Edie's Story, my pregnancy and birth journal copied from Facebook!

[Mrs Miggins]

As I have met many good friends on this site, and regularly update my ttc journal as I am trying (and struggling) to produce #2, I wanted to add my story of the best time of my life so far... by pregnancy and birth story from 2009, when I had my beautiful daughter. I wrote little journals on Facebook, and so I have copied and pasted these into this journal for anybody who may be interested to read it! Looking back, and knowing what I know now, and wht I have gone through since, I find the innocence both cringey and heartwarming. I'm not editing it though, as I want to share my thoughts exactly as they were when I wrote them. This first entry was written on May 11th 2009 and is called "End of the first Trimester"


Today feels like a bit of a milestone, so I thought I'd write down my thoughts. Casting my mind back to the day I found out I was pregnant, Sunday 8th of March. I had had an inkling from the Friday evening, but wanted to wait a while before doing a test. I'd never been pregnant before, so why should this month be any different? On the Saturday, Mark, Joe and I had one of our legendary days out, Hartlepool Maritime experience on this particular day. Felt as sick as a parrot in the car on the way up to Hartlepool which is not like me, and had quite strong cramping pains, but didn't want to read too much into it. Slept like a log in the car on the way home as well, which is also not common. Kept thinking, 'it's just PMT, nothing out of the ordinary.'
I was at work on the Sunday, and by this time I was thinking there really might be something, I was never this late so I bought a test. Rushed home and took the test, and before I had even finished weeing on the stick (sorry) there it was, a little blue cross in a tiny window. Blimey. The only person there to tell was Daphne, and she just sat there blinking at me. I don't think she fully realised the enormity of what I was trying to tell her. I'm not sure I did, in all honesty. I was going to Marks that evening, so I rang him and asked if I could come a bit earlier. I also ignored his request to bring wine. The first wine free night of so, so many!!! That night was spent mainly trying to get my head around this new stage of my life. We went to bed quite early, and as Mark slept I saw midninght, one, two, three, and four am. Went home the next morning and made my doctors appointment. I was so excited!! The doc was pleased for me as he knew I was hoping to become pregnant so that was nice. He gave me a book to read, sent my referral letter to the midwife to get me in the system, and got me to do a test to confirm the pregnancy as I was officially only 4 weeks pregnant, so it was very, very early days. After the docs, I skipped to Boots to buy myself some Bio Oil (I know, how previous of me!!)
Then home to cook tea for my Mum and break the happy news to her. She was delighted, and stunned, and overwhelmed, and I imagine many many more things. I did have to apologise to her for my appalling timing as my due date is right in the middle of the Soul in the Sun holiday - oops!!! She also announced that she needed a drink!! I made her a Bloody Mary while I had a Virgin Mary. We had a nice chat about the future, slowly getting our heads round the idea that everything, everything is going to change, but how fantastic it is going to be. I think she has forgiven me about Soul in the Sun!!
The following day, time to go to my Dads for tea and break the news to him, Linda and my sisters. That didn't really go as planned, I was hoping to tell them after tea, but my refusal of a can of lager caused such enormous uproar, that some explanation was required. Victoria was particularly demanding. "But Clairey, WHY don't you want a beer? What on earth is wrong???" Ok, Dad, how do you feel about being a Grandad? Dad didn't think I was being serious at first. "Are you preggers???" Becca squealed. "yip". Dad still didn't believe me, I had to point out that I would not play any practical joke that involved depriving myself of a drink. Poor Dad had to leave the room for a while to get his head round the situation and his impending Grandfatherhood, while Becca and Vix asked such questions as "Can I just clarify, Mark is the father isn't he" (Becca of course) and "Are you going to breast feed? Do you want a boy or a girl? Are you going to have the baby at Hull Royal? Because if you go to Castle Hill and there are complications you might have to be air lifted to Hul Royal?" (the ever practical Vix) (by the way.... AIR LIFTED????) Dad came back, refilled his wine glass (do you see a pattern emerging here?) and started to look pleased!!!
So that was the close family informed, and time to tell a few friends, Louise who I knew would be delighted for me as we had been talking about nothing but our ovulation cylces and pregnancy for about the last 4 months. Honestly, between the two of us we could get a first class degree in obstetrics. Beth and Lynne also had to be told, and Phil. Really, I wanted to shout it from the top of Beverley Minster with a megaphone, but I know you have to keep your trap shut for the first 12 weeks. Nightmare.
The Bettys (or the girls at the salon) were the next to be told, as they needed to know as they worked with me all the time - and to be fair they would have guessed anyway. The Tesco staff also had to know for the same reason, and then that was it for sharing the news for now.
A week later I was getting some weird pains down my left hand side, and I was quite worried so I went to the doctor, who very kindly reassured me, didn't make me feel like a hysterical time waster, and sent me on my way.
