Rayven
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Well as you all know i went into hospital at 7am on the 23rd December for a scheduled c-section, I really wasn't looking forward to it (who would) especially as i have an aversion to Doctors at the best of times, so to be taken in for surgery was quite literally my worst nightmare! 
I didn't get an awful lot of sleep that night & was up at stupid 'o' clock in the morning (on here actually!) & was ready to go by about half five. So me and hubby took a drive out to Tesco to get him some snacks for the day as we didn't know what time i was scheduled to go in for the section & we wanted to be prepared for a long day! Arrived at the hospital at about quarter to 7 & was shown onto the ward and to the bed that would be mine for the duration & was then left to it. As it was still early everyone was pretty much still asleep, although I could hear a couple of babies grizzling - at which point it dawned on me that give it 24 hours and that would be me! Looking back on it, it feels quite surreal. Anyway a midwife/nursey woman came round to take my blood pressure, listen to bubs heartbeat, ask some standard questions & give me a rather fetching backless gown which emphasised my overly large backside! I felt such a fool wearing it - & it only occured to me then that buying a white dressing gown (which after an inspection in the mirror my suspicians were confirmed that you COULD 'actually' see through it) may not have been my wisest idea!
I was then introduced to the surgeon who scanned me to check that bubs was still breech (he WAS but instead of buttocks first he was now feet first!), and who talked through the procedure with me & asked me to sign a consent form. Believe me, it DID cross my mind just to say bugger it and go home at that point, but i signed the form & tried to stay calm about it. We were then told that i was third on the list so we were in for a wait. I tried listening to music, reading etc but i just couldn't keep my mind on anything & just ended up sitting there staring into space & dying for a drink of water - which of course i couldn't have!
At about half eleven a nurse came in to let me know that the second lady scheduled for a section had just gone down so that it wouldn't be long! OMG! The thought that it wouldn't be long filled me with dread @ the thought of surgery & excited anticipation that i was going to meet my little man soon.
At 12.30 the same nurse came and told me that they were ready for me & walked me & OH to the delivery suite where i was sat in a prep room (which is right next to the operating room. At one point the operating room door opened & i saw them wiping stuff down etc & at that point it all became a bit too real & it was all i could do not to run out screaming! lol I did have a bit of a cry then - just because this wasn't the way i wanted my baby bought into the world.
I met the doc who was going to administer the anaesthetic & the nurse with him & was told to sit on a very high bed/table thing where they gave me an injection in my hand (to numb the area) & then put in a drip & hooked me up to some water while putting monitors on my chest and side. The anaesthetist then had me sit on the side of the bed with my feet resting on a chair in front of me & proceeded to wash my back down with stuff that would freeze the hind legs off a donkey ( i don't know where that expression comes from) & all the while i'm sat there, all i can think about is the fact that everyone can see my *rse!!!
He then gave me an injection to numb the area and with me trying to curl up like a ball he administered the spinal - at which point everything went horribly wrong! He managed to get the spinal in but as he finished my BP dropped through the floor (hubby said afterwards it was something like 62/45) & I started to feel myself go............i remember being laid down (this was quite strange as i'd already started going numb) & everyone making a lot of fuss - I could hear them keep asking me questions but i couldn't really make out what they were saying & i definately couldn't answer! I've never been so scared in my life!! The nurse came and put some ice cold packing round my face (because my temp had hit the roof) - it seemed that the panic went on for ages - i could see my hubby & i can honestly say i've never seen him look so worried - (he said afterwards that he thought he was losing me as my eyes glazed over and it seemed like i wasn't really there) but slowly I cooled down, my pressure returned to normal & i came round pretty much unable to feel anything from the armpit down! ( i then had a catheter put in)
Things then resumed as normal - they did some checks to make sure i was numb (running an ice cube up my side - i could feel the pressure but not the cold & Using a blunt pin thing to poke me all the way up my side -again i could feel the pressure but no pain) It was the weirdest sensation! Anyway things started happening really quickly from there on in. I was wheeled into the OR where i was placed under lights, asked to cross my arms across my chest and then had a screen put in front of my face so i couldn't see what was happening. Hubby came and sat next to me. They then started the section. I heard the surgeon pick up the scalpel and i could feel the pressure across my stomach as she made the first incision & thought to myself that i really should be freaking at this point but as i couldn't feel any pain at all i didn't know whether to be freaked or happy! (sounds silly i know, but i'd worried my arse off about the op and at that point, all the worrying felt rather silly!) What does a section feel like i hear you ask? DAMN WEIRD!!
