BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT (and gory details...)
Esme Rose arrived 1st Oct weighing 8lbs exactly
Here goes with the story....
We arrive at the hospital at 7am on Weds (after filling ourselves with a yummy McDonalds breakfast ) and are shown to the induction ward along with 2 other ladies...
Am put on a monitor for half an hour, babe is fine although very wriggly so we keep losing the trace! MW examines me at 9am and tells me that cervix is posterior and very definately closed so will need the first dose of Prostin . Was hoping that it might have been open just a little bit...
So at 9am Prostin duly inserted and start feeling a warm sensation inside. Am told that I can go for a wander and to be back for 1pm for lunch and another examination. Myself & DH saunter down to the coffee bar, buy papers & magazines. Feeling fine.
Arrive back on the ward at around 10.30am and start to get niggly but not painful period pains. Pains get worse so we walk the corridors for a bit. Get to the point where I have to stop to breath through them and when we time them we discover that they are a minute apart & lasting 45 seconds It still doesn't register cos I am expecting the induction to last a whole lot longer.
We go back to the ward at midday - the other 2 ladies are not having any contractions at all so it is just me huffing & puffing! I am bent over the back of a chair, rocking and trying to use the hypnobirthing breathing (not entirely successful. I ask DH to find a mw as I need pain relief!)
MW comes in and examines me and am now 5cm dilated. She goes to ring through to the delivery suite so I can go down there for my pain relief. However, after another couple of contractions I tell DH that I need to push - he dashes off to tell MW. She takes a look and announces that we have to get to delivery suite NOW!!
No time to get a wheelchair so am pushed on the bed. DH says it is like a scene from ER - 2 MWs pushing the bed, 2 getting the doors, DH running behind trying to keep up. Have eyes closed trying to breathe through the pain and am starting to push (can't stop myself), but am aware of the breeze on my face and one of the MWs shouting at people to get out of the way (am told afterwards that it was an elderly lady in a wheelchair being pushed by her equally elderly husband )
Arrive in delivery room and need to move across onto another bed (easier said than done so sort of crawl across & end up on my side - cannot move another inch so stay in this position and give birth with my left leg raised in the air. DH says I look like a dog having a wee - gee, thanks DH!) At 1.15pm Esme is delivered onto my chest, eyes open and taking in her surroundings. I do not get my pain relief as we ran out of time - total length of labour is 2hrs 45mins...
We have plenty of skin to skin contact and mw helps her to latch on while she sets up for my stitches (just a small tear and not too painful).
After a lovely bath and some time together am taken to the post-natal ward at 4pm.
Got home today after spending an extra night in hospital to get feeding right (mws fab - spent loads of time with me so I could do it with confidence ). Esme has taken to BFing like an expert (famous last words!) and is currently asleep on my shoulder
DD1 is over the moon and telling us how to do things (a right little mum!)