The birth of Emma Joy

well here it is, sorry it is so long, just couldnt leave anything out!!

Well, Brian and I thought we had it all planned – my caesarian was scheduled for 2 ½ weeks before my due date – and as they say “first babies are always late”. On Saturday I had a show, but that can come weeks before labour, so I didn’t think too much of it. But I also had some pretty severe period pain, which is realise now was the beginning of labour, but again told myself it was nothing. The period pain continued on and off until Monday – 4 days before the caesarian. I had my OB visit booked for Tuesday, so thought I would mention it to him then and see what he thought. At 12:50 on Tuesday morning I got up to go the toilet, then just as I got back into bed I felt what I thought was a huge kick right in the middle down low, but then within seconds my pants were soaked, so I went straight to the toilet and had a long strong contraction. It lasted about 5 minutes, I almost threw up it was so painful. I knew what was happening but didn’t want to believe it. I went back into our room and told Brian and he asked me what I wanted to do – I said I wanted to go back to sleep and maybe it would stop! So I tried! It definitely didn’t work, another contraction hit about 20 minutes after the first one started, I couldn’t even talk. So we rand the hospital and they said to come straight in. I hadn’t even finished packing my labour bag, because we were so sure we were organised for Friday. So we grabbed my half packed bag and I told Brian we wouldn’t need it anyway. He was running around grabbing the camera and video and I told him not to worry about it, we would be back home soon. Another contraction hit while we were in the car. Brian was trying to crack jokes and be funny on the way in – I made it clear he wasn’t helping. He tried again but then realised it really wasn’t good, so stopped.

They strapped two things around my belly, one to monitor the baby and one for my contractions. The midwife was really condescending. I had more contractions while on the bed. I told Brian I was going to be sick, he ran to get a bin, but didn’t quite make it in time – yuk. The midwife tried to tell me I wasn’t having contractions, I was so mad. I was literally pulling my hair when they hit, I guess to transfer the pain. When I threw up she suggested I had eaten something bad and was mistaking a tummy bug for labour. I was so cranky!! She also asked if I had done the classes, implying that if I had I would realise that this was not it. The funny thing was – I didn’t even want to be in labour. Why would I put it on? All I wanted to do was go home until Friday and come in and do it all the way we planned. Anyway, she did a swab “to see if you really have ruptured your membranes” and when she did it Brian asked “so what did that tell you?”, she walked to the door and said “interesting” and walked out. Anyway, she obviously started taking me seriously because when she came back in she was completely different. She said they had called the OB on call and the theatre staff and we would be getting an emergency caesarian underway soon. I was just so relieved that I would soon have a spinal block because I was in agony. She then went off at me because I had gel on my toenails which cant be taken off and “what was I thinking having a caesarian with permanent colour on my toenails”. By now I was so over her I just ignored everything she said. They shaved me and put the catheter in then I was to go to theatre.

I vomited again on the way to theatre (not as good as I thought at handling pain). Brian went with the OB to get changed into scrubs while they prepared me. We were both a bit worried about not knowing the OB, we had never even heard of him before. While they were in getting ready the OB asked Brian if this was his first time and Brian told him it was and the OB said “don’t worry, I’ve done this thousands of times” making Brian feel a lot better. Meanwhile I was getting the spinal block put in. the contractions stopped almost straight away, but it took a while before I lost the feeling in my legs. Then it felt like I had pins and needles. I remember worrying that it wasn’t working enough and that I was going to be able to feel the operation. They tested me with ice running it up my abdomen until it felt as cold as ice. It wasn’t affecting me as high as they wanted so they tipped the bed down so my head was down the lowest and that seemed to do the trick. Brian and the OB came in and we were ready to go. The anesthetist was great, explaining everything that was happening and what to expect next. We all just joked around, Brian and I apologizing for getting them all out of bed! I guess the fact that it all happened so unexpectedly meant we were even more unprepared than we thought to meet our baby. They were just about to lift the baby out and the anesthetist grabbed Brian’s arm and got him to stand up and watch (Brian had no intention of looking at what was going on). So he saw our baby being delivered. He said “it is a…..can I tell you?” I told him yes and he announced it was a girl. She let out the most gorgeous cry in the world and they held her up so I could see her. She was grey looking and had lots of dark hair. I can’t explain the amount of emotion I was feeling. They asked us what her name was and we said “Emma Joy”. Brian went with her while they took her over and did all the tests. I had tears streaming down my face, I never could have imagined how much love I felt for my little girl. Brian cut the cord (another thing he hadn’t planned to do). He didn’t have the camera with him because I had told him to leave it in the car! (he was able to go and get in soon after though). I got to sort of hold her from my awkward position, which was wonderful, but a little frustrating not to be able to hold her properly. Brian came and said goodbye to me and went with Emma and the midwife for all her tests and bath etc. while they stitched me up. I was amazed how long it was taking. I asked the anesthetist how much longer and he said probably about another 10 minutes, only 2 more layers and they will be up to the skin. I was really surprised at that, I didn’t know that they stitched more than one layer! I think there was an intern with the OB, I was listening to him explain the way he was doing things, but one thing I do remember him telling her was that “there is always more than one way to skin a cat” and I remember laughing to myself about that.

