Wow I can't actually believe it's my turn to write one of these. The whole thing is a bit surreal 
Even though it's been 4 days it's already beginning to fade but I will write what I remember. Sorry it's so long!!
Be warned, the C section pics are pretty gorey so don't look if you're squeamish (there's no porn shots or anything but they are quite bloody!)** In the first pic they have cut me open and the two people either side of me are actually pulling me open by LEANING away from me. It's brutal, no wonder I am so sore - I feel bruised all up my sides and it's not hard to see why! Oh, and the scar/crotch-stubble shot was 2 days later... https://s55.photobucket.com/albums/g155/helenrees/Claudia/Birth/
I'd been having painless tightenings for a good week, the midwifes were all saying it wouldn't be long and I was surprised as they were regular as clockwork, every 10 mins but totally painless, right up until Tuesday. Tuesday morning I woke up and the tightenings were more like period pain and were every 5 minutes pretty much spot on throughout the whole morning. I wouldn't class them as painful, but I could definitely feel my uterus contracting, and sort of stretching underneath. Very odd.
Anyway by afternoon I was having to stop what I was doing each time and breathe through them. They were about every 2-3mins at this point but I still wasn't convinced I was in labour. PF kept me busy getting all excited over things but I was reluctant to get my hopes up. It was pretty obvious though that they were labour contractions and all my attempts to try and get some sleep were completely useless. I had only had about 4hrs the night before and knew I was in for a long haul but there was no way I was sleeping through this lot.
At around 4pm I got Mr B to see if he could feel my cervix. He said he could feel what we presume to be the head pressing on the bottom of my uterus but no cervix - must have been right round the back. Poor man, I did warn him I wouldn't be held accountable for the state of his fingers when they emerged and lo and behold he brought out a nice chunk of plug with him. The magic of pregnancy!
At 6.30pm I got him to check again as they were getting stronger and I was really having to concentrate to breathe through them. It was still bearable, although I did have the odd one that made me panic and want to run for the epidural He said it felt totally different - a ridge where he hadn't felt one before and he could stick a whole finger in it quite easily. We measured his finger (which brought out the rest of my plus with it, either that or someone has stuck some cat food up there while I wasn't looking 
uke
and it was about 2cm so I knew I was dilating 
.
We stuck it out for a few more hours and finally decided to go in around 10pm. He'd already put the bags, carseat etc in the car so it was just a case of deflating the yoga ball and manoeuvring a very uncomfortable me into the front seat. So off we went.
We got to the end of the drive and realised the tyre had gone flat :wall: :wall: :wall:
So quick changeover to the other car (me being totally useless panting away) and off we went, going very slowly over the bumps.
Got to the hospital, had to use the main entrance which is far further away than the other, which meant quite a walk.... but not before running the gauntlet past the swine flu temperature-checker man! This cracked me up. There I was, contracting away and he wants to check I don't have swine flu! What are they going to do, turn me away? I'll just have her in the car park then
Anyway we were walking down the corridor when I had to stop for another contraction. All I can say is I'm glad I was wearing flip flops as that was the one that broke my waters! Right there on the floor. It was a bit like a water balloon bursting inside me - I felt one bulge and then a sort of pop and all of a sudden any doubt I'd had about slow leaks over the past few days dissipated instantly
I was amazed at how much it looked like urine actually, just yellow! Anyway, another 5 minute waddle down the (now rather slippery) corridor and we were admitted. I went to change into my gown and clean myself up a bit (they weren't keen on me washing the liquor off my feet!) and I noticed the tissue was green. I showed the midwife who then examined me and said I was about 80% effaced and "two fingers". Well she had whopping great sausage fingers (don't they all) and Mr B tells me that was pretty much bang on 4cm. So I'd managed pretty well without pain relief.
