When we got to the vet, I was amazed to see that they were open. A friendly receptionist greeted us and showed us to the waiting area. Shortly after a gentleman in scrubs came around the corner and introduced himself as the afterhours vet. He took us through to his consult and started asking mommy and me questions about myself and my babies.
The vet examined me and told mommy he would like to do an abdominal ultrasound to ensure all my puppies were ok. After the ultrasound Dr said he would like to admit me and monitor my vitals as well as keeping an eye on my babies’ heartrates. I said goodbye to mommy and was taken to the back with my hospital bag. I was taken through to ICU where I had a clear view of the entire hospital. The night staff continued monitoring me.
Early morning, they handed over to the dayshift and once again I got prepped for an abdominal ultrasound. I was more comfortable this time round as I knew what to expect when they placed some jelly on my tummy and poked and prodded me with a probe. I could see the image changing on a medium size tv screen next to the probes.
As they wiped my tummy clean, I heard Dr saying that they need to prep me for surgery. I would be having my c-section today to ensure the safety of my puppies. Emotionally I had not prepared myself for the idea of a c-section. Mommy and I discussed natural birth; we did breathing exercises and mommy even prepared a whelping box for me at home.
Before I could voice my concerns, I heard the vet talking to mommy on the phone and explaining to her why they plan to do the c-section now. I saw a man in scrubs approach me. He walked right over to my side and introduced himself as the anaesthetist. He explained to me that they would need to shave my leg to place an IV catheter through which they would administer my anaesthetic.
I was taken through to the pre-surgery prep area and they started shaving my leg. My belly also got cleaned and shaved for surgery. The anaesthetist told me I would feel a little sleepy. He asked me if I had already decided on names for all my babies and if I knew how many boys and how many girls I am expecting.
I was wondering how many expecting mommies named any of her babies after the anaesthetist. As I started thinking of names, I must have drifted off to sleep.
When I woke up, I found myself in a snug room with some of the cosiest blankets covering me. When I looked around, I could see an incubator with fluffy blankets and saw my babies lying snugly next to each other. My heart swelled with pride and I wanted to meet every single one of them and shower them with kisses.
One of the nurses saw me longingly look at the incubator and told me she would bring my babies over to meet me. I was allowed to meet all my babies and even got the chance to nurse them. I couldn’t believe that I was now a mommy. This has to be the proudest day of my life. Dr said we were all doing well and would be discharged later today.
