Hi all, have tried to catch up. Is a lost cause I'm afraid. FLF - you will be next, that is how it was going to happen remember?
I have one of those newborns that doesn't do the sleeping for a few days thing but instead feeds constantly, falls asleep on boob, startles occasionally and carries on where he left off. Tis lovely really, can't move anywhere and should have a good supply when milk comes in, but would be nice to get some sleep in. Does mean plenty of MN time though so thought I'd write down the birth story whilst have the chance as no doubt this phase won't last. Apologies for it being very long winded. Want to remember myself. If you can't be bothered just read the last paragrpah
SO.... it all started Tuesday night with period type pains coming and going from about 11pm. Didn't dare believe this was it since had so many false alarms. Went to bed and slept on and off until about 4am. Was starting to struggle with sleeping through the pains then and kept getting up to go to the toilet and pace around a bit. By 8am I decided perhaps things were about to kick off and started trying to get things together for DD to take her to PIL. At 9.30am we decided to call the hospital and ship DD off to PIL but couldn't get hold of them. Was starting to panic a bit that they'd gone out but MIL turned up here at about 10ish so DH took DD down to them and came back. Rang delivery at about 11am and they told me to stay put for a couple of hours if I could. Decided to sod chance of getting piles and made myself poo - thought it might speed things up, seemed to help . By 12.30 the contractions were every 3-4mins and I was having a panic about whether the TENS would arrive in the post so sent DH out to look for the postie (Can imagine DH to postie conversation - DH told him 'I need my post my wife is in labour and there is something for the pain in there' postie said 'If it's valium or morphine you aren't having it' ) Went in to unit at about 1.30pm and arrived there at about 2.15pm. Got there and got changed. Midiwfe about to start checks when shoulder dystocia alarms went off and I went into hormonal wreck mode and cried a lot and shook and eventually went home, was only 2-3cm.
Got home and pains came straight back on strongly. Was knelt on floor next to sofa with my head buried in a pillow on the chair moaning through them whilst updating MN decided I was going back in and wasn't calling them first, I was just going. Car journey awful.
Arrived at hospital at about 6.30pm - felt some leakage as I got out of the car. DH reassured me it was my waters even though I was walking through hospital going "I'm wetting myself...help...I'm wetting myself" Got to lift up to delivery and had massive contraction in the lift and liquid everywhere. Had completely wet myself in the life, soaked through. (Who was it worrying about dignity in labour??) Checked and was 5cm, paced about moaning for about 45mins, had a shower and then got cracking on the G&A whilst knelt on the bed with head buried in pillow, DH massaging my back. Told I had to wait until 9pm for the shift change to get in the pool, lovely MW lying to me about how long I had to wait in a very effective fashion. (Kept telling me it was running and she was just getting temp right and blah de blah... excellent sales patter..) Finally got in pool at 9pm, and contractions were coming almost constantly. Felt like it would be less painful to die but finally gave in all worries about getting too high on the G&A and just concentrated on breathing steadily and blocked everything else out. Felt like I wasn't in my body anymore, and my body was writhing and jumping about with all the contractions, my legs kept flying up by my head and all I was doing was breathing and listening to the midwife's voice. At about 10pm my waters went. Was like a bomb going off in my stomach, worst pain of the whole thing. Followed swiftly by blood and poo (mine - ick!) and my whole body just felt empty except for this big hard thing moving up and down in me. Told MW I wanted an epidural and didn't want another baby, was quite happy just with one and wanted to go home . MW told me I could have an epi if I wanted but should reach down and feel first... reached down and could feel babies head and kind of floated up out of the daze into reality for a second and felt really in control again. She told me to push and I pushed once and the baby came right down, and then went straight back up. I floated back up with it and told her what had happened and she told me it was all ok, that was nature's way. All I had to do was breathe. So I breathed and the head was born, and then the shoulders twisted round and were born too and she lifted Dylan up onto my tummy and he just nuzzled and looked at me. Second stage lasted 9 minutes. Total labour 4 hours. They got me onto a chair to deliver placenta and had to have one stitch. Then he fed a bit. DH and I stayed on delivery in a nice double bed with DS tucked up next to us. Bliss. However, not a chance of ever doing it again.