Initially, I didn't care that the labour and birth hadn't happened according to my plan. Steve and I were both just so head over heels in love with this new tiny little person.
She weighed 6lbs 15oz and she was perfect. When she was awake, her eyes were big and open and almost black. She was perfect.
Steve called my dad first, then his own parents. I sent a text and photo out to the girls, whilst Steve did the same to the boys.
I was soon put on a ward with other ladies and their new babies, but I'd been sick throughout labour and afterwards, so they found me a private room.
A few hours later, I asked a midwife for some help with breastfeeding. I had no idea what I was doing but I knew I wanted to try it.
The midwife told me she was too busy, and to just "stick her on and see what happens." I was totally clueless about positioning, how to hold her, what a good latch, or even just a latch, looked or felt like.
I was given a little cup and a syringe, and told to hand express and syringe feed, so that's what I did, all night. I was very lucky to be able to hand express 15-20ml of colostrum at a time, I know some ladies find it hard to even get 1ml, so I'm really grateful.
Because of the meconium in my waters, Bird and I had to stay in hospital for 24 hours post-birth for monitoring.
Throughout the night, her temperature dropped several times and she had to be wrapped in lots of thick blankets and put under the lights on the resuscitation table.
She was jaundiced as she was struggling to feed from me through exhaustion from a long labour.
When the 24 hours were over, I asked to be transferred back to the MLU. I wasnt ready to go home and wanted more help with breastfeeding but I didn't want to stay where I was, where they were too busy to help me and made me feel guilty for inconveniencing them when I asked.
They said this was fine, so we strapped Bird into her car seat and set off. We stopped at Steve's parent's house on the way so they could meet her, and then my dad visited at the MLU.
It's such a beautiful place. We were allowed to put two beds together in our lovely room so Steve could stay with us for the night, and there was a nice big private bathroom for me.
The midwives there were incredible, so patient and friendly. Although Bird still didn't manage to latch that night, I continued with hand expressing and syringe feeding and I felt so relaxed, content and confident that we'd get there eventually.
On Sunday morning we went home. We stopped at Asda on the way for some food shopping and to buy some girly clothes in "tiny baby" size, as all of the newborn things I'd packed swamped my teeny tiny Bird!
When we walked in the door at home, we put our little bundle into her bouncy chair. It was completely silent and we watched for her for a few minutes before I burst into the happiest tears. I just couldn't believe our miracle girl was finally here, and we were home. I couldn't believe we'd done it.
Love, Gina Xx
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