They strapped me up to the heartrate monitor and the toco thing (which was BLOODY uncomfortable) to monitor me for half an hour or so. I was desperate to be up and about as I had been coping well by leaning forwards, head on arms and breathing through them, but lying on my back, albeit propped up, really was not easy. Anyway I was doing ok by just closing my eyes and breathing deeply.
Mr B went to blow up the gym ball but the stupid pump was making such a racket that he went out in the hall for ages wrestling with the bloody thing
At some point I had another big contraction and lost loads more waters (how much is IN there, seriously?!) which pooled rather attractively against me on the bed. I couldn't see them due to the massive belly and immobility but Mr B said it was just pure green. The midwife said it was 'grade 2 meconium' and called the doctor in.
By this time I was starting to be a bit out of it with the contractions. I was having to concentrate so much on the breathing that I wasn't really listening to the people but there was no mad panic of "OMG meconium, get this woman to an OR stat" or anything, the midwife was cooing at me every time I had a contraction and Mr B was holding my hand bless him. I decided I wanted to try the gas and air. I reckon could have coped for longer without but why bother when you have drugs eh?
I can confidently say it did sod all I think maybe because my contractions didn't gradually build up to a peak it just didn't have time to take effect. I went from "oh here comes another one" to the peak of the pain in maybe 3 seconds, it plateaued and then tapered off slowly. So maybe if they'd built up slower the gas would have had more of a chance to take effect but I was breathing SO deeply from that bloody mask and all I got was ever so slightly light headed at one point. It did nothing. Annoying or what!
Doc arrived a little later to tell us we'd need a section. Now I had been worried about this as it is a private hospital and they don't have the same sort of regulating bodies as in the UK etc so will sometimes tell you you need things just to tot up the bill a bit further. But Mr B talked to the doc (I was out of it and on the trolley at this point ready to be wheeled down) and had seen the waters and was happy. The doc said they could leave me but as I was only 4cm (ONLY!? I was bloody impressed with that
) it could be another 6-8hrs before I delivered and it just wasn't worth the risk. We were both fine with that so a C section it was. This was about 11.30pm.
That bloody gym ball that had caused us all the trouble was redundant. Poor Mr B
I was a bit nervous as I absolutely HATE hospitals and as far as any birth plan of mine had been concerned (not that I'd done one) a spinal block followed by a c section was pretty much the bottom of my list. Not my worst nightmare but the furthest from 'ideal' as I could get. But I didn't care. The baby had to come out. To be honest it didn't occur to me that I would be meeting my daughter in less than half an hour but there you go.
They wheeled me down to the OR bit and I started worrying about the needles. As I've said before I am a BABY when it comes to hospitals, doctors, dentists and most of all bloody hypodermic syringes. Hence my abject terror at the idea of a spinal. They had stuck a patch on my hand so the cannula didn't hurt so much going in and tbh all I felt was a bit of a prick (mainly because by this point I was lying flat on a really hard table, arms out to either side of me with my crotch on show.. but also the needle hurt a little
)... Then he rolled me over for the spinal. At this point I was crying asking if Mr B could come in the room. They'd told me no which is fair enough but bless them they let him stand by the door so I could at least see him.
The local was a tiny pinprick and the spinal was weird. It didn't hurt, it was sort of pressure and the weirdest thing was I could sort of feel him positioning it down my spine. I asked what he was doing and I think he was trying to reassure me by telling me it was the local but I told him it wasn't Obviously I knew better but I'd already felt the local. I'm scared not stupid Also, as I felt contractions coming on I'd tell them and the anaesthetist told me "well stay still". I can't stay still, I'm having a bloody contraction goddammit Here's a pic mid-contraction (thanks Mr B for documenting that particular moment )
https://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g155/helenrees/Claudia/Birth/DSC_2243.jpg
This is the "oh sh*t here we go" moment of realisation:
https://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g155/helenrees/Claudia/Birth/DSC_2248.jpg
Anyway it started to kick in, like pins and needles. The strangest feeling really, being able to feel people touching you, feel the pressure of people dragging you around etc but no pain at all. Anyway once I was convinced I couldn't feel the pain (i.e. once Mr B was saying "yes they've actually cut you open love") then I jsut got really jealous that he could see and I couldn't I quite like all the medical gore programs and would LOVED to have been able to watch this but had to make do with Mr B taking the odd pic and showing it to me.
