Labor & Delivery . . .
EARLY, ON TIME OR LATE ARRIVAL & DID YOU FEAR CHILDBIRTH?
40+3 whenever I went into labor, 40+4 whenever he finally came out (Born at 12:39 am) . I didn't fear it whenever I finally went into labor, but the weeks preceding it I was definitely shitting bricks lol.

ANY COMPLICATIONS?:
Yes. His head got hung in my pelvis and required an emergency c-section.

YOU ARRIVED AT THE HOSPITAL HOW FAR DILATED & EFFACED?:
4 cm dilated and 75% effaced, only went that early because the midwife broke my waters accidentally while checking for effacement.

LABOR ACTIVITIES (DURING CONTRACTIONS):
Nothing was off the board Up until 8 pm (I got there a little after 1) when they broke my second bag of waters (for some reason I had two..) I was on my laptop, watching movies, chatting with the family, etc. My contractions were every 6 minutes for those 7 hours and during every contraction I would just ball up my jacket and bite it and breathe through them.

HOURS IN LABOR:
24

CONTRACTIONS FELT LIKE:
Belly cramps during a period, up until they broke my second bag of waters. Then they felt like when I drank magnesium citrate because I was blocked up, paired with period cramps, also paired with when I was getting jiggy with it with my husband, and we mixed two kinds of lube, and it caused some pretty horrible contractions (pushing kind, of course) ... but in my bum ~__~

DID YOU CONSIDER THE EPIDURAL?:
Not at all. They ended up giving it to me when I had to have the c-section though. The thought only crossed my mind once before they gave me Nubane to help deal with the contractions coming every minute.

WERE YOU INDUCED?:
Nope.

DESCRIBE DELIVERY:
Pretty depressing seeing as how I just got to lay there while smelling burning skin as they burned me open.

WHERE WAS YOUR PARTNER?:
Right next to me the entire time through everything.

WEIGHT/HEIGHT OF THE BABY:
8 lb 4.1 oz, 19 1/4 in.

Pregnancy . . .
PLANNED OR SURPRISE?:
Planned

FIRST SYMPTOMS (IF ANY):
None.

HOW DID YOUR PARTNER REACT TO THE NEWS?:
He's the one who noticed the test developing a little vertical line on the horizontal line

WHEN WERE YOUR BABY'S FIRST MOVEMENTS?:
After 20 weeks, I know that, just not sure how much longer.

ANY PREGNANCY PAINS?:
Oh yeah. Lots. But nothing too awful serious.

...AND SWOLLEN FEET?:
Pretty bad in the last month or so.

ANY CRAVINGS?:
Nothing weird, my tastes just changed. (Hamburgers and spaghetti mostly lol)

MOOD SWINGS?:
Horrible, horrible, horrible ones.

Post Partum . . .
ARE YOU BREASTFEEDING OR FORMULA FEEDING?:
I was breastfeeding until I finally realized he was just losing way too much weight

HOW WAS THE FIRST DAY HOME WITH THE BABY?:
I honestly don't remember, either. It was probably a lot of me sleeping (damn percoset) and a lot of him sleeping and me not taking care of him.

ANY DIFFICULTIES?:
Just with him losing weight like crazy, so he's on goat milk now. Also depression.

ANY PERSONALITY YET?:
He likes kisses. On the mouth

DOES HE/SHE CRY OFTEN?:
Ehhhh....Sorta.

IS THE OUTCOME BETTER OR WORSE THAN EXPECTED?:
Worse, honestly. Just because of the depression I'm going through and the fact that I have to stay with my mum to help me.

HAVING FUN?:
Yes and no, lol.

HAPPY WITH THE OUTCOME?:
I love him with all of my all

Labor & Delivery . . .
EARLY, ON TIME OR LATE ARRIVAL & DID YOU FEAR CHILDBIRTH?
Early. I delivered at 37 weeks 3 days and no

ANY COMPLICATIONS?:
None. Apart from her having a poo in me so needed to get her out quicker

YOU ARRIVED AT THE HOSPITAL HOW FAR DILATED & EFFACED?:
Not sure about effaced but I was 2 cm dilated

LABOR ACTIVITIES (DURING CONTRACTIONS):
Trying to sleep, screaming but didnt cry

HOURS IN LABOR:
3 days, until active labour came which was 7 hours

CONTRACTIONS FELT LIKE:
Bad stabbing pains? Wanted to die at one point

DID YOU CONSIDER THE EPIDURAL?:
Nope

WERE YOU INDUCED?:
Nope.

DESCRIBE DELIVERY:
Just put my legs up, pushed at least 6 times I think and then she came

WHERE WAS YOUR PARTNER?:
He came earlier but went home and was gonna come back later

WEIGHT/HEIGHT OF THE BABY:
6 lbs 1 oz

Pregnancy . . .
PLANNED OR SURPRISE?:
Ntnp

FIRST SYMPTOMS (IF ANY):
Dizzy, nauseas, missed period and cramps.

HOW DID YOUR PARTNER REACT TO THE NEWS?:
Didnt talk to me, was shocked and scared

WHEN WERE YOUR BABY'S FIRST MOVEMENTS?:
17 weeks

ANY PREGNANCY PAINS?:
Cramps, braxton hicks, back pain and nipples sore.

...AND SWOLLEN FEET?:
The day I gave birth they did.

ANY CRAVINGS?:
sweets, crisps, chocolate and junk food. Oh yeah tea tree oil i loved the smell.

MOOD SWINGS?:
Lots of them.

Post Partum . . .
ARE YOU BREASTFEEDING OR FORMULA FEEDING?:
Formula

HOW WAS THE FIRST DAY HOME WITH THE BABY?:
Cant remember much I was just very tired and so was she.

