OMG, I'm so sorry!! Mr Elibean has been up to his neck in instructions to cope with dd1, family, house, laundry etc and when I tentatively broached MN with him, he got a glint in his eye. Fair enough, really - poor thing is not a multitasker
But I feel dreadful that this is the first chance I've had to come back and update and, most of all, thank you all. I did manage a few mintues on the antenatal thread, and hoped news would seep over here, but thats it
Anyway: when I was in hospital (which was twice, as I've had both a bad virus and nasty bp since Mischa's birth two weeks ago) I thought about MN. With immense gratitude, because as it turned out I had a very weird placenta with exposed foetal vessels going directly into the membranes and not the placenta....would probably have abrupted/bled out if my membranes had ruptured, and Mischa would not be with us (can hardly type that, doesn't bear thinking about).
So...my OB's hunch, your help in getting me ok with a section and trusting her, probably saved her life.
Anyway: she's here, and gorgeously soft, alert, cuddly and alive, and although I spent nine months wondering if we'd done the right thing risking having another child in our forties...and not believing I could ever love another as much as my first....the minute I clapped eyes on her I was smitten. And am enjoying and appreciating every minute - so much more relaxed this time around!
And to cap it all, the actual section was a great experience - very calm, exciting, and happy. Couldn't have been better. Postpartum I've been in acute pain (throat ulcers all over soft palate, urgh), scared (very high bp needing readmittance for meds to be regulated, just like after dd1) and tired (bp meds plus lost lots of blood in section), but its all kind of ok...just life, and we're so happy.
I AM all hormonal and soppy, sorry, but....big thankyous to all who took time to help me decide to do what felt right. And then came back to see how it went - really didnt' expect you to, and am touched that you did: if I'd known I'd have tried harder to find time to post sooner!