Jessica Erin's Birth

went in for my 38wk check and when they tried to find bubs, she wasn't head down so a quick u/s showed her as transverse but heartbeat fine. I was then informed that a vbac was completely out of the question unless she turned and that even then she would probably be able to turn around again anytime and so a c/s would be needed. We looked in the book and after DH told me friday was "OUT" (my sister said all along I'd have this one the 28th as her son is the 7th, my 1st daughter is the 14, her daughter is the 21st so she figured my second daughter would be the 28th following the pattern...). Monday and tuesday were not operating days, wed and thursday for the next week were booked, so It ended up that fri the 28th was the only day in the appropriate time frame that had free space so we took it (they had two cancellations on that day). I wanted it that way anyway as that meant not too many days of dreading the op etc.....
Well they also insisted I be kept in hosp in case my waters broke and the cord prolapsed..... Dh's mother and step dad came down to help us out with baby sitter etc. So I spent wed night and thurday waiting impatiently and missing my baby girl Kaitlyn, dreading the operation and wondering what my new baby was going to be like, who she'd look like etc... I was kept on the post natal ward as the antenatal gyne ward was full already. The baby's waking for feeds constantly woke me and I had to get sleepers at night so I could rest....
Thursday evening I was told I'd be first in so Dh was told to arrive as close to 8am as he could. I took sleepers and went to sleep. I was up at 5am, showered by 6am, not being allowed to eat I don't even remember how I spent the time but all of a sudden I was being talked to by dr's, John arrived and we were being told what was about to happen and what they would endevour to do for us to make it a good expirience. We also explained how horrible it had been last time and about the bladder infection and not being believed about my pain levels and how my milk went and I couldn;t get it back to be able to BF Kaitlyn.... We were assured this time would be better if they could possibly help it....
Well, I was given a liquid to drink that tasted like soap, and we were off down to the ORs. John was taken away to get dressed in scrubs and I was checked by one dr, then another one came in, rechecked (Jess was still not in a friendly position....breech now) and I was asked if I still wanted to go ahead? telling me it was unlikely she would be able to get into position anyway.... This new Dr was very...umm how do I put it...? Outgoing, bubbly, she seemed slightly crazy, but very friendly..... and I was wheeled in so the spinal could be put in. I had a REALLY lovely nurse looking after me thru this...she held my hand, my head when the pain got a little too much to be quiet thru...she was great. The jnr anaesthetist tried to put the spinal in......hitting my bones 4 times....which I of course found uncomfortable and hissed thru....... finally the proper Anaesthetist came in and took over....got it straight in and I went numb from the boobs down. I was quickly wheeled into theater and preped.....
I was asked if I felt sick at all....I said no..(feeling strange but not sick exactly)......less than a minute later I started feeling "off", then queasy, then SICK......as soon as I started feeling quesy I told them and a bag was put under my chin, which is just as well.....I tasted that soap on the way back up too. YUCK!!!
They started pushing and pulling my belly and I started panicking and asking for John. They hurried out to get him and he arrived AFTER they had started cutting me open. There was no screen and he could see a lot more than he wanted to. He kept his eyes on my face. They grabbed bubs legs and cut the amniotic sac open and started to manouver Jessie out. Her head was bigger than the opening so that took a bit of time.... but she was shown to us after her airways were checked and pagars taken and she was laid nect to my head so hubby and I could talk to her and look at her and touch her face etc.....then taken away to keep warm and for photos, cord cut etc.... The lovely nurse was happy to help and kept taking the camera off John to take pics.....it was great. I was sleepily dozing as they stiched.
Bubs was taken off somewhere with john for a bit as they finished stitching and took me to recovery. I was checked once and bubs was back with me, on my chest (bare) and allowed to feed or snuggle etc. I was then checked again as I was wide awake and marvelling at my little girl.....and sent back to the ward BABY still snuggled into my chest sleeping peacefully.
Once back on the ward they took bubs and put her in a crib thing and let me sleep for a bit. Much of the rest of that day is a blurr....but after the spinal wore off I found I could move relatively comfortably....
Next day I allowed visitors and I'd already been up and had the catheter removed and canular etc. I'd opted to leave chower till hubby arrived tho. Everything was going GREAT and pain was minimal.
Then on sunday night I was sleeping when I woke up FREEZING cold. I snuggled as best I could but started shivering and buzzed the nurse. She was reluctant to start anything and had already cut me back to just panadol (I had been hurting a lot and wanting more but putting up with it in an effort to get home quickly), but I got up to the loo and got stuck on the loo as I was shivvering so hard I had locked up and pulled the stitches (internal) not out but they hurt like HECK! Another nurse found me in the bathroom when I buzzed and helped me back into bed and got me a HOT blanket and some panadine forte and so began my next few days with a fever of no identifiable origin.
So a day passes in a blurr of pain (from having pulled the stitches and a massive migraine that would not go, fever and small spaces of feeling ok and lots of weak dozing, then on tuesday I started feeling better and by wednesday my temp had been down 12hrs and they agreed I could go home on the antibiotics. The pain from the stitches had gone again by then.

Jessica is such an angel. She is a good sleeper (in general) and I have taken to breast feeding very well this time with NO complications at all which I am happy about!!!!!!!!!! Someone finally told me what I had been doing wrong when attatching (I'd been getting the nipple in right, but pulling a bit of it out by pulling my fingers away so quickly). She's a touch jaundiced but levels are well below accepted levels and she lost a little weight, but is sleeping and feeding VERY well so I am happy she will be ok.... She's asleep directly behind me as I am typing....

Ok rest time since both my girls are down and I might get an hr.

Kerrie, congratulations, that's a great story!

I had an unidentifiable fever for 36 hours, 48 hours after my last c/s, and was on IV antibiotics too! It's just awful. I hope you get better soon.

Congratulations on the birth of Jessie!

Congratulations on the arrival of your new baby and thank you for sharing your story.

Congratulations on the birth of Jessie..
Thanks for sharing your story

Kerrie - what a great birth story!! thanks so much for sharing it

What a great story. Hope the recovery is going well! Thanks for sharing :D

Thanx for sharing your amazing story & I hope you have a quick recovery to enjoy your two girls.

Congratulations again Kerrie and thanks for sharing your story.

Congratulations Kerrie. Your birth story in the whole sounds very positive. Am sorry to hear about your infection. Hope it's all behind you now. It's great you were able to hold Jess almost immediately after delivery. That must be a wonderful feeling. Great to hear you're doing so well with breast feeding. Congratulations! Looking forward to hearing more about your latest little princess and hopefully seeing a picture or two of her and big sister Kat in due course.

I loved reading your birth story kerrie, sounds like you had a positive experience - apart from the fever and lack of painkillers!
Hope you have a speedy recovery. :D

Nic

Thank you for sharing your story with us Kerrie, I`m glad all went well except for the fever and that Breastfeeding is well underway \:D/

Hope you recover quickly and congratulations again :D

Take Care

Deeanne

Great story I am glad everything went well and that breastfeeding has been easier this time.

Bon

What a wonderful birth story, Kerrie. Thanks for sharing it with us. Jessica is so adorable. :D

katkins,i was wondering where you had got to.beautiful story,cant wait to hear more from you in the next thread
nikki

Hey Kerrie - what an ordeal you had! I'm so glad Jessica and you are both doing well. Come and chat to us in the born in oct thread.

Thanks for sharing your story Kerrie, it was a great read, congratulations!