Obviously they had to disengage her head (she was at station 0, if that means anything to anyone) which was weird as I felt her body go right up into my lungs Then there was a bit more wobbling around and she was out. They whisked her away to the table/heater thing and checked her. I've since found out that the APGAR scores were 9 at 1 min and 10 at 5 mins, she cried almost instantly and was whisked away for suction.
I cried a little (obviously) and they brought her over after about 5 mins. A little pale alien but still the most amazing thing ever. I was a bit out of it tbh and kept sort of drifting away on the table but they put her on my chest and I managed to see her before they took her away.
https://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g155/helenrees/Claudia/Birth/DSC_2275.jpg
The stitching me up took a little longer and once the novelty of the spinal had worn off I started getting quite uncomfortable. I couldn't move, even though I was trying with all my might to move just one toe, and I didn't like not being in control of my own body, the spinal had affected my bottom 2 or 3 ribs so I couldn't breathe properly, and when I needed to vomit my stomach wouldn't work properly (spinal block or lying flat on a hard table, I don't know) but I couldn't vomit properly and the whole thing just felt like it was spiralling a bit. Mr B kept me sane, he kept reassuring me and stroking my face and if we'd gone to the other hospital (where he wouldn't have been allowed in the OR) I just wouldn't have coped. I was right on the verge of freaking out but it was over quick enough (they probably spent 15 minutes stitching me up) and then I was wheeled into recovery.
It was really strange, I started shaking uncontrollably. They had me under loads of blankets, had a big hairdryer thing blowing hot air under my covers but I couldn't stop. They were telling me it was because the operating theatre was cold but I reckon I was just in shock tbh. It was really frustrating but at least I was getting feeling back in my legs etc (I hadn't even feel them take the spinal out!) gradually and eventually they wheeled me back to my room. I wasn't allowed to feed Claudia for a while because I was shaking (and had to lie on my back from the spinal to avoid getting a spinal headache) and I hadn't seen her since the birth probably an hour earlier. It was frustrating as, because I was lying flat on my back and shaking so much I couldn't really see what was going on and people holding her up to my face just wasn't the same as the angle was all wrong.
I was shaking for well over an hour and eventually it stopped when Mr B put her on a pillow next to my head and we could just look at each other. She latched on really well and had a little suckle and it was just fab. I was worried that I'd not like the breastfeeding or find it weird but it was great, it just kind of felt natural.
Scuse the tan lines
https://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g155/helenrees/Claudia/DSC_2289.jpg
I have to say I didn't feel this whole overwhelming rush of emotion and completeness that people describe. Mr B didn't cry the first time he held her, but then I suppose we're not really like that. I never expected that. Plus it was all rather sudden. It hasn't really sunk in, the fact that I've had a major surgery on such short notice and that may well have something to do with it but I think over the next week it may well hit me. We'll see. I certainly don't feel like I've 'failed' or anything because of the C section. I actually feel quite lucky I didn't have to go through more of the labour although I really was curious to feel what it felt like.
Anyway, Claudia and I spent the first day just getting to know each other. People were asking if I was so in love etc etc but I suppose it's hard to instantly love someone you don't know. Having said that I was amazed and fascinated by her and still am. We have bonded over the last few days and she is just wonderful. It's so strange, something you've wanted for so long and never really thought you'd get even after all the BFPs, scans, hours spent listening on the doppler plus all the decorating and clothes... It's surreal that we now have her in our arms, in our home, in her room (it's not 'the baby's room' anymore!). She is just wonderful.
