This happened.

Since taking up blogging again and converting this particular blog to all things parenthood, I have been positively lax with keeping it up to date.  I have had little time to sit at my laptop because 11 weeks ago today, this happened:

This little angel came into our lives.  Sylvie Florence Paterson Read came into our world on Sunday 8 June, weighing in at 7lb 13oz.  With a thick mass of dark hair, plump cheeks, rosy lips and a pair of lungs that made my heart burst the minute I heard her cry ... Sylvie Read had arrived! 

I was 41+2 weeks when she decided it was time.  I was feeling impatient, fed up and downright demented by that stage.  I had so hoped she would come on time or even a few days early, so as you can imagine the waiting was driving me insane. 

I had a dream pregnancy but had trained hard for the birth, consuming my evenings reading about the nature of childbirth as well as going to hypnotherapy classes and practising relaxation techniques, visualisation and breathing.  I had planned on a water birth and had the tankini at the ready along with my aromatherapy oils and music playlist in my hospital bag.  

I wasn't naive enough to think that all would go to plan but I hadn't banked on what was ahead of me.  2 days before Sylvie's arrival and after a week of birth ball bouncing, eating pineapple and curries and going vigorous county walks, my waters at last started to show! I was elated and was sure this was the start of what I thought would be a beautiful journey to birthing my baby.

In actual fact my waters were leaking and when I merrily called the midwife to let her know, it transpired this wasn't actually a good thing as it meant there was a risk of infection.  They asked me to go to the hospital to be checked out which I admit I dilly dallied about as I really wanted to avoid any medical intervention (induction, drugs, monitoring etc).  At hospital, they confirmed my waters were leaking and they booked me in for induction the next morning, I was distraught.  I did not want this.  It was so off plan it broke my heart.  Just as I was about to leave hospital, they did one more check of my waters and this time it showed meconium. This is when your baby's poo is in your waters and can sometimes signal foetal distress.  They kept me in and cut to 12 hours later after a long night of contractions and monitoring, one thing led to another and Sylvie arrived by Caesarean section at 12:16 in the afternoon. 

I will never forget the emotional torment as I made my way to theatre.  I was so upset that things had gone way off plan and that I was now missing out on a natural birth.  Everything I had learned about over the past 9 months was all about how nature should run its course and not to accept medical interventions, in fact, I would go as far to say that everything I had read in terms of positive birthing put real shame and disgust on a c-section birth.  I was positive I would feel sorrowful and possibly resentful of how Sylvie had arrived. 

Thankfully, this couldn't have been further from the truth.  My c-section, although unplanned turned out to be a pleasant experience.  Nothing like the violent, unnatural, disgusting process that many mummy forums, positive birthing sites and even some Mothers had painted it to be.  Sylvie arrived within minutes and before I knew it, I was in the recovery room lapping up my wonderful new baby.  We had skin on skin contact at the earliest opportunity and she breastfed while in recovery.  Any fears  of not bonding or breastfeeding being hindered went out the window.  I had a very alert baby (not drugged up) who was already exceeding all my expectations.

My own recovery has been absolutely fine, I never felt too uncomfortable or in pain.  I was up and walking about, holding my baby within 6 hours of delivery (as soon as spinal had worn off) and I was back home within 48 hours.  Although it is major abdominal surgery, I do believe are a lot of myths surrounding c-sections and their recovery that didn't ring true for me but everyone is different.  

Anyway, that's my birth story of sorts and now that I can reflect 11 weeks on, the scariest part of it all is how quickly your baby grows and progresses.  I already feel like I have lost my newborn baby so my advice to any new mums is soak it all up.  Don't miss a minute of your baby because it all passes in a flash! 

Sylvie at 10 weeks