Hello? Can I come in with my New Baby? .
Grabs a seat, orders a HUGE plate of food & tells her birth story to anyone who will listen...
As many will know, by thursday i was 4cm dilated with no contractions, had a sweep and became very very frustrated at the lack of any further progress.
Saturday 28th November at 7:15am or so, after some stop start sleep, I lie there idly thinking about baby, and what he will look like, and in my thoughts, his mouth opens and he roots and the suckles. I feel an immense amazing rush of letdown into my uterus, and boom a contraction! Not painful, rather a heavy, hard ache in my lower backside.
Waters not broken, no show. DD gets up (slept in for the first time on a looooong time) and asks how baby is.
Another contraction 10 mins later. DH and I have breakfast with DD, got her dressed, called our friend to be ready for DD then he takes her there. Before contractions become painful. All nice and chilled for her.
Contractions were bearable, but every 10 mins with the odd one thrown in at 3mins just to confuse me
I spoke to labour ward at 8:30am who said, all sounded fine, needed to wait for contractions to get to 5 mins apart, and stay steady at that for 2 hours, the go on in.
Within 5 mins, they were 5 mins apart, i threw up my breakfast, had very bad tummy the other end too, and contractions stayed at 5 mins for 20 mins before jumping to 3-4 mins apart. DH called labour ward at 9:15am, said we were coming in, they said fine but take out time. And I said 'like fuck, i am going in now, i need some pain releif!' and off we went. How excrutiating is it sitting in a car having contractions? And catching every red light! "JUST DRIVE THROUGH THEM' i yelled at DH!
15 mins later, arrived at hosp, straight into delivery room, told I am in 'strong labour' - no shit! I was 6cm dilated. DH said 'oh ages to go then' and she said 'not really!' Waters in tact, offered to break them but I said wait 1 hour as they were ready to go.
Gas & air was permanently on my face! MW refused to give me any diamorphine as 'doing fine' on g&a. I kept insisting, she kept saying no! She wanted me on my back to monitor baby, i refused, stayed on all fours over the bed with mask attached to hand and face! (it turned out, there was no time for drugs and she knew but did not want to tell me!)
I really really wanted to push, however, waters were not broken and mw said it was the waters making me feel like that - very very painful, so she broke them, back onto all fours. The releif was immense! then i needed to push so she said push! 19 mins later:
Baby Reuben was born on saturday 28th Nov, weighing 7lb 7oz at 11:34am! 10 days late. I had a natural third stage, despite mw trying to persuade DH to get me to change my mind...cord stopped pulsating while we had skin to skin and i breastfed him, and DH cut the cord! Placenta came out on its own 26 mins later (after agreeing I would have injection if 30 mins passed with out any sign).
Reuben's breathing was apparantly a bit laboured although neither DH or i could notice, so paaiatrician was called to check him over, given full clean bill of health, but meant we had to have him on 4 hour obs so they stuck me on a ward and kept us in overnight , that and we had to wait for blood results for anti-d injection! I had wanted to be home by tea time! He was absolutely fine though and we got home yesterday afternoon after much paperwork filling/waiting around.
But he is here!!! And feeding lots and I am loving being a mum to a newborn again!
DD is wonderful with him. Just the best sister ever.
I shall try to find time to read everyone elses! And I am going to post about breastfeeding as need some advice from you lovely ladies if that is ok...