My 39 week appointment was on New Years Eve. I suspected that I would be admitted to hospital again, as I felt really unwell. I had checked my bp in the morning and it was 150/100, which wasn't good, and it wasn't coming down.
My OB was running late, so we saw her about 12.30 pm. She took my bp - 160/110. She wasn't impressed to say the least. I expected to go to hospital, but she said that she wouldn't wait, and that the baby was coming today. We discussed an induction over a C/S and she said that since I wasn't dilated or effaced at all, I was still high, and given the risks of my BP and heart rate, that a C/S was the safest option, which I agreed with. I hadn't given the option of a C/S much thought, so it did freak me out.
We drove up to the hospital and waited a bit while they found us a bed, not really knowing when it would happen. My OB then turned up and said that I was scheduled to go in at 3 pm. Holy smokes that was fast! It was already 1.30 by this time. So with very little time to prepare, we went straight into surgery.
The spinal anaesthetic worked really quickly, and I couldn't feel a thing at all. My OB got the baby out, and I remember her saying that she was in a bit of distress. Apparently the cord was wrapped around her neck twice, and was also sitting over the cervix, so if my waters had broken it would have prolapsed and we might have lost the baby.
Charlotte Zoe was born at 3.37pm on 31 December, weighing 3.45 kg (about 7pds, 13 ozs).
It felt really surreal, and they brought her over to me. I remember really wanting to stroke her forehead. I suddenly started to feel sick, and the room began swimming. I asked James to take her away, and that is about all I can really remember for the next 12 hours. I had reacted badly to to anaesthetic (or it might have been due to my bp, the OB was a bit vague on that one. In the notes it did say that I had pre-eclampsia), and was in and out of consciousness, vomiting, and so on. I vaguely recall getting obs done, and James going to watch the fireworks from the hospital window at midnight, but that was it. Apparently the nurses tried to get her to feed from me, but I don't recall it at all. So instead I got milked. You have to laugh at that. And at least I could say that I had had a great New years eve - taken some hardcore drugs and passed out by 5 pm is a good effort!
About 4 am the next day I felt a bit better, and I finally held our beautiful baby girl.
It took me a few days to feel good again, and my bp was still up, but had resolved by the time we came home.
Those first few days I felt really overwhelmed, but she was beautiful and in my arms.
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