We woke up on sunday 27th and i had a massive urge for roast chicken, cashew nuts and emmental cheese. Dp went to the supermarket whilst i lay in bed watching 'T4' and massaging my very swolln legs.
At this time I was having mild cramps, but we had had many false alarms and none starts so I kept quiet and waited to see how things progressed
We then pulled out the futon in the living room as i was geting backpain and I said 'this is it'.
We put on a dvd and DP got very excited, and strted timing my pains on post-its.
We had a massive lunch and then kept watching movies..with the blinds down and candles lit..the contractions were very mild so I wasn't panicked, and also didn't want to 'call in the troops' as I was still a little unsure that it was actually happening.
By 6pm I got a massive primal feeling that this is certainly it and an urge to improve the envionment we were in so Dp went around bringing in cushions, quilts and more candles and hassled me to call my mum. ( i think by now he was terrified and wanted to share the responsibility)
At 7pm I called my mum and said we needed her , it's a 4 hour drive for them and they had always planned to be around for the birth , but she was cross that we had chatted that afternoon and I hadn't mentioned anything..lol ( i didn't want her to waste days off from work if it was false alarm)
we carried on watching films..i remember 'moulin rouge' especially as i adore that film ...it was a great distraction...and i demded that dp order pizza.
my parents and little sister arrived at 11.30pm and I retreated to the bedroom as the sound of people talking made me yell at them during the contractions.
My midwife suggested taking a bath, and going to the hospital only when I felt I really needed to.
I wanted to spend as much of the labour as possible at home and so didn't go there until 2am when it got too much to bear.
My dad drove us to the hospital, after lots of kisses and tears from my mum, then halfway down the road I made him pull over as I had such a bad contraction and the motion of driving really irritated me
having been wheeled up to the delivery suite..and feeling very self important (look out everyone..woman in labour coming through!lol)I was strapped onto monitors..despite my protests and we waited for two hours or so.
The midwife ( not mine sadly) then came in and dclared i wasn't in labour..
sh told D.P it hpns often and we may be sent home and culd b up to 4/5 days
I got very cross then (if this isn't labour then what the hel will labour feel like!?) and asked for them to do an internal exam
The midwife was swittching shifts and said the next would do one, but it was doubtful I was actually in labour as the monitors were only registering mild contractions
D.P went off to call my parents and tell them it probably wsn't going to hppn.
I meanwhile was incredulous..i knew this was it...
While he was gone I took off the monitors as i badly needed the loo and there had a huge show..came back to the bed dripping blood and suddenly got a huge urge to push..I yelled for the midwife but noone came..
that was a very terrifying few minutes..it literally felt like the baby was about to come out..and i was so scared that noone would be there in time..
d.p came in saying 'oh i spoke to your mum and...' but was cut short by me yelling 'get the nurse ..get the nurse'
she dashed in and found i was 9cm dilated..started setting up the table and declared that the baby would be here within an hour
I then got gas and air..and asked for harder pain relief as it was too much and i was scared, but she said i was coping fine, which for some reason was very reassuring. ( it was also way too late for that!)
the urge then got so strong and i pushed and pushed..and screamed!...at one point the midwife from the room next to us came in and said she wanted to close the door as i was scaring the woman she was trying to deliver
after 20/30 minutes of pushing O slid out and i sat up and declaared 'it's over!'
then had a few minuts of oblivion staring in awe at the tiny little man i felt i knew so well already
DP ws in tears and called my mum who had fully expected me to return home with bump intact..and within 15 minutes of birth he got to meet his grandparents and 'aunt'...
the placenta didn't come naturally..and the midwife broke the cord which I think was the problem..but that doesnt detract from a frankly amazing first experince of birth
and to be honest..having a spinal block to get the placenta rmoved gave a good distraction from the soreness..and made me enjoy my first hours meeting O even more...