Finally ladies, 5 yrs after DH and I began ttc, we are delighted to announce the arrival of our gorgeous baby girl, Philippa Rose, who arrived on Wdnesday 8th Feb at 4:41pm, weighing in at 9lbs, after an 11.5 hr labour.
Thanks to those ladies who responded to my 'contraction' thread on Wednesday morning.
For those who like details, she has written her own birth story for another forum, which is pasted below. Please don't feel obliged to read any/all of it!
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Hello everyone. Mummy said that it was only polite that I should introduce myself formally, as so many of you have been following my story! My name is Philippa Rose, but mummy and daddy call me Pippa for short. I was born on Wednesday at 4:41pm, after mummy had spent 11.5 hours in labour from first sign of anything happening to me popping out!
You can see a picture of me here
I weighed a whole 9lbs, so mummy was quite right when she predicted that I was going to be big. She managed to push me out naturally though, and both the midwives and daddy said she had done very well, managing on just TENS and gas & air for pain relief. She threatened to have an epidural at one point, but no-one believed that she meant it, so they told her what she wanted to hear and let her get on with it!
I was nice and comfy in my bag of fluid until the midwives burst it when mummy was nearly 10cm dilated. I had already had a poo so they put us on a monitor and made us stay in hospital for 24 hours after I was born to check that I was okay.
The midwives said they normally get people to wait an hour once they are fully dilated before starting to push, but mummy's body wanted to get on with it, so I was born before that hour was even over! Daddy was very funny. He had said at times that he didn't want to be there for my birth, but then was just insistent that he was going to stay by mummys head, but he was so excited and fascinated in the end that he even videoed my head being born! One to keep for private viewing only mummy says!
I tore mummy just a little on the way out, so she had 3 stitches to help her to heal up quickly.
Daddy made a note of some timings from checks during labour, so they are here for the benefit of any first timers who, like mummy, hadnt really thought about how the time might break down.
5:15 ish mummy has wee and notices a bit of a period type pain when she goes back to bed. Starts to time twinges and thinks they are about 7-8 mins apart. Mummy thought this sort of stuff normally began 15-20mins apart, so isnt really sure if this is it or not!
6 ish - mummy gets up and makes some sandwiches for hospital bag, has piece of toast and drink and posts on internet a little.
7 ish mummy has bath to ease pain. Realises that contractions are at least every 4 mins already!
8 ish mummy out of bath, throws up toast and drink that shed had, puts TENS machine on, gets dressed and phones hospital to confirm that she should come in.
9:11 am arrive at hospital
9:30 am examined and found to be 3-4cm dilated
9:50 am mummy sick again
11:20 mummy tries gas and air, which makes her throw up again! Perseveres with it nonetheless and soon gets used to it.
11:30 examined and found to be 6cm dilated
1:30pm examined and found to be 7cm dilated. Mummy disappointed with this and starts pretending she wants an epidural
3:00pm mummy insists on being examined again, and is 8-9cm dilated.
3:30ish waters broken by midwife, and 5 mins later daddy sees small bit of top of my head for the first time.
4:00 pushing sensation v strong so mummy starts trying to get me out
4:40 my head appears in the outside world
4:41 my body follows and I meet mummy and daddy properly