marley2580
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Lizabet arrived by natural section on the 23rd March 2012, at 2.35pm, weighing 8lb 6oz. Here is our birth story.
My other 2 kids had been attempted homebirths that ended in emCS due to malpositioning, so it made sense for us to opt for an elective CS this time around. I had heard about a 'natural section' a couple of years ago and knew that this is what I would want. So it was all written in my notes etc that that was what I was going to have.
So the day before I dropped my girls with my mum and said my goodbyes, which was hard as I know there's always a risk of complications - after all a section is major surgery. Then I headed out to run a couple of errands and them home to try and relax. My girls each have a 100 year diary that I like to write in for them from time to time, so I wrote in their diaries about us being about to welcome a new brother or sister into the family. It was all a bit surreal tbh, knowing that I was going to be having a baby in the morning.
The next day we were out the door by 7:15 (appointment was for 8am) and arrived in the labour suite right on time. We were taken through but told that there was currently an emergency section taking place, so we needed to wait till after that, as soon as we were told that another midwife came over and said that there was an undiagnosed breech being brought in so we would have to wait even longer. So we were taken up to the day room of the anti-natal ward and told to wait and that they'd keep us informed. Another couple arrived at 9am and another at 10am!
At 11am my OH went to try and find out what was happening, and we were told that they were extremely busy downstairs and they'd let us know ASAP. At 11:30am I was given a bed in the anti-natal ward and the cannula was put in so they could give me some fluids (hadn't had anything to eat or drink since before midnight). We were taken down to the labour suite at about 1pm and met the doctor that was to perform the operation, my doc had been there but was teaching that afternoon and we were given the option of waiting until 4:30 when my doc could do it, or going with the registrar who had assisted on a number of natural sections before. Needless to say we went with the registrar.
So we were finally taken through to the theatre just after 2pm, it was really strange walking there myself and being introduced to everyone. I was pretty dehydrated so they hooked me up to fluids right away and then applied the spinal. I only felt a scratch as the local anaesthetic went in and then nothing with the spinal. I could feel the numbness creeping down my body as I lay down. They hooked up the screen and started preparing me with the shaving (electric razor lol) and the catheter etc. It was really strange (I keep using that word lol) feeling them move my legs around etc but not having any awareness of where my legs actually were!
The doctors came in and I was introduced to the assisting (supervising?) doctor who immediately told them to remove the screen altogether. I was prepped and ready to go.
It took hardly any time from them making the first cut to them reaching the baby. I think it was less than 5 minutes in when they started to put the head of the bed up ready for me to look. I was kept informed the whole time about what was going on and, as they got hold of baby's head, the anaesthetist helped me to lift my head up so I could see my baby being born. Her head came out quite quickly and her shoulder followed, then the doctor told be to give a little push and half her body came out! I pushed again and she was delivered straight up onto my chest.
I can't tell you how amazing that feeling was. With my first two daughters I saw them for the first time across the room in someone else's arms. Now here was my third child lying on my chest (all be it with a sterile drape between us) and me holding her there. The doc asked if she was a boy or a girl and I said 'I think a girl' and the doc said 'I think you're right'. She just lay there on my chest and made no noise at all, in fact for a minute I was a wee bit worried she wasn't breathing, but then I saw her take a breath. She looked like she was just going back to sleep lol. After a minute or so the doctor said she was away to cut the cord now and I nodded my permission. The midwife was hovering, waiting to take the baby through for her checks, but waited for a bit longer. I think she was on my chest for almost 10 minutes before they took her for the checks, then she was back and in my OHs arms.
The doctors stitched me up, again keeping me informed the whole time, and Izzy was put in a cot next to me while OH was taken through to wait on me getting cleaned up etc. Because there was no screen at all, throughout the whole operation, I actually felt like a participant in my daughter's birth, rather than a passive vessel. The nurses and doctors talked to me as they cleaned me up and transferred me over to the bed. I was handed Izzy and taken back through to recovery.
It took a while to get out of recovery as I needed yet more fluids, so it wasn't until 7pm that my girls got to meet their little sister. They were really tired and overwhelmed by it all, so weren't exactly enthusiastic. But the next morning, when they came to bring me breakfast, they were a lot happier and had their first hold of her. I was only in for 2 nights and we got away by 10:30am on the 25th. Getting in the car was interesting, as I need to sit in the back seat in between 2 big car seats, as there's no room in the back for 3 car seats lol. But we all made it home in one piece and we're all doing really well.
Izzy, sleeps well (for the moment) and is also feeding pretty well and her sisters are constantly wanting to hold and cuddle her. I'm hoping that I'll be able to drive after the easter holidays, so that I can get the girls to all their classes, otherwise I might go slightly mad lol.
