I feel an explanation is deserved for the length of time it’s taken me to write recently – perhaps the longest stretch of absence yet in 6 years of blogging – but it’s not without good reason…
Let me introduce our new addition who is three weeks old today (seen below at 4 days old, sporting beautiful regulation hospital clothing (with security bar codes stitched in!!) and nestled amongst stylish hospital sheets!)!
At a week overdue and with placenta action being monitored every two days by over-anxious German doctors, my waters finally broke at home. We set out into an incredibly dark and rainy Bavarian night for the short drive to our local hospital in preparation for the long night ahead – whereupon (quite typically) everything stopped.
Whilst Mr R tried to grab a couple of hours sleep, despite the moaning mothers in the adjacent rooms (not great for anxiety levels generally when you are about to give birth yourself!), I was wide awake full of adrenalin and nerves at what was to come. Hearing the arrival of someone else’s newborn at 2am was quite lovely though, and had us both weeping – though to be honest, at that stage it didn’t take much to set me off – by then I was regularly crying at adverts.
The following morning things were beginning to happen pretty fast, whereupon my over ambitious plans for an all natural birth went out of the window – I am not as hardcore as my free-birthing German counterparts it appears (they don’t even do gas and air typically here!).
And so, to the soundtrack of a new batch of lowing mothers in the surrounding rooms (sort the sound-proofing out people!) and a tarmac destroying party of builders directly outside my labour room window, the baby decided he didn’t want to hang around any longer and made a swift and pretty dramatic entrance into the world. He was born screaming and healthy and weighing in at a pretty respectable 8lb.10 oz.
Thankfully being a foreigner and all, I had thought to employ a lovely Doula (Carolyn of Butterfly Beginnings) to help me with the birth, the language, and with any cultural differences – and who supported us throughout the next part of the journey too. Sadly, this was not quite as straight forward as it could have been.
Pretty much as soon as the baby had arrived, things started to look a little fuzzy and prickly around the edges vision wise, and I became aware that all was not well. Beginning to panic, I soon became the star of my very own trolley dash to theatre for what should have been a ten minute procedure for a bloody awkward placenta who liked it where it was thank you very much. I was by this point hallucinating and trying to persuade the bald eagle from The Muppets that I really didn’t actually need a general anaesthetic. I actually did.
Two hours and a severe loss of blood later, I woke up in intensive care with a team standing over me, together with a very shaken and anxious looking Mr R (thankfully Carolyn was able to stay with Mr R and help with the baby whilst I was out for the count!). I cannot fault the care that I received at the hands of the doctors, who were progressive enough to let the Baby be wheeled to me throughout the time I was in ICU so that we could bond and attempt to feed. Thankfully my time there was pretty short-lived, and around 18 hours later we were allowed to leave for the noisy environs of the baby ward, where we spent the spent the next few days holed up in a fabulous family room. Here I received a vampire’s dream of blood, and some pretty coloured bottles of iron therapy to get my blood regenerating again, plus lots of hearty Bavarian food to build my strength back up.
I was visited throughout by the doctors who attended me in labour and in intensive care, and the various midwives who had helped us along the way who were all so sweet, kind and caring. I will never forget the nurse who bought me chamomile tea whilst I was intensive care throughout the night, and helped me try to feed the baby whilst attached wires, monitors and all other sorts of paraphernalia. Proving that kindness transcends language barriers (although a few days in a Bavarian hospital will do wonders for your language skills if you want to go to drastic measures!). Just thinking about how they would pop in to say hello, hold my hand, reassure me (and coo over the baby) still has me welling up. Their kindness meant a lot at a time I felt incredibly vulnerable and very far from home.
By day 5 we were allowed back home as long as I promised to rest, which to all intents and purposes I have. Baby has spent the time mastering the art of thumb-sucking whilst being periodically smothered in kisses by Small Girl (Small Boy is still coming around to the idea!). Thankfully I can feel my energy returning (which is wonderful as it had me worried I can tell you), and things are slowly slowly getting back to normal.
I can honestly say that I would go through it all again in a heartbeat for our beautiful Bavarian boy, or should that be Bua? He is gorgeous and we are incredibly lucky. His big brother and sister (mostly) adore him, and he’s settling in well to his Small Person No. 3 status…
I suppose you could say that a little bit of me is truly Bavarian now having received plenty of Bayerisch blood. It’s ironic that once you have received blood, you can never actually donate it again, but how I wish I could. Blood stocks run very low over winter months, so if you fancy saving a life with relatively little mess and without too much hassle, please, please donate when you can.
Normal blogging action will resume in the next couple of days. Promise. x
I can’t believe I haven’t read this before Emma. I’m so glad you received such wonderful care and I can completely understand how important it was being so far from home.
I was so very lucky with the lovely hospital we had. Thank you xx
I am just busy catching up, so firstly congratulations on a gorgeous bundle. Secondly thank goodness you are OK. The medical professionals the world over are ace and I know the wonders of some good blood and iron. It must have been so reassuring to have someone who could help with the translation
Thanks very much! Yes, it was a scary time but thankfully all turned out well! Having Carolyn there was a huge help, especially to Mr R when I was out for the count! :)
That must have been so scary for all involved, thank goodness you’re OK now. I never knew that if you’d received blood you couldn’t give again. I’d love to donate but France has the most ridiculous law that if you time in the UK in the 1980-90s you can’t give blood for fear of mad cow disease! As you can imagine this rules out a lot of people living in France now and it’s totally ridiculous.
