Finally I actually get round to doing this!!....
CaptainDippy & MrDippy are proud to announce the safe arrival of Phoebe Elisabeth Joan. Phoebe was born on Monday 30th April at 10.51pm, weighing 7lb 9oz. Big sisters, Katherine and Sophia are completely besotted - as are we!!
OK, I'll try to keep it brief, but here is basically what happened (this bit is optional btw!! ).....
After having THE MOST ANNOYING "on/off" contractions all weekend, I made the resolution to completely ignore any other twinges / contractions / waters breaking / head crowning () that was happening and try to just get on with life until the baby decided to make it blindingly obvious they were about to make a fairly imminent appearance .....
So. Monday afternoon was spent in a friend's garden with aforementioned friend, her two children and a few others and their wee ones and my two little nutcases and I. As the afternoon progressed, the contractions I had been having since lunchtime turned into "holding onto the table and breathing a bit" type contractions. I was still in denial at this point btw.....By the time I got through my front door at 5.30pm, I was pretty damn sure I was actually in labour this time ..... Hurrah!!
I managed to make dinner for the girls, DH and I and we ate it together in an weird "Last Supper" sort of way with me stopping to tense up and breath through a contraction every 7 mins or so ..... Cue DD1: "Is the baby kicking you mummy?" .... Bless.
By the time the washing up / bedtime routine has commenced (Am I mad, yes I am....) and a rather poorly little DD1 (high temp etc) had been put to bed....I was finding the contractions quite painful, so DH slapped the TENS on, which helped a lot.
In-laws FINALLY turned up (don't even go there ..... people from the Due in April / prayer thread will understand ...), I quickly posted on MN (priorities .....) and we were off to the Birthing Centre .... 45 mins away ......
We got to the Centre about 8pm-ish and the MW was immediately doubtful whether I was actually in "established labour" or not ... my contractions were fairly all over the place, some were painful, some weren't and I was feeling pretty relaxed ...... Lovely MW didn't want to get my hopes up, so warned me that I was probably only 1-2am dilated at most......I was 5cm ..... hurrah!!
We were popped into a little room where we watched some TV and the contractions got gradually stronger and stronger. Finally about 9pm-ish, the TENS just wasn't cutting it, so the birthing pool was filled and I began sucking on the wonderful Entinox like a Pro (which obviously, I am! ) About 10.30pm-ish the contractions began to get a bit "weird" and the MW announced that I was nearly in transition, but progress was being hampered by my sac of waters, which had not yet burst .... the baby was clearly in no hurry to get rid of his / her little womb nest as it took two MW's and two amihooks to burst the sac!!!!!!!
Finally, the membranes were ruptured and in 5/6 pushes, Phoebe cames into the world ...... Yey!! She was delivered onto my tummy and I fell in love with her as I waited for my cord to stop pulsating so DH could cut it......
The rest, they say, is history .....
It was soooo lovely to have a nice, "normal", striaght-forward birth after the trials and tribulations of DD1 & 2's birth experiences. It certainly renewed my condfidence in my ability to birth babies and being in the Birthing Centre was a truly magical experience ..... no intervention and such lovely, lovely MW's supporting and encouraging me every step of the way ..... wonderful!!
It is soooo great to have my third beautiful little lady home with us. Like I said, DDs 1 & 2 are compeltely besotted with her .... as are we.
Right. I'll stop waffling now .....