Nowadays, I may have baby brain forever but I can still remember the day she was born!
Here is her birth story...and it's a lonnnngggg one so please feel free to get a cuppa tea if you need one :P
My Birth Plan
Immediately after I had given birth to Bunty, I said I NEVER wanted to endure the same traumatic experience again. My birth plan for Bunty was to go with the flow but I was so traumatised that she was thisclose to being an only child...but it's true what they say - you DO forget!!!Enter baby number 2 - Dainty.
Except I did not want her to "enter" the world the same way as her sister did and I requested to have an elective C-section this time round.
But it wasn't that easy to get a C-section { not when you're a public patient anyway! }
At my first hospital appointment, the female doctor was not sympathetic. She said, "All births are traumatic!" and proceeded to ignore my request.
At my second visit, I saw her again { which is unusual being a public patient because based on my previous experience, I never saw the same doctor twice } and again, I voiced my anxiety and fears of giving birth.
This time, she said she would refer me to the Perineal Clinic so they could assess whether I could give birth vaginally. If I could physically not give birth vaginally, then I could have my C-section. If I could, then I would not be allowed to have a pre-planned C-section.
I was slightly disappointed but at the same time, I was very thankful to fall pregnant again { I have suspected endometriosis } and I was extremely thankful to have a healthy baby { we have a genetic blood disorder where every baby we carry has a 1 in 4 chance of death } so I was happy to go with the flow.
However, on my third visit, I saw a male French doctor.
He introduced himself and then turned and said to me, "I've read through your medical notes and have you thought about your birth plan?" { I am paraphrasing because I obviously cannot remember his exact words. And FYI, yes, he had that sexy French accent! *ahem* }
I told him I was rather anxious and I really wanted a C-section but the previous doctor wouldn't 'allow' it but I was willing to go with the flow.
He said, "I think a C-section is a good idea considering what you went through. Let's book it in now and if you change your mind, you can."
He went through the C-section consent forms with me, discussed the risks involved and got me to sign a few documents but stated that I could change my mind whenever I wanted.
WOW!!! A round of applause for THE BEST DOCTOR EVER!!!!
Sadly, I never got to see him again in all my other future visits.
Instead, I saw this young female Irish doctor who really did not listen to me. I asked her whether I still needed to go to my Perineal Clinic appointment as I had already got a date for my C-section. She said yes.
So, at 33 weeks pregnant, I was the size of a whale and I rocked up at my appointment. A pelvic physio and a specialist doctor poked their fingers up my bumhole to assess my muscle tone. Gross right?
And then, as I was about to undergo an anal ultrasound, I piped up, "Ummm...I'm booked in for a C-section so do I REALLY have to do this?" No, I did not. The specialist doctor let me leave immediately.
She said it was unnecessary to go through this torturous examination for no good reason as I had already decided on my birth plan.
I know birth plans can turn into "not exactly what I had planned" so I decided that my birth plan for Dainty would be : If she comes early, i.e. before my planned C-section date, I will try and give birth vaginally. And if not, I will just have my planned C-section.
The Birth Day
My C-section was booked in for 1st December 2016; when I was 39 (+1) weeks.At around midnight, a few hours before our hospital visit, I had a bloody show - "a mucusy discharge tinged pink or brown with blood. It means the blood vessels in the cervix are rupturing as it begins to efface and dilate—a good, normal pre-labor sign if you're close to your due date"
I told myself not to worry and that "the baby is coming out in a few hours anyway so mehhhh...whatever...just sleep before the baby comes otherwise you will never sleep again!"
Cue the toddler...
I'm telling ya, they know EVERYTHING!
Instead of sleeping through the night as usual, she decided to wake around 1am and SCREECH AND HOWL till 3am.
How did she know that she was no longer going to be an only child in a few hours time??!!!
Finally, when all was calm, we had a couple of hours of sleep.
I remember tossing and turning a lot as I started getting lower back pain...the signs of early labour?
Just before my alarm went off at 6am, I jolted awake.
I turned to my husband and woke him up - "Um...I'm getting contractions...OWWWW!!!"
We got to the hospital at 6.20am and at this point, the contractions were really strong and pretty close together.
The Day Surgery reception was not open till 6.30am so I headed to the Emergency Department.
"Hi, I'm booked in for a C-section..."
"Okay, you have to wait till Day Surgery opens at 6.30am..."
"OWWW...I'm having contractions though..."
"Oh, give me your details and we'll see you now..."
A nurse took me to a room, told me to strip off into a hospital gown, checked my vitals and gave me paracetamol to help ease the pain.
Paracetamol??!!! Did not do anything!!!
The nurse said I was second in line for the C-section and enquired if I was wanting to have a vaginal birth instead... "Well, if I have to...OWWW....OWWWW..."
But then another nurse popped in and said that the pregnant patient who was first in line for the C-section had NOT turned up!! They could not get in touch with her nor her partner. Apparently, it was her fourth child so you would think she would remember to turn up for her scheduled surgery, right??!!
"You're 6cm dilated. You can wait and choose to give birth vaginally or go for the C-section now. It's up to you!"
"Wellll...I don't mind...I don't know..."
Seriously, I am the worst decision maker in the world!!!!
I turned to my husband to ask him what I should do.
He didn't want to take responsibility in case he picked the "wrong" choice.
Seeing our struggle with decision-making at a critical time, the nurse said -
"Can you remember why you and the doctor decided that a C-section was best for you?"
"Yes!"
"Well, go for it!"
And there you go. I was wheeled to the theatre room.
They helped me put on highly attractive compression stockings and a hair net thing.
Everyone involved introduced themselves to me and explained what they were going to do which was lovely but I REALLY needed to NOT feel pain because my contractions were really strong.
{ There was a midwife/nurse who made a passing comment that I could have pushed in an hour's time which I chose to ignore and not let it spoil my birth experience. Yes, I was 6cm dilated but there is no 100% guarantee that I would fully dilate to 10cm...and maybe the baby would get distressed / stuck / etc...so STFU please!!! }
Once the anaesthetic kicked in and I could no longer feel the contractions, I relaxed...there was a burning flesh smell...and then, a few minutes later, Dainty was born.
SO QUICK!!!!
When they handed her to me, my first thought was that she had so much hair. Beautiful thick black hair.
She was quite a big baby at 3.73kg.
She was perfect.
We had already chosen a name for her months and months ago and it suited her perfectly.
Tears of joy followed.
None from my husband - I HAVE YET TO SEE HIM CRY!!!
We had skin-to-skin. And she naturally made her way to my nipple and fed!!!! Unbelievable! I felt on top of the world! { Such a contrast to her big sister's birth where immediately after I pushed her out, I lost so much blood which splashed on the floor and I vomited everywhere and I was in and out of consciousness and was so weak that I couldn't even lift her to feed her! }
I was so thankful that Dainty's birth went so smoothly and I was able to be 'all there' for the whole procedure.
I had such a lovely and positive birth experience.
I loved having all the drugs because I did not feel any pain whatsoever.
In fact, I feel that I recovered a lot quicker physically and mentally with a C-section even though I had a horrendous cough and cold which made it REALLY painful during my coughing fits.
I was just so grateful to not have people examining and poking their fingers in all my orifices all the freaking time.
Anyway, I was so sure that I was done with having kids...but immediately after giving birth to Dainty, I turned to my Husband and said, "I'm ready for another one!" Haha!!!!
And here we are today...almost 3 years later...and oooh...first time mentioning it on the blog...but we do have a 3rd child...boy...Simba...3 months plus...who is currently crying and refusing to sleep as I type this!!!
