The Baby Story

Here it is, at long last, a post-natal post (no pun intended). 

The Story.

Went in monday morning, all ready, or as ready as you can ever really be.  The doctor came in and checked his position - breech, curled up in a nice little ball.  So they preped me for a ECV, a doctor and an intern came in and got started.  Basicly they just push down really, really, REALLY hard on my stomach to move him around. I had thought that it would be a long process, like 5 minutes, so i'm gripping on to the side of the bed, bracing myself for the long haul, and after 30 seconds they were done.  Sucessful.  Afterwards they told me they were really surprised at how quickly it had worked, and that it had actually worked at all.  Aparently it only works like 5% of the time.  Luckily I had a ton of fluid so there was space for him to move around in.  Once that was done they inserted a gel that's meant to soften the cervix and start contractions. (I was actually already contracting, although I couldn't feel it.).  This was at like 10am.  So I start contracting away, not really feeling a whole lot at first.  Went for a walk, things started getting stronger, came back, they checked me at like 12, I was at 4cm already, so they said baby should be here by like 3pmish. SAWEET!!  More walking, more contracting. They checked again at like 4pm, but still only a 4.  Odd considering the ammount of contractions I'd been having.  They let me go a little longer, but the contractions started getting less and less and then eventually almost stopped.  They came back and checked me again, still only a 4  and baby was still not at all engaged, super high up, so the doctor decided to break my waters, hoping that it would move things along and especially help him to drop.  But the doctor was concerned that the cord was under the head because he could feel something, a lump, but he took the chance, broke my water and no cord came out so he figured it was just an odd shaped bone or something.  A couple more hours go by, some SERIOUS contractions going on (all through this I'm just breathing and relaxing through contractions, thinking of my Mum and how she had 6 children without an epidural and that if she can do it, I can do it too.).  The midwife got everything ready for the birth, got changed, turned on the heater light and everything, thinking she'd be delivering a baby in the next hour.  She asked if I felt like pushing, I didn't, so she checked me again, and felt like I was still only at a 4cm.  So she got another midwife to come and check as well, incase she just wasn't feeling it right, this midwife came and she said she felt something, just like the doctor had, but thought that maybe it was a nose, and then she yelped, "ouch, he bit me!!"  That explained it all, why he wasn't dropping, why I wasn't dialting any more, because he was trying to come out face first, instead of head first, and he was stuck.  So they got a specialist to come in, he said it was possible to deliver a baby in that position so they started me on some setocin to hopefully totally dialate me and then I could either push him out or have them pull him out.  So in go the drugs, contractions sky rocket, as if they weren't bad enough already, and the midwife suggested I try the gas.  So I did.  It was super weird, made me feel like I was going to faint, but it took my mind off the contractions, although I could still feel them.  Another hour or so goes by, it's 11pm the specialist comes back and baby hasn't dropped at all, so they're standing there talking about what my options are when baby's heart rate dropped to 60 and then went completely.  They found it again, but it was way below 100 so they made the decision to do an emergency C-section.  It all happened so fast, it was a little overwhelming.  It was like once they said go, everything was a speedy blur.  I was "preped" (i'll save you the details), wheeled away, asked a bunch of questions, then I looked up, saw that Tui wasn't there (he'd gone off to put on scrubs) and I lost it, started bawling my eyes out, told them I was scared and wanted my husband.  I think they were a little taken back because up until that point I'd been very calm about everything.  So they quickly found him, do a spinal general (very fast, super effective, but very weird sensation), put up a screen so I couldn't see them slicing and dicing, and away they went.  I thought that it was take ages, but they started the surgery at 11.20pm and he was born at 11.24pm so it was fast.  It just felt like someone rubbing my tummy in weird ways, no pain, just like massaging almost. 

And then they showed me this sweet little face.

Bliss.

Viliami Raymond Tupou Tafuna
Born June 21st @ 11.24pm
Weighed 9lbs 6oz

I cried.  Tui cried.  And then I sent him away to take pictures of him, while I lay there and listened to the doctors talk about burying placenta under lemon trees (????) and they stiched me up.  The doctor, once he was done, told me it would heal well and I would be able to wear a bikini again (which I guess means I could start).  And then Tui brought him over to me and I looked into that little face and felt that same feeling all over again, the feeling I'd felt with Malachi.  That I would do that whole day all over again, all the pain and discomfort, for.  That if they told me I had to do it all right now again, I would do it in a heart beat.  He was so swollen on his face (probably due to being rammed up against my pelvic bone for a whole day), I told the doctor that he looked like one of the door handle guys on the labrinth, the movie (you know the guys, the ones that talk, and their eyes are are all rolly and swollen, that's what he looked like).  But he was perfect. He was worth it all.

And so then I spent the next week in the hospital.  At first I was worried about not being at home with Malachi, leaving Tui to do it all alone for a week.  But he did such an amazing job, I'm so grateful for him.  And that week that I had just to be with my little baby was amazing.  We just slept and cuddled and ate and got to know each other.  I got to do the same thing with Malachi, because he had to stay in the hospital for 2 extra weeks, so I just got to concentrate on him and nothing else.  So this past week has been nice.  I'm not so sore, got some good drugs.  Had some amazing nurses.  They made such a difference.  Especially Kate, a british nurse, she was just the best.  And so now we're at home and it's weird, trying to grasp the concept that we have two children.  Malachi's such a good big brother, loves to give his brother kisses, loves to watch him move and wiggle around.  And it's amazing how big Malachi suddenly seems to me, how mature, how much he's NOT a baby.  It's like he grew up over night.  But even though I had been worried about Malachi feeling like I don't love him now or not having any time for him, I actually feel like I love Malachi more then before, if that makes sense.

But all and all, the day was long but totally worth it, this past week has been sore but great, and I am loving every day with this new little person.  He has such a different personality to Malachi, it's amazing to see, but there will be plenty of posts about that later, I'm sure.  For now, here's some pictures of the whole adventure.

Contracting away - dont be fooled by the happy face

Brand spanking new

Daddy cutting the cord

Bringing him to see mummy.

Proud new daddy

First little kisses

Weighing in

Grandma Brunton with her 7th grandchild

My amazing midwife, she's crazy and I love her

The new boy

Brothers

Vili's not so keen on the brotherly love

Very tired mummy

Cuddles

My big boy

Kate, the best nurse in the whole world

Aunty Jessie flew down to meet him

My niece Katherine Sarah loves her new cousin

These two have a love-hate relationship.

New baby boy

He's a man of many faces

His mad face, he gets this from his Daddy.