ANY DIFFICULTIES?:
Yeah but it's normal, still learning

ANY PERSONALITY YET?:
She's such a little diva just as I expected her to be

DOES HE/SHE CRY OFTEN?:
Yeah because she's teething

IS THE OUTCOME BETTER OR WORSE THAN EXPECTED?:
I love her to bits

HAVING FUN?:
Yeah

HAPPY WITH THE OUTCOME?:
Yeah

Labor & Delivery . . .
EARLY, ON TIME OR LATE ARRIVAL & DID YOU FEAR CHILDBIRTH?
9 days late! And yes, I was terrified lol!

ANY COMPLICATIONS?:
He became distressed and his heart rate dropped.

YOU ARRIVED AT THE HOSPITAL HOW FAR DILATED & EFFACED?:
7cm.

LABOR ACTIVITIES (DURING CONTRACTIONS):
Had a LOT of baths, and lay on the bed with OH rubbing my back.

HOURS IN LABOR:
2 days, but 2 1/2 hours after waters breaking.

CONTRACTIONS FELT LIKE:
Like the insides of my lower back were being twisted.

DID YOU CONSIDER THE EPIDURAL?:
Yes, I would have loved one.

WERE YOU INDUCED?:
No.

DESCRIBE DELIVERY:
They numbed me to do an episiotomy so I didn't feel anything. The midwife told me to push, did a couple of pushes that I couldn't even feel then suddenly baby was put on my chest, didn't feel a thing.

WHERE WAS YOUR PARTNER?:
With me.

WEIGHT/HEIGHT OF THE BABY:
6 lb 3 oz.

Pregnancy . . .
PLANNED OR SURPRISE?:
NTNP

FIRST SYMPTOMS (IF ANY):
Missed period.

HOW DID YOUR PARTNER REACT TO THE NEWS?:
Happy/excited.

WHEN WERE YOUR BABY'S FIRST MOVEMENTS?:
15 weeks.

ANY PREGNANCY PAINS?:
Back pain and sore boobs.

...AND SWOLLEN FEET?:
A little.

ANY CRAVINGS?:
I loved the smell of soap.

MOOD SWINGS?:
Cried over nearly everything!

Post Partum . . .
ARE YOU BREASTFEEDING OR FORMULA FEEDING?:
breastfed for a month and now formula feeding.

HOW WAS THE FIRST DAY HOME WITH THE BABY?:
I can't really remember it. I was tired, in a lot of pain and very emotional.

ANY DIFFICULTIES?:
Breastfeeding just didn't work for me.

ANY PERSONALITY YET?:
He's such a happy boy always doing big smiles, and loves being the center of attention.

DOES HE/SHE CRY OFTEN?:
When he is hungry.

IS THE OUTCOME BETTER OR WORSE THAN EXPECTED?:
Better.

HAVING FUN?:
Yes, it's a different kind of fun though lol!

HAPPY WITH THE OUTCOME?:
Yeahh

Labor & Delivery . . .

EARLY, ON TIME OR LATE ARRIVAL & DID YOU FEAR CHILDBIRTH?
Early. I delivered at 38 weeks 2 days too

ANY COMPLICATIONS?:
yes, he had the cord wrapped twice around his neck and his head got stuck so I had an episiotomy and two ventouse attempts.

YOU ARRIVED AT THE HOSPITAL HOW FAR DILATED & EFFACED?:
100 % effaced, 4/5 cm dilated.

LABOR ACTIVITIES (DURING CONTRACTIONS):
at home I was using a birthing ball, the bath a little and rocking on all fours, in hospital I was on the bed with the baby heart monitor so pretty much none apart rolling in agony.

HOURS IN LABOR:
5

CONTRACTIONS FELT LIKE:
periods pains x 100000000000

DID YOU CONSIDER THE EPIDURAL?:
I wanted one really badly

WERE YOU INDUCED?:
Nope.

DESCRIBE DELIVERY:
Very painful but quick, and so stressful/panicky, for me the horrible part was knowing the pain was getting worse but that I wouldn't be getting any pain relief.

WHERE WAS YOUR PARTNER?:
in the room holding my hand, giving me water, wiping me with a towel and putting on lip balm for me

WEIGHT/HEIGHT OF THE BABY:
6 lbs 6oz. they don't measure length in many places

Pregnancy . . .
PLANNED OR SURPRISE?:
Planned

FIRST SYMPTOMS (IF ANY):
morning sickness, cravings for sausages and chicken pasties.

HOW DID YOUR PARTNER REACT TO THE NEWS?:
He was over the moon

WHEN WERE YOUR BABY'S FIRST MOVEMENTS?:
around 20 weeks

ANY PREGNANCY PAINS?:
pretty bad SPD and OC

...AND SWOLLEN FEET?:
Yeah, I went up a shoe size

ANY CRAVINGS?:
anything salty, salt itself, chicken pasties and spicy sausages.

MOOD SWINGS?:
they weren't too bad

Post Partum . . .
ARE YOU BREASTFEEDING OR FORMULA FEEDING?:
I expressed for 2 months then switched to formula

HOW WAS THE FIRST DAY HOME WITH THE BABY?:
good, I was glad to be out of hospital!

ANY DIFFICULTIES?:
lots of feeding ones

ANY PERSONALITY YET?:
he's a toddler now he's very cute and is so kind to everyone, he never fights with other toddlers.

DOES HE/SHE CRY OFTEN?:
he rarely cries

IS THE OUTCOME BETTER OR WORSE THAN EXPECTED?:
much much better

HAVING FUN?:
most the time.

HAPPY WITH THE OUTCOME?:
of-course