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Woke up about 6.30 (in hospital) very nervous and excited. Dave turned up at 8 as we were told that we could be called down any time from 9am.
The doctor came up around 9am and said that they were performing another c/s first so we’d be next and he estimated a couple of hours. He felt for the position of the baby and said it was definitely breech and even wanted to know our chosen names, but we said he’d find out soon enough! The waiting to be called down was torture – we were really climbing the walls – couldn’t concentrate on the papers or magazines, but eventually the midwife came in and said they were ready for us around midday.
It really was a morning of delays as when we got down to the labour ward a midwife had been taken ill and we had to wait til they found another one to take her place. In the meantime the anesthetist prepared and told us about the epidural and Dave got gowned up (in a pink hat as well to boot!). I was sitting on the edge of the operating table really uncomfortable though as the baby’s head was jammed into my ribs!
Eventually the midwife turned up and they started the epidural – the staff were great and explained what was going to happen step by step. It was different from the first time when I was in labour with Serena as then I was desperate for pain relief, this time it seemed to take a lot longer to kick in and they had to turn me on my side at one point as it had taken on my left better than my right – even Dave mucked in on the job!!
Once I was numb enough they eventually started the operation. A bit of cutting and tugging later (what a relief when the head came away from my ribs), Benjamin Louie was pulled out feet first at 1.49pm. They put him on my stomach straight away and pulled down the screen so we could find out the sex for ourselves, it was immediately obvious he was a boy (!) I said ‘Is he OK’ as he wasn’t crying and looked pretty blue, but a few seconds later we heard the unmistakable baby cry!! The midwife took him into the side room with Dave and did all the tests, warmed him up a bit under the light and they bought him back to me for a cuddle. Was a bit difficult to cuddle him as they were still sewing me up and I had hardly any room, but I wanted to get my hands on him as quickly as possible. I then had a very welcome cup of tea and bread and jam in recovery. I hadn’t eaten since about 9.30 the night before and not drunk since 7.00 in the morning so I was gasping!
I found the experience totally positive and felt a lot more involved in the whole process as opposed to just being swept away by the medicalisation of the emergency c/s with Serena.