Mr B has taken to fatherhood like a whole flock of ducks to water as I knew he would. I truly could not have done this alone and I don't know how anyone does. I have had to balance my recovery with looking after her as I really am gutted (quite literally!). I can't really do things like burping her properly, I have tentatively changed one nappy as holding her up whilst bending over her hurts. Until yesterday I needed help getting up out of bed to the toilet and going for a wee was a 20 minute round trip (even with an en suite!). Without him doing the nappies, the burping, taking her off me if she won't stop crying, helping position her when she's pressing on my tummy etc, I just couldn't have done it.
She's a hungry git as well. She'll feed from me for an hour and still gulp down 2oz of formula so we're trying to get the top up feeds under control now my milk is coming in. But we're pretty laid back. If my milk isn't enough, so be it, I'm not going to beat myself up over it and we are taking things one hour at a time as it is anyway. And I tell you, one cliche is completely true - everything you go through TTC, the whole 9 months and the labour (even though I didn't complete mine technically!) is worth it. I can't believe we have such a perfect little creature that we have made. I feel like I've won the lottery.
So there it is. Little Claudia Jennifer was born at 0015 (our time, 7hrs ahead of GMT) on 23rd September, her due date by emergency C section weighing 7lb14oz. She was 53cm head to toe and had a 35cm head circumference.
https://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g155/helenrees/Claudia/claudia8.jpg
https://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g155/helenrees/Claudia/claudiaandHelenfingers.jpg
https://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g155/helenrees/Claudia/Claudia1.jpg
https://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g155/helenrees/Claudia/cluadia5-1.jpg
https://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g155/helenrees/Claudia/claudia2.jpg
"Errrrm, Dad STOP taking photos now please!"
https://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g155/helenrees/Claudia/DSC_2306.jpg
And when we first brought her home - all thoughtful
https://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g155/helenrees/Claudia/DSC_2342.jpg
There's loads more pics floating about on facebook and there will no doubt be loads more in the near future
Even though it's been 4 days it's already beginning to fade but I will write what I remember. Sorry it's so long!!Be warned, the C section pics are pretty gorey so don't look if you're squeamish (there's no porn shots or anything but they are quite bloody!)** In the first pic they have cut me open and the two people either side of me are actually pulling me open by LEANING away from me. It's brutal, no wonder I am so sore - I feel bruised all up my sides and it's not hard to see why! Oh, and the scar/crotch-stubble shot was 2 days later... https://s55.photobucket.com/albums/g155/helenrees/Claudia/Birth/
I'd been having painless tightenings for a good week, the midwifes were all saying it wouldn't be long and I was surprised as they were regular as clockwork, every 10 mins but totally painless, right up until Tuesday. Tuesday morning I woke up and the tightenings were more like period pain and were every 5 minutes pretty much spot on throughout the whole morning. I wouldn't class them as painful, but I could definitely feel my uterus contracting, and sort of stretching underneath. Very odd.
Anyway by afternoon I was having to stop what I was doing each time and breathe through them. They were about every 2-3mins at this point but I still wasn't convinced I was in labour. PF kept me busy getting all excited over things but I was reluctant to get my hopes up. It was pretty obvious though that they were labour contractions and all my attempts to try and get some sleep were completely useless. I had only had about 4hrs the night before and knew I was in for a long haul but there was no way I was sleeping through this lot.
At around 4pm I got Mr B to see if he could feel my cervix. He said he could feel what we presume to be the head pressing on the bottom of my uterus but no cervix - must have been right round the back. Poor man, I did warn him I wouldn't be held accountable for the state of his fingers when they emerged and lo and behold he brought out a nice chunk of plug with him
. The magic of pregnancy!At 6.30pm I got him to check again as they were getting stronger and I was really having to concentrate to breathe through them. It was still bearable, although I did have the odd one that made me panic and want to run for the epidural
He said it felt totally different - a ridge where he hadn't felt one before and he could stick a whole finger in it quite easily. We measured his finger (which brought out the rest of my plus with it, either that or someone has stuck some cat food up there while I wasn't looking uke and it was about 2cm so I knew I was dilating .We stuck it out for a few more hours and finally decided to go in around 10pm. He'd already put the bags, carseat etc in the car so it was just a case of deflating the yoga ball and manoeuvring a very uncomfortable me into the front seat. So off we went.
