The arrival of Zoey

So today little Zoey has been with us for 23 days. It really is amazing how quickly they wiggle themselves into your hearts and lives. Four weeks ago all I was worrying about was how this would affect Ewan and was having a second child the right choice for us. Now we can't imagine life without her and Ewan adores her.

This whole story started a few more then 23 days ago. 28 days ago I went into labour. My contractions where very irregular but they were finally happening. I didn't go into labour with Ewan so it was all very exciting and nerve wracking. I was going to get my chance at a natural birth.

The next day they contractions where a steady 10 mins apart so I phoned Andrew at work in Vryheid and told him it was time to make the trip to Ballito as baby was coming.

By evening the contractions had progressed to around 6 min apart and lasting for about 45 seconds. I gave Ewan a very tearful goodnight hug and went to bed t0 try get some rest.

During the night they slowed down to 10 min apart again.

In the morning Andrew and I went for a very long walk along the boardwalk to get things started again. It really worked and by the time we got back I had reached the 4 min apart mark my gynae wanted. So we packed up and headed for the hospital.

A few hours and lots of monitored contractions later I was told to go home. My cervix still hadn't opened at all. I was still booked into the hospital as the staff reckoned I would be back in a few hours. The gynae suggested we wait until the contractions were over a minute long and that I should look like a deer caught in the headlights.

I was frustrated and upset but A got me hopeful again as everybody at the hospital believed it would happen soon and that a slow labour was better for a VBAC.

Three days of contractions later I still hadn't reached that point. Some moments I would get so close but then everything would slow down again.

I think everybody in Ballito who walks on the boardwalk got used to the sight of the giant pregnant woman walking and stopping every few minutes with a husband trying to calm her down.

On Monday the 3rd I woke up with no contractions. Three hours later the baby still hadn't moved. Andrew and I went to the hospital both filled with fear that she was dead. It was one of the worst feelings I have ever had in my life.

The heart monitor was quickly set up and hearing her little heartbeat a few seconds later was a huge rush of relief. She wasn't in distress either which was amazing considering the long labour.

My gynae checked my cervix and there was still no progress.

She suggested we keep up the long walks and spicy diet. I was lucky to have somebody who really believed in me and my desire to have a natural birth. Sadly a switch flicked on for me as we left the hospital. I was exhausted from 5 nights with very little sleep and I was no longer sure my body could cope with labour. Then there was the fact that after all this time there was no progress at all. I didn't know how much more I could take.

On Tuesday A and I went for a very long walk and talk. In the ended we decided to book a c-section for the next theatre day which happened to be the next day.

I was nervous because the pain from the previous time kept jumping back into my head but I knew in my heart it was the right choice. The only bad thing for me was that the date would be the 5 June which meant my children would share a birthday.

On the day I was far calmer then with Ewan but that was in part because this was my choice. Everybody at the hospital was so nice to me. The midwife who had orginally booked me in was on theatre duty that day. She told me that not many women would have lasted as long as I did and that sometimes we just have to accept how things turn out.

I had Dr's I didn't even know coming up to me and talking to me with excitement about the upcoming birth. The hospital has a great vibe that everybody is really happy to work there.

The actual c-sec didn't go that well. The spinal was painful, I vomited and my blood pressure dropped. Zoey didn't want to come out so there was a lot of tugging. However the surgical team was brilliant. They managed to calm me down when I started screaming that I wanted to sit up to vomit. The powerful anti-vomit drugs kicked in quickly and while it felt like a long time to me Andrew told me it was only a minute at most. I know I cried and I sweated from the drugs. I was a mess. There wasn't a second though that someone wasn't holding my hand and comforting me.

In the end Zoey was very high up and a c-sec would have been the only possible solution. It would have just meant an extra week of pain and possible complications. She weighed in at a very healthy 3.965kg.

Everybody joked that I wouldn't have wanted to push that out anyway.

She was put straight on my chest. I can't say I fell in love straight away. I felt way too sick and I kept fading in out of reality.

In the end I asked Andrew to take her and he was more then happy with that.

She was put back on my chest to be wheeled to recovery. I got so many congratulations on the way that it felt like a mini party.

In recovery she started to feed. It was a magically different experience to the one I had with Ewan.

I was in a private room which apart from the bed looked more like a hotel suite and the post-op drugs where wonderful. I was in a very happy place.

Andrew put a nappy on Zoey and thats all the hospital would allow. We had to hold her skin to skin with blankets over her. That for me was when I really fell for my baby daughter. Kangaroo care really is a very good idea. All this made it feel more like I had the natural birth I wanted. This was the natural c-section I had read about.

Ewan got to see her just two hours after her birth. He was so excited and held her while sitting on Andrews lap. The only issue for him was seeing me with a hospital gown on and tubes coming out of me. I think it frightened him that I couldn't get out of the bed. In hindsight I should have tried a bit harder to prepare him for that part of the experience.

My parents where wonderful taking him to the beach and Gateway afterwards to distract him. Luckily he still doesn't understand calendars so his birthday was just moved by a week.

Since Zoey's arrival I have dealt with PND, Mastitis, no sleep and a thousand breast feeding issues. Recovering from the C-section has been fairly easy and painless this time.Well at least there is that silver lining. Right now I am just trying to get through each day and hoping that everything comes right soon.

I really want to upload some pics but my website is giving problems. Hopefully I will get them sorted this week and upload a number of photos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quick Post

I will be back soon and there will be lots of posts about the birth, the awesomeness of Alberlito Hospital and the cuteness that is our darling daughter. However, at the moment I am still in the world of feeding and cuddling. After 4 years its strange but wonderful to be back in the world of newborn baby.

Photos will be uploaded soon but for now here is a link to the hospital photos on the netcare site... welcome to the world Zoey Mia Taylor.