Hello all
Right, must congratulate everyone!
dreaming - Fab name, I really liked Isla for dd but it didn't quite suit when she arrived.
chocolate sparkle - Congrats to you too! Think I missed you last time, sorry!
newtothisstuff - Congrats on your wee girl, not much bigger than our little man!
ballroompink - Great birth by the sounds of things! Home birth could be an option if you fancy it, you do get the gas and air at home too. Congratulations!
Good name goodname! Sounds like you are doing well adapting to having two although I'm not surprised it can be tough. I am not looking forward to coping with mine on my own I admit. I hope your fiery week goes well Yorky! You must tell us all how to manage a full brood.
So jealous of catsy's and Cewafwb's pictorial organisations. I barely get mine printed off regularly and they are just piled in boxes. I plan to frame a few more but I love the year book idea. I did one a few years back as first anniversary present for dh.
We are all well here. Finlay was weighed today (day 3) and has only lost 100g so feeding well. Breasts are now officially huge and hard and oh lord far too full. I think I will be sinking into warm bath with cool flannels very soon. Hopefully my body will soon work out I only have one baby (not twelve) but it tends to take a few weeks.
After the warning from the midwives about after pains it turns out that in my case they were right. Monday night particularly bad; barely slept, just moaned through these horribly strong contraction like pains. Thank god for Nurofen. Easing off now thankfully!
A wee bit more on the birth: So got very mild irregular contractions throughout the afternoon, not painful at all. Phoned labour ward at 6pm to put midwives on standby but not strong enough to call her out until 9pm. By this time strong and regular but still manageable. As I said before measured at 10pm and just two centimetres. I wasn't too worried as I dilated quickly before but did realise it could be a while and that this labour could go on til the morning.
Got in the bath for about half an hour or so, contractions still the same and ask dh to prepare aromatherapy hot wrap things. I had read about these but never used. You can buy them but we just did our own, towel cut up, very hot water with some lavender oil. Luckily our bathroom tap is ridiculously hot so we didn't have to bring up the kettle and boil or anything anyway. When I got out the bath there was a strange brief rest period where I actually could lie down in between a couple of contractions for ten minutes! Did begin to wonder then if labour was going to drag.
However about 11ish things started to speed up again, contractions more and more regular, far stronger and of course, way more painful. I was mostly on the bed on my hands and knees, pressing forehead into a pillow. Dh was a star, up and down getting a fresh hot wrap for each contraction. He would put it on my lower back and press hard and I was amazed at how well it took the edge off the pain.
Midwife was downstairs throughout this but came up every fifteen minutes to measure heart rate and generally see how we were. The last time she came she could see things were moving along and asked if I had felt the urge to push. I had a little but felt it much more with the next contraction. I told her I was really feeling it and she went to call the other midwife while I moved so I was kneeling beside the bed with head resting on my arms (which were on the bed). I knew midwife had arrived back but I couldn't feel or hear her near me and with a huge contraction/push I could feel the head coming and was concerned no one seemed to be there. I called 'help' and the midwife (who was apparently just behind me trying to get her gloves on!) said 'it's okay, you're just feeling pressure on your rectum as the head moves down'. I think I shouted 'I know' as I did know and I also knew head was bloomin well nearly out, anyway she clearly saw that (next contraction/push head came out) and I felt her quickly move behind me and do her stuff. Final big push and shoulders and body delivered all of a rush!
Little man screamed his head off and woke up dd (ds slept through the whole thing!) who came through in time to see the placenta (she refused a closer look. Apparently the midwife saw her peeking out, she was waiting for 'adult permission', and so she came on through. After a good cry Finlay latched on and fed a little.
Was all mad and painful and overwhelming and speedy and vivid and blurry all at once! Fantastic.
Right. Off to baby cinema tomorrow. Won't get much of a chance this time round with three, plus living an hour from town, so want to have a wee trip while I can!