Hello all! Thank you all for your lovely messages, sorry i didn't post last night but computer wasn't behaving and i was a bit tired! Anyway, Alexis is gorgeous and i've fallen madly in love with her already! Especially as after being so late she made a fairly calm arrival. Contractions started about 5am on Sunday morning, and i just knew it wasn't a false alarm as they were about 6 mins and painful! Had a cup of tea, a shower, bounced around on my ball for a while till my mum arrived at about 6.30am to look after dd1. By that time i'd spoken to the hospital who'd told me justto come in when ready, and to be honest it was getting a bit toe curling / white knuckle by then so got to the hospital at about 7am (car park to delivery suite took me about 20 mins!!) By then contractions were really close together, not much recovery time in between but midwives were fab! They explained that the day shift was coming on at 8am, and so they would just let me "do my own thing" till then when they would let "my" midwife examine me and see where we were. So i got changed into my lovely cozy shirt, and bounced on ball until 8 ish, whe it was begining to get really painful. My midwife examined me then, said i was about 6cm but cervix very thin and baby in good position, all going well and she gave me the gas and air, which was a relief! Basically i tried to keep as upright and mobile as possible and about 9.30am she had another look and told me just to go for it whenever i felt like it! It was the most incredable feeling, (dd1 born with forceps and epidural so didn't really feel much!) which was so well managed by the fantastic midwives that i actually felt in control of the whole thing, dh was amazing, really encouraging and positive and despite what he said, he watched the "business end" at the appropriate moments! Anyway, i did as i was told and had the best care, so managed no tears, no rips, and not a single stitch !(yipee!!!) So Alexis (Alex for short!) appeared at 10am with minimum fuss and and intervention..... i was / am totally delighted after the last traumatic time!
3rd stage was less fab, placenta was "ragged" and there was a query about whether it was complete. About 45mins after delivery i got up to the loo and had a 600ml bleed, making total blood loss over 1000ml and scuppering my chances of getting home straight away! I was advised to stay in so that they could see that i was ok, and decided not to argue, if i'd lost over a pint of blood in 20 secs at home i might have been a bit scary so i was glad i was still in hospital! Great hospital though, got my own en suite room for my overnight stay and after a variety of checks (i'm a bit anaemic and back on the iron tabs again!) they let me out yesterday morning. Alexis is fab, was a bit "mucousy" yesterday and finding it difficult to feed, but is absolutely fine now, and is fitting in to family life well! dd1 is great, and has been spoilt rotten for the last 2 days... keeps running about pointing saying "baby, baby want cuddle"... it's very cute!! anyway, thanks for reading my ramble! and to all who have supported me through this pregnancy, you know who you are!! i'll post some photos when i work out how!! lolo xxx