A New Chapter: Book Baby

It’s been a long nine months…

Prologue

I told you some time ago, now, that Mr Bear and I were expecting our first child – a fact which has greatly hampered my writing; though, I did manage to release Alpha Submission in February. And she finally arrived on the 15th March at a week and two days late.

Of course, she didn’t come easily. Why would she?

Firstly, my waters broke on the 14th. Though, apparently, they weren’t all my waters. Apparently there are hind and fore waters (who knew?) and only my forewaters broke. I didn’t start contractions straight away, which means you’re booked in to have an induction 24 hours after your waters have broken to reduce the chance of infection.

I started with contractions at 4am on the 15th, though, so we rang the hospital and were advised to come to the labour ward as I’d had a reddish discharge.

The Most Special Gift

I was nearly sent back home because my contractions weren’t strong enough or far enough along and they weren’t sure they had the staff to induce me, but then they decided they did. So I had some toast and was put on a drip of oxytocin after.

The day progressed fairly normally.

I moved from gas and air to pethidine (which didn’t feel as if it did anything) and then an epidural. Then an epidural and gas and air. I pushed her as hard as I could, but only managed to get her head about a centimetre from the end, which is whereabouts it all went wrong. I had three surgeons come in and one of them helped her out with forceps that hook under babies arms and pull.

There were a few brief minutes where I got to hold her, but I didn’t get to have proper skin to skin contact. Instead, once the cord was cut, I was wheeled quickly to surgery for stitches. I didn’t realise at the time that they weren’t just run of the mill perineal stitches. Of course not. As it turns out, I had three different sets of stitches (two external and one internal) through muscle and skin. None of these were caused by the forceps. But they did mean I haemorrhaged over two litres of blood.

I was in the theatre for about two hours in total and conscious the whole time. My husband was only told after an hour and a half what was happening to me. So, he was sat alone for two hours with our first child worrying.

At the time, I didn’t realise I was in the theatre so long. I was stitched and packed with gauze to stop the haemorrhaging then finally taken to Howard Bear and our new baby.

Life Has Changed

Obviously, following those events, they’ve had me on a medicinal cocktail. Thankfully, there was nothing at all wrong with our baby girl. Except for her tongue tie. And that was sorted quickly in the week after she was born.

We are already so in love with her.

Epilogue

Understandably, writing will have to be put on the back foot for a while as we adjust to new family life. We also have our wedding ceremony (finally) in late May, so there’s a lot to do here right now. I hope you, my wonderful readers, will understand.

Thank you for sticking with me whilst I get used to life with my beautiful daughter.

Stay safe. And keep reading.

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