Maria (34.4weeks 2.050kg) was taken away from me as well, I know DH was with her but it was still traumatising. I had a retained placenta as well, my veins collapsed and had to be taken to theatre an hour after delivering her, no body told DH what was happening to me as I had started bleeding whilst he was in NBIC. He had authorised them to give her formula until my milk came in (like me he didn't know any better). They had given me an epidural so I could have the D&C and it was only supposed to last 3 hours, well 12 hours later I still couldn't feel my bum which mad it hard to get down to the unit and see maria. They did give me a picture of Maria up in the ward, and they did push me past her after I left recovery but I couldn't see much. Up in the ward I was in a room on my own, no nurses really came near me, I had no idea what I was meant to do, no one told me I had to express until about 8 hours after she was born, and then I had the MW from hell who just grabbed my boob and squeezed.

With Sofia (34.6 weeks 1.800kg) I was much more prepared, 1. I had been through it all before 2 years earlier. 2. I never really felt I would get to term even though I was going through the birth centre again and hoped to at least get to 37 weeks. I had a plan this time, the drip was put in as soon as I got to hospital (veins did collapse again), at lot of care was given to make sure the placenta came away quicker, but this time they gave me Sofia to hold whilst they were doing it. Even though she was tiny I was able to have skin to skin contact and she even tried to breastfeed at 15 minutes old - (she is still breastfeeding at 2 years old). She was much healthier than maria as was I, and would have been transferred to Level 1 care a week earlier if there had been beds. The nurses were really supportive, I knew most of them from when Maria was in there, I was a good milking cow and came out of hosspital with 5 litres of milk, I was able to give Maria a vial a day with her cow milk there was so much, Fia ended up using hardly any of it.

I also feel a bit of a fraud posting in here, the girls are fine, small but so are DH and myself, Maria does have some sensory issues and is very clingy until she is happy in a group, then is very outgoing.