Say Hello to Rupert Richard

Welcome to the world Rupert Richard! You weren't the easiest baby to carry and you've certainly not been the easiest little one since being outside, though that's no fault of your own (more on that to follow). My first birth experience was quite traumatic- birthing a back to back baby that needed an episiotomy and forceps wasn't pleasant but despite my bad experience with Iris I was fully prepared to try a vaginal birth with Rupert but his positioning led to other plans and a C section was booked for a Tuesday when I was 39+4 but as we all know birthing babies rarely goes to plan...

I was incredibly nervous about having a C section. I'd never had surgery of any kind and the thought of undergoing major abdominal surgery understandably filled me with dread but the thought of putting my babies life in danger scared me more. I know babies can be birthed breech and I know that you can opt to have your baby turned but neither felt like the right option and as I found out later that was probably a very good decision. 

So I'd resigned myself to a C section. I'd had a few negative thoughts- mainly that I was failing by not having a vaginal birth and that I'd taken the easy option (which in hindsight is an absolute joke!) but it was booked and I was ready. 

I'd felt the baby try to turn several times throughout the last trimester but every scan revealed baby was still breech. The Sunday before my scheduled Tuesday section I felt baby push incredibly hard downwards but I could still feel the head high up in my ribs so I went to bed ready to begin my final day being pregnant but at 4.40am my waters gushed and contractions started- baby was on the way inconveniently 24 hours ahead of schedule.

I woke up to an enormous about of water- there was no mistaking what it was. I yelled at Daniel "my waters have broken" his response......"can I not just get one decent nights sleep"- not the reassuring response I wanted but we laugh about it now- I think he was just in shock. With Iris I didn't have any contractions until hours later and I expected the same with Rupert so I leisurely had a shower and rang the labour ward. I hadn't yet had any contractions so didn't rush to get to the hospital- in hindsight I probably should have as it didn't occur to me that I'd still be having a section despite labour starting naturally. In my mind spontaneous labour meant natural birth but that wasn't the case, what it actually meant was emergency section rather than planned. 

By the time we'd got the hospital, around an hour after my waters broke I was having regular contractions which I actually enjoyed experiencing as with Iris the pain had been constant due to her positioning. I never got the chance to feel the ebb and flow of contractions with Iris and I am rather grateful that I did get to experience a traditional contraction. We promptly got gowned up and headed to theatre and I have never been so afraid. 

The theatre was surprisingly small- like being in a broom cupboard and it was bustling with activity. I didn't realise how many people would be present for the birth. I spoke with the surgeon and the anaesthetist. I must have looked terrified as a midwife came over to me and held my hands and told me that I was going to be okay. Dan wasn't allowed into theatre until I'd had the spinal injection and those few minutes without him were horrible. I can't imagine how awful it was to be left outside alone- at least I had all the wonderful staff reassuring me. 

The spinal was incredibly painful but took effect very quickly. It's a very bizarre sensation to have no feeling in your legs. Dan came into the room and sat by my head. I heard the phrase 'knife to skin' and braced myself. I couldn't feel any pain but I could feel every movement. . Once cut open the surgeon exclaimed "ooooh a bicornuate uterus" she then delved in and started to get our baby out. 

Fourteen minutes after leaving the labour ward Rupert entered the world. He was held up above the sheet in what the staff called 'a lion king moment' and it became very obvious that we'd had a baby boy! We didn't find out what we were having but I'd been convinced from the start that it was a boy and we'd had the name Rupert picked out since we were only a few weeks pregnant. I cried with joy- I'd known he was a boy but I hadn't truly let myself believe it. I glimpsed him briefly before he was whisked away to Resus- the 22 minutes he was away from me were unbearable but he came back and was placed in my arms and I felt complete.

This is usually the point when the photographs are taken of the happy mummy, daddy and baby but unfortunately we didn't get the chance as daddy ended up on the floor! A mixture of adrenaline, fear and no breakfast led Daniel's blood pressure to plummet and he was placed on the floor, equipment was taken from me and placed on him and he quickly got given a biscuit and a drink. It was hilarious and a very Daniel thing to do! 

Once I'd been stitched back together we headed back to the recovery room where Rupert had his first breast feed and that lovely tar black first poo! After a long and difficult few months I couldn't quite believe my baby boy was here- all 9lb 8 oz of him! 

After an hour or so we headed to the ward and started settling into that new born haze. We video called big sister Iris and introduced her to her little brother- it was so important to me that she was the first person to see him- then we let family and friends know that our beautiful boy had arrived safely. We all slept soundly (for the last time) and went home the following day on what turned out to be the hottest day of the year at a whopping 40 degrees! 

Whilst on the ward the surgeon popped by for a debrief and informed me that I'd haemorrhaged and lost over a litre of blood but thankfully I didn't need a transfusion. She also told me what a bicornuate uterus was, a birth defect that meant my uterus hadn't grown properly and was heart shaped instead of round. Rupert would never have turned as his head was stuck in one half of the heart. You can even see the two sides of my uterus in one of my bump pictures- it's truly fascinating and I'm very glad I didn't let them try and turn him as I'm almost certain it would have caused us both a lot of distress and could potentially have been rather dangerous. 

C section recovery has gone well. My wound has healed nicely but the pain has been intense and it's most certainly not the easy option. My body hasn't bounced back, I've been left with quite severe diastasis recti and blood pressure issues (again another story to follow) and Rupert's journey since birth hasn't been easy either but we are working our way through it. 

The last few months have been the most fulfilling and most emotional of my life. Introducing a sibling into Iris's life alongside her starting primary school has been an intense process. Rupert has had a variety of issues that have put enormous strain on the family unit and my own health has brought further complications. It's been intense but we are so full of love for our family of four. Welcome to the world Rupert Richard- we've waited a long time for you.

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