Thank you. It’s the same rule here too, although I recently found out that you can pay for a test and then you can donate again… So strange when the mad cow thing didn’t really amount to all that much in the end did it?
Congratulations, Emma & Co! What a wonderful outcome! Having had two babies abroad I can only imagine that sense of alienation (and I spoke the language, but that’s only part of it).
I’ll be donating blood next week & will be thinking of you!
x
Thanks so much G! Grateful for your blood donation too! :) xx
How scary for you!! He is soo beautiful xx
Thanks spud xxx
Wow, what a scary experience. I can only imagine how frightened Mr.R must have been. Thank goodness for clever and quick-acting medical teams and so glad you are OK! #3 is adorable – I do think he looks like his big brother – and he’s so clever to perfect those finger-sucking skills straight away! All that hearty Bavarian blood must be working its magic – all I have is a wobbly dog for an excuse, and I haven’t blogged in months – and here you are with 2 posts under your belt already! Enjoy your gorgeous boy and the Kennenlernzeit (just learned that after one of my German friends had her baby and think it’s lovely!) xx
I love the term Kennenlernzeit, what a lovely term! Thanks Carolyn, we are getting there slowly but surely! I am looking on the blog break as a little bit of maternity leave! :D Hope Merlot is on the mend xxx
Your Small Person No3 is absolutely adorable! Congratulations. It must have been so very scary for you and your family, how very dramatic! So very glad that all turned out so well. Enjoy those newborn cuddles :) xxx
Thank you V. Glad it’s all over and he’s here now. Time for lots and lots of catching up! :) xxx
Congratulations Emma! Glad to hear you are on the mend! The baby is adorable! Hope to meet him soon!
Thanks so much Leslie! (:
I see the rest of the baby matches his beautiful feet.
You are too kind Bass. Thank you!
How bloody marvellous (see what I did there?). Congratulations and loads and loads of love. So glad you’re both okay xx
Thanks so much Becky! :) xx
Crikey, it all sounds a bit stressful. I’m so glad you’re both okay. I got rushed in to the operating theatre with my eldest amidst lots of frantic German ‘chatting’ and gesturing. Blood hit the ceiling at one point and Paul nearly passed out while I remained in a drugged up oblivion. But what is it with no gas and air?! Same in Switzerland too. Rest up, my dear. He’s beautiful x
Thanks so much Rachel! Finally feel like we are on the road back to normality whatever that is! Sorry to hear you had such a tough time of it too. Did you have any muppets in your operating theatre? Not sure what it is with the gas and air thing, it’s just not the done thing I think. xx
Oh Emma, you really are been through the mill but isn’t he just the cutest little baby boy. Feeling very broody – will have to wait for grandchildren now!
I might have to think about blood donation – I am o negative which I gather is a great universal one.
Lots of love to you all xxx
Thanks so much lovely Trish. We are well on the road to getting back to normal. Hope you will meet him at some point! Emma xxx
Thanks so much lovely Trish. We are well on the road to getting back to normal. Hope you will meet him at some point! Emma xxx
oh hearty congratulations, get strong soon, woot-woot to Germanic health care and extra big love to you and all your family XXXX (I’m grinning from ear to ear for you all)
Thank you so much lovely! xxxx
Oh Emma, think I held my breath through the whole of that post. So glad you’re feeling better/stronger and had such wonderful care. He’s utterly gorgeous xx
Thanks T. It was an “interesting” time! Feeling much much stronger thank you! :) xx
Now just enjoy your lovely family and get your strngth back. Lots of love. xxx
Thank you R xxx
Baby no. 3 is adorable! I’m sure that he is well-loved :) I’m SO glad to hear that you are feeling better! Thank you for sharing your experience in Bavaria!
It’s funny, but it’s like he’s always been here already! Thanks L! :)
I’m so glad things turned out well in the end, he’s a dream! Your comment on adverts making you cry made me laugh – I’ve been weepy over some really bizarre things recently (no cherry yogurt in the fridge, for instance!).
Thank you! Not long for you now! :) I can well understand the yoghurt crying. I asked for cherry yoghurts (the greek ones with the cherry that you stir in), someone came back with blackberry ones. It was awful (at the time!) :D
Congratulations again, but good grief, what you’ve been through… I am so glad to hear you were well looked after and that things are going well now but that does sound like it was very traumatic for all involved. Your Bavarian boy is absolutely gorgeous though :) Hurrah!!
Thank you Christie! :) I won’t lie, I was completely panicked at the idea of going into hospital here, but I couldn’t have been better looked after in the end!
Great post, Emma. Fun to hear the details surrounding his birth and glad to know all is well.
Thanks Brooke! Glad he’s here safe and sound and I don’t ever have to contemplate that kind of scenario again! :D
Oh he is adorable and worth all the drama ( sorry that you had to go through that Emma ). Much love from me and mine x
Thanks so much Annie xx
Sorry to hear you had such a scary experience, Emma.
Glad you are all home safe now, what a gorgeous little boy! :o)
Congratulations to you and your husband. xx
Thanks so much K! :) xx
Firstly, congratulations on your beautiful boy! He’s gorgeous. And secondly, I am so glad that you are on the mend. That must have been so traumatic for all of you. Sending you big hugs x
Thank you Ting, that’s very kind of you x