I could feel them pulling me about but i couldn't REALLY feel it. Its so hard to explain. After about only 10 minutes @ 13.31 my baby boy was lifted into the world weighing 8lbs 14oz! He was VERY quiet for a few seconds (at which point i think i was holding my breath) and then started to cry 
They lifted him just high enough so i could catch a glimpse of him before he got handed to the midwife for weighing & wrapping etc - I've never seen a sight so precious - and of course i started blubbing! I was trying desperately to hold it together though as i didn't want to make my tummy shake while they were still sorting me out. I then had no choice but to lay there staring at the ceiling while the docs were hoovering me out (removing placenta/blood etc) while listening to everyone else talk about my little boy! After about 10 minutes though Adam came over holding LO and got him close enough so i could give him a kiss.
I have to say that while getting sorted out i did feel some discomfort and they had to put some additional pain relief in my drip, main reason being that when they tried to pull out the placenta a piece was stuck to the uterus wall and when they managed to pull it out they turned my uterus inside out and put a little hole in it (i didn't find this out until the following day) which they stitched up and then put back the right way! It took about 35 minutes to get me all stitched up & then they transferred me to my normal hospital bed and took me to recovery where i got to hold Oliver for the very first time! Adam then went off to make the all important phonecalls.
Straight away i wanted to be close to my little boy (i felt like i'd missed out not having a 'normal' labour, so asked if i could have some help breastfeeding (i didn't feel confident enough to try on my own) but by the time the lady had gone to get someone and come back Ollie had been crying so i tried it myself & he latched on perfectly first time!!! I took the half an hour in recovery to check his baby toes and fingers & to get a good look at him & have a bit of Mummy Baby bonding & was then wheeled back to the ward.
I have to say that my section wasn't as bad as i thought it would be - it was very weird and surreal - i still can't quite believe it was me going through it - looking back it feels like it was someone else. I was in a bit of pain once the spinal wore off, but nothing too major & approx 6 hours after the op i was helped out of bed and sitting in a chair (after being given a bed bath!) Oliver was pretty much suckling all night long so i got bugger all sleep & my nipples were rather sore (my milk hasn't come in so he's pretty much dry feeding - MW said that there may even be a longer delay than with a vaginal birth because of the section ) The next day (OMG yesterday!) I got my catheter taken out at 6am so was able to get up, changed & washed by myself & then managed a bit of brekkie while sorting out Ollie & at about half 9 i had a doc come round to ask me how i was, check my obs etc & was asked when i planned on going home, 'as soon as possible' was the reply - i hate hospitals - at which point i was told that as i was so mobile & was coping with the pain they'd give me some pills and i could go home that afternoon (they did check to make sure i had good support first though) I don't think the midwife on duty that day was too pleased about me leaving so soon - she seemed quite worried - but i didn't care! 
Got to leave the hospital at about half 1 which meant it had only been 24 hours since my little man came into the world! Was in a bit of pain yesterday afternoon (i think the walk from the ward to the carpark knackered me out!) but am feeling much better today, especially as i got my dressing taken off thismorning (was instructed to do it myself when i got home by the midwife on duty - had to soak the damn thing down repeatedly to get it off though! I didn't really think i should be doing that myself but oh well!) Am still very tender & am keeping up with the pain meds whether i think i need them or not & am taking it easy, but feel pretty good.