My other 2 kids had been attempted homebirths that ended in emCS due to malpositioning, so it made sense for us to opt for an elective CS this time around. I had heard about a 'natural section' a couple of years ago and knew that this is what I would want. So it was all written in my notes etc that that was what I was going to have.
So the day before I dropped my girls with my mum and said my goodbyes, which was hard as I know there's always a risk of complications - after all a section is major surgery. Then I headed out to run a couple of errands and them home to try and relax. My girls each have a 100 year diary that I like to write in for them from time to time, so I wrote in their diaries about us being about to welcome a new brother or sister into the family. It was all a bit surreal tbh, knowing that I was going to be having a baby in the morning.
The next day we were out the door by 7:15 (appointment was for 8am) and arrived in the labour suite right on time. We were taken through but told that there was currently an emergency section taking place, so we needed to wait till after that, as soon as we were told that another midwife came over and said that there was an undiagnosed breech being brought in so we would have to wait even longer. So we were taken up to the day room of the anti-natal ward and told to wait and that they'd keep us informed. Another couple arrived at 9am and another at 10am!
At 11am my OH went to try and find out what was happening, and we were told that they were extremely busy downstairs and they'd let us know ASAP. At 11:30am I was given a bed in the anti-natal ward and the cannula was put in so they could give me some fluids (hadn't had anything to eat or drink since before midnight). We were taken down to the labour suite at about 1pm and met the doctor that was to perform the operation, my doc had been there but was teaching that afternoon and we were given the option of waiting until 4:30 when my doc could do it, or going with the registrar who had assisted on a number of natural sections before. Needless to say we went with the registrar.
So we were finally taken through to the theatre just after 2pm, it was really strange walking there myself and being introduced to everyone. I was pretty dehydrated so they hooked me up to fluids right away and then applied the spinal. I only felt a scratch as the local anaesthetic went in and then nothing with the spinal. I could feel the numbness creeping down my body as I lay down. They hooked up the screen and started preparing me with the shaving (electric razor lol) and the catheter etc. It was really strange (I keep using that word lol) feeling them move my legs around etc but not having any awareness of where my legs actually were!
The doctors came in and I was introduced to the assisting (supervising?) doctor who immediately told them to remove the screen altogether. I was prepped and ready to go.
It took hardly any time from them making the first cut to them reaching the baby. I think it was less than 5 minutes in when they started to put the head of the bed up ready for me to look. I was kept informed the whole time about what was going on and, as they got hold of baby's head, the anaesthetist helped me to lift my head up so I could see my baby being born. Her head came out quite quickly and her shoulder followed, then the doctor told be to give a little push and half her body came out! I pushed again and she was delivered straight up onto my chest.
I can't tell you how amazing that feeling was. With my first two daughters I saw them for the first time across the room in someone else's arms. Now here was my third child lying on my chest (all be it with a sterile drape between us) and me holding her there. The doc asked if she was a boy or a girl and I said 'I think a girl' and the doc said 'I think you're right'. She just lay there on my chest and made no noise at all, in fact for a minute I was a wee bit worried she wasn't breathing, but then I saw her take a breath. She looked like she was just going back to sleep lol. After a minute or so the doctor said she was away to cut the cord now and I nodded my permission. The midwife was hovering, waiting to take the baby through for her checks, but waited for a bit longer. I think she was on my chest for almost 10 minutes before they took her for the checks, then she was back and in my OHs arms.
The doctors stitched me up, again keeping me informed the whole time, and Izzy was put in a cot next to me while OH was taken through to wait on me getting cleaned up etc. Because there was no screen at all, throughout the whole operation, I actually felt like a participant in my daughter's birth, rather than a passive vessel. The nurses and doctors talked to me as they cleaned me up and transferred me over to the bed. I was handed Izzy and taken back through to recovery.
It took a while to get out of recovery as I needed yet more fluids, so it wasn't until 7pm that my girls got to meet their little sister. They were really tired and overwhelmed by it all, so weren't exactly enthusiastic. But the next morning, when they came to bring me breakfast, they were a lot happier and had their first hold of her. I was only in for 2 nights and we got away by 10:30am on the 25th. Getting in the car was interesting, as I need to sit in the back seat in between 2 big car seats, as there's no room in the back for 3 car seats lol. But we all made it home in one piece and we're all doing really well.
Izzy, sleeps well (for the moment) and is also feeding pretty well and her sisters are constantly wanting to hold and cuddle her. I'm hoping that I'll be able to drive after the easter holidays, so that I can get the girls to all their classes, otherwise I might go slightly mad lol.
