So here is the full account of the birth of our little Hailey. Originally our c- section was scheduled for the Friday, the 1st of July. On the Wednesday a week and a bit before, I was sitting at the clinic with Emily and I got a phone call from my gynaecologist's receptionist to say that he would like to move my date forward to the 28th of June. This was almost a whole week earlier and it left me 5 days to prepare myself instead of 11! I was stressed out, but excited. The monday before I had to go in, I spent the day Frantically doing those last minute things that I hadn't yet gotten too. I know I should have rested and taken it easy, but when you are pregnant with a mission, there's nothing stopping you. Towards the end of the day, just as I was getting ready to take Emily to her gran, she started throwing up. This was not SOmething I had expected to be thrown into my day now. I decided not to leave it and made a doctors appointment. Off we went, the doctor checked her out and said nothing was wrong...
Got home, chucked our stuff in the car - we were spending the night at Leons Mom and dad, so that when we left in the morning, Emily could stay nice and settled. She would also stay there for the week so that Leon could come and go from the hospital as he needed to.
On the big day, we woke up nice and early. Had to be at the hospital at 7 am. Went to check on Emily and she had a raging temperature of 39 degrees! This is not something you want to have to deal with before going in to have a baby! My poor girl was not feeling well but there wasn't all that much I could do about it.
We left for the hospital, got there at 7:15, did admissions and was shown to my bed. Unpacked and then suddenly the nerves started kicking in. I sat on the bed, Leon sat on the chair next to it and we just nervously started at each other. The reality that we were having another baby really hadn't sunk in yet. I think it had a lot to do with the fact that right from the beginning we had planned A C-section and so nothing about it would be suprising or unexpected. At 9:20 they came to get Leon to come and change into scrubs and as he left they started wheeling me through. I was so nervous I couldn't get enough of my asthma pump. Leon met me outside the theatre where they had me waiting for him. They briskly wheeled me into theatre where we were told we would have two students watching (poor chicks), and they started putting in the spinal block. That for me was the worst part. I remembered how sore it was from when I had Emily so I was very panicky about it. I cried So much while he was sticking the needle in, I think they thought I was a little crazy. Soon after it was in, I lost feeling from the top of my abdomen down and got incredibly cold. I remember thinking the room was so cold there was no way they could bring my baby into the world at that temperature. Lol, hormones make you nutty. Annoying thing was I had a bit of a reaction to the spinal block and started itching all over. It was horrible and lasted hours, eventually that night they finally gave me meds and cream for it.
With in minutes of the numbness kicking in, I thought they were still prepping me, when in fact our daughters head popped out and I heard her crying. I had no idea it would happen so quick and painlessly. She was not very happy to be out and screamed her little heart out. I remember thinking, 'dam, I hope she's not going to scream like this forever'. Once they wrapped her in the towel though, she was happy and quiet and a whooping 3,9kgs!! I make big babies, what can I say!!?
They put her on me and once they were done stitching me up , wheeled us through to the recovery room where I got her to latch. She was such a beautiful little girl and we decided almost immediately on the name Hailey. Back in the ward, Emily came in to see her baby sister. The rest of the day was a little bit of a blur because I was so drugged up. I just remember losing it with the midwife that kept on harrassing me and wanting to stick needles in me. *embarrassing moment*
I really loved my stay in hospital and thought the staff where excellent. I will go to constantiaberg Medi clinic anytime again! They did think that she possibly had jaundice and there was a point at which they thought she might have to go under the lights but thankfully that didn't have to happen.
We were discharged happily on friday the 1st of July And sent home, to do it all on our own :) :( no nurses or yummy sleeping tablets... But we survived and are enjoying our little growing family. (or though I think its done growing now!!! ...atleast till the medical loan is paid off!)
