SilverWillow
1 girl, cooking #2
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- Nov 19, 2009
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Bree Eliza Harley - Born 6.30am on 24/08/11 (13 days overdue) weighing 6lb 8oz with just gas & air.
Our Birth Story
One of my friends put a comment on facebook that said Congratulations both on the safe arrival of your baby girl. Now you know what love is!!! Well how right she was.
Bree was due on 11th August and from 12th onwards I was having lots of on off spells of practice contractions and cramps but nothing else. I had an induction booked for 8am on Thursday 25th. Birth plan was to give birth in a pool in the midwife led birth unit with only gas & air.
Mon 22nd: Had a sweep at 3pm. About 2 hours after the sweep I started getting what I would describe as a heavy pulling feeling, I described it as like having weights hanging off my bump. This went on all night and with on off mild contractions.
Tue 23rd: Symptoms stopped in the morning, then in the afternoon started up again and I started getting a show. The contractions were getting more intense and painful now so I started timing them. By around 8pm they had been coming every 3 or 4 minutes for several hours and were lasting about 50 seconds each. They were pretty painful so we decided to go in and get checked (the hospital is about 40 minutes drive away).
Had to wait in the waiting room in triage for quite a while, contractions were getting more painful, by the time I got examined it was around 11pm. I was then told that I was only about half to one cm and in the latent phase of labour!!
They told us to go home, take paracetamol and get some sleep, and to come back on Thursday for the induction of it all stopped.
On the journey home the contractions were getting more and more painful and I really couldnt talk through them any more, I thought I was being a total wimp! We stopped at a couple of places looking for paracetamol but couldnt get any so went to pick some up from Jons parents. By the time we got there I remember being in agony.
Wed 24th: We got home about 1am and Jon ran me a bath, I got in and by this point was having really painful contractions, right on top of each other, maybe 30 seconds to a minute apart. Jon was saying we have to get you back to hospital and I was insisting I wanted to stay at home because I was sure I was only about 1-2cm and being such a wimp (plus the thought of being in the car in this much pain was horrible).
Eventually Jon got me out of the bath, we phoned the birth suite who said do you think you could hang on at home for a bit longer? I said yes then had 2 contractions in a row on the phone and she said, actually I think you had better come in sweetie she told us to go straight to the birth suite.
Jon managed to get me dressed and into the car, the 40 minute journey was agony, I broke the handle above the passenger door gripping it! We arrived at the hospital at 2.50am and parked in the car park like earlier and it then took us 20 minutes to walk (the usually 2 minute walk) to the womens centre entrance. The door was locked so Jon pressed the buzzer and we were told we had to walk all the way round the building as we had come to the day entrance (strictly not to be used at night)!!!
Luckily a security man appeared and seeing me with my face against the wall in mid-contraction he let us in!
So we walked up to the birth unit via the lift which took about another 10 minutes. I remember three women coming to the door and saying sorry we are full we had to go back down to labour & delivery below (another 10 minute walk with several contraction stops).
I was taken into delivery room one with the head midwife (my community midwife told me after that they only do this when they are very busy). She checked me and I was 7cm. What I relief! I was so sure she would say I was 2cm and to go back home! They ran me a bath so I could be in water as per my birth plan, got me some gas & air and then the midwife disappeared for a bit. The gas helped me get through the contractions by having something to focus on, but didnt really reduce the pain any.
When the midwife came back she said that someone in the birth unit was having to be moved down to L&D so there was now room upstairs and a pool was being filled for me. She then looked at me as I had a contraction and said I dont think we are going to make it you are already involuntary pushing. She got me out and examined me and said the cervix had now completely gone.
Of course I could not give birth in the bath so had to stay on the bed, so I went on all fours leaning over the front of the bed which was definitely the best position for me. Babies heart beat then started to get a bit erratic, so they kept moving me around into different positions, I had leg in air, on my side, front, back, other side, she said this baby just cant decide which way she is happy.