Then they wheeled me into recovery, I was the only one in there with the 2 nurses. They were thanking me because now they get the day off for coming in on call. I had to stay in there for an hour. I had the morphine hooked up and I made sure I pressed it every 5 minutes. The nurses were telling me how with a scheduled caesarian they are so busy with everyone there at once and often the mothers don’t get back to their babies for a couple of hours because they are just so busy. So I was lucky, they chatted to me and answered all of my questions. They were reading the paper and read out Emma’s stars for the day! They got me back to the maternity ward as soon as they could.

This part is all a bit of a blur. But they brought Emma in to me and Brian too. They got me to lay on my side which was difficult but not too painful (thanks to the morphine). She breastfed for a while then we just lay like that for a fair while, maybe an hour or two. I just remember feeling on top of the world. At some stage I got dizzy and threw up again. By about 8:30am I remember thinking I wish 10am would come around quickly because I couldn’t wait to show her off to the family (another surprise because I had said all along that I wouldn’t have visitors until the next day). So at 10am my parents came, then Brian’s parents. We asked the rest of the family to wait until the afternoon. The whole day is a bit of a blur, I was pretty drowsy on the morphine. I do remember the amazing high I was on and feeling like the luckiest person alive (and still do). Lots of visitors came and I just felt so proud of our little bundle. Everyone had a nurse and I was fine with that, I thought it was something I would really struggle with. My catheter stayed in all day, I wasn’t able to get out of bed. At one stage I felt like I really needed to go to the toilet. I told the midwife and she said I shouldn’t feel like that. She checked the tube and it had been jammed in the bed railing and blocking it off!!! No wonder I was feeling like that. I heard her telling another nurse that 1 ½ litres came through once she fixed the tube! Because I kept getting dizzy and vomiting, they took me off the morphine. After everyone left and it was just Emma and I, I spent an awful lot of time just looking at her in amazement. It is a truly wonderful feeling.

Linda that is just absolutely beautiful! Emma is devine too :D

Congratulations & thankyou for sharing

Wow that was a beautiful birth story Linda!Congratulations!

WOW Linda, what an absolutely amazing story!!! =D>

Emma is soooo beautiful btw....

Congratulations again!!

Wonderful story Linda, but I would have thumped that first midwife if I was you!!!

I'm so glad it all worked out well even though it was earlier than expected!

Thanks for sharing and congratulations again Linda.

oohh linda that is the beat storey,wow what an experience for you and dh,again congratulations,i cant beleive i am going to be doing the same tomorrow.
love nikki

What a beautiful birth story, Linda! Thanks for sharing it with us.

Congrats again!!

Wow what a fantastic story! Thanks for sharing. She sure is a sweetie!

Wow! Excellent story, Linda. Isn't it amazing what life can throw at us? Here you were thinking that you were going to have a very planned birth and look what happened! Good to hear that your experience got better when you left the care of that nasty midwife (I didn't know that you couldn't wear nail polish in theatre either! How would you know if no one told you? Sheesh!).
An amazing birth story! And yay for your DH doing a couple of things that he originally thought he didn't want to do. Good on him!

Well done Linda!!! What a wonderful birth story!

Thank you so much for sharing it!!

Also Linda, I forgot to say that I am absolutely mesmorised by the picture of Emma in the bath & with her head tilted back at 3 days old. She is so beautiful.... what great pictures!

thanks everyone!!! :D

Thanks Melody, thats really nice of you to say!

thanks for sharing Linda....

Linda,

That is a lovely story. Sorry it wasn't what you planned but I think babies have other ideas!

All the best to the new family.
Jane

I couldnt read the rest of your story straight away it made me cry!!! how awesome I cant wait!

oh shine - that is so nice to hear, thank you :D