We got to the end of the drive and realised the tyre had gone flat :wall: :wall: :wall:
So quick changeover to the other car (me being totally useless panting away) and off we went, going very slowly over the bumps.
Got to the hospital, had to use the main entrance which is far further away than the other, which meant quite a walk.... but not before running the gauntlet past the swine flu temperature-checker man! This cracked me up. There I was, contracting away and he wants to check I don't have swine flu! What are they going to do, turn me away? I'll just have her in the car park then
Anyway we were walking down the corridor when I had to stop for another contraction. All I can say is I'm glad I was wearing flip flops as that was the one that broke my waters! Right there on the floor. It was a bit like a water balloon bursting inside me - I felt one bulge and then a sort of pop and all of a sudden any doubt I'd had about slow leaks over the past few days dissipated instantly
I was amazed at how much it looked like urine actually, just yellow! Anyway, another 5 minute waddle down the (now rather slippery) corridor and we were admitted. I went to change into my gown and clean myself up a bit (they weren't keen on me washing the liquor off my feet!) and I noticed the tissue was green. I showed the midwife who then examined me and said I was about 80% effaced and "two fingers". Well she had whopping great sausage fingers (don't they all) and Mr B tells me that was pretty much bang on 4cm. So I'd managed pretty well without pain relief.
They strapped me up to the heartrate monitor and the toco thing (which was BLOODY uncomfortable) to monitor me for half an hour or so. I was desperate to be up and about as I had been coping well by leaning forwards, head on arms and breathing through them, but lying on my back, albeit propped up, really was not easy. Anyway I was doing ok by just closing my eyes and breathing deeply.
Mr B went to blow up the gym ball but the stupid pump was making such a racket that he went out in the hall for ages wrestling with the bloody thing
At some point I had another big contraction and lost loads more waters (how much is IN there, seriously?!) which pooled rather attractively against me on the bed. I couldn't see them due to the massive belly and immobility but Mr B said it was just pure green. The midwife said it was 'grade 2 meconium' and called the doctor in.
By this time I was starting to be a bit out of it with the contractions. I was having to concentrate so much on the breathing that I wasn't really listening to the people but there was no mad panic of "OMG meconium, get this woman to an OR stat" or anything, the midwife was cooing at me every time I had a contraction and Mr B was holding my hand bless him. I decided I wanted to try the gas and air. I reckon could have coped for longer without but why bother when you have drugs eh?
I can confidently say it did sod all
I think maybe because my contractions didn't gradually build up to a peak it just didn't have time to take effect. I went from "oh here comes another one" to the peak of the pain in maybe 3 seconds, it plateaued and then tapered off slowly. So maybe if they'd built up slower the gas would have had more of a chance to take effect but I was breathing SO deeply from that bloody mask and all I got was ever so slightly light headed at one point. It did nothing. Annoying or what!Doc arrived a little later to tell us we'd need a section. Now I had been worried about this as it is a private hospital and they don't have the same sort of regulating bodies as in the UK etc so will sometimes tell you you need things just to tot up the bill a bit further. But Mr B talked to the doc (I was out of it and on the trolley at this point ready to be wheeled down) and had seen the waters and was happy. The doc said they could leave me but as I was only 4cm (ONLY!? I was bloody impressed with that
) it could be another 6-8hrs before I delivered and it just wasn't worth the risk. We were both fine with that so a C section it was. This was about 11.30pm.That bloody gym ball that had caused us all the trouble was redundant. Poor Mr B
I was a bit nervous as I absolutely HATE hospitals and as far as any birth plan of mine had been concerned (not that I'd done one) a spinal block followed by a c section was pretty much the bottom of my list. Not my worst nightmare but the furthest from 'ideal' as I could get. But I didn't care. The baby had to come out. To be honest it didn't occur to me that I would be meeting my daughter in less than half an hour but there you go.
