"Wonderful Experience"

On 7 November this year, I had my second child via an elective c-section at Wexham Park Hospital. Right from the start of the pregancy, I was so well taken care of.

The delivery was no different.

When I arrived at the hospital, the lovely midwife helped me settle in.

The midwife was warm, friendly and helped me feel at ease even though I was really nervous.

The consultant surgeon, their assistant and the anaesthetist came to talk me through the procedure.

Later, along with midwife healthcare assistant, the midwife took me down to the theatre and kept the mood light as the anaesthetist negotiated with my difficult-to-find veins.

The c-section itself was not just a calm experience, but a joyful one.

The anaesthetist kept checking that I was in no pain; the midwife kept popping to my side of the curtain to reassure my husband and me.

There was a lot of laughter and joyful congratulatory remarks when our baby boy was delivered.

One of the surgeons even said, ‘Lovely jubbly,’ - which made my husband and I giggle.

While in recovery, the surgeon and anaesthetist came to check on me while the midwife healthcare assistant patiently helped me to cup after cup of water.

During my night in the ward, the midwife on duty routinely checked on me, cooed over my son and cuddled him.

They also routinely checked my son’s blood sugar levels and arranged for a pediatrician to check on him as it was too low.

We then came up with a feeding routine which quickly sorted out his blood sugar levels.

The healthcare assistant took my blood pressure every hour and refilled my water jug before I could ask.

The nurse on duty showed me how to help my son latch on (with my first child I struggled terribly to breastfeed because I didn’t know how to help my daughter latch on).

I couldn’t believe it when I actually produced colostrom; after my previous delivery I was told milk would not descend after a c-section and I was never told about the wonders of skin-to-skin time.

In the morning, the ever cheerful midwife examined my son and again reassured my husband and me that he was doing very well.

That same day (the day after our son was delivered), I was discharged.

I cannot thank the team at Wexham Park Hospital enough for making me feel calm, reassured and just happy before, during and after this delivery.

I had the genuine sense that every member of staff I came across valued that I went through something major, that - although I’m not a new parent - reassurance was much needed and comforting.

From the bottom of my heart - and on behalf of our family of four - I want to thank you all.

I will forever think very fondly of the experience we had and how well you treated us.

To us, you made a world of difference.

You are all simply marvellous.

All my very best

Erika (Aletta) Théron (and daddy AJ, big sister Mila and new addition Bennet Théron)