Birth Night

Very short version:
birth was fine, baby girl doing really well, afterbirth caused too much blood loss to be fun.
Next day I was fine too (but very weak).

Short-ish version:
at midnight we arrived with a taxi at the hospital. DP had 2 backpacks on his back, an empty maxicosi swinging from his one arm and a moaning me on his other.
We called my photographer friend J.
Within the hour a doctor said I was 5 cm dilated. Another hour 7-8. Three quarters of an hour later I felt like a slight urge to push was mingling in the waves, someone said only the slightest rim was left and I was allowed to start pushing gently. Found it difficult to change tack (which way is down anyway when you're on a bed?)
Another hour later the tiniest head of hair peaked into this world, but a shoulder wasn't turning. Capable hands showed the way, and minutes later she was there, our little baby girl.
Warm on my belly, wriggling her knees like she had so many months.
Unbelievable.
I knew her, she was mine, now ours.
Suzy.

A couple of minutes of peace.
(This was the easy bit)

Afterbirth was high velocity drama, loosing blood, ever more blood.
IV, another IV, oxygen, alarms beeping, more machines and tubes and measurement, more doctors.
I asked DP to hold our daughter as there was too much going on with my body.
I had felt some euphoria, but it drained with the blood. I knew I was in the best hands I could be, they would surely save me if possible. If only they would let me sleep and stop hurting me....

Suddenly Suzy was back with me, latched onto my breast, the strangest sensation as it caused yet another contraction and sent both the placenta (and the emergency OR team) on its way.
Alas, still bleeding.
J was done long done taking pictures and was holding my hands instead.
My pain tolerance had vanished completely, every question reduced me to tears and I could only think of crying for my mommy, of wanting to go home. But I needed stitches, they took enormous care with every layer (if only the bleeding would stop).
They triple checked everything there is to check (blood clotting OK, Hb down to 4.2) but couldn't find a(nother) cause. And eventually the bleeding tapered of. I had bled through the entire stack of  'mats' of that delivery room, which were collected on the same scale as they had used the weigh little Suzy. She was 3930 grams, my blood 2570 ml.
J left as quietly as he had come in.
It was then decided I better get some new blood, and would stay the day in hospital.
I called my parents and HB