So......Oliver Edward Gareth Cox was born on Dec 23rd 2008 @ 13.31, weighing 8lbs 14oz!! Is absolutely perfect!!!
I didn't get an awful lot of sleep that night & was up at stupid 'o' clock in the morning (on here actually!) & was ready to go by about half five. So me and hubby took a drive out to Tesco to get him some snacks for the day as we didn't know what time i was scheduled to go in for the section & we wanted to be prepared for a long day! Arrived at the hospital at about quarter to 7 & was shown onto the ward and to the bed that would be mine for the duration & was then left to it. As it was still early everyone was pretty much still asleep, although I could hear a couple of babies grizzling - at which point it dawned on me that give it 24 hours and that would be me! Looking back on it, it feels quite surreal. Anyway a midwife/nursey woman came round to take my blood pressure, listen to bubs heartbeat, ask some standard questions & give me a rather fetching backless gown which emphasised my overly large backside! I felt such a fool wearing it - & it only occured to me then that buying a white dressing gown (which after an inspection in the mirror my suspicians were confirmed that you COULD 'actually' see through it) may not have been my wisest idea!
I was then introduced to the surgeon who scanned me to check that bubs was still breech (he WAS but instead of buttocks first he was now feet first!), and who talked through the procedure with me & asked me to sign a consent form. Believe me, it DID cross my mind just to say bugger it and go home at that point, but i signed the form & tried to stay calm about it. We were then told that i was third on the list so we were in for a wait. I tried listening to music, reading etc but i just couldn't keep my mind on anything & just ended up sitting there staring into space & dying for a drink of water - which of course i couldn't have! At about half eleven a nurse came in to let me know that the second lady scheduled for a section had just gone down so that it wouldn't be long! OMG! The thought that it wouldn't be long filled me with dread @ the thought of surgery & excited anticipation that i was going to meet my little man soon.
At 12.30 the same nurse came and told me that they were ready for me & walked me & OH to the delivery suite where i was sat in a prep room (which is right next to the operating room. At one point the operating room door opened & i saw them wiping stuff down etc & at that point it all became a bit too real & it was all i could do not to run out screaming! lol I did have a bit of a cry then - just because this wasn't the way i wanted my baby bought into the world.
I met the doc who was going to administer the anaesthetic & the nurse with him & was told to sit on a very high bed/table thing where they gave me an injection in my hand (to numb the area) & then put in a drip & hooked me up to some water while putting monitors on my chest and side. The anaesthetist then had me sit on the side of the bed with my feet resting on a chair in front of me & proceeded to wash my back down with stuff that would freeze the hind legs off a donkey ( i don't know where that expression comes from) & all the while i'm sat there, all i can think about is the fact that everyone can see my *rse!!!
He then gave me an injection to numb the area and with me trying to curl up like a ball he administered the spinal - at which point everything went horribly wrong!
He managed to get the spinal in but as he finished my BP dropped through the floor (hubby said afterwards it was something like 62/45) & I started to feel myself go............i remember being laid down (this was quite strange as i'd already started going numb) & everyone making a lot of fuss - I could hear them keep asking me questions but i couldn't really make out what they were saying & i definately couldn't answer! I've never been so scared in my life!! The nurse came and put some ice cold packing round my face (because my temp had hit the roof) - it seemed that the panic went on for ages - i could see my hubby & i can honestly say i've never seen him look so worried - (he said afterwards that he thought he was losing me as my eyes glazed over and it seemed like i wasn't really there) but slowly I cooled down, my pressure returned to normal & i came round pretty much unable to feel anything from the armpit down! ( i then had a catheter put in) Things then resumed as normal - they did some checks to make sure i was numb (running an ice cube up my side - i could feel the pressure but not the cold & Using a blunt pin thing to poke me all the way up my side -again i could feel the pressure but no pain) It was the weirdest sensation! Anyway things started happening really quickly from there on in. I was wheeled into the OR where i was placed under lights, asked to cross my arms across my chest and then had a screen put in front of my face so i couldn't see what was happening. Hubby came and sat next to me. They then started the section. I heard the surgeon pick up the scalpel and i could feel the pressure across my stomach as she made the first incision & thought to myself that i really should be freaking at this point but as i couldn't feel any pain at all i didn't know whether to be freaked or happy! (sounds silly i know, but i'd worried my arse off about the op and at that point, all the worrying felt rather silly!) What does a section feel like i hear you ask? DAMN WEIRD!!
