DD2 arrived (in the caul!) on Friday 12th January 14 days after her due date and weighing in at 9lb 5oz!
She is absolutely gorgeous - very alert, feeding 10 minutes after her arrival and seems very knowledgable about everything. We thought she would be a boy (her scan measurements - average with very long legs - and hiccups were the same as DS) so we were very surprised to discover we had a girl but she looks the spitting image of her big brother as a baby (although with finer features).
Her birth was fantastic (on reflection; blooming hurt at the time) and I managed it on entonox and Tens. 7 hour labour with 2 fantastic midwives who followed my birth plan to the letter. They were professional but very kind and were convinced I could do it. I hired a doula to 'make me brave' (DS's birth was very traumatic with a 5.5 hour second stage resulting in a 3/4 degree tear) and she did. When I was begging for an epidural and I could see DH was beginning to waver I knew the doula wouldn't give in to my demands! She just kept encouraging me and let me squeeze (break) her hand! The 4 of them made a great team
Pushing/panting out DD2 (lying on my side after reading a mumsnet thread!) was the best feeling ever and I am so glad I stuck with going for a VBAC. I had a c-section with DD1 as there was talk of 'faecal incontinence' but the recovery was hard work and DH and I felt that DD1 wasn't quite ready to be born - she was born at 39 weeks covered in vernix and had difficulty feeding, DS was 10 days late and DD2 was 14 days late so it looks like my babies do take at least 41 weeks. Luckily the registrar I saw to discuss my options listened to me and 'allowed' me to go past the hospital's limit of 10 days over so long as I had daily monitoring. In the end I gave birth 2 hours before I was due to see the consultant to discuss them breaking my waters!
DS (4) and DD1 (2) are smitten with her, especially DS, and she already feels like she has always been part of our family.