So, 8th of April 2009
A week before his due date, this baby decided enough was enough and decided he was on his way out.
I started having contractions at around midnight but managed to sleep till 2 when they started coming every 10 minutes. Phoned the hospital and told to wait until they were every 4 minutes. I was managing ok at this point. I had a bath, sat on my birthing ball and got DH to rub my back.
So I decided that I wanted to tidy my flat at this point as I did not want to bring baby home to a mess. This never lasted long of course as me and DH began to argue over where the nearest shop was lol. Then he began to panic about what to wear, the first time in my life i EVER saw him confused about what to wear.
By 4am I was good to go, jumped in the taxi to the hospital stopping at the shop where a lovely shop assistant gave me a galaxy caramel instead of the disposable camera I asked for, her English was not to good sadly.
So we arrived at a good time as there was nobody else in the triage bit where you arrive waiting to be seen. However my first VE did not go well and I was crying because was so bloody sore so the lovely midwife decided not to continue and showed us to an early labour room.
For the next few hours I paced, lay down, cried, sat on birthing ball and wanted to smack DH when he decided this would be a good time to take photos of the bump!! I dont think so lol!!
4 hours or so later and after a better VE with the help of gas and air I was 5 centimeters dilated and good to go up to the pool. However...
The midwife commented she could feel something that was not quite right, like the membranes were at the front or something...my memory of what she actually said is hazy, I was high on gas and air by this point.
So a junior consultant has a wee feel in the delivery suite and she cant feel what is wrong and goes to get the senior consultant to scan and see what was going on.
In she comes with her machine and starts having a look, "ah yes, whats that there...the head, and down there...yes thats the baby's bum...Im sorry Mrs lala the baby is breech and we need to get it out soon, you need to have a c-section"
By this point im very very upset, this was not part of my plan at all! The staff were all being fantastic, trying to calm me down, being very, very supportive and promised id be ok.
45 minutes later im trying to sit still while they give me a spinal injection during contractions and next thing I know, it seems tobe time to get the baby out.
30 minutes later I hear a wee sniffle (and an almighty laugh as my pfb decides to poo and pee all over the surgeons hand!!) and there he was, my son.
I never got to hold him straight away but it did not matter. Whe I saw him and touched him and smelled him I fell in love and knew it was the best thing me and dh had ever done/made together.
In recovery he attached himself to my boob and had not moved much since. I spend a few hours feeling sad I never had the birth I wanted. I felt i had missed out on the birth experience but after talking it over with dh and various midwives I understand it was totally out of my hands. I know now I could do it all again, that I managed 10 hours of labour and that it was totally totally worth it.
James is the most beautiful thing I have ever laid my eyes on and I love him more than anything in the world!!!