Thomas William Adams was born at home on 3rd January weighing 8 pounds 9.5 ounces he was 3 days early just like his sister and brother. As those of you that were following my thread know my waters broke at around midnight and I panicked as they have never gone naturally before except at the very end of pushing ds1 out. Because ds1 was so quick the mw came round when I told her my waters had broken as she thought things may move pretty fast from there....she was wrong.
She left after an hour and my best friend came round whilst dp and the children slept upstairs we had a giggle and it was like a girly sleepover with both of us too excited to sleep but still no active labour.
My regular contractions started properly at around midday they were about 2-3 mins apart and quite strong the mw returned and was very impressed with the contraction timer website that someone once linked to on here.
The MW was really, really lovely and i'm so glad I chose a home birth it was so much more relaxed. I was encouraged to stand up and even dance at one point to move things along. I was checked at around 3.30 pm and was 7 cm dialated I also got really tired at this time and a bit spaced like I couldn't go on but I had 2 squares of chocolate which seemed to perk me up and restart my contractions which had strangely stopped when I felt i'd had enough. By about 4 pm they were coming thick and fast and I realised there was no going back so called for the gas and air which was fab but sent me a bit loopy. I apparently kept going on about how the gas and air mouth piece looked like Big Bird from Sesame Street and whilst that holiday home thing was on channel four gave a ten minute tirade about why Amanda Lamb gets on my tits a fact I wasn't even aware of myself until then! I also announced that as soon as this baby was born he was going straight onto the naughty stair for putting me through this.
At around 5.30 pm I started mooing. Another mw was called and arrived and the pushing began and God it hurt he kept going back up when I pushed him and it hurt like hell. I was on all fours because the mw's were telling me that was best but it didn't make sense to me. I announced I wouldn't have a bloody poo on all fours and that I was getting on my back as I push better that way. I was right and the mw's agreed I knew my body best. At 6.09 pm Thomas finally arrived. I heard the mw say something about the cord and as she placed a crying baby on me she just kept on repeating how lucky we were. It turns out the cord was very long and not only did it have a true knot in it but it was wrapped twice around Thomas' neck luckily the knot hadn't been tight but if at any stage it had been pulled Thomas would not be here, the poor love still has red marks around his neck from were the cord was round it so we feel especially blessed knowing what might have been. By 6.30 I was all stitched up after a second degree tear and I used a whole canister of G&A just to get through it.
I'm so glad I had a home birth and couldn't recommend it enough. Everything was so much more relaxed and in my control and having dp's help that first night was brilliant as I was able to sleep in between breast feeding whilst dp was in charge of meconium nappies.
Eve and Jack love their new brother. Eve keeps mothering him and Jack keeps stroking his head saying 'gently, gently'.
The feeding is going great am quite tired after last night as he decided to cluster feed but this was obviously needed to build up my supply as his poo has turned a nice yellow today and atm he is fast asleep.
Thank you to those who supported me on my other thread it means alot. I've just tried to put pics of Thomas on my profile but there's something wrong and it won't let me so i'll have to put some on a photo website and link you to that when I get a chance. There are photos on my facebook so if any of you on there want to add me (Emma Dodgson) feel free to have a nose.
Sorry this was so long but it is quite theraputic.