As I had found out I was pregnant so early, nothing really happens now until my first scan, which was booked for the 28th April. So I kept myself occupied by reading every pregnancy book and website I could get my mitts on. This was a mistake. As it turns out, I am very lucky. I am having a good pregnancy, I do not want to gip whenever I walk past a cup of coffee, I do not feel like I have been sucking a 2p piece for the last month or so, and I have not had a burning desire to eat coal, or Daphnes biscuits, or raw jelly, or anything out of the ordinary really. But reading all these books and forums, I imbibed all these horror stories about things like blighted ovums, and missed miscarriages and god knows what else and managed to nearly worry myself into an early grave. I thought that because I was not having all these symptoms I could not be pregnant. Never mind the fact that I still get car sick if I am in the car for longer than 15 minutes, I have gone up 3 bra sizes, I can't remember ANYTHING, am now incapable of making mashed potato, turn into a lunatic if I don't eat every 2 hours, and have not been able to have a cup of coffe or any Chinese food since the beginning of March. After poor Mark having to listen to me carping and whining, and poor Louise having to read endless text messages, I decided to stop reading the books and the forums. And suddenly, I feel better!! Until, that is, Tuesday 21st April. Again, I was afflicted with weird pains down the left hand side, and had woken up in the night with a really horrendous stomach pain. The pains on the Tuesday didn't seem to let up, and I was gettting more and more worried. Not wanting to go to the docs and look a prat again, I decided to ring NHS direct. After ascertaining that I had had abdominal pains and lower back pain, they told me to get myself to A&E quick as. So I rang Mark, he came back from work, and off to Hull Royal we went. We got there at 6pm, and after explaing everything god knows how many times, being told it could either be an ectopic pregnancy or apendicitis, and having to wee in a jug (oh, did I regret having asparagus for tea the night before) at about half past ten someone decided to send us up to ward 34, the gynae ward at the Womens and Childrens hospital. More waiting, more questions, and at nearly one in the morning, informed me they were keeping me in overnight. Oh poor, poor Mark. He had had nothing to eat, and been stuck in Hull Royal with me all this time. They fixed me up to a drip as I wasn't allowed to eat or drink, and put me in a bed in rather a nice little room, as it goes. They sent Mark away, and told him to ring up at 9am to find out what was going to happen to me. I slept like a log. The following morning, at ten to nine, they came and told me that at 9am the porter was going to take me down for my scan. I was both horrified at the fact that Mark was going to miss the scan, and sort of mind blown at the fact that it was going to happen then. I couldn't get my head round it at all, but I had to find out if our baby was ok. So I went down for the scan, the sonographer put the gel on my tummy, and turned the lights down,turned the screen towards me, and there it was. Waving his arms and legs around like mad, and looking more like a little baby than I ever imagined it would, was our baby. I soooooo wished Mark was there. I couldn't understand why the sonographer was so matter of fact about everything either. My baby was on a screen in front of us. For Gods sake, where was the drum roll, the choir singing Hallelujah, the 1812 Overture???? Has this woman no sense of occasion??? Anyway, she gave me a couple of pics, and off I toddled back up to the ward to wait for Mark. I couldn't wait to show him the first picture of our baby. I also found out I was a week further on than I though, and that I was just over 11 weeks, not 10 weeks as I had thought. More good news.
So, home, went to Louises for a cuppa and had a celebatory tea at the Green Dragon with my Mum. Scan out of the way, it meant we could tell other members of the family, Mark could tell Joe, and I am now officially pregnant. It felt fantastic.
So since then, I have had my booking appointment with the midwife, and decided that I am going to have the baby at Hull Royal. As much as I would love to have him at the Jubilee Centre at Castle Hill, I can't help feeling that if something went wrong at the last minute I would rather be where a doctor can get to me straight away. I can still go to Castle Hill for my aftercare, and my night in the Womens and Childrens hospital helped me to get over the fear I have had of Hull Royal since flinging myself down the stairs and being rushed in there in a bit of a state a few years ago. They were lovely on ward 34, and it is a nice place.
Finally, although I keep refering to my baby as 'He', I have no idea if it is a girl or a boy really, and we don't mind either way, it is just a hunch I have that it is a boy. We aren't going to find out at the 20 week scan.
So, here I am in the second trimester. This is the bit where the exhaustion is supposed to wear off, I am bouncing with health and vitality with glowing skin and a shiny coat, like a Pedigree Chum puppy, and can survive on 3 hours sleep a night. Bring it on. Poor Mark, and the poor Bettys have had to put up with me moaning and groaning about how bloody knackered I am for the last 9 weeks. Has it really only been 9 weeks? My life has changed already, and it's only going to change more! I'm so excited and so happy it is consuming, but I can't help it. I'm looking forward to getting a big fat bump now.........

