ELIZA CATHERINE

Today is the 36th birthday of my daughter Eliza.

As I did with the birthday of my daughter Eleanor , I would like to record the events , my thoughts and memories of her birth. When it is the next birthday of my third daughter, Christina , then I shall do the same.
Thus I will be creating a record for them all... my dearest daughters.

Well, to sort out names first.. Eliza was always my preferred name for a daughter and happily my husband Ray, agreed.

I had seen the musical My Fair Lady at Drury Lane when I was 13. (Each year we had a trip from school to watch the England Hockey Match. I always signed up... not that I was in any way sporty......but we always went to a West End Theatre afterwards..... my real motive !!!  And , that year , when I was 13, we saw My Fair Lady... and for the very first time ( even though my parents had taken me to the theatre in the West End many times before ) , I got that tingle ! The so special tingle, as Eliza Doolittle, said, perfectly, the Rain in Spain.......... ).

I then vowed my first daughter would be named Eliza....... and so it happened...........

Eliza was due towards the end of January 1977, the 24th If I remember correctly.........
We lived in St Neots , Cambs at that point.
Ray and I bought our house in Eaton Ford  just as I was pregnant, moving from our two bed home in Little Paxton... to this new build......
Boy was that summer hot !! I sat in the garden as Ray slaved away making the patio , lawn and planted borders.
 I ate and ate peaches.... a wonderful time , such sunshine and such rest and such happiness.

I planned to have my baby at Primrose Lane Maternity Hospital in Huntingdon. Baby was over-due and my BP high, so I went in on Jan 28th.
The next morning I had the first amazing experience.. an enema !!  Truly awful.... felt sooo ill..... Then second experience stirrups... ! And the breaking of my waters.
Baby did not start.

29th was a Sat. Ray ,a football Referee , missed his game and brought me a bunch of daffs.

No contractions.

Moved to Cambridge in ambulance on 30th. The co driver said do you mind if I sit in front? Will you be OK? Yes I said. He then said , Great !then I can have a smoke !!! (How times have changed !!!)

I got to Cambridge and walked slowly to entry. A nurse waited... Get a move on she said. !!!!!!

I was put in a ward where there were abortions taking place.
My BP high ... and for some reason I was told to keep all my urine. The urine bottles were stored in a windowless room... shelves and shelves of urine  ... all sorts of shades of yellow !!!
I was later given a pessary... This caused me to have diarrhoea.....  and I valiantly... because I obey orders... still tried to collect urine.... totally impossible !!!

Eventually a Dr came early evening on the Mon 31st and said that a drip should be put up.
I started having contractions. A monitor was attached to babys head (causing a bald spot .. I think to this day ).
Baby was monitored. I was monitored. My BP went sky high. Baby wasn't doing too well either . I was offered gas and air for pain... I hit Ray with a single side swipe ... sorry !! I couldnt cope with the black mask over may face ..........

So ,mid afternoon an epidural was given to bring my BP down and for pain control as I wouldnt use gas and air.
The epidural worked for me , but baby still not too safe...
Eventually it was decided to use forceps. The same Dr as in the early evening came along with the consultant. I enquired , had he had any sleep. No, he said.

The forceps were about to be inserted... no not that way the consultant said .... A discussion followed between Dr and consultant .
I intervened... Just get this baby OUT !!!!

So the consultant went with the tired Drs way ... and my dear baby was born.

I was utterly shattered, and needed stitching... so Ray held her for her first hour.

I was transferred to a ward where a met a lady, who later became a child-minder for Liza... I've forgotten her name but the baby she had was Suzannah.

I had a nap and woke to a basket of flowers............. ( sadly these were from friends (Not Ray.. and this proved fuel for many a row in the years following as I had asked specifically for special flowers, as I had never had delivered flowers from a florist ) )... cant remember these friends names, but I know they had a pet kestrel called Dimelza ! Bizarre what you remember !!!
The flowers were from Fulbourn Nurseries... Fulbourn was the mental health Hospital... so in my half waking state I did wonder where I now was !!

After24 hrs I transferred back to Primrose Lane. I shared an ambulance with a woman who had had a boy... can't remember names.....but her husband was a Prison Officer at Kirklevington... we met a few times after , as our babies grew.

At Primrose Lane all was provided. Nappies... terry type... used all the time.  No plastic cover .. and babies wore nighties... so to save them getting wet we had to fold them to the waist... poor babies... cold toes I expect!

I spent the rest of the week in hospital. We were showed how to bathe the babies, and how to feed them... I got on quite well but eventually had to give up breast feeding with severe mastitis...... after 3 weeks.
But at least ,my dear little girl, had the first few weeks of breast milk.

When I got home I still had terrible trouble walking. Epidurals are better now.. and what with the stitches... not easy.

We didnt have a camera so there are few early , pics but Eliza had loads of thick black hair. It stood on end... The health visitor said , Like lavatory brush !! I was not impressed ! 

And this song will alway be special to us... It was a hit as Eliza was born. And so true... Eliza is lovely to this day and still my baby , even if she is 36 today.
Special hugs to you Lovely Liza . Mum XXXXX

HUG ME , I'VE GOT MND