Our Daughter - Rebecca May Garratt

This post is about our daughters birth.

On the evening of 30 December 2011 my husband and I were at my moms house for a braai along with my brother and his girlfriend. We were having a splendid time, eating, playing chocolate scrabble, chatting and just generally enjoying the festive vibe, each others company and the warm weather. My husband actually has a video recording of me chatting away to my family, saying I thought I had at least another week until our baby would arrive. Well at around 7pm just as we were finishing our main meal I started experiencing extreme pain/discomfort to the point that involuntary tears were rolling down my cheeks. My brother teased me saying I was making it all up so that I wouldn't have to help clear and tidy up :)
The pain did subside but then came again and I instinctively wanted to stand not sit. I stood at the table holding it with both hands just being quiet and breathing. Again the pain subsided. We didn't make it a late night and once home I had a warm soothing bath. By 11pm we were in bed ready to sleep and as I was saying good night to Andy, I said to him "looks like we just about home free for a January baby love".
I honestly didn't think I was actually already in labour and just assumed it was the Braxton Hicks intensifying. Its so strange because for the first time in months I actually went straight to sleep and slept solidly for 2 hours without having to get up and piddle every 20 minutes!
At just a little after 1am on 31 December 2011, I was suddenly awoken by a strange sensation but I immediately knew exactly what it was. My water had broken!!!
I had been so very concerned that when this moment occurred I would not know what it was and think it was a bladder problem or maybe miss it all together but there was absolutely no mistaking it!
I sat bolt upright in bed and said to Andy who was fast asleep at the time "OK babe something is happening".
He was awake in an instant, jumped out of bed, spectacles on, and started taking charge in a really calm way. I was so impressed.
I went to the loo, checked things out and confirmed 100% that this was it!
I was however not feeling any pain or discomfort at all and cleaned myself and wanted to go back to bed and to sleep!!!! Andy thank goodness shook me out of my slumberous state and said "we need to get going, now get dressed and lets go!"
His tone kind of jolted me into action. I insisted on showering first. So typical me. I think I even put some make up on... hee hee!!!
While in the shower, some bleeding started which I believe may have been the bloody show. I knew then that this was happening and that no amount of denial or sleeping it off was going to change that. I was surprised though that I had no pain at all.
Once I was dressed, we grabbed my hospital bag, which thank goodness had been packed and ready to go about a week earlier, and off we drove to the clinic which was about a 15 minute drive. I did start having some contractions on the drive but nothing earth shattering and far less severe than it had been a few hours earlier.

