Hi there, thought I'd best get round to this!
Amelie Rose arrived on 3rd Jan, weighing 9lbs 1oz, 5 days late. (Which felt like forever considering the other 2 girls were born at 33 and 38 weeks)
The labour was brilliant - a home birth would never have been an option due to previous placental abruption/crash section, but this was almost as good as!
7.30 - woke up, little trickle - here we go, waters have broken! No particular contraction activity, although had had an uncomfortable night, so DH got DD2 ready for school (DD1 was away with her granny anyway as she had a couple of INSET days) while I checked the hospital bag and did a bit of tidying up. Last time, my waters went on the Friday afternoon and DD2 wasn't born until the Sunday afternoon, so this time I was determined to stay upright and active as much as poss to speed things along. Phoned hospital and they said to come to the assessment unit for 9.30
9.30 - DH has dropped off DD2 at school, we picked up a newspaper and a couple of magazines then went to the hospital. 2cm dilated, contractions but not especially strong "not yet a labouring cervix" as the MW put it. Taken to the AN ward and given a bed , told I'd be assessed after lunch and sent home or not as appropriate.
12.00 still v manageable contractions, went to the hospital canteen for lunch so DH could have something too. Got up to leave and HUGE gush of waters - - I don't remember that before, last time they just trickled so I thought they'd be the same this time, particularly as head was engaged when it wasn't last time! Shuffled out unnoticed (I think) and waited in loo on AN ward while DH got spare trousers from car boot!
4.00 SIL has picked up DD2 and lives round the corner from hospital, so DH goes to see DD2 and also picks up my mum who will go back to our house with DD2 to look after her tonight - given that waters are gushing every so often I opted to stay in rather than need to get the car valeted! Still feeling fine though contractions are more noticeable, 3 or 4 every 10 minutes. Have spent whole day so far walking around or standing up by the window reading the paper/doing Sudoku.
6.00 visiting time - DH brings my mum and DD2 in for a brief visit - also teatime (why do hospitals do that, surely they should do the meals just before?) - not hungry so gave most to DD2! Told DH to come back quickly as I thought things would move soon
6.30 DH took mum and DD2 home - bought a card for the telly/internet - gutted to find it wouldn't let me log in to mumsnet!
7.00 DH back - put on TENS machine which helped.
8.00 Contractions stronger - MW said they'd move me round to labour ward when next shift started at 9
8.30 OWWWWWWWWW! threw up, so knew things were speeding up as that happened last time when I was about 5 cm - MW offered pethidine which I did not want so asked for gas and air - apparently an only have that in delivery ward.
8.45 she checked and I was 6 cm. Wheeled round to delivery suite
9.00 clambered onto delivery bed - given gas and air - I waved my hands frantically and DH translated as "she wants a mask not the mouthpiece" - grabbed mask with relief as soon as she'd attached it!
9.15 MW said - you look like you want to push - just go for it if you do
9.34 Amelie Rose born - we waited for cord to stop, then DH cut it. I could then actually see her (I'd been an my knees against the backrest on the bed - so frustratingly I couldn't actually see her as soon as she was born but I could hear her! MW was lovely, the cord was covering the essential parts so she let DH look to see what we had!
I put her on my breast and she started to feed after a few minutes, the placenta was delivered naturally and the MW went to fetch tea and toast.
I asked if I could go home, and she said "whenever you want" so long as I passed urine - so we stayed in the labour room, after a while I got up and showered while the MW was off doing the paperwork, really lovely atmosphere, she'd dimmed the lights on the way out so DH just sat cuddling Millie on the sofa (yes, this was an NHS hospital with ensuite shower and a sofa!)
Arrived home at midnight, mum was waiting up as we'd called her after the birth.
Next morning, DH brings DD2 into the bedroom to meet her new sister - a wonderful moment.
2 weeks on, life is still rosy - feeding every couple of hours though have had a 3 hour stretch on a couple of nights. She is a v contented and happy baby, just as well as she has to be dragged around to dancing/swimming/scouts etc...!