She Is Here!!!!

Piccy Of Scarlett aged 5 days.

Scarlett Elizabeth Anne Dowling
Birth Story
Friday 27th March 2009 12:38 6lb 3oz

The night before Brian & Danilie picked Bradley and Caitlin up as they were having them for the duration of me being in hospital having the baby. Myself and Stu decided as it was the last time in a long long time we would be childless to go for a meal to our fav restaurant the Brazilian in the O2 – Que lots of questions “How long do you have left?” I think we shocked them when we said that the baby would be born the following day. Myself and Stu had a lovely time talking although I found it very difficult to eat as I was feeling nervous and due to how the baby was laying was feeling very fall very quickly. We went up to pay for our meal and the manager asked us how it was “lovely as usual” was the reply. Again he asked when the baby was due, when we told him that she would be arriving the following day, he took nearly £15 off our bill.

After the meal we headed home – got home around 11pm. I took the 1st of the medications I was told to take and it was off to bed for both me and Stu. I actually managed to get a fairly decent sleep apart from waking to go to the loo several times. One good thing though the heart burn didn’t wake me like it normally did., must have been due to the medication,

We got up at approx 5:30am, I took the 2nd dose of medication at 6am along with the single dose of another medication that I had to take. I was absolutely desperate for a cup of coffee but couldn’t have one.

We left home at 6am for the drive to the hospital. We were ment to be there for 8am but because we were going into London we thought traffic might have been bad but it was relatively clear so we arrived at 7am! Having some time to kill we went to the cafe at the hospital Stuart wanted a cup of coffee but they didn’t open until 7:30 so we went for a wander near the river. I spoke to Stu about my fears for the section. I don’t know why but I was scared more so than with any of the others.

7:45 we went to the Birth Centre and booked in with the receptionist who told us that they were in the middle of hand over so we would have to wait. 8:15 the receptionist called the midwives to remind them we were there, still no one came out to get us. 8:30 she called again. 8:45 finally the midwife Amy came out and took us to room 16. Several Dr’s came in to see us and go over my notes and what had happened at my previous sections. The anasetits came in to see us to go over what would happen. A lady doing research for Tommy’s came in and asked if I would consent to a biopsy I think that’s what it’s called of my womb a small piece of my womb being taken to help Tommy’s with their research into prem labours. Seeing as I was being sterilised at the same time as the section and won’t actually need my womb again to carry a child I agreed to it. Amy then did my obs and put me on the CTG machine the last time I would hear any child in my wombs heartbeat. Such a magical sound. Funny thing was I had to hold the pads onto my tummy as she didn’t have any straps to hold them on with. She got Stu the lovely hospital scrubs a beautiful pinky red colour Stu got changed into them and boy did he look fetching. We then just had to wait and wait and wait to be called into theatre.

11:30am – the Dr’s came back and said we are ready for you now. Stu had to wait in the room while I walked down to theatre 1. Something that I was not expecting that Stu would not be with me the whole time. Into the theatre I went where there were several people milling around. Up onto the operating table I got while the anistist well 3 anisitist tried to get a canular into my arm boy it hurt I don’t have the best veins and was pricked several times in several places to try and get one in me. Originally they wanted me to have 2 just in case but because it was so difficult to get just the one in me they left it at that. I have to admit I did swear a few times as it hurt and kept apologising for swearing, I kept asking for Stu to be brought in as I was scared and was sure that it wasn’t helping. The anisitists kept telling me off because they would get a vein up and it would disappear as soon as the needle went anywhere near it. I said several times that “I am not having any more” “ I am Never doing this again!!” At some point during all this Stu was brought in and sat at the head end of the operating table.

Next came the spinal block/epidural I laid on the operating table and was told not to move while they did it, which was really difficult as the baby was moving at the time. Spinal was in at 12:12 and my whole body started to feel strange, I was then rolled onto my back and the table was tilted to the left. I was shaking all over and my teeth were chattering, the anisitist explained to me that it was due to the spinal and my body losing heat, I can’t actually remember the whole explanation but it made sense at the time and reassured me that it was ok and normal. If I remembered rightly the same thing happened at Geogina’s and Caitlin’s sections. I had several bags of fluid going into me. I was trying to hold Stu’s hand but he was too far away for me to be able to. I remember talking to him but not what I spoke about. I was just too nervous and scared, but just hearing his voice reassured me that it would all be fine. I remember asking if they had started yet and they just had.

Several minutes later I felt the tugging and pulling in my tummy – it’s a very very strange feeling like someone doing the washing up in my tummy. All the staff in the theatre were fab they were explaining things as they happened and in a way that we could understand. Then someone put lots of pressure on my ribs so they could pull the baby out. They lowered the drape as we had requested for the moment of birth although I couldn’t see anything Stu could! I then heard her cry for the 1st time, amazing she let out a little cry and a few seconds later a huge cry. I almost burst into tears hearing that. She was then placed straight on my chest. That’s never happened before. I had a quick peek to make sure she was a girl. All my babies have been taken and cleaned up a little 1st and then given to my birth partner so I never got to give the 1st cuddle it was amazing being able to do that. She was covered in vernix She cried and cried though. Amy then took her off me so she could be weighed and checked over. Her apgars were 9 and 10! She weighed in at 2.88kg/ 6lb 3oz.

The section from start to getting her out took 7 minutes! The shortest yet I think. I can’t remember much else from being in theatre to be honest from the second she was born all I was interested in was the baby. We were taken back to room 16 where Scarlett had her 1st breast feed and myself and Stu got to know our new daughter