My Miracle

If you'd known me 20 odd years ago at uni you would have voted me least likely person to have been a mother!!!  I was heavily into sport/outdoors, and partying!!  But miracles happen and I've been reminiscing  a little lately, with it being Adele's birthday - the big 20! No longer a teen!!

Apparently you are supposed to forget the pain of childbirth but my memories are still strong today.  It hurt.  A lot. For a long time.  But after 20 years i can laugh at it.  A little. :) I'll spare you the details and just deliver the highlights package! 47 hours of labour. For about 6 of those hours i cleaned my teeth every 20 minutes.  I don't know why, i just had to.  I used a whole tube of toothpaste and wrecked a toothbrush.  The hallway at the hospital was exactly 627 paces long.  At around hour 34 i tried to call a taxi to come collect me as i had had enough and wanted to go home. When Adele finally decided she was ready to do her meet and greet she also decided to start her dance career and do a pirouette, wrapping her cord round her neck.  My obstetrician decided it was time for the big guns and brought out his weapon of mass destruction ie the forceps.  He got himself ready and everything was action stations when he, the doc, felt it was all too much for him and had a little fainting fit on the floor right in the delivery path!!  After many urgent calls a new dr arrived as the first one was literally dragged out.  I wasn't inspired with confidence by my new docs appearance as he'd been called in from milking his cows!! It was about 4.30am.  He was wearing gumboots and a holey old jumper!!  Anyway, he prepared himself, the midwife, braced himself behind the dr and with a huge push from me, a yank from them and a plop from Adele, she came into the world at 4.57am on the 9th August 1990.

After that things are a bit hazy..... i know she was a bit bluish so they took her away for a bit.  I did see her at some point but i'd been awake for two days.  All i wanted to do was sleep!.  Her father went with her and bathed her, cleaned her up a bit and brought her to me where she screamed, i cried and said take her away...how mean of me:(  Later on they sat me on a rubber ring (remember that weapon of mass destruction) in a wheelchair and took me up to see her in the nicu.  She was still screaming.  I didnt like her much at this point.  She was too noisy.  Not much has changed - she talks a lot! I was given her to hold and then the nurse left.  My eyes wouldnt stay open, she finally shut up, and we both drifted off to sleep.  Except i kept dropping her, so i put her on the floor.  Then i went to sleep.  Gosh i was a caring mum :).  Someone eventually found us and growled at me.  I felt like the worlds worst mum and it was only day 1!!
It wasnt until day 3 that i changed her nappy. i assume someone else had been doing this before! i basically slept, ate, fed her, repeat for first 3 days.  After that i think i realised there was a bit more to it!!  Especially when they said i had to leave the hospital.  i did manage to stay for 10 days!!!! lol

But we survived and have made it to 20 years!! who would have thought eh?  And for the record Adele was not going to be an only child.  She was a twin, the other we sadly lost at 20 weeks gestation.  And we did go through GIFT (IVF) when Deli was younger to try for a sibling but it wasnt to be.  So my Deli is a miracle.  One i treasure everyday!!