Hello folks
Sorry I've gone dark for a while. I haven't caught up on the threads yet but will hopefully do so this evening. I hope everyone is doing ok. Have been thinking of you all even though I've fallen behind on what everyone is up to and how you all are. Just wanted to post my birth story, and will catch up on other news later. Also here is a photo of Jasper.
Anna - hope you and your family are doing ok - thinking of you especially.
Hugs to all.
J xx
Birth story - the detailed and painful version 😳
On Wednesday daytime I had occasional abdominal twinges but nothing painful or particularly striking, so I just carried on with my day, pottering about and seeing friends. On Wednesday evening at 11.20 my waters broke as I was getting ready for bed. Again, not very dramatic, and I know sometimes it can take a while for things to really get going, so I decided to try to get some sleep. But pain kicked in pretty soon, and I was pacing up and down, counting contractions. There wasn't much respite between contractions, as I also had a constant (and very strong) period-type pain in my tummy, back and thighs. By about 2am (although I lose track of time after this) I'd woken my husband and phoned the labour ward, and the contractions were roughly every 3 minutes, so we were advised to come to hospital. When we arrived, unfortunately there was no delivery room available, and we were asked to wait in the waiting room. I was in agony by now, on my hands and knees on the floor, with constant abdominal and back pain as well as the contractions. After a while I was examined and was horrified to be told that I was only 2cms dilated and that I had a long way to go yet! They thought the baby might have turned into an awkward position which was causing such pain. I was given some pethidine (which I'd previously thought was the one thing I didn't want, but it was too early for an epidural and frankly I'd have taken anything at this point!) in order that I could get some rest, given how early in the process I appeared to be. I was sent to the antenatal ward, where I asked for gas&air but they only have that in the delivery rooms so I couldn't have any. After a while the pain got even worse (presumably the pethidine had worn off), and it also felt like I simultaneously needed a big poo and had a baby coming out of my vagina 😬. I wanted my epidural. When I mentioned all this to the midwife on a couple of occasions, she said that I couldn't be very far dilated yet because I'd only been 2cms at last check, and she was reluctant to check again yet because there were risks involved, so it was best just to continue waiting. I agreed to this a couple of times, but eventually it got too much, and I was convinced that the baby was arriving and I was ready for the epidural. I sent my husband to get the midwife and insist on this, and when they came back to the ward they could see the baby's head between my legs. I was very quickly rushed to a delivery ward. I was unable to lie on my back due to the pain, so was up on my knees on the upright bed, with my hands and face on the headboard. No time for an epidural, gas&air or paracetamol, and the pethidine was just a distant memory by this stage. It was pretty damn painful, I can tell you - I'd strongly recommend some form of pain relief! At this point they couldn't find the baby's heartbeat - in retrospect probably just because he was in an awkward position rather than that it wasn't beating. I did just 3 pushes and he came out - born just after 9am. I then had an injection for the placenta, and there was time to give me gas&air for this too. The placenta delivery seemed to take quite a while. I also needed stitching for 3 tears (to the front end, rather than the perineum).
Since then, recovering gradually. And Jasper is doing fine, albeit too hot and lazy to eat properly!