On thursday 13th Novemeber I woke up around 2am feelin a bit niggly, and then felt a small trickle of waters. it was so small i wasnt completely sure if it was my waters or not. i went to the loo and checked, and toilet tissue was pinkish. so walke around for a while upstairs to see what was happening. woke up dh to pass the phone and contact details of hospital to call mw. mw calls back, i explain i am getting small contractions every 3mins or so, and i had a slight leak of waters. i also tell her that i tend to labour quickly and once things get moving then they move fairly fast. she arrive just after 3am, by then i could feel things were getting intense. mw set things up whilst i paced the room. i chatted between contractions, dh made drinks. I was examined around 4.30am and was around 5cm dilated. I remember groaning at that point as things were feeling really intense and i was getting a lot of pressure in my bum. and farting like a trooper lol. but my fore waters hadnt broken. MW said if it got to 8.30am she would consder breaking my forewaters if i wanted. i said that would be ok as the older girls would be on their way to school then.
Second midwife arrived around 5am i think. around that time i was having a lull in contractins and was dozing on my sofa (covered in cheap ikea shower curtain, and big red blanket). I remember things starting hurting more and breathing through contractions on their own wasnt enough, so i started around 6-ish i think on the gas and air. i heard the girls wake up, so Peter left the living room, and got the girls dressed for school and got their breakfast sorted. he also called my parents to be here for 7-7.30 to take over, as we thought we had a little bit of time.
Around 6.30 i wanted to lie down again which i knew, for me, meant things were moving quickly. instinct always tells me to lie down at this point. i would love to try and deliver a baby standing but it just doesnt feel right for me, no idea why, i know every woman is different. mw checked and could see things were almost there but my waters still hadnt gone, but they were bulging. my forewaters broke at 6.52am. i was 8am dilated. with the next contraction i dilated to 10cm and my body started pushing on its own. i asked how much hair she could see on baby, midwife laughed and said baby had a lot of dark hair, which in turn made peter laugh as other girls were all hairy babies as well.
took two pushed to get babys head out, and one for her body.
Sophie Emily was born at 7.07am, weighing 9lb 2.5oz, head circ 36cm (ouch!). agpar 9 and 10.
no stitches, no tears, small graze.
lots of hair, slight red tint to her hair as well like Peter. very chubby cheeks.