 

[Mrs Miggins]

So there was my post for the end of the first trimester, here is the post about the end of the second trimester... Called "End of the Second Trimester...Those Little Kicks"


So, here I am at the beginning of the third trimester. I can't believe how quickly it has passed! At the end of my last note, I was looking forward to the tiredness subsiding and having the general 'Pedigree Chum puppy' shiny nose and coat that I had been promised. It didn't quite happen at 14 weeks as I had hoped, I continued to feel completely shattered all the time until I was probably about 20 weeks, but again, I really can't complain as for the most part I have felt fantastic. I over estimated how far I could walk without feeling like I wanted to collapse one Saturday walking around Farndale. We had a lovely holiday in Wiltshire in May, and although I felt shattered it was a brilliant week.
At around 15 weeks I felt the baby move for the first time which is just the best feeling ever. It was the faintest little flutter at first, and over the weeks has got stronger and stronger. At 16 weeks Mark and I saw the midwife, who put the doppler thingy on my tummy and we heard the heartbeat for the first time. The midwife said it may take a while to find, but it was there as soon as she put the thing on my tumy, nice and loud and strong.
The next milestone was the 20 week scan. This is the big one, when if you wish, you can discover the sex of your baby, but more importantly, find out if everything is developing as it should be. We saw the 4 chambers of the babys heart, its brain, kidneys, mouth, arms, legs, fingers and toes. As the sonographer showed us the baby, he flung out an arm and I felt it hit the inside of me, which was quite strange! He was wriggling around like a goodun, and then decided he had worn himself out and did a big yawn. It was the loveliest thing I have ever seen! And yes, we did resist the temptation to find out if it was a boy or a girl. Everybody is still adamant it is a boy... now- I'm not so sure.
The next big thing was moving out of my little house in Beverley and moving in with Mark. I hate moving house and I was a little sad to be moving out of my house on Beckside, but it is so lovely to be here with Mark, Joe and Bruce. (I'm not sure Daphne shares this sentiment.) We are starting to get the spare room sorted out for the baby and today I have been to Mamas and Papas and bought a few things to decorate the room. I'm getting so excited. I've bought a few clothes and I keep looking at them and imagining a little person inside them.
I'm also quite pleased to be starting my maternity leave from Tesco. A few weeks ago I started to find it impossible to stand behind the deli counter for 6 or 8 hour shifts, my back hurt, my hips hurt, my pelvis hurt and by the end of the shift I was shattered and miserable. I was able to cut my shifts down to 4 hour shifts which was lots better, and as I have worked for Tesco for 389 years, have so much holiday to take I had most of July off. I now only have one more shift to work, which is this Thursday evening, then a few more days holiday and then I start my maternity leave. I have another 7 weeks left to go at the salon before I finish there, which is no time at all really.
I have booked myself and Mark in for antenatal classes, which I know Mark is really looking forward to....... and I have also booked us in for a look round Castle Hill. Despite what I said in my first note, I have changed my mind and decided I want to have the baby at the Jubilee Centre at Castle Hill if I can. As I haven't had any complications so far it could be possible, but I will have to see how things progress. You can have the most detailed birth plan and want the most natural birth you can, but babies have their own ideas about how and when they want to come into the world! So, I'm just going to prepare to be unprepared.
The other amusing side effect of pregnancy, the famed 'Baby Brain' has not subsided either. I don't feel safe to go out on my own, I am constantly in a dream world (even more so than I usually am) and get so distracted. I have had to start relying very heavily on my diary. I am feeling like we are well on schedule for being ready for the baby though, I keep buying little bits and pieces, and then getting them home and giggling about them, in a slightly insane manner.
So, maternity leave sorted, antenatal classes sorted, nursery on it's way... when I first found out I was pregnant all this seemed like light years away. It's come round so so quickly I'm sure in a few weeks time the reality will hit me and I will go into a blind panic but at the moment I am so happy about everything I could burst. It helps that the pedigree chum effect is in full swing. I look suitably pregnant, so I get people making a fuss, which is just lovely. I am not yet so big that I can hardly move, which is also an advantage. I know I get tired if I stand for too long, or walk for too far, so I don't, and as a consequence of this I feel fantastic most of the time. Sometimes if I bend down too far I topple over or get stuck, which is funny. I feel like an upside down beetle. I'm sleeping really well too at the moment which is nice, although not so great for Mark, who now has to share his bed with me, the bump, and aproximately 38 pillows. I am however only allowed to sleep on my left hand side. Baby objects strongly if I attempt to sleep on my right hand side. So already I'm finding out who's boss. It also helps that Mark is being fantastic and this baby is going to have the most wonderful Daddy and big brother.
So, what will the third trimester bring? Very probably stretch marks, swollen ballooned feet, ankles, legs and face, even bigger boobs, and lots of waddling. And then I have to start worrying about labour!!! More of that next time... in the next few weeks I'm planning on keeping as busy as possible, I've got a couple of trips planned, I'm going away with my Mum, and going down to see Marks sister with him and Joe, and a visit to Huntingdon as well. I'm also going to see The Twang, 4 weeks before my due date. I doubt I'll be in the mosh pit.
So, on the home straight we are. I love my bump, love being pregnant, love my little family and couldn't be happier. And as for those little kicks...... what started off as a little fluttering is now capable of winding me. And if I can just continue to avoid those stretch marks........

