Milly Jane Dorothy Hobson - the birth story

With Henry I was nine days overdue, had an induction and experienced a 14 hour labour that didn’t progress; reason being Henry was still high in my pelvis and didn’t want to or couldn’t drop or become engaged. The end result was an emergency caesarean.

In the final week of this pregnancy we learnt that this baby was also carrying high and had not dropped into my pelvis. This lessened our chances of a normal delivery, as I would need to go into labour naturally, as once you have had a caesarean obstetrician’s don’t induce labour as it risks rupturing the past scar. So we had to book into the hospital for a caesarean on the chance I didn’t go into labour on my own. The hospital told us we were scheduled for 7.00am on Thursday, 19 April 2007 and to be there by 5.45am.

So in the early hours of the morning we arrive at the hospital and are taken to the delivery ward. A midwife gets me to have a shower and put on a hospital gown. The anaesthetist comes in and tells me he will do a spinal block and goes through the risks etc. I suddenly feel quite nervous about the whole thing and I’m really being read my last rights. A hospital orderly shows up and its time to be wheeled down to theatre and Michael is taken away to get changed. When Michael reappears he is dressed in blue surgical gear and wearing a big sticker saying “DAD”. We are told this is so he isn’t confused with the actual doctors and nurses and isn’t handed a scalpel by mistake.

Everyone in the operating theatre is really nice and introduces themselves and tells us what role they play in the op. I get put on a drip and then receive the spinal block, despite shaking uncontrollably through nerves (thank goodness for all the breathing techniques I learnt in prenatal yoga, they helped settle my nerves and I relaxed straight away) – the spinal block injection didn’t hurt a bit. From the shoulders down I feel numb and am vaguely aware the operation has started. I’m feeling quite spaced out and light headed and the anaesthetist pumps some drugs in my drip to stop me from passing out. Michael is looking at me and not over the blue sheet separating us from the actual operation. He tells me later he thought at one stage he was going to faint, especially when he saw the table with the scalpels and scissors etc.

My obstetrician tells me they are about to pull the baby out and I'll probably feel a tugging sensation. Next thing we hear a small cry and are shown a baby girl. I'm a little shocked. One that it is a girl, and two that we have another baby (with all the drugs flowing through my veins, for a split second I had forgotten why we were there). The nurses clean her up, Michael cuts the cord and we get to hold her while I'm stitched up. Michael then gets to spend the next hour with her while I'm taken to the recovery ward for monitoring. As it turns out my blood pressure and oxygen levels remain low for the rest of the day and I have to wear a lovely nasal device on my face (thanks to Michael for posting those flattering photos).

So for those who like to know, details of little baby no.2 are:

Weight: 3.625kgs (8pds)
Length: 54cms
Head circumference: 34cms

We are now at home and so far so good. Milly is a good sleeper, doesn't make much of a noise, wakes for a feed, barely wakes to be changed, and settles easily - but it is early days.

Thanks to everyone who has sent cards, pressies, and well wishes.