So here we are ? Family Boobz birth story.
First off, I just want to say thank you for all your endless support over this last week ? I have found Mumsnet to be an invaluable source of info over the last 9 months, and have met some true and wonderful friends through it. There are so many people who came in to give moral support or invaluable advice, and for that I am eternally grateful. You?re all very special people.
I won?t go into a blow-by-blow account because you?ve already seen it on the last thread and here, but I wanted to fill you in on my side of things from when I was no longer able to get online myself. I was very close to throwing in the towel yesterday morning, and can thank my amazing DH, supporters on MN and the 2 fabulous community midwives who turned up late last night to deliver our baby for not allowing that to happen. Without them, this story would probably be very different.
I was hopelessly lost, exhausted and beaten after 80 hours of constant, painful contractions by about 9pm last night. I said I needed some Entonox as I simply couldn?t keep going like this for another day and night, possibly more, without something to help me take the edge off. DH listened to me and said he agreed ? let?s get the community midwife out who was covering our normal MW this evening, from the hospital and get me some pain relief, if nothing else (i.e. cm dilation!) But when he called, we were told to come in as there wasn?t anyone to send out. DH was fabulous, and quoted the NHS charter on homebirths to the person on the phone and said in no uncertain terms that we required a MW and it was their duty of care to send one out. It was not resolved on the phone there and then, and I had said to DH that I would somehow weather the storm and wait until 9am the next morning to see our normal MW again rather than be coerced into going into hospital against our carefully laid plans (but I don?t think I really believed I could make it through until morning when I said it ? but it?s what I wanted to believe)...
About half an hour later though, a MW had been found to send out, and she arrived at about 10pm with 3 tanks of Entonox. The relief was instant. I found a new lease of energy and fully turned the corner. I could do this now. It wasn?t about the contractions, the muscle spasms, the cramps and the lack of sleep any more, it was about getting this baby out. I went from 3cm at 2pm to 7cm and waters breaking at 2am which although wasn?t as fast as the MW would have liked, she was happy that I would have the baby by the morning and that now I was in established labour and my waters had gone, we were on our way! I got back into the pool, sucked on the Entonox like my life depended on it, and grunted through each contraction like a wild boar. God knows what the neighbours must have thought was taking place!
There was a slight panic when I realised the last tank of Entonox had run dry and we didn?t have back up plans. Fortunately, my calm and collected MW agreed to send out early for the second on-call MW and she brought another tank and a half. I wasn?t convinced this was going to be enough to see me through the last 3cm and pushing, but it was the best she could do, so I didn?t suck so hard for the next few hours! I did have to cope for an hour with debilitating contractions until the 2nd MW turned up, but with my amazing Mr Boobz encouragement, massage and general belief in me, I got through it. He really is my shining light (and all that bollocks ) . The last 3cm of dilation took about 3 hours I think, and just when we were getting right to the end of the cervical lip, DH decided to take the dog to a friend?s house up the road as she was howling through all the commotion and we needed her to be out of the house. We decided we had time, and that he wouldn?t miss the birth. Two minutes after he walked out the door however, I had this uncontrollable urge to push. Oh crap.
My brilliant MW just said ?you can?t have the baby now ? no pushing ? just breathe through each contraction and wait for him to get back?, like it was that simple. So I did! He got back about 15 mins after he left and then I got on with the real pushing. It took about 35 mins and a strength I didn?t know I had or would ever need to get Penelope out. No tearing, just a slight graze that didn?t need any stitches and I think this might be down to the 15 minute panting section where DH was out of the house and I had to hold off, allowing it time to stretch? Who knows...
MrBoobz caught the baby! I had the injection for the placenta which was all done and dusted after 5 minutes and we were breast feeding by about 7am ? half an hour after she was born.
Pretty amazing really. Seeing MrBoobz cry as he caught her (awww bless!) and seeing our perfect little girl come into the world at home, was about as wonderful as I could have hoped for. I wouldn?t wish a 4 day latent labour on anyone, and there were some scary moments when I really doubted myself, but MrBoobz? encouragement and belief in me got us through. He is my everything and seeing him asleep next to me with Pen snuggled under his arm on our bed as I type this makes all the pain, and more, worthwhile.
A special thank goes out to all the lovely Streatham Mums (you know you you are) who were emailing us both and dropping us presents first thing this morning ? you are amazing ladies and we?re lucky to know you.
So, how is Gemzooks getting on, anyone know??