Finally snatched a moment to tell all. As you know my waters went on Thursday morning and I went to the hospital, was monitored and then came home.
I spent the day resting a bit and then doing gentle but upright gardening - sowing seeds etc, went for a lovely walk to a friends house and sat around drinking tea and eating cake! Basically still had the occasional mild contraction and waters still leaking but no progress. At about 6pm I suddenly decided to hoover the whole of ground floor of the house before settling down to watch the news while DH and my sister in law bathed the kids. Whilst watching the lovely Jon Snow on Channel 4 I became VERY aware that my contractions were every 5 mins and pretty intense! I became very fretful that dh was taking so long to do stories, so went upstairs to fish him out. We left for the hospital at 7.40 got there at 8 and Stanley was born at 11.12pm!
We had some fun and games with the midwife when we first arrived because I declined continuous montioring and a cannula and they really wanted me to have them. Then when we said I wanted to use the pool they started to think of lots of spurious reasons why I shouldn't (like it's got a problem with the drain.......). My DH took over and said that since it was currently full of all sorts of things like a birthing stool, 3 birth balls!!!, etc etc , maybe he could empty it and clean it, fill it and then we could talk about it again! We had been warned that they are really anti it being used and we would have to be quite pushy. Anyhow, they admitted defeat in the face of his concerted, very polite efforts!
The labour was what I had always hoped for (third time lucky!) I kept very upright, walking around between contractions then sitting on a birth ball leaning over bed whilst dh massaged my back during contractions - lots of Yoga breathing. When the contractions became too intense like that I stood up leaning forward against the wall or bedhead which made them much shorter and stronger but more manageable. After about 2 hours I got into the pool as I wanted to rest but not lie down, almost immediately went into Transition - couldn't stop shivering and saying 'I don't want to do this anymore' - both classic transition things! After 20 minutes I started to bear down at the end of my contractions so my midwife got me out of the pool and we then had a little 'debate' because I wanted to deliver standing up and she wanted me on the bed (I subsequently found out from my community midwife that the hospital m/w routinely does episiotomies which is why she wanted me on the bed.) Anyhow, my DH saved the day (AGAIN) by persuading me to kneel up on the bed and 8 minutes later Stanley was born.
I had a small 2nd degree tear because his arm came out next to his head, but had unwittingly saved myself an episiotomy!
Post natal was a bit of a nightmare, the ward was really noisy, one woman snoring really loudly and another clattering around (both their babies were in the nursery!!!) so I did not get any sleep. I asked if I could go home first thing but unfortunately we had a nightmare with blood tests on Stan - I am rhesus neg and the cord sample they had taken hadn't been sent properly so they had to re-do twice! So I was in a state on Friday, hadn't slept a wink since Wed midnight, given birth and wanted to be tucked up asleep. Now though, it's fab, we banned visitors yeaterday and I really rested and today we have seen family and friends which has been lovely. Now I am off for a rest, hope this wasn't too long and boring.
Lesley, thinking of you and hope it all happens soon.