 

[Mrs Miggins]

And here is the next, entitled "09-11-09 - any day now"
So, here we are, on my due date. Am I prowling around the house like a lioness looking for somewhere to give birth to my cub? Well, not quite, I am carefully planning what crops I am planting on Farmville. I would hate to go into labour and for all my crops to wither. Well, you have to be realistic about these things. Am I, however, getting mega impatient, absolutely dying to feel that big twinge that means things are moving and I have to start thinking about ringing the hospital, saying to Mark..."guess what?".. and throwing those few last minute things in the bag?... oh you betcha. Against all advice from Louise, I got myself all excited last week thinking the baby was going to turn up this weekend, just before the due date. It didn't help that I was convinced the midwife was trying to tell me on Friday that she thought I only had a couple of days to go. But still, never mind. Whatever happens, I know that in a matter of a few days, I will meet our son or daughter for the first time, and that thought absolutely BLOWS MY MIND. The little person that I have known is growing inside me since March, I have felt wriggling around inside me since May, who has given me carpal tunnel syndrome, the most enormous feet, hair bear bunch hair, and lord knows what else, is goign to be here very very soon. I cannot wait. The nursery is ready, and largely thanks to my Mum and Dad buying us lovely things, and Marks hard work, looks gorgeous. I have over the last few months been planning in my head how I wanted everything, and what we needed to get to be as ready and organised for this little person as we will ever be. And I think I'm there! We're loaded up with nappies, wipes, muslin squares, vests, babygros, little cardigans, hats, some of you will have seen the photos I put up of the washing on the line. It was at that point Mark realised I had well and truly lost the plot. But anyway, the fact is, physically we are as ready as we will ever be. Mentally, well. Like I said, the thought of meeting the baby and bringing him or her blows my mind, but in such a good way.
In my last note I wrote that I was making lots of plans, I did indeed have a lovely weekend away with Mum, with more early nights than usual, went down to Huntingdon to see Phil on his birthday and also saw Vicky, Dean, and their children and Leslie, which was fantastic. Didn't make it down to Marks sisters due to a poorly dog, who thankfully is now much better. Went to see the Twang, who were great and as predicted, I was not in the mosh pit. I've had 6 wonderful weeks so far of maternity leave, and it has been so nice to be able to rest, and do whatever I want, whether that is go shopping or lounge around the house all day. I have been doing quite a lot of the latter I must admit, and am becoming an expert at watching daytime tv. But what the hell, none of my shoes fit me. The last few weeks have seen it become impossible to sleep all the way through the night without getting up countless times to go to the loo (I'm sure getting up in the night is something I am about to become a lot more familiar with), or just waking up because it is impossible to turn overin bed without a winch. The Carpal Tunnel syndrome I have developed is horrible, I can't grip anything, my hands are all big and weird, and I wake up in the night with really numb hands which then tingle like mad. I'm told it will disappear a couple of weeks after I have the baby. In a weird way, I know I will miss being pregnant because I have enjoyed the experience so much, but now I am looking forward to the end result. The baby is apparently quite long, and all I can feel are feet in my ribs and head in my pelvis and it will be a relief to be more comfortable and to be able to bend down again. It will also be nice to be able to walk more than a mile or two without feeling totally pooped. Those little kicks I mentioned in the last note though, which turned into big hoofy kicks, and have now become wriggly squirms as the baby giraffe has run out of room, I shall miss feeling that. It has become part of me, as has sitting watching tv on the sofa with my top pulled over my bump so I can see my belly moving about.
But to conclude, I have at the very most, two weeks of pregnancy left. It's been a fantastic time, and I have had a brilliant time sharing it with my friends through good old facebook, thank you all for your interest, and lovely, helpful, supportive things that you have said over the last few months. It's been great writing these notes as well and I intend to keep them.
One last thing, in my last note I wrote that I was hoping to have the baby at Castle Hill. That isn't going to be possible as I carry a bacteria called Strep Group B. This is really, really common. It causes no harm to the person carrying it, yet if passed onto the baby during childbirth can cause serious illness. This can be prevented by giving two courses of antibiotics, intravenously, to the mother during labour. For some reason, Strep B is not routinely tested for in pregnancy. I only know I have it because it was picked up when I spent the night in Hull Womens and Childrens hospital when I was 11 weeks pregnant and they took some swabs then to see why I was getting pains. So the more people who know about it the better, and if you are planning to get pregnant, try to get tested. At least then if you know you carry it, you can plan to have the antibiotics. If I hadn't happened to have had those swabs taken, I would have no idea I carried this thing, I would have gone ahead and had the baby at the birth centre with no antibiotics, and possibly risked our babies life. It doesn't bear thinking about.
So Mum and Dad are constantly checking the phone and waiting for news, Mark is looking forward to a week off work, and I'm drinking raspberry leaf tea, having reflexology, trying to keep active (ok, not so much. But I took Bruce for a little walk this afternoon), and I had a vindaloo last night. Still no sign of Baby Green. He/she will turn up when they're good and ready I suppose. In the meantime, I just have to wait. And as for those stretch marks....... not one yet!