They wheeled me down to the OR bit and I started worrying about the needles. As I've said before I am a BABY when it comes to hospitals, doctors, dentists and most of all bloody hypodermic syringes. Hence my abject terror at the idea of a spinal. They had stuck a patch on my hand so the cannula didn't hurt so much going in and tbh all I felt was a bit of a prick (mainly because by this point I was lying flat on a really hard table, arms out to either side of me with my crotch on show.. but also the needle hurt a little
)... Then he rolled me over for the spinal. At this point I was crying asking if Mr B could come in the room. They'd told me no which is fair enough but bless them they let him stand by the door so I could at least see him.The local was a tiny pinprick and the spinal was weird. It didn't hurt, it was sort of pressure and the weirdest thing was I could sort of feel him positioning it down my spine. I asked what he was doing and I think he was trying to reassure me by telling me it was the local but I told him it wasn't
Obviously I knew better but I'd already felt the local. I'm scared not stupid Also, as I felt contractions coming on I'd tell them and the anaesthetist told me "well stay still". I can't stay still, I'm having a bloody contraction goddammit Here's a pic mid-contraction (thanks Mr B for documenting that particular moment )https://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g155/helenrees/Claudia/Birth/DSC_2243.jpg
This is the "oh sh*t here we go" moment of realisation:
https://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g155/helenrees/Claudia/Birth/DSC_2248.jpg
Anyway it started to kick in, like pins and needles. The strangest feeling really, being able to feel people touching you, feel the pressure of people dragging you around etc but no pain at all. Anyway once I was convinced I couldn't feel the pain (i.e. once Mr B was saying "yes they've actually cut you open love") then I jsut got really jealous that he could see and I couldn't
I quite like all the medical gore programs and would LOVED to have been able to watch this but had to make do with Mr B taking the odd pic and showing it to me. Obviously they had to disengage her head (she was at station 0, if that means anything to anyone) which was weird as I felt her body go right up into my lungs
Then there was a bit more wobbling around and she was out. They whisked her away to the table/heater thing and checked her. I've since found out that the APGAR scores were 9 at 1 min and 10 at 5 mins, she cried almost instantly and was whisked away for suction.I cried a little (obviously) and they brought her over after about 5 mins. A little pale alien but still the most amazing thing ever. I was a bit out of it tbh and kept sort of drifting away on the table but they put her on my chest and I managed to see her before they took her away.
https://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g155/helenrees/Claudia/Birth/DSC_2275.jpg
The stitching me up took a little longer and once the novelty of the spinal had worn off I started getting quite uncomfortable. I couldn't move, even though I was trying with all my might to move just one toe, and I didn't like not being in control of my own body, the spinal had affected my bottom 2 or 3 ribs so I couldn't breathe properly, and when I needed to vomit my stomach wouldn't work properly (spinal block or lying flat on a hard table, I don't know) but I couldn't vomit properly and the whole thing just felt like it was spiralling a bit. Mr B kept me sane, he kept reassuring me and stroking my face and if we'd gone to the other hospital (where he wouldn't have been allowed in the OR) I just wouldn't have coped. I was right on the verge of freaking out but it was over quick enough (they probably spent 15 minutes stitching me up) and then I was wheeled into recovery.
