So here it is....
Took A to toddlers yesterday morning and by the end of the session was feeling a bit dodgy was getting a few niggles. Came home and just felt I should eat vast quantities of carbs. grin By half one-ish phone J to come home and then spent a couple of hours on the phone to mum while A was sleeping and J was coming home. By tea-time there was a bit of a pattern and by the time J had put A to bed they were coming thick and fast.
I did think I was being a bit of a wuss but phoned the birthing center and they said your not far away pop up and we will check you out. So off we trotted got the neighbours to come sit for half an hour. I really was quite amazed at the strength of the contractions but was convinced I would be sent home again.
Arrived there about 8.30 where I was given the dreaded internal the absoloutley lovely midwife said I was 4cm at which point they contractions were every 5mins and lasting about 1min 30sec. This was sadly where my self belief in doing it at the birthing center faltered. I paniced that this meant I was going to have another birth like A very painful and long drawn out. I was begging J to let me go to the hospital so I could have an epidural as I was convinced that I couldnt do it. The midwife persuaded me to try the birthing pool. Which I have to say was amazing I immediatley felt calmer and more in control continuing with my deep breathing. I still had a bit of self doubt and after a couple more horrid contractions I said I was deffo sure that I needed to transfer to hospital so an ambulance was called and I started to panic big time the contractions suddenly got much worse and I couldnt breathe through them anymore so I asked for pethadine. They said I could have some to get me to the hospital. So off we trotted in the ambulance little did I know the midwife was concerned that we wouldnt actually make it to hopsital and had told John that we may have to stop and deliver at the roadside shock. Anyway all the way to hospital they kept asking me was I feeling the bear down in my bottom, I was but was too scared to say so as it meant I wouldnt get my epidural.
We got to hospital around 10.30 by which time I was getting really pissed that there wasnt an anaesthetist (sp?) waiting for me to put the epi in. Met my new midwife a lovely Scottish girl! She wanted to asses where I was at again she said about 5cm I couldnt believe it. I was most pissed off and was being quite demanding about the epi wanting to know exactly how long etc. All the time still feeling this need to bear down and it felt like my stomach was going to explode. Then just as the anaesthetist arrived in the room I had another major contraction and my waters broke all over the bed. The midwife checked me again and I had gone from 5cm - 10cm just with having my waters go. So the epidural was off I was not happy. blush there was a few choice words coming out my mouth.
So i was very definitely feeling the need to push by this stage so was sucking on the gas and air like my life depended on it, still dont think it does anything to me but hey ho. I was pushing and pushing. The feeling was extraordinary I couldnt believe the sensations i was feeling but John and the midwife really kept me going. My breathing for the most part went totally to pot and I started shouting through the contractions I kept reminding myself that I needed to use my energy better as did the midwife and JOhn.
The head crowned and out it popped then they had to do a bit of manouvering of his body as he was trying to come out shoulders square on. The out came the rest of him. I was totally overwhelmed that i had done it with breathing (sort of) and what i felt had been useless gas & air and a shot of pethadine.
The midwife was awesome and cleaned me up a bit let him him lie on me for a good 30 mins before she weighed him. 9lb's of solid boy. grin
What made it a good experience is I know I gave it a bloody good try at the birthing centre and also that even though I transferred to hospital I still pretty much go the birth I had initailly aimed for. All thanks to a very determined John and 2 midwifes.
I was checked out and all my bits given a bit of a poke, I didnt tear! I delivered the placenta and the midwife spent time showing us the placenta and explaining the different bits of it etc. She then went and ran me a bath and made John a cup of tea and me a few rounds of toast and jam. shock A totally different exp to last time.
I am so happy he doesnt appear to have a tongue tie - hurrah. He fed on both boobs fairly soon after birth and then slept for a few hours I tried him again first thing and he suckled for a bit he has since not really fed or woken up much except when being changed or poked by the paed and hearing specialist. He has had several meconium poos and did a massive pee all over JOhn so am not worrying too much about him not feeding much today as he must have had pethadine coursing through his veins and am pretty sure A did the same the first 24hrs. He also has masses of gunk that he is spitting up.
Blimey mammouth post well done if you read through it.