hi!
well sorry i havent been in touch but its been very hectic here, my parents have left now (very sad by the way) and we are packing everything cos the removals are coming on tuesday 8 am so just imagine, with lucas as well!!!!!! but finally here i am... and i survived!!!
well this is the long story of my labour... on friday i didnt feel anything special, we went to Reading and i bought a fake pony tail, i was really pleased! then we had dinner at a spanish tapas bar and i went to bed late. i woke up at 4 am with contractions, but i thought it was another false alarm, then at 4.45 am i had to rush to the toilet cos i was losing my waters!!! it was very exciting and scary at the same time... i called the hospital (from the toilet, i couldnt leave it lol) and they said i had to go ASAP. we got there by 5 am and they gave me the good news that i was ONE cm dilated, i just couldnt believe it! they sent me for a walk and they said i should be back at 8.30 am for another examination.There was no progress, so they sent me to the antenatal ward (i was in the delivery suite since 5 am) and they had us monitored all the time of course.the contractions were regular but not painful or strong enough to do anything!! i was going to the loo all the time cos I NEVER STOPPED BREAKING MY WATERS, since saturday at 5 am till sunday at 9 pm when i had lucas, believe it or not!! it was ridiculous, but they said sometimes it happens!!i broke them for 39 hours!!!!!!!so we were walking up and down the corridors with my mum trying to make the contractions cause me to be dilated!!! at about 10 pm (saturday) i had to ask for pethidine cos the pain was starting to be unbearable. i didnt want to ask for that one (it crosses the placenta and can make baby sleepy and that could mean an even LONGER labour) but they said it was the only one i could take at that stage (i.e, no dilation). My parents and karl had to leave and then my agony started. the pain was a torture and they couldnt give me any pain relief, not even more pethidine, cos they examined me and by 1 am (sunday) i was still 1 cm and a half dilated (i had been in labour for almost 24 hours by then!!!!!!), u cant begin to imagine my frustration and desesperation... and the pain was honestly really bad.. they said lucas was OP (occipital posterior) so thats why it was sooooooooo painful, and it would be a longer and painful labour, they warned me.so i asked for the TENS machine and they let me use it, and they gave me a birthing ball to try and move Lucas.when they monitored me they saw that lucas heart was beating really slow and they said he was getting tired. i was really scared. they said they would take me to the delivery suite, and i thought "this doesnt seem right, just a minute ago they said i was really far from labour!". they also called karl (it was about 3 am on sunday by then)my pains and contractions were a torture by then, and i still couldnt have any pain relief. they did another examination and i was only about 2 cm dilated. later a doctor saw me and she said they would have to induce me, or try a C section if lucas heart didnt go back to normal (by then it was beating fast cos i was having palpitations as well). it went up to 192 beats per minute, poor love, it was horrible, karl and i were well scared!! later the doctor said they would try the induction, cos his heart was OK and if the drugs didnt work, we would go to cesarean. so they put the epidural (which was paradise once it started to work, when they put it i fainted tho, cos my blood pressure went right down)they also put a drip and antibiotics for my heart murmur. it wasnt very nice!! and then a catheter cos i tried and even if it was a mobile epidural, i couldnt pass water.later my in laws came with a massive bunch of flowers and the time seemed to pass quicker, i wasnt in any pain by then so it was great.we had to wait 6 hours for the induction to work. later i had fever, and that was another scare, cos lucas would have temperature and the amniotic fluid around him would get hot, they said. the midwives (i had 2) said we had to speed things up.i was dilating well by then, but when they did the last one (from 9 to 10 cm) i was 9 cm 3/4 cos i had the "lip", something i knew from a physical preparation for birth class we went with karl, its about 2 women in 100 who have it in labour, its the cervix having a bit that stands out but fortunately by lying on my side we could change that. they gave me lavender oil to relax me (to inhale) and i played my violin CD as well. about 7.10 pm i started to push, listening to shakira and my CDs!!! it was great, i couldnt even feel the contractions coming!! the midwives kept saying i was doing really well and pushing in the right place, but to make things even better my contractions werent strong enough, we only had 2 hours before having to use forceps or ventouse or going to cesarean and even though i was pushing like mad the contractions were crap!! they brought another midwife who does reflexology and believe it or not, by stimulating my toes the contractions got better and I PUSHED HIM OUT!! at 8.53 pm (sunday). but when he was born, he wasnt breathing (he got squashed in the end) and they had to do 1 min resucitation (he had 5 out of 10 in the apgar score only) it was horrible but after that he got a 9. when the mw brought him it was the best moment of my life. he weighed 8 pounds 11 oz (3940 kg) and he is 55 cm long. he is thin, just veeeeeeeeery long!!!!!!!
the 4 grandparents came (i was still lying on my delivery bed!!) and after them, karls auntie and cousins from cornwall who had been waiting all day before going back to cornwall, but they stayed for ages and i felt shattered, sweaty and dirty!!!!!!!!!only about 11 pm i could go and have a bath!!!
they took me to postnatal ward around 1 am on monday!!!!!!!! after labour i couldnt pass water so on monday they had to put a catheter and they realized i was retaining too much urine (a long story ive had all my life) so they also had to put a drip to avoid my becoming dehydrated, it was horrible, i felt really depressed cos i couldnt take care of lucas i was inmobilized i had the catheter attached to my left leg and the drip to my right arm!! i havent felt that bad ever it was horrible. i could only come home on wednesday afternoon, after a urologist saw me. he wrote a letter for a doc in germany and when i get there ill need an operation. now im not feeling my best but im gradually improving, i might have urine infection (horrible pains on back on my left side)so they put me on antibiotics till the urine test is back, but lucas is GORGEOUS, and he is worth it all!! the stitchesdont hurt that much so thats a good one. the midwife has been coming every day except today cos she said i could have the day off!! lucas is really well and im doing fine so its getting better now
We are going to my in laws now cos we thought it was the most practical thing to do, on tuesday 8 am they are taking EVERYTHING (fridge, microwave, PC, washing machine, TV, and all our stuff!) so to be here for a week with lucas would have been a nightmare! We are going to germany as soon as lucas passport is back
So tmrw is my last day with a PC, wish u all the best!!!!!!
lots of love
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