Daisy, you are 1 today. Your Dad and I can’t quite believe that you are there already. Such a big girl! This is your story of how you came into the world.
We went to see the doctor (Jan) the day before you were born and she told us that she thought it would be a good idea to bring you into the world the next day. She thought that you were a big baby and that I would have trouble pushing you out as you just kept growing and growing and didn’t look like you were coming out any time soon. You were 4 days overdue (according to one scan/due date) or due on the 14th if you listen to our first scan/due date. Your Dad and I were quite nervous all of a sudden – of course we knew that we were going to have a baby but to actually know that you were going to come the next day was scary. But so exciting. We were going to meet you at last! We went and had lunch to celebrate at the first place that we ever met. A cafe where Flick introduced 4 and a bit years ago. We sat and reflected on how we had met, got married and then had a baby. We were amazed. That night we went and had dinner with all some of your aunties and uncles – Sam and Jo with Zac and Mia, Grandma and Grandpa, and Aunty Lucy who had come all the way over from London to see you! We had lasagne (Mummy needed her carb intake for the next day) and we all guessed how big you were going to be and if you would be a girl or boy. That night I could hardly sleep for the excitement and trepidation of the next day. I was scared. I hoped that I could do it. And I hoped that we weren’t going to let you down. You had done such a good job of growing until then – it was now up to us to look after you and we wanted so much to make sure we could do a good job.
The morning of the 14th came and I was up early. I couldn’t sleep much past 5am and I remember waking up and watching the sunrise. I kept telling myself that I was going to have a baby today. I called the hospital at 7am to make sure that we could come in. They said we could, so we packed the bags, had a shower and headed to the hospital. Daddy was very nervous as well. He knew he had to help me out but didn’t know what was ahead of him. There were lots of trips to the toilet!!
We got to the hospital and were taken into the delivery suite – the room where you were born over 12 hours later. Jan came in around 9am and broke my waters. Well! I never thought that there would be much! All of the nurses commented on how much there was (almost the most they had ever seen) and boy was I glad that they didn’t break when we were in a supermarket, or car, or in bed – wowsers! In fact you weren’t a big baby at all – just had lots of waters around you. I started to get contractions but they weren’t very hard or close. They then put a drip into my arm to make things come along quickly. After about 2 hours things started to get faster and more painful. I tried the bath, walking around but the nurses kept turning up the drip when I wasn’t looking and making things speed up faster and faster. We listened to music – the Beatles (Blue and Red albums) as well as David Gray and I can’t remember who else! At about 1pm I BEGGED for an epidural. This is a big needle that goes into my back and numbs out the bottom half of your body so you don’t feel anything. Mummy could have kissed the doctor and the relief that it gave me. All of the nurses said that I would have one because when you are induced things happen twice as fast as normal. For a few hours I got some rest. The nurses and doctors started to worry though because with every contraction your heart rate would go right down – they were worried about you. They turned the drip off, and you would get better, then when they turned it back on, you would go downhill again. I also started to feel pain again. You had turned around as you were coming down the birth canacl so our backs were against each other. This made the doctors even more worried. They told me that we would have to have an emergency c-section (where they cut you through my tummy). Daddy and I were scared. I just wanted you to be safe and it was awful to see people in charge worried about you. It was about 5 when Jan came back in and told me they were going to take me to surgery. She checked me out before and saw that I was ready to push and asked me to have one try before they took me down. I still couldn’t feel much but she told me how to push. I tried the very best that I could and you know what? You started to come down slowly, slowly and as you did you started to turn your head around the right way. Jan said that I did such a good job that I might be able to do it by myself. I so wanted to be able to do it Daisy, I tried and I tried as hard as I have ever done anything and slowly you came down.
I pushed and pushed for almost 3 (that’s right 3!) hours! Jan decided at the very end that she would have to help you our by cutting me. You slipped out into the world at 8.41pm. You started to cry before you were even fully out of me. With tears – real tears! They passed you up to me and I couldn’t believe that you were a real baby. A baby girl! The doctor checked you out and you were perfect. You cried and cried! For almost an hour you screamed and couldn’t be calmed down. I have never been so afraid of anything as much as that. I suddenly realised that I was the only one that could make you stop. That I was a Mummy now! I then turned to your Dadda and said “is that who I think it is?” he knew what I meant and said “yes, it’s Daisy May!” and you were named.
Your Grandma Kathryn, Grandma Sue, Grandpa Milton, Aunty Lucy, Nanna and Pa all came to visit you not long after you were born. They were so happy to finally meet you. Finally you went to sleep, Daddy went home and I finally got back to my room where I could rest. It was a big day for all of us. It was your birth day. Every day on your birthday you will see hearts everywhere. They are for you. Because the whole world knows just how much everyone loves you!
Your Dadda and I are so proud of everything you have achieved over the past year. You can eat, and crawl, and have teeth, and you are funny. You make every day a great day and we don’t know how we ever lived without you. You bring everyone in our family happiness, joy and love. I hope we haven’t let you down Daisy and that we still try every day to make you as happy as we can because all you have given us is joy and unconditional love.
Happy Birthday!
Happy 1st Birthday little Daisy. Sending you all our love. We are on our way home to Sydney to meet you and I promise we will bring you a fab birthday gift all the way from London.
All our love to the beautiful birthday girl.
Kate, Simes and Maddie xxxx
Hi Daisy, I’m your new Stalker Aunty. I can be pretty loud and talk A LOT, but I already adore you.
This is beautiful. i love reading birth stories. x