Oh, here you all are!
And here am I. And James .
We only got back from the hospital late last night despite him, literally, flying out on Thursday at 7 mins past 7pm. I was in labour after all and you are all Very Wise (yeah, yeah, and I was in denial!)
I forget who said long latent might mean quick active but my first stage as been logged as an hour (arrived at hospital 5.45, examined at 6.15pm and 5cms). Second stage, uh, 6mins. No pain relief other than G&A (which is rubbish - or maybe I was just too far gone for it to be effective?) and, um... screaming & a few expletives .
It was so shockingly quick I lost control, I guess. Oh, that, and the fact he weighed 4435g (or 9lb 12oz in 'old money'). Plus, I think with my previous two, the fact they were a) smaller and b) I'd had pethidine meant wasn;t enirely 'present' so coped with no sound and turning inwards. I felt every. Single. Bit. And I know I'm terribly lucky that it was natural, quick and no stitches (couple of small grazes) but I am still having flashbacks and feeling a little anxious. Doesn't help that I spied my delivery notes and had a quick nose in them - every entry starts with 'AManda coping well' - LIES! Maybe it looked like it (can't imagine so - DP was also traumatised by how I 'was') but I felt panicked and out of control. Ugh.
Anyway. I will post a more blow by blow account on the PN thread eventually. Again, I reiterate, I know I was lucky...
And also unlucky. Just as I said many times at appointments, I knew I'd be quick and I knew they wouldn't get the antibiotics in me for my GBS+ status. So, James was on 24hour obs for that, PLUS he'd passed mec (wouldn't you find such a quick explusion stressful too? Poor kid, I don't blame him for doing the dirty on in me) and his consequent gagging and being 'mucousy' means they suspect he swallowed some.
Three of his temps were up over the 24hour obs period so the doctors arrives to me on friday morning and says 'we're going to start IV anti biotics for him' Cue me balling my eyes out, blubbing that it could have been avoided if only I'd been listened to and we'd managed my labour rather than waiting for it. Then the evil cow had me help with the procedure, having him suck my finger with glucose on it whic she bent his hand horribly under his hand to look for a vein. Then stuck him with a tiny cannula... and missed. Then again. And missed. Third time lucky, but my goodness, that was a trauma I could have done without.
Literally all he did for his first night, day and then second night was either scream (lots) or 'feeding' (obviously as a big baby the colostrum was only enough to stop his blood sugars falling but not to satisfy him). Eventually I agreed to a top up feed for him, and lo, the screaming stopped for a few hours as he actually slept. Milks in now so he's sleeping more but I'm still horribly exhausted after over 45 hours of NO sleep.
Jeez. I sound as whiney as ever!! Ah, but he's beautiful. In 'real life' he's just... so breathtaking. In pictures, though, he seems to look like a three month old boxer. I've lost count of the people who have said 'oh, he looks about 2/3 months old!' (smac I'm looking in your direction - are you getting that too?). So, yeah, I may have 'ishoos' but, regardless, I'm in lurve.
Now. Hurry up and pop the rest of you - I'm not gonna do two well having to check two threads! pixie in particular - incredible you're still hanging in there! Or maybe not since it's just taken me about an hour to type this...
Eh, to hell with it being un-mn like - I'm post natal and hormonal -