The move to our new home went well, thankfully, as the tiny one arrived two days later! She was four days 'overdue' and arrived on the first of September.
I sent DD1 off with her grandparents on the Tuesday evening. I started getting twinges on the Wednesday morning and called the community midwives to let them know tiny ones arrival was immiment. A midwife called around mid morning to see how we were getting on, and to have a look through my birth plan. Realising we (DH and I!)were doing fine, and feeling relaxed, she let us know how far away she'd be throughout the day and then left us to it . DH set up the oil burner with a couple of drops of lavender at some point during the morning, later on I asked him to call the midwife back as contractions were strengthening and my last birth was quite fast and furious! She arrived back in 10 minutes, examined me at about quarter to 2 and I was 3 cms and not really in established labour. Despite the fact I wasn't extremely dilated I felt it would all happen quickly and asked her to call for the second midwife (the one with the entonox ). She arrived just as I was starting to feel I wanted entonox, but fairly soon I had ditched both the entonox and tens as timing everything correctly was taking my concentration away. I gave birth to my perfect, placid little daughter (6lb 7oz) at a quarter to 4, so a two hour labour. The second stage was 2 minutes and 3 pushes long, there was comical moment when I said to the midwife "I WANT TO PUSH!!" she kindly said "Well go on then!" (It was as though part of myself was waiting to be told when I could and couldn't!) within a few seconds I was saying to her "I CAN'T STOP PUSHING!" She reminded me about panting, thankfully as otherwise tiny one would have been out in one go. My waters had broken just before I started pushing, they were meconium stained but this wasn't made an issue of, and wasn't even mentioned until after the birth, and tiny's heartrate was stable thorughout labour. She was born as 'onto my belly' as possible considering I ended up giving birth on my side (with my legs closed!) having spent most of labour with my legs crossed, then on all fours in the final stages. The cord wasn't quite long enough for breastfeeding so DH cut it after it finished pulsing. The placenta delivered naturally (no syntometrine or traction) after 27 minutes. Tiny and I settled in for a fantastic first breastfeed on our giant beanbag. The midwives cleared up for us, offered to run me a bath, and sat with us for a cuppa before leaving us to it. It really was a fantastic and fulfilling experience for DH and I, and we feel a really positive and relaxing start to DD2's life. I feel so content and happy that I managed to relax and enjoy this labour, that I was only examined internally once thoroughout, that I didn't tear! That DD2 really seems to have benefitted, oh, and given the problems I had getting to grips with breastfeeding last time surprised to find it so much easier this time round and to top it all off, DD2 had already put on 11 oz at her 7 day weigh in . DD1 loves her too, loves 'helping' and is great at feeding times (has tried to latch on once or twice though!) so, we're all happy!
Thanks for everything!