csab / My Olivia's birth story 14th October
Well I am finally going to get around posting my precious baby girls arrival into our lives. So here goes.
As I was having a planned c/s on the 14th, we had been advised to be at the hospital at 11.30am. For preparation for around a 1pm op time.
My DH and I got to the hospital periop clinic at the scheduled time of 11.30am yet had to wait around 45minutes before being called in. I was handed the surgical gowns to wear along with some stockings, slippers and surgical cap. Dh was handed his surgical gowns and slippers, and how cute he looked. ;) We were then taken into a room where all the patients that had come back from day surgery or are going into have surgey were being kept. We waited there until 1.15pm which was then when we were taken just outside the operating room where the Anatheasist came to chat and take details, then several attendants and dr's had come to introduce themselves. Gee if I could get anymore nervous I would have. I was excited on meeting my little girl, yet the nerves were really eating at me. So here I lay on the trolley waiting to go in to theatre and thinking when is it going to start. Finally my DH was told that they were taking me in and that once they have me prepared for surgery with the spinal block that he will then be brought in.
So off I am wheeled into theatre at around 1.50pm, nerves eating at me alot more, thinking I hope my little girl is ok, and gee I hope this spinal isnt going to hurt. I had to sit curved over so the anasetic could be administered which to my surprise didnt hurt like I expected it to. Then the spinal was administered. I actually jumped with that one, which the Dr had said ohh did you feel that. Ahhh yesssss. Eventually I was layed down, all the gadgets attached as well as the cathetar and canula inserted, which I was so relieved that they didnt put the cathetar in before the spinal block, as I have had that done before and boy did it hurt. So a huge sigh of relief from me there.
You know you feel as tho all your dignity is out the window when you are laying on a table with all your bits showing for all to see. :redface: The curtain was then put up in front of me and DH was brought in at around 2.15pm. He was sat down next to me and a couple of Dr's. They also had the pediatrician and midwife in theatre with us for once my little girl was born.
Of course I was shaking, which I was told was quite normal due to the spinal. Which I had also remembered the same sort of thing happened with my DD1. Finally it was almost time for my little Olivia to make her entrance, we were told we would hear a sucking noise and then the baby would be here. Well at 2.35pm Olivia was born. All the thoughts racing through my head, like was she going to be ok, was finally going to have some sort of answer. As soon as I heard her cry, the most precious sound I had heard the tears just started to pour out of me. I just couldnt help it. I still hadnt seen her as the pediatricians had taken her straight away to check her over which seemed to be for ever. Thankfully my DH has it all on camera. Which he hasnt let me watch completely yet as I am still quite emotional. They had told me that she was tiny, but didnt realise how tiny she was until I finally had her shown to me. She was wrapped up in her bunny rug and all I could see was her face. Ohh she is just beautiful, still crying at this point, the DR's worrying about me due to the crying. She was then taken away with DH, the pediatrician and the midwife.
The Surgeons had continued the operation, which I wondered why it was taking so long as I wanted to see my little girl and just know how she was and give her the cuddle I so desperately wanted to give her. I could hear towards the end the surgeons talking about what stitches to put and all I heard was Staples!!!!!! :o Then the other surgeon said No..... So I thought ohh hopefully that is a good thing. Then a while after feeling all the pushing and prodding the surgeon looked over the curatin and gave me a stern, Now I would strongly recommend that you not have anymore children, with all the scarring and the trouble we had with the surgery it is a wise idea that you dont. He then went on to tell me that they had trouble stopping a leak and that a bag was attached for the leak and will be checked a couple of days later. I didnt relaise what sort of bag they were talking about until I was in recovery.
Finally the operation was finished and they moved me off to recovery at 3.51pm, there they kept checking the feeling from my neck down with ice which seemed to take forever to come back. They were surprised it took so long to get to an acceptable level for me to be moved to the ward. I was finally able to be moved to the ward at around 6-6.30pm. Once in the ward they got DH to come in with Olivia. Although I couldnt move with everything and still not complete feeling in my legs I got to see my beautiful girl.
Once feeling came back, so did the pain. My DH had brought my other children and sister in to see both Olivia and I again yet by this time, I had the most horrible of headache and the pain from surgery was horrid as well. I felt sooo tired, yet still have no idea why, I actually felt as tho I was losing it a bit. Here we are talking about names etc, and I couldnt even remember what we were talking about, and even couldnt remember if my oldest sons name is what we had called him. It was a horrible feeling, most of all I spoke about was mumble. My kids were actually worried seeing me that way, and I later found out off my sister and one of the midwives that my oldest was very upset. He had mentioned to them that he hated seeing me that way. I still have no idea on what made me go that way.
It took hours for the midwives to give me some morphine as it was the only thing that would help. All the other medication wouldnt even budge the headache, needalone the op pain.
From the very first moment Olivia was born right thru to the moment we left hospital she had been seen by pediatricians, we were seen also by the genetics Drs too. I see my little girl as being perfect, I just hope that the DR's see that too with the tests that they are going to be doing. I am praying like anything that they dont find anything wrong with her. Although it feels as tho they are hell bent on finding something. I feel tho my dad, Olivia's poppy is watching over her and giving her that helping hand in proving to the Dr's that there is nothing wrong.
Olivia for the first few days of her birth was given a few tests but had also had her BST on her heels every 3 hours as her sugar levels had dropped along with her temps, so they needed to monitor her. It was hard, as I hate seeing her cry in pain. She also seemed to not want anyone near her except mummy.
With all the crying, and worrying that the DR's have put in my head, I believe Olivia is just fine and she will prove that to them. I am letting the Dr's do their tests, such as the Kidney U/s and Heart U/s, I will see the pediatrician as long as he wants me to take her to him, but I will not let them do any tests the are needless just to satisfy their curiosity. I will draw a line to that.
Olivia is such a precious girl, she is so alert,sleeps well too, and most of all after several days of not quite knowing what to do with the BB's, she now loves BB's. :dance:
Olivia was born weighing 2380gms with a length of 47cms and a HC of 34cm. As of yesterday she is weighing 2140gms. So I am hoping come Friday's appt with the pediatrician that she will have put on some weight.
Olivia also has a small soft spot which the DR's are wanting to keep a close eye on, so I am praying that she has normal growth with her HC, so loads of prayers needed in that dept too.
Olivia and I after such a tryting time in hospital finally got home on the 19th at 10.30pm, even tho the DR's wanted us to stay in for a while longer, they allowed us to go home. It was just too stressful for me, I couldnt cope with it any longer. Yet the only condition was that I saw my DR two days later which I did.
Olivia has settled in wonderfully at home and her brothers and sisters absolutley adore her. They are amazed at how tiny she is. I often catch them just gazing at her.
I have had days where I am still crying, yet it is mostly when I am talking about her and all the appts that it happens.
Here I was hoping that all the stress of the pgcy, would have gone once my little Olivia was born, yet it hadnt, so now I am :pray: like crazy that all this stress soon gets replaced by the happiest of news that my Olivia is perfectly healthy & normal, just like her brothers and sisters.
So with all that Olivia has to face, I am hoping to get as many positive, healthy vibes and prayers as I can muster to help her thru it all.
Thankyou all for your support thru the pgcy and since her birth, I really appreciate it, from the bottom of my heart.
I know not much of a exciting birth story, but hey its my Olivia's day.... :hug:
Ohhh forgot to mention that thankfully I ended up with dissolvable stitches not staples. Yippeeeeeee. The surgeon must have felt sorry for me. hehehe. The bloody bag was removed around 3-4days after surgery.
Cheryl
