So here is my very long and overdue birth story ....
During the Strictly Come Dancing Final I started to feel period crampy and there was a bit of blood every time I went to the loo but prob not enough to be a show. Went to bed and and woke again at 2am with pains 10 mins apart so got the tens machine on and tried to dose off between them. Me being me had a notebook beside the bed to record and describe them and the pains / contractions continued to 11am on the Sunday when I thought I had forgotten to count them but were in fact starting to be 20 mins and then 10 mins apart. Rang the hospital for advice and was told rather brusquely ? no love you are not in labour, it could be days, it is false / spurious labour. You know the way people say they are in labour for days? Well they are not actually in labour things are just starting off? Brilliant 12 hours of discomfort for nothing!
Slept and had a bath as directed and no pain when I was in the bath. About 7pm Sunday started to get a really sore back which was only helped by sitting on the toilet or dangling over the Swiss ball. Tens machine was also fab at this stage and would totally second mumsnerves love of the Tens. Called my mum who told me to ring the hospital and this time I got a different midwife who said come in we will check you out but be prepared to be sent home.
Made it to the hospital through snow and ice and when I got checked out they said I was in very early labour, did a sweep but because my bp was up they couldn?t send me home. It also meant I couldn?t go to my first choice of home from home to labour in water but by this stage I was taking dp?s advice of ?don?t be a hero, drugs are good? and keeping an open mind. There were no spaces on the labour ward, several emergencies in surgery so I was sent to the home from home until they decided what to do with me! Couldn?t get omnipon as the doctors were all in theatre and eventually I got moved to a private room. At the time I didn?t realise it was the post natal ward and had the loveliest midwife with me who was just amazing. Continued with the Tens machine and eventually was given gas and air which was amazing One time it ran out and the TENS just didn?t cut it anymore! DH had a go as well and I would gladly swap red wine for gas and air if you could buy it over the counter.
Things progressed quite quickly thanks to the sweep and between midnight and 5am I got to 10 cm. No medical staff available to give me stronger pain relief of remyfentinol and no beds available in delivery suite so I was moved back down to home from home because my bp was down but too late or water and eventually given pethidine and told to start pushing. I was so off my chops I really thought I had to push twice and the baby would arrive! Poor baby?s heart rate dropped during contractions and I was given 15 mins to deliver or they would have to go to surgery. Pushed and pushed but it turned out she was never going to make it out without assistance as she was face up. Got rushed upstairs, the midwife raised merry hell with the doctors and she was eventually delivered via forceps by the most chilled out registrar ever. I just remember thinking I haven?t done all this work for a caesarean. Had to get ?the works? down below and after she was delivered and placed on my stomach she was checked out, handed to dh and I went next door to surgery for a spinal block to get stitched properly.
Despite all the drama I have to say it was a really positive experience, not as bad as I had feared and the midwives were excellent. You will be amazed at how your body takes over and you cope with everything that happens.
Life since then has been hectic, you all know about my disasters of a return trip to hospital for phototherapy for jaundice, snow and ice, no running water for three days, smashed Smartphone, broken ghds, broken washing machine and the latest is £700 of identity fraud on I tunes (don?t save your card details on there ladies) but we have survived and Beth is just amazing. Nothing will prepare you for how much you will love them, being a mum is the best, tough at times but so worth it.
Tips I can pass on ...
- do not underestimate the amount of maternity and breast pads you will need.
- bring a dark towel/s to the hospital
- Your washing machine will never be off
- you will need at least one pair of pjs per day
- Cook meals for the freezer they have been a god send.
- If you are breast feeding also know how to sterilise bottles, use your pump prior to the birth and not when baby is screeching, refusing to feed and you want to try a bottle or formula ? I think bunny found the same.
- Put dh/dp in charge of anything that requires instructions, your brain is so addled making a cup of tea can be a challenge.
- I have replaced the Tommy Tippee with the Medela Swing and I love it ? currently £75 on Amazon and I have a code somewhere in the bounty packs for free breastmilk bags. I got mine in Mothercare with a £10 off voucher from their baby club and then got them to price match amazon. Medela shells are great for collecting milk if the boob you are not feeding from leaks during feeding.
- You will get loads of Next vouchers as gifts so might be worth using for big purchases post birth. eg cot etc
- Don?t buy too many first size baby gros two weeks in and b is busting out if them! She is more long than fat but looks like a wee sumo in them! You will need more up to one month and 0 ? 3 as people buy you clothes from 3 months in my experience.
- Get a puncture repair kit in a pound shop, our quinny got a puncture first trip out!
- Pick up a cheap throw / rug to cover any non wipe clean furniture when feeding.
Can?t wait to read the next birth stories and the long overdue influx of BFPs, congrats to slowshow hope the next few weeks pass quickly and are uneventful. Thanks to everyone for their company through trying and pregnancy, this thread has meant a lot to me.
PS sorry this is so long have been typing it for nearly a week ? it took me three days to watch the Americas Next Top Model final!