Since I've been out of the blogging loop for a little while, it seems only fair that the latest addition to our little family gets a proper introduction before I start including him in other posts...
So here he is - meet Jacob! He arrived on 19th February and the days, weeks and months since then have just flown by!
His entrance into the world wasn't quite as straightforward as I'd hoped but ended up being incredibly positive, so I thought I'd share my story:
At 40+2 I had a routine appointment with the midwife, who ended up sending me straight to hospital as I was worried about reduced movements. After 9 hours of monitoring and checks it still wasn't 100% clear whether things were ok or not, so I was told to go back in for monitoring every day until my baby arrived.
The rest of the week was spent travelling backwards and forwards to the assessment unit. Most of the results from the monitor were normal, but the odd blip made me feel that something wasn't quite right. The doctors were beginning to worry too and explained that they'd like to induce me by breaking my waters. I was unsure so they discussed my options, answered all my questions and let me have a couple of days to decide.
By this point I'd started having mild contractions, which I used my breathing techniques to cope with. I was determined to have the VBAC I'd planned for so between hospital visits I was bouncing on my ball, walking, rotating and generally trying to keep as active as possible!
This determination eventually led to me agreeing to induction. It was a big decision to make as I'd been so keen to avoid it but in hindsight it was the best thing I could've done...
Then the moment came for my waters to be broken. A senior obstetrician examined me while I nervously puffed on gas and air and braced myself... But then he stopped. He explained that it couldn't be done because my baby's cord was over his head - if my waters went, the cord would drop, cut off the circulation and put him in serious danger. I was in total shock but agreed to a c-section without any hesitation.
It was the middle of the night so we were encouraged to get some rest before going into theatre the next morning. After 4 hours of broken sleep the preparations had begun and everything was explained calmly and clearly to us before we set off.
Despite being classed as an emergency situation, the atmosphere in the operating theatre was more relaxed than we could have imagined. The radio was playing, we chatted away and Dave guided me through my breathing. I was shaking like a leaf when the drugs kicked in and but Dave held my hand kept me calm right up until we heard Jacob's first cry and he was lifted over the curtain to meet us!
He weighed 7lb 6oz and I fell in love with him instantly. He was placed on me for skin to skin and within minutes he'd moved his way up my chest and was nuzzling into my neck!
We were wheeled onto the recovery ward where we spent hours feeding and cuddling. I was handed a coffee and sipped it slowly as I soaked up those precious newborn moments with the biggest smile on my face. It was an amazing feeling and sadly one that I didn't get to enjoy with Finley since he was so poorly.
The doctors later told us that Jacob was completely tangled up in his cord, meaning it would've been impossible for him to be delivered naturally. It's a shame (and a little bizarre, as the exact same thing happened to Finley!) but it means I've had no guilt or regret about my decision to have a c-section.
Although it wasn't the birth I'd planned for, the overall experience was everything I could've hoped for. There were so many times when things changed suddenly or made me feel nervous along the way, but with the help of breathing techniques and positive affirmations I was able to stay calm, positive and in control.
It's not often you hear about positive c-sections - but that's exactly what I had!
