roxy237
Expecting baby no. 2!
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2010
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Id only been on maternity leave for one week and was already getting impatient. My first babys due date was at the end of the week and I was struggling. The thought of going overdue was very unappealing and enough to make me bounce on my gym ball every day and eat plenty of hot curries! Simon phoned to say that he was on his way home and we had a very mundane conversation about what we would eat that night.
At 7pm I felt a trickle of liquid and wondered if my waters had broken. It was nothing like the huge gush that you see on TV or in films, and I hadnt had any contractions or pain, but I was still very excited and nervous! I phoned the labour ward and they advised me to come in and get checked over. Simon arrived home and I calmly mentioned that my waters had broken! Inside I felt nervous though but wanted to keep busy to try and keep my mind occupied.
After eating we got in the car to go to the hospital. I was beginning to have some mild period pains at this point. As soon as Simon started the car a warning light came on and the engine was chugging. Thats all we need, I thought!
Thankfully the hospital was only 5 minutes away so we managed to get there and back without incident. A midwife examined me and confirmed that my waters had indeed broken, but that my cervix was still completely closed. I was disappointed as this meant that I was booked in for an induction the following day, and that I wouldnt be able to have the water birth that Id wanted. The midwife did however mention that nature may take its course in the meantime.
Well she was absolutely right as sure enough, about half an hour after we got home the pains started getting worse. Simon and I were both tired by that point, so I decided to go to bed in the nursery so that Simon could get some sleep. I also tried to sleep but by that point I couldn't as I now had definite contractions. What's more they were only 3 minutes apart, so every time I drifted off I was woken by the next one. I had the TENS machine on but it didnt seem to be helping much. To make matters worse I was shivering and kept going hot and cold, as if I had a fever. I put on some relaxing music on my walkman and leaned on the birthing ball but just couldn't get comfortable, and felt exhausted. After a couple of hours of this I decided to run a bath and see if that would help. Just after I got in Simon came into the bathroom; by this point it was about 3:30am. I told him that I had been having contractions and we spent the next hour in the bathroom, timing each contraction. They were still about 3 minutes apart, but were getting more and more intense. I felt a lot better in general though and the fever-like feeling had gone. The bath really helped, and so did the escalator breath that Id learned in my birthing classes. Some of the contractions took my breath away as I could really feel my uterus tightening, and Simon could see it! I tried to concentrate on relaxing my arms and legs, and this combined with the breathing really helped to ease the pain. At 4:30am we rang labour ward and they advised us to try to wait another hour or two before coming in. I was happy to do this as I was coping quite well at this point. While I was in the bath Simon ran around like a headless chicken packing bags up for the hospital and bringing me water, tea, lucozade and pieces of brioche to keep me going!
After about 3 hours in the bath I decided that I ought to get out and start to get ready for the hospital. Even with Simons help this was a real mission as the contractions were still 3 minutes apart; it was a case of putting on one item of clothing between each contraction. In my not altogether with it state I asked Simon to dry my hair- I'm not quite sure why I was worried about how I looked at this point! Simon finished packing the bags while I leant on the gym ball and breathed through the contractions. I had the TENS machine back on now which was starting to help with the pain. Simon called a taxi (not wanting to risk using the car after the previous night!), and eventually about 2 hours after getting out of the bath we left for the hospital. By this point it was about 8:30am and the morning rush hour was in full swing, so it took us longer than usual to get there. As I was sitting in the front I bravely managed to make polite small talk with the cab driver in the short spaces between contractions; I asked him if anyone had ever given birth in his taxi, to which the answer was no. I hoped that I wouldnt be the first!
We eventually arrived at the hospital at around 9am, about 10 hours after my contractions had started. I had to pull the small suitcase as Simon was laden down with bags. We expected to be in the hospital for a long time so had packed what looked like the entire contents of our house! The midwife looked rather bemused by our multitude of luggage as she ushered us into a room. Seeing that I was breathing through the contractions well (which were still around 3 mins apart), she explained that she would examine me, but that if I wasn't in active labour she would have to send us home. This was not a welcome prospect, not so much because of the pain but more because we would have had to cart all our bags back again in a taxi! So the midwife examined me, and I waited for her to say that I was only 2 or 3 centimetres dilated. All I remember was her head popping up from the end of the bed with wide eyes, looking completely stunned. "You're fully dilated!" she said, "I can see the baby's head!" I'm not sure who was more surprised, me or her!
My immediate reaction to this was to point out to Simon that my TENS machine was still only on setting 1 for early labour. "I need to set it to setting 3!" I cried. 
So I started pushing which was hard work, particularly as the contractions were now slowing down. At one point the midwife asked a doctor to come in and check how things were progressing, as I may need to be put on a drip to speed up the contractions. He thankfully gave the all clear to carry on as we were as I wasn't relishing the prospect of being put on the drip! I turned down gas and air as I didn't feel that I needed it, but as the baby's head was crowning, which did sting a bit I have to say, I decided that I would have it after all to take the edge off the pain. Not that it was worth it as it had barely kicked in before our beautiful daughter Emma Rose arrived in the world at 10:15am, weighing in at 8lbs 2oz! All in all an amazing experience which was much quicker and less painful than Id imagined, thanks to the breathing techniques I learned!! Given the straightforward quick labour I'd had (and no stitches!), the midwife advised a home birth next time. This sounded like a wise idea to me as I have a feeling I wouldnt make it to the hospital next time anyway!
