After being on the Due in April thread, I finally gave birth to Evie Rebecca at 10pm on 10th May - she was 10 days late but luckily didn't weigh 10lb! She is a very respectable 7lb 6oz and I'm totally smitten!
So, for those that like the details.....
I woke on sunday at 2am with period pain-like cramps and a few hours later had a show followed by short contractions. I was very excited but decided to try and rest for a bit, and they started to tail off. contractions continued all day on and off, never getting closer than 15 minutes apart, but they did get longer and stronger throughout the day. Saw a midwife at 8pm who said things should start kicking off within 12 hours and to try and sleep.
Contractions all night every half an hour and then continuing all day on monday with a few breaks. Didn't bother phoning the labour ward because they had told me to only phone when they were 5 minutes apart. I had no sleep whatsoever on monday night and ended up trying to sleep attached to my TENS machine! In the morning the contractions seemed to be getting closer so I called out a midwife who arrived at about 9.30am. She examined me and found I was 4/5 cm so stayed and called a colleague over.
We spent all day at home as planned, with me continuing to have mighty but irregular contractions all day. The midwives made me drink two POTS of raspberry leaf tea and spoonfuls of honey to try and make things speed up - I was running up and down stairs, marching on the spot and doing all manner of weird yoga positions to try and make things happen faster - none of them worked!
At about 6pm I asked them to break my waters which helped me get to 8cm, and then a few hours later I was ready to push. I hadn't really minded the contractions and because they were irregular I was able to dirnk tea and chat in between them so I didn't really look like the classic lady in labour. The pushing bit though was blissful and I was really enjoying it. After about half an hour though they noticed meconium and had to call an ambulance, but the midwives were determined for me to deliver at home so they banned the gas and air I had begun to take.
The ambulance arrived a bit later and the two guys came in and agreed to give me a bit longer. (apparently they love being at births because usually they are picking people off roads) So they sat in my living room watching me as the midwives made me perform the entire kama sutra of undignified labour positions, whilst I giggled in between contractions at how ludicrous I must look in just a tshirt with my bum in the air!
Sadly I couldn't push fast enough (damn those lazy contractions!) so they got me in the ambulance, gave me gas and air and told me not to push. Yeah right - I felt EVERY road bump on the way to hospital, and they even put the sirens on for me!
Once in the labour room I had a breather and then with a bit of encouragment from my brilliant midwives and wonderful dh I pushed my baby out in a couple more goes. It was the most wonderful feeling ever and she is an absolute joy.
I discharged us both from hospital the next day, and we are happy babymooning now. I'll try and post a picture in a bit.
Thanks to everyone who has read this far down! I feel so honoured and lucky to be a mum at last - and am looking forward to joining all the other mumsnet threads in due course!
xx