I could feel them pulling me about but i couldn't REALLY feel it. Its so hard to explain. After about only 10 minutes @ 13.31 my baby boy was lifted into the world weighing 8lbs 14oz! He was VERY quiet for a few seconds (at which point i think i was holding my breath) and then started to cry They lifted him just high enough so i could catch a glimpse of him before he got handed to the midwife for weighing & wrapping etc - I've never seen a sight so precious - and of course i started blubbing! I was trying desperately to hold it together though as i didn't want to make my tummy shake while they were still sorting me out. I then had no choice but to lay there staring at the ceiling while the docs were hoovering me out (removing placenta/blood etc) while listening to everyone else talk about my little boy! After about 10 minutes though Adam came over holding LO and got him close enough so i could give him a kiss. I have to say that while getting sorted out i did feel some discomfort and they had to put some additional pain relief in my drip, main reason being that when they tried to pull out the placenta a piece was stuck to the uterus wall and when they managed to pull it out they turned my uterus inside out and put a little hole in it (i didn't find this out until the following day) which they stitched up and then put back the right way! It took about 35 minutes to get me all stitched up & then they transferred me to my normal hospital bed and took me to recovery where i got to hold Oliver for the very first time!
Adam then went off to make the all important phonecalls. Straight away i wanted to be close to my little boy (i felt like i'd missed out not having a 'normal' labour, so asked if i could have some help breastfeeding (i didn't feel confident enough to try on my own) but by the time the lady had gone to get someone and come back Ollie had been crying so i tried it myself & he latched on perfectly first time!!!
I took the half an hour in recovery to check his baby toes and fingers & to get a good look at him & have a bit of Mummy Baby bonding & was then wheeled back to the ward. I have to say that my section wasn't as bad as i thought it would be - it was very weird and surreal - i still can't quite believe it was me going through it - looking back it feels like it was someone else. I was in a bit of pain once the spinal wore off, but nothing too major & approx 6 hours after the op i was helped out of bed and sitting in a chair (after being given a bed bath!
) Oliver was pretty much suckling all night long so i got bugger all sleep & my nipples were rather sore (my milk hasn't come in so he's pretty much dry feeding - MW said that there may even be a longer delay than with a vaginal birth because of the section ) The next day (OMG yesterday!) I got my catheter taken out at 6am so was able to get up, changed & washed by myself & then managed a bit of brekkie while sorting out Ollie & at about half 9 i had a doc come round to ask me how i was, check my obs etc & was asked when i planned on going home, 'as soon as possible' was the reply - i hate hospitals - at which point i was told that as i was so mobile & was coping with the pain they'd give me some pills and i could go home that afternoon (they did check to make sure i had good support first though) I don't think the midwife on duty that day was too pleased about me leaving so soon - she seemed quite worried - but i didn't care! Got to leave the hospital at about half 1 which meant it had only been 24 hours since my little man came into the world! Was in a bit of pain yesterday afternoon (i think the walk from the ward to the carpark knackered me out!) but am feeling much better today, especially as i got my dressing taken off thismorning (was instructed to do it myself when i got home by the midwife on duty - had to soak the damn thing down repeatedly to get it off though! I didn't really think i should be doing that myself but oh well!) Am still very tender & am keeping up with the pain meds whether i think i need them or not & am taking it easy, but feel pretty good.
So......Oliver Edward Gareth Cox was born on Dec 23rd 2008 @ 13.31, weighing 8lbs 14oz!! Is absolutely perfect!!!