I was doing well at pushing her out but due to the heart rate they decided she needed to come out faster so I would need assistance from the ventouse. Suddenly the bottom of the bed vanished, my legs were in stirrups and they injected me up inside twice with an anaesthetic; I can honestly say these injections were the most painful bit of the whole experience, Jon said it was the only time I screamed. Then the ventouse was on and 2 contractions later her head was out, then one more for her body. (I had expected the body to just slip out after the head but it actually felt like having another head come out.) Bree was put directly onto my chest.
One thing I didnt realise before was that you cannot have a physiological third stage if you have an assisted delivery, so although this was in my birth plan, the cord was clamped and a jab was in my leg before I realised, the placenta came out about 2 minutes later. I was a bit upset they clamped it so soon
but apparently it was necessary.
I had a small tear, slight second degree which was then stitched, I didnt feel this. Then it was lovely because everyone just disappeared. And left the 3 of us alone for about 20 minutes or so, it was just after the sun had come up and it was such a beautiful moment.
They then came back and weighed her, checked her over and put her under the heat light and Jon dressed her while I had a shower. We were then moved to the ward. I had to stay in until the next day because I had a high temperature (which cleared up by the next day) so Jon had to go home overnight.
I was surprised just how sore my nether regions were afterwards, I felt like I had been kicked in the tail bone 50 times and sitting down/getting up was very difficult for 2 days.
Thur 25th: For the first 24 hours after her birth it all felt so surreal, I was looking at her and just didnt believe she was mine, and felt like I didnt know what to do with her.
Then overnight I fed her which she took to really well, and changed 3 mecomium nappies in a row with nobody about (I have never changed a nappy in my life before).
Then I had this amazing moment, it was at 6.30am, exactly 24 hours after her birth, she was stirring so I got her up and was feeding her. I suddenly had a huge surge of love for her which was literally painful and from that moment I have been totally in love with her and she has definitely felt like mine!
Jon came back at 9am and all her checks were done etc then we were allowed to come home. We have had a wonderful time with her since.
For everyone waiting to give birth you are about to have the most amazing experience of your life, and whether you fall in love instantly or in a few days, you will know what love is!
Thank you for reading!
Photos: With Daddy in hospital/With Mummy in hospital a few hours after being born. The other 3 at home.
I love the last one with the bunny hat, she looks like she is smiling - happy bunny!
Our Birth Story
One of my friends put a comment on facebook that said Congratulations both on the safe arrival of your baby girl. Now you know what love is!!! Well how right she was.
Bree was due on 11th August and from 12th onwards I was having lots of on off spells of practice contractions and cramps but nothing else. I had an induction booked for 8am on Thursday 25th. Birth plan was to give birth in a pool in the midwife led birth unit with only gas & air.
Mon 22nd: Had a sweep at 3pm. About 2 hours after the sweep I started getting what I would describe as a heavy pulling feeling, I described it as like having weights hanging off my bump. This went on all night and with on off mild contractions.
Tue 23rd: Symptoms stopped in the morning, then in the afternoon started up again and I started getting a show. The contractions were getting more intense and painful now so I started timing them. By around 8pm they had been coming every 3 or 4 minutes for several hours and were lasting about 50 seconds each. They were pretty painful so we decided to go in and get checked (the hospital is about 40 minutes drive away).
Had to wait in the waiting room in triage for quite a while, contractions were getting more painful, by the time I got examined it was around 11pm. I was then told that I was only about half to one cm and in the latent phase of labour!!
They told us to go home, take paracetamol and get some sleep, and to come back on Thursday for the induction of it all stopped.On the journey home the contractions were getting more and more painful and I really couldnt talk through them any more, I thought I was being a total wimp! We stopped at a couple of places looking for paracetamol but couldnt get any so went to pick some up from Jons parents. By the time we got there I remember being in agony.
Wed 24th: We got home about 1am and Jon ran me a bath, I got in and by this point was having really painful contractions, right on top of each other, maybe 30 seconds to a minute apart. Jon was saying we have to get you back to hospital and I was insisting I wanted to stay at home because I was sure I was only about 1-2cm and being such a wimp (plus the thought of being in the car in this much pain was horrible).
Eventually Jon got me out of the bath, we phoned the birth suite who said do you think you could hang on at home for a bit longer? I said yes then had 2 contractions in a row on the phone and she said, actually I think you had better come in sweetie she told us to go straight to the birth suite.