It was really strange, I started shaking uncontrollably. They had me under loads of blankets, had a big hairdryer thing blowing hot air under my covers but I couldn't stop. They were telling me it was because the operating theatre was cold but I reckon I was just in shock tbh. It was really frustrating but at least I was getting feeling back in my legs etc (I hadn't even feel them take the spinal out!) gradually and eventually they wheeled me back to my room. I wasn't allowed to feed Claudia for a while because I was shaking (and had to lie on my back from the spinal to avoid getting a spinal headache) and I hadn't seen her since the birth probably an hour earlier. It was frustrating as, because I was lying flat on my back and shaking so much I couldn't really see what was going on and people holding her up to my face just wasn't the same as the angle was all wrong.
I was shaking for well over an hour and eventually it stopped when Mr B put her on a pillow next to my head and we could just look at each other. She latched on really well and had a little suckle and it was just fab. I was worried that I'd not like the breastfeeding or find it weird but it was great, it just kind of felt natural.
Scuse the tan lines
https://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g155/helenrees/Claudia/DSC_2289.jpg
I have to say I didn't feel this whole overwhelming rush of emotion and completeness that people describe. Mr B didn't cry the first time he held her, but then I suppose we're not really like that. I never expected that. Plus it was all rather sudden. It hasn't really sunk in, the fact that I've had a major surgery on such short notice and that may well have something to do with it but I think over the next week it may well hit me. We'll see. I certainly don't feel like I've 'failed' or anything because of the C section. I actually feel quite lucky I didn't have to go through more of the labour although I really was curious to feel what it felt like.
Anyway, Claudia and I spent the first day just getting to know each other. People were asking if I was so in love etc etc but I suppose it's hard to instantly love someone you don't know. Having said that I was amazed and fascinated by her and still am. We have bonded over the last few days and she is just wonderful. It's so strange, something you've wanted for so long and never really thought you'd get even after all the BFPs, scans, hours spent listening on the doppler plus all the decorating and clothes... It's surreal that we now have her in our arms, in our home, in her room (it's not 'the baby's room' anymore!). She is just wonderful.
Mr B has taken to fatherhood like a whole flock of ducks to water as I knew he would. I truly could not have done this alone and I don't know how anyone does. I have had to balance my recovery with looking after her as I really am gutted (quite literally!). I can't really do things like burping her properly, I have tentatively changed one nappy as holding her up whilst bending over her hurts. Until yesterday I needed help getting up out of bed to the toilet and going for a wee was a 20 minute round trip (even with an en suite!). Without him doing the nappies, the burping, taking her off me if she won't stop crying, helping position her when she's pressing on my tummy etc, I just couldn't have done it.
She's a hungry git as well. She'll feed from me for an hour and still gulp down 2oz of formula so we're trying to get the top up feeds under control now my milk is coming in. But we're pretty laid back. If my milk isn't enough, so be it, I'm not going to beat myself up over it and we are taking things one hour at a time as it is anyway. And I tell you, one cliche is completely true - everything you go through TTC, the whole 9 months and the labour (even though I didn't complete mine technically!) is worth it. I can't believe we have such a perfect little creature that we have made. I feel like I've won the lottery.
So there it is. Little Claudia Jennifer was born at 0015 (our time, 7hrs ahead of GMT) on 23rd September, her due date by emergency C section weighing 7lb14oz. She was 53cm head to toe and had a 35cm head circumference.
https://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g155/helenrees/Claudia/claudia8.jpg
https://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g155/helenrees/Claudia/claudiaandHelenfingers.jpg
https://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g155/helenrees/Claudia/Claudia1.jpg
https://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g155/helenrees/Claudia/cluadia5-1.jpg
https://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g155/helenrees/Claudia/claudia2.jpg
"Errrrm, Dad STOP taking photos now please!"
https://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g155/helenrees/Claudia/DSC_2306.jpg
And when we first brought her home - all thoughtful
https://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g155/helenrees/Claudia/DSC_2342.jpg
There's loads more pics floating about on facebook and there will no doubt be loads more in the near future
xx
it really helped to write it all down - i can highly recommend you do even if you never share it with anyone...
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