Eleanor's Birth Story
I was greeted by “Hi, my plug has just come away you’d better get up here quick!” Stunned I said “How quick?” Lisa replied “Like now!”
Due to the false alarm we had before Christmas our bags were permanently packed, the car fuelled and we were always ready to go. Oh, my goodness this was finally it!
“Ok, we are on our way” I said as I raced into the next room where Kevin was working. “We have to go now” I said. He just looked at me blankly “What now?“ he said “Yes!” I said “Now!”
In just over 15 minutes we were in the car and on our way. Wet hair, half dressed… it was hilarious. As we joined the M40 towards Birmingham, I looked at Kevin and said “When we return home we will be a family.” We just looked at each other and grinned.
By the time we arrived Lisa was calm, relaxed and had been talking to the hospital. We were to go in at 5.00pm. We sat in the waiting room, all four of us laughing and joking while they allocated Lisa a bed. It was so funny to see that the turquoise bed linen matched both Lisa’s nightdress and my top, we had to have a photo call at that point, we were all so excited.
Lisa was administered some pethidine and had a warm bath to help her relax before we were moved to the actual delivery suite.
Our midwife Jeanette was amazing, thoughtful, kind and seemed to anticipate Lisa’s every need. The epidural was given and for me this was hard. Lisa was using gas and air, Jason and I had to ensure that she remained really still at key times of the procedure. It was nerve wracking, yet we laughed our way through it. We also played ‘guess when Eleanor would be born’. Kevin and Jason guessed around 2.00am-2.15am, I said 1.30am. The midwife said 3.30am but the key player in all of this said 3.00am and we were to laugh later how the experienced one on the bed had the last laugh.
The hardest thing was watching Lisa going through so much pain for us. Whatever Lisa wanted was important to us.
Jason was fantastic, he helped to focus Lisa and steadied me with looks and encouragement, as did the midwife.
Pushing seemed to take forever and we could see the top of Eleanor’s head and hair. The midwife suggested Lisa kneel up and lean on the back of the bed and within minutes Eleanor’s head started to appear, then her face and whoosh there she was crying and looking around! Eleanor weighed 8lbs 1oz.
She was so perfect, I was totally mesmerised, seconds later I was cuddling her to me. I did not ever want to put her down. I remember looking up at the special people who had made this all possible and bursting into tears. Everyone had tears in their eyes as they shared my joy. I felt all the tears and pain over the last few years start to heal as Eleanor and I got to know each other.
We were taken next door where Kevin was waiting to greet his new daughter. Our emotions were indescribable; Kevin put his arms around us both and held us tight.
The next hours were magical, the midwife talked us all through the placenta and what they check and how it protects the baby for nine months. She made Kevin put on gloves and cut the cord, so that he could experience something of the birth and so that he too was included.
We all stayed in the delivery suite until 12 noon at which point we moved to the postnatal ward. The boys headed off to check on the children, freshen up and get some sleep before returning later.
Lisa and I spent the night in the hospital sharing a room with Eleanor; it was a very special time for me. Both Lisa and I were pleased to be going home the next day so that we could introduce Eleanor to her cousins.
It is truly impossible to put into words how we feel about our Surrogacy Journey. It has not only given us the most precious thing in our lives, but also allowed us to make such good friends as Lisa, Jason and family.
The words “Thank you” do not seem to be enough, either for them or to Surrogacy UK for making it possible.
Ann Marie Adamson