Now one is inclined to have the whole "Hollywood" idea in mind regarding labour where the womans water breaks and like 2 minutes later she is screaming, writhing and the babies head is crowning! In reality it is seldom like this :)
We didn't panic on the drive to the clinic, parked calmly and walked side by side into the clinic. We were both calm and announced our arrival at the labour ward at around 2:30am.
The midwives came over and did an initial assessment and confirmed that I was in labour but only just 1cm dilated.They also advised that my ObGyn who had been caring for me throughout my pregnancy was still on annual leave and that his partner would assist with my birth. Fortunately I already knew this and it wasn't a shock. I also happened to be thrilled that his partner is a renowned ObGyn, has a fantastic reputation and has delivered some of our friends and families babies too.
They showed us to our birthing room and suggested that since my contractions were fairly far apart it would be an idea for us to try to sleep and build up an energy reserve for what was to come. They predicted at that time that our baby would be born around 1pm that afternoon.
We settled in but I was far too excited and a little scared to sleep. I think Andy dozed a little but I lay there with all sorts of thoughts running through my mind.
I sent my brother a message saying "Hey bro! I wasn't acting! Baby is on the way!".
He and his girlfriend promptly jumped out of bed albeit 2 in the morning, and ran around their garden screaming on the top of their lungs they were going to be an aunt and uncle. So cute!
The midwife came in at around 3am and attempted to do another internal examination to assess if I had dilated further. I tell you I nearly kicked her in pain!!!! I eventually asked her to stop it and she said OK she will wait for the Doctor to come.
From that point on my contractions pretty much ceased to exist. I was so confused and feeling a bit freaked out.
At 7am they had a staff change as the night shift ended and our new Midwife, Pippa, came in and introduced herself and to check on me. I felt instant relief. She just had a calming way and instilled immediate confidence in me. She advised she didn't want to do any internals until the Doctor came because of how painful it had been for me and she suspected something with the position of my uterus.
She discussed pain management with me at this point and I said to her that despite bleeding I was having no pain at all and didn't want any drugs.
At 6am Andy sent our moms messages to say I was in labour and we spoke to them at around 8am.
I think Andy also let the rest of our family know at about 8am via text message.
At around 9am the Doctor arrived and he did an internal examination and performed a procedure to pull my uterus forward with his hand. It was excruciating!!!! The reason for this was that my uterus had been lying posterior making it near impossible to assess dilation and why the first midwife had hurt me so much.
He said all seemed well and that he would be back in about 2 hours again.
At 11am he came back and I was not quite even 3cm dilated yet. I had been walking, sitting on the birthing chair which is supposed to help labour along, squatting and I just didn't seem to have progressed at all in 6 hours. The problem though was that my water had broken 9 hours earlier and I was bleeding quite heavily and to just stay in a non progressive way was not safe for baby. At this point I agreed to be induced and they put me up on the Oxytocin drip. The midwife suggested I sign the paperwork for a Caesar just in case an emergency arose so that that would at least be done.
Within 10 minutes of being on the drip my contractions went from zero to hero and I was suffering! at about 1pm I caved and asked for an epidural. Being New Years Eve, the Anesthetist took about an hour to arrive, took about an hour to explain all the risks and to insert the needle etc which took us to going on 3pm.
It was the most beautiful sensation as that pain subsided I have to admit.
I was still so sure I would deliver naturally but to cut a long story short, I then had an allergic reaction to something in the epidural and started itching from head to toe and flushing. My heart rate and babies were both steadily climbing and eventually the midwife came and had a heart to heart with me and said that birth plans are special and should be carried out as much as possible but that my baby was no longer enjoying this and that both our safety was now more important.
The Doctor came in and did another internal and it was now 4:30pm, 22 hours since contractions had started and 16 hours since my water had broken, 6 hours since being induced and I was STILL only 5cm dilated and just not progressing adequately.
At this point Andy and I agreed to a Caesar. To be honest I was tired and just wanted to hold my baby at that point.
Once again being New Years Eve they had to call in some of the emergency staff, prep theatre etc
Andy also phoned both our Moms then to advise them what was happening and to ask them to come to the hospital and be with us.

I remember going into theatre, thinking my husband looked ever so dishy in his scrubs, having the spinal block and then it was all quite a haze.
Finally at 18h25 on 31 December 2011, 2 weeks early,  our darling girl was born weighing 2.78kg and 47cm long. She was put on my chest by my husband so that we could share the very special skin to skin and then after a few minutes she was checked my the Paed. She scored a 9,9 and 10 on the apgar tests and she had all her bits, they worked and she was the most beautiful, soulful little person I had ever seen. I still remember the way she smelled. I then understood how you can love your baby instantly. I was in love.
We named our precious girl Rebecca May Garratt.
The name "May" is on both our maternal sides of the family and it was the month in which we discovered I was pregnant and my Moms birth month. Very special.

It took about half an hour to stitch me back up and Andy was amazing in those moments. He held Becca as though he had known her all his life and made sure she was feeling safe and loved straight away. It helped me to stay relaxed too.

I was wheeled to recovery and that was when I waved to our Moms who were standing at the door, very teary and meeting their grand daughter for the first time as Andy took her over to them. They were both ecstatic and teary and just thrilled and Corrie was there to meet her too which was awesome.
She was so very alert and my mom said as she took Becca in her arms for the first time she felt an overwhelming feeling that she and Becca had known each other a very long time. An instant bond.

Becca was also born with the Caul which is the placenta covering the face and the Theatre staff were quite amazed. They had never before seen a Caesar baby born with the caul. For those who believe in it, the caul is seen as a sign of a baby born with the gift of "insight". A seeing baby. My great granny was born with the caul too and she did indeed have the gift of sight.

More to follow on our first days with Becca May ....