Hello!
First of all I would like to thank all you lovely MN'ers for your support on the ante / post natal threads, and on my birth thread last Saturday night. You've been great
Now the birth announcement!
Edward Charles Eric was born on Sunday 1st July at 10.14 am, weighing in at 8lbs.
He was 11 days late.
I had been 2-3 cms dilated for over a week and had 2 sweeps - but nothing had really got going (apart from a false alarm on the Thurs evening). That was until Saturday afternoon when I went to the hospital for my '10 days overdue check up' where I had a scan to check the placenta etc - everything was fine and the midwife offered another sweep which I thought might help - and boy did she do a sweep! I felt like I'd been attacked down there with the rough end of a pineapple! But it worked.
We left the clinic at about 3pm and I started having gentle contractions in the car on the way home, but I'd had a false alarm before so I was trying to ignore them.
We got home and I was doing everything to ignore the contractions - even got DH to teach me how to play chess!?
At about 10pm I started pacing the house and contractions were coming about every 6-8 mins, lasting for 40 secs at a time (we started to get excited!). I then got DH to put the tens machine on, and by 11pm thing were really starting to build.
It got to 1.30am Sunday morning and the contractions were strong, painful, coming every 3-4 mins and lasting for 1 min at least, so we rang the hospital and told them we were on our way (it is a 20 min journey down very bendy bumpy country lanes - so didn't want to leave it too late).
We left the house at 2pm and by 3pm I was assessed and was 4cm dilated, and we were taken to a delivery suite.
The baby's heart rate was running at approx 20bpm higher than the baseline taken at my check the previous day - so I had to have the monitors on - but by the time I got changed into my nightie and had a fan pointed at me - I'd cooled down and his HR came down too.
I spent 2 hours having contractions in the bath whilst toking on the gas and air (I was taking your advice Bumper - and toking on it like I've never toked before!).
Then by 7am there was no sign of a cervix - so I started to push.
Well I pushed, and I pushed, and I pushed like crazy! I had loads of energy and was not going to give up. However after 2 hours of pushing - the little fella had not budged an inch, not even one little cm!
The doctor was called in to assess me - and gave me an internal examination mid contraction - I could have happily slapped her as the pain was awful (plus I had to get on the bed for the examinations and I found just lying down painful - I spent nearly all of the labour stood up).
Anyhow - there was nothing wrong with my push - but the baby just wasn't going to come out without help.
I discussed the options with the doctor - and they were very limited, we agreed to go for a spinal block, episiotomy, vacuum, forceps then to a c section is needs be.
Spinal was an ordeal (I am needle phobic), once that was out the way - all I had to do was focus on the safe arrival of my baby.
The vacuum didn't work, and on the last attempt with the forceps - he popped his head out!
He had a little cry, we all had a little cry, we had a cuddle and we all cried some more.
The midwife swaddled him and handed him to daddy to have a bit of father and son time whilst they sorted me out. DH took him out of the theatre - back into the labour suite where I joined them a few mins later.
The three of us spent the next hour staring at each other! Edward was sucking away on his fingers so we tried a bit of bf'ing where he took to it like a pro - we haven't looked back since.
Little Edwards head was a real mess - all cut and purple from the vacuum, and all bruised from the forceps - he looked all battered - I really felt for him.
We came home on Monday evening - didn't get much sleep (any of us!) but things seem to be slotting into place now.
On Thursday we took him to a Cranial Osteopath - and he needs a bit of help to ease the pressure in his scull from the delivery - so we had a little bit of treatment - but we're going back next week for some more. Hopfully this will make him more comfy.
All in all were a happy little family, my baby is beautiful and healthy, and I am enjoying being a mum - I feel very humbled by my amazing little man everytime I look at him. I am a very luck lady .