cry, they tell James he can have a look as baby is here. He stands up and she wasn’t quite, so he sees her being pulled out from under her shoulders!! He says it was very weird. They lower the screen and hold her up so I can see her, and yes I see she is a girl. They take her off and one of the midwifes says congratulations on your boy. What?! Mad moment of panic whilst James checks. It is a girl! He gets to cut the cord which was lovely as we didn’t think he would get to do that. I had asked for skin to skin so they bring her over and put her onto my chest under my gown. The most amazing moment. I can’t see her as she so high up but I can feel her and she instantly stops crying. They take her off after a bit and weigh her and wrap her up. James gets a cuddle and then I get another one.
 
 
 

 

Eventually they ask James to bring the baby to recovery and I’m left whilst they finish off stitching me up and moving me to a bed. Very surreal you can see them moving your legs but can’t feel a thing. We get to recovery. I think we are there for a while as my bp is very low. It’s a lovely time of more skin to skin, babies first feed. Letting family know and watching the love between James and his  baby girl. I still can’t believe she is safely here! 
 

 

 
 
 
 

 
 
#birthstory

One response to “Birth story!”

  1. Your birth story reminds me so much of my experience and literally bought the whole experience back to me and bits that I had forgotten!
    I can imagine the confusion when you thought you had a daughter and then were being congratulated on your little boy!
    I LOVE that photo of the three of you at the end of your post – beautiful. Thank you for linking your #birthstory up x

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