Why Jess's Garden


As I think about it now, I chose the name because I garden to create a space that I want to share with my family.
This blog has now evovled to be a discussion about how I'm attempting to create a personal and physical home for my family.
Creating a garden is a key part of that process, but it is not the only part, so I feel the different parts of this blog are all congruent to the same goal.

Thursday 27 March 2008

Birth of DD

Saana was born on the 4/3/08 by Caesarian because she was breech. Below is the account I wrote of her birth about week after she was born.

Mum dropped us off at the hospital at 11am and we went up to day surgery. We were quickly taken into the main section where we had to change into hospital clothes and scrubs. I got to wear paper undies, hospital gown and hospital dressing gown. Plus those special booties and hat. Miki had to put on the blue scrubs over his clothes and shoes etc. I wanted a photo, but he wouldn’t let me.
The doctor then sat and went through all our details and put the bands etc on my wrist.
We then had to wait in another waiting room until it was time for the surgery. I ended up sitting there until 1:45 in paper underwear.
At 1:45 they took us through to the “holding area� where I got put on a bed and they checked my paper work again. Miki had to stay there while they took me around to the theatre. I remember thinking he would never find me as we seemed to wind through about 100 corridors.
The anesthetist came and explained what would happen and I was then left in the theatre waiting room, while they finished the girl ahead of me and cleaned up the theatre. Finally I was wheeled into the theatre, I had to sit on the edge of the bed, curled over while an orderly or ward clerk (or someone similar, Sascha probably knows) held my shoulders so I couldn’t squirm or move. The anaesthetist then put in a local and then the spinal block. I was surprise how little it all hurt and I had no problem staying still for the spinal block ( I think it took two goes to get it in straight).
They then helped me line down and started to put in the other drips on left hand and the monitors on the right hand.
IT was then that they let Miki come into the theatre. And I must say I was really glad to see him, and he said the same. He said it was really hard waiting in the holding area not knowing what was happening.
They sat him down on a chair next to my head and he was allowed to hold my hand. They then started cutting, but I didn’t know that. I then started to feel sick, I founded out later that my blood pressure dropped and that combine with the pressure on my spine from the baby made me feel sick. I ended up throwing up (quite scary when you are flat on your back), but then I felt much better.
It was at about that point they were trying to get her out, but she kept pulling away and pushing her head up high into my chest. I could actually feel that and the dr told us what was happening.
The next thing miki said “She’s blue.� As he saw her feet as she was pulled out. But it turned out only her feet and hands were blue. They showed her to us over the curtain and then took her to be checked etc. Miki went with her and the midwife, but they stayed in the theatre.
While they stitched me up, they put Saana next to my head. I was too scared to move at first but the nurses helped me move both hands so I could touch her and almost hold her next to me. Then they gave her to Miki to hold for a while.
Once they were nearly finished stitching the midwife took Miki and Saana back to post-natal so they could weigh and measure her. They wheeled me to recovery and started setting up the next lot of drips and attaching a personal pain control thingy.
One of the nurses asked where my baby was and I said I hoped with my husband and she teased me about losing my baby already.
Then the midwife and Miki came back to recovery with Saana and she was put on my chest and I was encouraged to try and feed her. I don't remember if she actually feed, but it was a wonderful experience just lying there with my new daughter on my chest.

They then wheeled me to post-natal (Saana stayed on my chest the whole time). Once we got to post-natal she was put in the crib while they checked me and changed the sheets because I had bled all over the sheets. Miki went to make phone calls to family and send text messages.

My mum and Miki's parents came in that night to see us and have a hold of our precious daughter. I started to feel sick after everyone had left and before I knew it, I had thrown up in the bed and the nurses had to change the sheets again. I kept throwing up for the first half of the night and I know Miki was very torn between helping me and looking after Saana who kept crying every time I threw up. I had to feed Saana several times while I was sick and poor Miki was on standby to grab her when I needed to throw up. I finally started to feel better about midnight and we then settled down to have our first night together as a family. The room had a sofa bed for miki to sleep on, but I don't think it was very comfortable and he didn't have a pillow.

By the next morning I was feeling better and was allowed up to have a shower and get dressed in real clothes. After that I felt we really started our time as a family.