After a rough pregnancy that followed on from a miscarriage in 2020, my main goal was simple – get my precious girl earthside happy and healthy. I was under the guidance of my amazingly matter-of-fact OB who I had so much respect for and was induced at 39w 5d at his recommendation. My husband is 6’4” and I’m tiny – and all the ultrasounds indicated that bubs had inherited mg husband’s build so I was pretty nervous (to say the least) about the birth!
24 hours after being induced, and despite regular strong contractions that I couldn’t feel because I had received an early epidural, my OB said we could keep trying and potentially be sitting around waiting for another 24 hours or we could go into theatre and whip the baby out via c-section. We chose the c-section option (again, all we really wanted was our girl to arrive safe and sound).
I didn’t really have any idea what to expect in surgery but woah, it was intense!! The realisation that I was about to meet my so-longed for baby mixed with the nerves of my first ever surgery, combined with the news that Auckland Hospital NICU was in lockdown because of Covid, plus the cocktail of drugs that was being pumped into me all combined to be a pretty crazy hour and a half of my life!
That first cry from Lola was a sound I will never forget. I couldn’t believe she was here and she was real! My husband got the first cuddles with our daughter while I struggled with horrific nausea (not the easiest while lying on your back, arms out, and a mask on). I finally got my first cuddles once we were in recovery and it was so magical.
The hours following Lola’s birth were pretty wild too – my husband being sent home from the hospital while I was still being stitched up, a midwife looking after me who had only been on the job a few weeks and then there was that first time walking that anyone who has had a c-section will know about.
The surgeons also found a complication with my heart while I was in surgery – a branch block on the left side of my heart. It wasn’t major, but did need further investigation so we were in Auckland Hospital a couple of extra days, followed by Birthcare for 3 nights. Lola’s grandparents patiently waited until she was 6 days old to be able to meet her at home – Covid restrictions prevented these meetings happening earlier.
My daughter’s birth was very much a medical procedure involving surgery, induction and epidurals – but it was still beautiful and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. Lola is now 7 months old and I often think about her entrance into the world and it makes me feel so happy and so grateful to the talented people at Auckland Hospital for getting this precious girl safely into our arms.
