Ilah's Birth Story, Part 4: The Conclusion

I’m not sure if the operating rooms are prepped in advance for c-sections but things went really fast once the blue curtain went up in front of me. The room itself, and the “scene inside” {numerous staff and equipment} looked just like I imagined. The Dr. said, “In about five minutes you’re going to meet your little girl!” - and from beginning to end, it felt more like seconds than minutes. I assume the reasoning of the blue curtain going up in front of the mother is so that she isn’t traumatized by all that’s happening on the other side of that curtain! I’m actually glad that I tuned into TLC’s “A Baby Story” now and again and witnessed how c-sections were performed because I was pretty at ease knowing in advance the stages of the procedure and how the Dr. would transition the baby out.

The only time that I got a wee bit nervous lying on the table was when I heard one of the nurses call up to the NICU to be on standby. I later found out that this was a standard routine done for all c-sections but I started to wonder if maybe they were already noticing something that would require Ilah to be transferred to the NICU immediately following her delivery. From that point on I remember just wanting the moment to come that I would hear her little cry.

As the Dr. began to make my incision, I turned my head over to Dele and asked him, “Do you want to see her come out?” I knew that the entire process would happen so fast and if he wanted to actually see his daughter born than he only had seconds to decide. I could tell that my husband was torn between wanting to hold my hand and stay by my side, or shift his attention over the curtain to witness Ilah’s first precious breaths and see her face to face for the first time. I encouraged him by saying, “Its ok honey. I’m fine. You can go look”. He said, “Are you sure?” and I said, “Yes, I’m fine” {and I was}. And so he got up, looked over the curtain, and took a few steps forward {so he could get a good view}. The next thing I recall was the anesthesiologist, who was above my head, saying, “You’re gonna feel some pressure now; a bit of a tug”. I remember taking a deep breath and saying, “Come on baby, let me hear you cry” – because I knew that’s what should be next. And then…out she came! With a good set of lungs! {ha!}. Her cry filled the room…it’s all I heard from that moment forward. Ilah’s first cries were music to my ears. I was moved to tears at the first sound of my little one. I remember thinking to myself, “She has such a cute cry!” Is there even such a thing?! I guess it’s better to say that it wasn’t as boisterous as I expected it to be!

I was so happy my husband saw his little girl born. It was just as much his moment as much as it was mine. Dele peered back at me, and with watery eyes said, “She’s gorgeous!”. I said, “really?!” I couldn’t wait to see her. You spend so much time imagining what your baby will look like and then when you actually birth your precious gift from God, they are more beautiful than you could have ever dreamed. Looking at my husband in that moment, I saw his heart melt in such a life changing way. I am so, so glad that he witnessed Ilah coming out into the world. Inevitably, it was a beautiful and overwhelming experience that he will always remember.

After Ilah was born and transferred to the nurses to be weighed, and to have her footprints taken, etc. I heard Dele asking if he could go and take pictures, but everyone was still caught up in tending to me and no one answered him {I don’t even think they heard him}. So I turned to the only person that was in my sight {the anesthesiologist}, and asked him if my husband could go and take some photos. They told him just to watch out for cords and things, and that he was fine to make his way over to the baby.

When Dele returned to me, he came back with our newborn daughter bundled in his arms! When he leaned down to show her to me, I remember the tears falling down my face. There she was…our baby girl. Another dream come true.

When I kissed her little cheek, I remember feeling how warm she was. She was sooo warm!!

After admiring her for a few minutes, dad and baby were escorted to the recovery room where I would meet up with them. I felt too weak to hold Ilah right after I came out of surgery but I delighted in seeing her and her daddy bond in her first hours of life and captured those moments in some pictures....

About an hour later I was wheeled to my room, where my mom and Dele’s mom and sister, met up with us.

I had heard time and time again from so many people that once I held my baby in my arms that I would forget all about the negative aspects that I endured during my pregnancy. They were absolutely right.

When my mom looked at Ilah for the first time, she leaned over me and said, “Oh Jess, she’s beautiful. Wasn’t she worth it?”. We both just cried…now one mother to another. In that moment, we understood the rest of each others unspoken words as we gazed at the new beauty that had just been born...

All content in her cute crochet hat...

Mama wanted to make her feel pretty during her hospital stay, so day 2 I put this darling bow on her head!....

Our precious, very alert, newborn....

Ilah is now just a little over two weeks old. It's amazing how in just a short time she has evolved in so many ways. We are so blessed. So thankful. And so in love with her...