Well Friday's routine appointment with the consultant was a surprise. It was booked to go over the details of our planned natural birth. (Breathe deeply, smell the lavender oil, cue bullet-shaped baby that pops out at just the right moment...). But it seems that things will be quite different. I am destined for a caesarian instead.
When my daughter Daisy was born, it took 38 hours from first contraction to delivery. But for some reason she didn't want to come out. After all that time she wasn't even engaged in the birth canal and, eventually showing signs of distress, had to be hauled out via emergency caesarian.
The reason for this was never explained properly. However at the time one of the delivery team quietly made a note in the file in faint spidery writing that no-one spotted until a few days ago.
It indicated that there may be a problem with my pelvis. Bit bent? Bit small? Bit dodgy? Either way this significantly affects my chances of delivering naturally. We've gone from a 70% chance of a natural delivery to a 40% one. And the likelihood is that we could again experience an extended delivery followed by an emergency caesarian.
Don't like those odds.
So, like Starsky and Hutch, you have to roll with the punches (even if you have a misshapen pelvis).
We've therefore decided to shelve our plans for a natural delivery and go for a planned caesarian instead.
I am assured by the consultant (and by friends who have had the same procedure) that you recover quicker from an elective c-section than from a drawn out labour followed by an emergency caesarian. And as I have a bouncing 19-month-old to look after too, I'll need all my strength back as quickly as possible. So it does make sense.
Therefore the decision is made. Baby number 2 is going to make an appearance on Monday 16 March. That's a week away.
I'm very happy that I'll be seeing my baby soon. And rather nervous. But the final countdown has begun... Blimey I'd better get that hospital bag packed.
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