The final weeks leading up to my Estimated Due Date (EDD) flew by during which time my mum arrived. My EDD came and went and there was still no activity in my pelvic area. I tried everything to go into labour, I was walking every day, rubbing evening primrose oil on my stomach, eating super spicy food, having hot baths and regardless of being exhausted every night still found energy to get intimate with my husband.
On Wednesday the 17th December (6 days past my due date) I went to the birthing clinic for a check up and was told that that the baby still hadn’t engaged and appeared to be in distress. And then the bad news came. I was told I needed a caesarean, you can imagine my horror on hearing this, but by this point everything was out of my hands. Within minutes I was taken into surgery stripped and strapped to the table while the anaesthetic kicked in Dr’s and nurses in scrubs fussed around me preparing for surgery. It was really horrible, I felt like a piece of meat on the butchers table. The whole time I kept thinking how I didn't want to be there and I couldn't believe this was happening to me.
The next thing I remember was waking up and being completely disorientated, I didn’t really remember what had happened but was in agony in my abdominal area.
Panos came in to comfort me and it took me a couple of minutes to come around enough to remember that I had just had a baby. I asked if I had a boy or a girl and to my amazement (I was convinced it was a boy) I was told it was a girl and she was 6.6lbs (3kg) and healthy, they brought her in to briefly show me all I saw was a thick head of black straight hair and a little pink face.
Apparently the surgery was really quick; within about 20 minutes of being taken in everyone could hear the baby crying. And 10 minutes later I was coming round which is quicker than most who take about half an hour. The baby couldn’t get down into the pelvis because the umbilical cord was wrapped around her shoulder. I was taken to my room and the baby was brought to me, but the pain was so intense I could barely move.
I was kept in the clinic for 5 days and needed help with everything to begin with, I could barely move let alone get out of bed. I have never been so helpless and dependent and I didn’t like it one bit. The worst part is not being able to get up to see to my baby. Since then I have been getting better and better each day.
I was eventually released from the clinic in time for Christmas.
As my good friend Eirini said, we may not have had the perfect delivery we wanted but we have the perfect babies.
Now moving on to the miracle of life. My baby girl is gorgeous and healthy and such a good baby that I can't really complain, she sleeps well just like her daddy and eats well just like her mummy. Panos is absolutely besotted with her and is so cute with her it makes me smile just seeing them together. My mum has been the biggest help and I don't think I would have made it without her. They both stayed with me every night in the clinic and have helped me with absolutely everything. Eleftheria (which is Greek for freedom and is named after my motherinlaw) is perfect!!
I think she looks like Panos she has his big lips, thankfully her ears don't stick out like his and has a thick head of hair which she gets from me.
It has now been 3 weeks since I became a mummy and when I look down at my daughter I still can’t believe she is mine, I can’t get enough of her and when we go to bed as exhausted as I am I can’t sleep because I can’t stop looking at my little bundle of joy.