At 7pm I felt a trickle of liquid and wondered if my waters had broken. It was nothing like the huge gush that you see on TV or in films, and I hadnt had any contractions or pain, but I was still very excited and nervous! I phoned the labour ward and they advised me to come in and get checked over. Simon arrived home and I calmly mentioned that my waters had broken! Inside I felt nervous though but wanted to keep busy to try and keep my mind occupied.
After eating we got in the car to go to the hospital. I was beginning to have some mild period pains at this point. As soon as Simon started the car a warning light came on and the engine was chugging. Thats all we need, I thought!
Thankfully the hospital was only 5 minutes away so we managed to get there and back without incident. A midwife examined me and confirmed that my waters had indeed broken, but that my cervix was still completely closed. I was disappointed as this meant that I was booked in for an induction the following day, and that I wouldnt be able to have the water birth that Id wanted. The midwife did however mention that nature may take its course in the meantime.Well she was absolutely right as sure enough, about half an hour after we got home the pains started getting worse. Simon and I were both tired by that point, so I decided to go to bed in the nursery so that Simon could get some sleep. I also tried to sleep but by that point I couldn't as I now had definite contractions. What's more they were only 3 minutes apart, so every time I drifted off I was woken by the next one. I had the TENS machine on but it didnt seem to be helping much. To make matters worse I was shivering and kept going hot and cold, as if I had a fever. I put on some relaxing music on my walkman and leaned on the birthing ball but just couldn't get comfortable, and felt exhausted. After a couple of hours of this I decided to run a bath and see if that would help. Just after I got in Simon came into the bathroom; by this point it was about 3:30am. I told him that I had been having contractions and we spent the next hour in the bathroom, timing each contraction. They were still about 3 minutes apart, but were getting more and more intense. I felt a lot better in general though and the fever-like feeling had gone. The bath really helped, and so did the escalator breath that Id learned in my birthing classes. Some of the contractions took my breath away as I could really feel my uterus tightening, and Simon could see it! I tried to concentrate on relaxing my arms and legs, and this combined with the breathing really helped to ease the pain. At 4:30am we rang labour ward and they advised us to try to wait another hour or two before coming in. I was happy to do this as I was coping quite well at this point. While I was in the bath Simon ran around like a headless chicken packing bags up for the hospital and bringing me water, tea, lucozade and pieces of brioche to keep me going!
After about 3 hours in the bath I decided that I ought to get out and start to get ready for the hospital. Even with Simons help this was a real mission as the contractions were still 3 minutes apart; it was a case of putting on one item of clothing between each contraction. In my not altogether with it state I asked Simon to dry my hair- I'm not quite sure why I was worried about how I looked at this point! Simon finished packing the bags while I leant on the gym ball and breathed through the contractions. I had the TENS machine back on now which was starting to help with the pain. Simon called a taxi (not wanting to risk using the car after the previous night!), and eventually about 2 hours after getting out of the bath we left for the hospital. By this point it was about 8:30am and the morning rush hour was in full swing, so it took us longer than usual to get there. As I was sitting in the front I bravely managed to make polite small talk with the cab driver in the short spaces between contractions; I asked him if anyone had ever given birth in his taxi, to which the answer was no. I hoped that I wouldnt be the first!
We eventually arrived at the hospital at around 9am, about 10 hours after my contractions had started. I had to pull the small suitcase as Simon was laden down with bags. We expected to be in the hospital for a long time so had packed what looked like the entire contents of our house! The midwife looked rather bemused by our multitude of luggage as she ushered us into a room. Seeing that I was breathing through the contractions well (which were still around 3 mins apart), she explained that she would examine me, but that if I wasn't in active labour she would have to send us home. This was not a welcome prospect, not so much because of the pain but more because we would have had to cart all our bags back again in a taxi! So the midwife examined me, and I waited for her to say that I was only 2 or 3 centimetres dilated. All I remember was her head popping up from the end of the bed with wide eyes, looking completely stunned. "You're fully dilated!" she said, "I can see the baby's head!" I'm not sure who was more surprised, me or her!
My immediate reaction to this was to point out to Simon that my TENS machine was still only on setting 1 for early labour. "I need to set it to setting 3!" I cried. So I started pushing which was hard work, particularly as the contractions were now slowing down. At one point the midwife asked a doctor to come in and check how things were progressing, as I may need to be put on a drip to speed up the contractions. He thankfully gave the all clear to carry on as we were as I wasn't relishing the prospect of being put on the drip! I turned down gas and air as I didn't feel that I needed it, but as the baby's head was crowning, which did sting a bit I have to say, I decided that I would have it after all to take the edge off the pain. Not that it was worth it as it had barely kicked in before our beautiful daughter Emma Rose arrived in the world at 10:15am, weighing in at 8lbs 2oz! All in all an amazing experience which was much quicker and less painful than Id imagined, thanks to the breathing techniques I learned!! Given the straightforward quick labour I'd had (and no stitches!), the midwife advised a home birth next time. This sounded like a wise idea to me as I have a feeling I wouldnt make it to the hospital next time anyway!
Congratulations! x
x
