Two previous difficult births, complicated by big babies, led to Jayne Davies' elective Caesarean third time round

Delivery day arrives

The date had been booked for 9th October, as I was having an elective Caesarean this time. My two daughters had been too big to fit through my pelvis, and there were complications during both labours resulting in third degree tears. As a result, my youngest has nerve damage to her arm.

My hubby Paul and I were admitted to the post-natal ward at 8am. It seemed strange to be in a room full of women and babies, as we gazed at the empty crib at the bottom of the bed. I unpacked my things and had various antenatal checks, including monitoring the baby's heartbeat.

The waiting was torture - we were both so nervous and sat there in silence holding hands. I tried reading a book but couldn't focus on the story at all. Paul took several trips to the coffee machine and hospital shop.

After what seemed like ages, I was instructed to have a shower and put on a gown. The midwife shaved me and I was told to stay in bed. At around 2.15pm, what seemed like a mass of women and men in blue overalls came to wheel the bed down to theatre. I was introduced to a midwife, student midwife, the anaesthetist and his assistant, several auxiliaries, paediatrician, the surgeon and her assistants.

It felt like a scene from a hospital drama as the bed was whisked down very long corridors with a pale and worried looking Paul following behind.

The team had decided that I was to have the combined spinal block and epidural to get the benefit of both types of pain relief, as it had been anticipated that there might be a bit of pulling needed to get the baby out.

There was no pain involved getting either the spinal or the epidural set up. It was however the most bizarre experience - I could see my legs but couldn't feel them. Paul was whisked off to get dressed in theatre garb (very flattering) and I was lifted onto the operating table. I had a screen put across to hide the action, and the team were so busy chatting to me about names, I hadn't realised the surgeon had started.

My waters were suctioned off (very similar noise to Noo-Noo, the Hoover from Teletubbies). There was a fair amount of tugging and the surgeon asked for forceps. Apparently the baby's head was tightly wedged into my pelvis and he wasn't keen on making an appearance. All of a sudden I felt quite a big tug and immediately heard a cry. Paul shouted, 'It's a boy', the team added, 'And quite a big one'.

He was wrapped up and Paul got to hold him straight away. He looked perfect with lots of black hair, big eyes, button nose, no bruises or swollen features (unlike the girls) and he was still covered with white vernix (the creamy wax that protects a baby's skin). We both burst into tears with relief.

Then there was a bit of a worrying moment for me when the surgeon announced she was having problems with the placenta. Like baby, it was refusing to budge, but thankfully after some more tugging it too decided to arrive. While baby Owen was taken to be checked by the paediatrician, I was stitched up and taken to recovery.

Owen weighed in at 8lbs 12ozs - not bad as he was 10 days early. His initial Apgar was nine and he measured 57cms with a head circumference of 38cm.

He is absolutely gorgeous, feeding at the breast fine and already proving to be quite a character. I recovered far more quickly from this delivery than from my last two vaginal deliveries and was up and walking the next day.