On the 11th February 2013 I awoke with an excited and terribly nervous feeling in my tummy. Today was the day we were going to meet our new little lady. We got ready, dropped Mads off at her Grandmas and headed over to the hospital for 8am.
We arrived on labour ward and booked in with the midwives. They took us to a two bay room where there was already another couple in there. We knew that two c-sections were taking place that day, and it was luck of the draw as to which one was first so we silently kicked ourselves that we hadn't arrived before them!
There was a lot of waiting around in the morning, the consultant was late because of a car accident on the motorway, so we nervously paced up and down our little bay, not quite relaxing enough to read a magazine or even talk properly. We found out that we were indeed correct and that we were scheduled in second. We heard the couple next door get ready, and go down to theatre ready to meet their baby. Their section took quite a while and eventually at around midday they arrived back in the room with their baby in their arms.
By this point I was incredibly nervous and they began discussing the section in graphic detail which didn't really help! I put on my gown and Mr E put on his scrubs and the midwife came and got us to walk us down to theatre.
Last bump shot!
Mr E playing doctor!
The walk down to theatre was incredibly nerve racking and walking in there to be suddenly surrounded by people in scrubs is quite a surreal experience.
I was made to sit on the bed while the anaethetist put a local anaesthetic into my hand. He then went to put in a cannula and he couldn't get it in so managed to spray blood everywhere. He was getting them in but they weren't staying so he kept taking them out and it was making me feel more and more dizzy. He tried a few attempts on each different arm before saying that all was fine and it was in.
They then sprayed my back with freezing cold water and put another local anaesthetic into my spine. It didn't hurt as much as the cannula. I then had to sit forward with my head on my chest so he could put the spinal into my back. He put it in once and again had to take it out again and try again in a different place which was making me feel quite nervous. Eventually he got it in and I had to lie down on the bed. By this point the room was awash with people getting on with different things., all the while chatting to us and making us feel at ease.
The anaesthetist kept fussing over my cannula and I heard something about 'vein tissuing' which made me feel sick and before I knew it they were taking it out again and putting it in the other arm, all the while fussing over it. It tipped me over the edge and I started to feel really sick and dizzy. They gave me an oxygen mask to breathe into and the surgeons got to work, the blue screen covering me so we couldn't see anything.
I just kept feeling so sick so the anaesthetist kept giving me anti sickness drugs but they weren't working, and eventually Mr E had to hold a bowl down to the side so I could be sick into it. I felt really funny and no where near as relaxed as I was last time during my c-section with Mads.
The inital cutting took a lot longer as I had some more scar tissue and I was getting more and more on edge. Eventually we heard them suctioning my waters which we knew from last time meant they were nearly ready.
They really had to pull her out and were frantically tugging for ages, before shouting 'forceps' which again scared me as I didn't realise they needed forceps for c-section deliveries. The assisting staff, especially one lady were lovely though and kept telling me not to worry and she would be here any minute.
And then just like that we heard it. The most magical sound. Her gurgling cry, just once at first quietly, before getting louder and louder as she took her first breaths in the world. I burst into tears- I didn't cry with Mads apart from a couple of tears but I think that it was just complete and utter relief that another of my babies had arrived safely into the world.
The little lady that I had been thinking about every single day was here.
The midwife held her up for me to see before taking her over to the other side of the room to check her over. Mr E was allowed to go over there and watch before coming back with her to cuddle.
Both times he has got to cuddle our babies before me, but I wouldn't have it any other way. There is something so magical to me about lying in that operating theatre with all the activity going on around me, and just watching Mr E cuddle the little person I have prayed for every single night for nine months. It is like an out of body experience and a completely surreal moment.
My husband and our babies.
The surgeons delivered my placenta and the midwife said that it was huge, just like it had been with Mads. Our Little Lady went to be weighed, have her cord clamped etc, and Mr E got some wonderful photos that just like with Mads are just a bit too personal to share. I lay there feeling on a complete high and just took every single second in. I could half see what the surgeons were doing in the big theatre light above me so that was a little bit off putting.
And then it was time for our first cuddle and it was most definitely worth the wait. I of course felt instant love with Mads but when they handed me this little lady the love I felt for her took my breath away. I felt more in control, less nervous and just completely head over heels in love with both my girls.
Eventually I was all stitched up although it took a good half an hour, it turns out I had lost a litre of blood which means I am on iron tablets for the considerable future. They also put a catheter in too. They transfered me from the operating table to my bed and then placed our little lady on my chest ready to transfer us back to recovery.
She was a lot calmer than Mads who screamed pretty much non stop for the first hour, in fact she just seemed to be taking it all in. Her tiny little bluey black eyes, still with gunk in them, stared and blinked frantically at me. She was staring at me and I was staring at her, she looking at her mama and me looking at the little girl who had just instantly captured my heart. We were sizing each other up, soaking each other in.
We went on to recovery where we took turns in cuddling her, and attempting a bit of skin to skin before I eventually tried to breastfeed her for the first time, she didn't instantly latch on but we got there in the end having a few tiny little sucks.
First feed.
Mr E bought both our girls a rabbit on the day they were born- a special toy from their Daddy- here she is with hers.
We eventually after a few hours of observations and the most incredible toast of my life, got transferred to the post natal ward. I was on a bay with the lady who had been in the previous bay with me. She was harmless enough but not really my type of person and she kept chatting to me, however when you are feeling a bit lonely at 4am, anyone chatting to you is nice. She did however snore really loudly which was so frustrating.
We stayed in hospital for two nights and I found it a lot more bearable than last time, although I hardly got a wink of sleep, even though she slept lots in the first two days! On Tuesday night Mads came to visit and blew us away with how caring, kind and loving she was towards her little sister.
But that is a whole different story...
And just like that, the little girl that we had been waiting nine long months for, finally arrived in the world.
At 12.52 on Monday 11th February our little lady arrived, and promptly stole the remaining bits left in my heart.
We were no longer a three but a four. And it couldn't have felt more right.
