Blu! Everyone! I'm back
Yes, I went into labour on my due date (clever me) aat 1.30am, and my waters broke at 4.30am. Spent all day with very frequent but irregular contractions and a lot of backache. Apparently these are classic symptoms of the dreaded back labour - my little girl had got herself nice and posterior, with a flexed head. So I got through to 4am Tuesday (with TENS till 1am, then Entonox) only to be told that I was still only 4cm dilated and my cervix (which had been nicely effaced) was re-thickening! Opted for augmentation and epidural, but as soon as the epidural took blissful effect my blood pressure dropped dramatically and so did baby's heartbeat. Though they stabilised me, foetal heartbeat stayed very worrying and my contractions gave up the ghost. so I ended up having a caesarean at 7am.
As you know, I had intended to give birth on Tuesday, so that bit worked out well
Anyway, Ava was born with great apgar scores. 7lb 2oz (despite midwife's dire predictions of 8.5lb plus), loads of dark hair. I have had almost no sleep since Saturday night, so am feeling a bit out of it and unreal, but loving her more passionately each day. Am gradually getting used to the idea that it is actually me who is responsible for changing her nappies, and not 'the system'.
Must go and feed her AGAIN, but will be back soon to check who else is popping... Good luck everyone