Birth story

So here it is, my birth story! I wasn’t sure when or, if I wanted to include my birth story in my blog, but I feel I had such a positive experience why not! So here goes...

Saturday 22nd July :

Due date! And feeling it. I managed to stay fairly calm at the end of my pregnancy, trying not to fret too much with wanting baby out as soon as possible. I knew she would make her appearance once she was ready and that it could get well into august before we met her. I woke up really early feeling a few niggly pains. I looked at the time and it was 4 am. So they had been uncomfortable enough to wake me. Every 10 minutes I would get these mildly uncomfortable cramps and so I started to time them just in case. By time 7 am came they had petered out and Reggie went into work. I told him I would let him know if I needed him to come back. I got up and made myself some pancakes with the pretence of if I was to go into labour I needed to be prepped and energised for it! I then napped a little because I had been awake so early. That afternoon I spent sorting the last few bits in the nursery and pottered around at home not wanting to head out too far. I spent a fair amount of time pacing around at home though and bouncing on my birthing ball and doing squats!! Trying to stay mobile and quick start labour if it really was round the corner. After going to my birthing class I knew this stage could potentially take days though so tried not to get my hopes up to much! 

Sunday 23rd July 


I managed to get a fairly good night sleep again but was woken again with the same niggly pains. Nothing to cry wolf about but just enough to notice them . Once again Reggie went into work not wanting to take unnecessary days off for false alarms, plus I was happy enough being at home catching up on tv and getting organised. That afternoon I decided to cook a roast dinner, which was a strange decision due to it being the middle of summer but, it was quite a miserable day weather wise, and I really fancied one. It was a decision well made, as little did I know I wouldn’t have a proper meal for a couple of days! 


Reggie got home from work and we sat down and ate dinner in front of the tv. It was about 7pm when I had a pain that didn't quite feel like the others I had been getting something just didn't feel quite right! I started loosely counting the time between contractions 10 minutes, 12minutes, 7 minutes .. they were still irregular and not following a pattern as such so at 9:30 I decided to have a shower and get some rest as I knew It could be a long night. I layed in bed still counting, at this point they were getting closer together and more intense my stomach felt hard as rock but I took deep breaths, and closed my eyes trying too rest as much as possible but not able to actually sleep. At 11:30 I felt Emelia kick really hard and and my tummy felt so strange I got up and went to the bathroom and thats when my waters broke.

Monday 24th July 

Literally right from my waters breaking the contractions sped right up to every 2 minutes, and a lot more painful. They were still manageable at that point but they were definitely getting more painful and intense. The frequency of them was concerning me aswell as we are 35 miles away from the hospital, and I didn’t fancy giving birth in the car. I rang through to the delivery suite and they told me to come in since my waters had broken and my contractions were so close together. Once we arrived I went round to the MLBU Where I was examined and .. Nothing not even dilating I was getting contractions every 2 minutes but nothing was happening and at this point it was bloody painful! They monitored me for about an hour, but then I was sent home with a tens machine and instructed to wait till the length of my contractions lasted for nearer a minute. I was told I would need to come back 12:00 midday due to my waters breaking, and I needed to be re examined and induced if labour didn't progress. So at least I knew baby would be coming some point soon! We arrived back home at 5:30 am and I sat on my birthing ball deep breathing and using the tens machine. (still contracting every 2 minutes but only lasting for a maximum of 30 seconds) I managed to have another shower and get dressed and we went back up to the hospital at 10:30 that morning as I was in so much pain. I managed quite well at home for another 5 hours but I had no idea when to gauge going back in as my contractions were still so close together. When we got back to the hospital I was put back on the monitor I now had proof of the intensity and the contractions that were coming so regularly! Reggie sat beside me commenting on the machine numbers flying up whenever I had a contraction ( that didn’t go down well. The last thing you want is to be reminded of the pain your feeling !). It was about 1:00 pm when I wanted some gas and air so I was reexamined. Finally I was 5 cm and sent round to the birthing room. Those next few hours actually then felt like they went really quickly. My lovely midwife got me a bean bag so I could get comfortable and I managed to stay as mobile as possible throughout the whole time. When not walking around, I was kneeling forward to try and get her moving! It was 5:00 when I can really remember things cranking up. I think that was when I reached the transitional stage and at that point could have easily had an epidural. Instead I opted for pethadene, before she administered it My midwife used a doppler to check on Emelia and it took a while to find her heartbeat. She moved it around nothing. To the other side , nothing. Those couple of minutes I really worried until she finally found her again, but she reasured us and explained how she had just moved down so low ready for delivery. The pethidine worked really well and spaced me out! It was nice to feel more relaxed and I was able to rest as best as possible. I can remember hearing Reggie talking to the midwife, and he asked roughly how long from this stage it might be, and she said it would probably be around 9:00 this evening and I would have a new midwife come in once she finished her shift. Ten minutes later I was pushing!


It was that quick from having the pethadene. I hadn’t slept for about 36 hours so I feel like it just gave me and hour of recharging and I was ready to go ! My body had relaxed enough for that last cm. It was 7:00 pm when I started pushing and all in all took 23 minutes to get baby out. Once Emelias head was out My midwife said she'd had her cord around her neck so unlooped it. Right from that moment she started crying and she wasn’t even fully out yet ! She was born at 7:23 and once dried off she was passed up to me. I had expected to be an emotional mess but I didn’t cry just felt so incredibly complete and like Id known her forever. She layed with her eyes wide open in our arms and I just couldn't stop staring at her our perfect little girl. 


Once the placenta had been delivered my midwife weighed Emelia and introduced me to my new midwife who had just arrived to do the rest of my aftercare. I showered whilst Reggie sat holding Emelia and the doctor arrived for checks and stitched me. I was then asked if I wanted to breastfeed. I had brought everything to bottle feed and I honestly had a lot of doubts with breastfeeding but decided to just try and if I needed to bottle feed I could. But to my surprise she latched perfectly and the midwife said shed never seen a newborn feed so well! Im so glad I decided to at least try and the fact I haven’t put any pressure on myself the whole time I think has really helped. I have exclusively breastfed the whole 3 months and although its not been easy once I got through the first 5 weeks it has been a breeze since. Unfortunately I was an hour short of being able to go home that evening due to my waters breaking so early during labour so we had to stay that night but reggie was able to stay with us and actually it was so lovely to have that time as the 3 of us and have our little one all to ourselves. I know a lot of mums say how you dont sleep that first night . But I was shattered and I think I could of slept if it wasn’t for the 20 other babies screaming through the night on the ward ! 


I am a strong believer in there not being a “perfect birth” and you just have to do what you have to do, so much so I decided not even to write a birth plan. I knew I didn’t want to go in a birthing pool but that was about it. Reggie wasn’t even sure about cutting Emelia’s cord but decided to last minute. I can honestly say that I enjoyed my labour though and yes I was lucky it was uncomplicated and was straight forward but I guess because I had no expectations to how I wanted it to go I had nothing to be disappointed with. I say if you can do it with no pain relief good for you but If you need something you are no more of a warrior for not having it. Its the 21st century and those things are there to help you through a very painful time! I defiantly won’t be writing a birth plan again next time either.

So all in all 24 hours of labour, lots of gas and air and a shot of pethidine! But more importantly my beautiful little lady Bugg
I hope you enjoyed!
 

Robyn x