hello - am FINALLY back from the hospital. I know I was only in for two nights but it felt like a lifetime.
haven't had time to catch up on the all the posts, but thanks for all the congrats and congrats to Debi too!!
Thought while my mum's around and DH is holding little Alfredo I should post my birth story while I can still remember it...BEWARE it is VERY DETAILED
My friend threw me a baby shower Saturday where we received tonnes of wonderful gifts...everyone said, 'all you need now is the baby'. I'd only just finished work on Friday and was looking forward to at least a few days to put my feet up as had been feeling slightly nauseous all the week before (looking back, that must have been the hormones readying themselves).
Stayed up late watching crap tv with DH and finally went to bed at 12:30. Woke up about 2am to go to the loo, as I was settling back to sleep I felt a wave of period like cramp. Suddenly thought, I wonder if that was a contraction? The baby kicked and I (TMI alert) thought I was going to do a little fart, but peed out a trickle of warm water instead. Woke DH up to pass me a towel and check it definitely wasn't wee. Then when we realised my waters had broken I thought we better call the hospital to see if I needed to worry about anything...was planning to go back to bed and sleep through the first contractions. But the hospital advised us to go in as I was only 36+5.
So gathered our things and calmly got into the car, fully expecting to be sent home after getting checked over. Had only just got the TENS machine hadn't even had a chance to test it yet. However, as soon as I got to the hospital the contractions started to get more intense.
I was admitted to the ante-natal ward, where I was supposed to wait for a doctor to check me. But I think it was pretty obvious I was in labour. I got through the first couple of hours just with my yoga breathing. Then they quickly got more painful and closer together and asked for gas and air. Which initially helped, and then was pretty much a distraction technique, as was the TENS machine which wonderful DH had to quickly figure out. Then the midwives changed shifts and I got a much nicer lady see to me. She told me I sounded like I was in a lot of pain (I was making a LOT of noise) and was there anything stronger I wanted. Despite stating I didn't want it on my birthplan I decided to go for pethidine as I thought it would at least give me some awareness of the contractions.
Had the pethidine shot just as I was about 5cm (at which point I was screaming through the contractions - yes they bloody hurt).
The pethidine initially took the edge off the pain. And pretty much knocked me out in between. So i'd either be zonked or howling.
Then I got moved to the labour ward when my mum could join us. Couldn't wee, had to have a catheter inserted (twice). Wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.
Contractions got really really really intense and only seconds apart, with barely any time to rest. Even then was still only using gas and air, the TENS and drinking apple juice and water when I could remember. Didn't bother with ANY of the snacks we'd packed. Although I think DH was glad of the sustenance. Then about 3pm I was declared 10cm and I could start pushing.
At this point the contractions got easier. Much more bearable and with a lot of time to rest in between. These were the contractions I was supposed to push with but it took me a long time to figure out how to push as pushing meant pain and I was used to doing things to minimise pain whenever a contraction came along.
After 2 hours of the most physically gruelling experience of my life, I finally started to feel the head move down, he took his time but I managed to get the head out, and was told to stop pushing while they unwrapped the (loose) cord from round his neck. Then to expect the shoulders with the next push, then the rest of his body slithered out. At the time I remember thinking, I thought it was supposed to be quicker than this? But after 2 days of my babymoon the pain and duration are beginning to fade and I do think maybe some day I'll have another one and hopefully it'll be easier.
DH told me he couldn't believe I'd got through without changing my mind and asking for an epidural (I just didn't want to slow it down). And that it the most amazing thing he'd ever witnessed. Yes there was lots of poo, grunting, I was naked and sweating and a primal animal at the centre of a blood bath at the end of it. I've got internal stiches, but they should dissolve in a couple of weeks. But I got through it and I feel so privileged to have joined these legions of WOMEN who have been through the same.
Phew, now I can forget all about it.
Good luck to the rest of those still waiting to give birth. Have already got a million post-natal questions. Is there a post-natal board yet? Alfredo has mild jaundice so they only allowed us out the hospital today if we promised to top up breastfeeding with 35ml of formula every three hours. I suppose there's the midwife visit tomorrow. God, my whole life has changed in just a day!!!!
Gotta go, Alfredo is snuffling!