Jon managed to get me dressed and into the car, the 40 minute journey was agony, I broke the handle above the passenger door gripping it! We arrived at the hospital at 2.50am and parked in the car park like earlier and it then took us 20 minutes to walk (the usually 2 minute walk) to the womens centre entrance. The door was locked so Jon pressed the buzzer and we were told we had to walk all the way round the building as we had come to the day entrance (strictly not to be used at night)!!!
Luckily a security man appeared and seeing me with my face against the wall in mid-contraction he let us in!So we walked up to the birth unit via the lift which took about another 10 minutes. I remember three women coming to the door and saying sorry we are full
we had to go back down to labour & delivery below (another 10 minute walk with several contraction stops).I was taken into delivery room one with the head midwife (my community midwife told me after that they only do this when they are very busy). She checked me and I was 7cm. What I relief! I was so sure she would say I was 2cm and to go back home! They ran me a bath so I could be in water as per my birth plan, got me some gas & air and then the midwife disappeared for a bit. The gas helped me get through the contractions by having something to focus on, but didnt really reduce the pain any.
When the midwife came back she said that someone in the birth unit was having to be moved down to L&D so there was now room upstairs and a pool was being filled for me. She then looked at me as I had a contraction and said I dont think we are going to make it you are already involuntary pushing. She got me out and examined me and said the cervix had now completely gone.
Of course I could not give birth in the bath so had to stay on the bed, so I went on all fours leaning over the front of the bed which was definitely the best position for me. Babies heart beat then started to get a bit erratic, so they kept moving me around into different positions, I had leg in air, on my side, front, back, other side, she said this baby just cant decide which way she is happy.
I was doing well at pushing her out but due to the heart rate they decided she needed to come out faster so I would need assistance from the ventouse. Suddenly the bottom of the bed vanished, my legs were in stirrups and they injected me up inside twice with an anaesthetic; I can honestly say these injections were the most painful bit of the whole experience, Jon said it was the only time I screamed. Then the ventouse was on and 2 contractions later her head was out, then one more for her body. (I had expected the body to just slip out after the head but it actually felt like having another head come out.) Bree was put directly onto my chest.
One thing I didnt realise before was that you cannot have a physiological third stage if you have an assisted delivery, so although this was in my birth plan, the cord was clamped and a jab was in my leg before I realised, the placenta came out about 2 minutes later. I was a bit upset they clamped it so soon
but apparently it was necessary.I had a small tear, slight second degree which was then stitched, I didnt feel this. Then it was lovely because everyone just disappeared. And left the 3 of us alone for about 20 minutes or so, it was just after the sun had come up and it was such a beautiful moment.
They then came back and weighed her, checked her over and put her under the heat light and Jon dressed her while I had a shower. We were then moved to the ward. I had to stay in until the next day because I had a high temperature (which cleared up by the next day) so Jon had to go home overnight.
I was surprised just how sore my nether regions were afterwards, I felt like I had been kicked in the tail bone 50 times and sitting down/getting up was very difficult for 2 days.
Thur 25th: For the first 24 hours after her birth it all felt so surreal, I was looking at her and just didnt believe she was mine, and felt like I didnt know what to do with her.
Then overnight I fed her which she took to really well, and changed 3 mecomium nappies in a row with nobody about (I have never changed a nappy in my life before).Then I had this amazing moment, it was at 6.30am, exactly 24 hours after her birth, she was stirring so I got her up and was feeding her. I suddenly had a huge surge of love for her which was literally painful and from that moment I have been totally in love with her and she has definitely felt like mine!
Jon came back at 9am and all her checks were done etc then we were allowed to come home. We have had a wonderful time with her since.
For everyone waiting to give birth you are about to have the most amazing experience of your life, and whether you fall in love instantly or in a few days, you will know what love is!
Thank you for reading!
Photos: With Daddy in hospital/With Mummy in hospital a few hours after being born. The other 3 at home.
I love the last one with the bunny hat, she looks like she is smiling - happy bunny!
xx