 

[Mrs Miggins]

And here is the birth story, entitled "Friday 13th November, Our lucky day" Again, bear in mind this was copied from Facebook and written for a slightly different audience!

Seeing as i kept updates on my pregnancy, it seemed fitting that I wrote a few words on how our beautiful daughter came into the world. For the benefit of my Dads mates, and anybody else who may be slightly squeamish, I'll try to keep the gory bits to a minimum. However, if you are of a nervous disposition, this might not be for you.

So, after my due date on Monday 9th November had come and gone, as much as I had promised myself I wouldn't, I really started to feel impatient and fed up. It's difficult not to, as Louise put it, it's like someone has promised you the present that you want the most in the world, and told you you can have it sometime in the next two weeks, but they won't tell you when. That, coupled with the fact that you are feeling huge and uncomfortable, nothing fits, you have to wake up ten times in the night to go to the loo, there are a pair of feet playing the xylophone on your ribs, and you keep getting these bloody Braxton Hicks contractions taunting you into thinking junior is making their way into the world any minute, does make you feel quite impatient. Kerris had told me to make the most of the last week or so, and I knew she was right, but I was getting quite fed up.

So, after a week or so of drinking the raspberry leaf tea, having Clary Sage baths, reflexology, hot curries, and being careful not to plant any crops on Farmville that might wither, I finally woke up at 5am on Friday morning feeling unmistakeable contractions. I knew this was it. Daphne seemed to sense something was going on too, she was being extra fussy. I lay there for an hour really calmly, looking at the clock, timing each contraction and the time passing between them. I didn't want to wake Mark up, I knew we could be in for a long day, and I just wanted to lie for an hour with my own thoughts and prepare myself mentally for what I was about to go through.

Marks alarm went off at 6, and I told him he wouldn't be going to work that day. I knew it could take hours and hours before I was ready to go into hospital, so we both tried to stay nice and calm, timing the contractions, and having a cup of tea. The contractions seemed to be fairly regular, every 5 minutes or so, so I made the call I had been looking forward to making for the last 8 months, to the labour ward.

The midwife I spoke to said she didn't think I was in established labour, so I was to have some breakfast, a nice bath, some paracetomols, and then when the contractions became 3 minutes apart, and a lot more uncomfortable, I should ring them back. It didn't take long, and the contractions were coming really quickly. I knew I needed to get to the hospital in good time as I needed to have 2 lots of antibiotics intravenously during labour to stop me from passing the Group B Strep infection to the baby. Also, it takes a good hour to get to the hospital from here.

I rang the labour ward again, and the midwife said ok, come in and they would check me out. So we put the suitcase in the car, I had optimistically done my hair and put my make up on (I don't know what I thought being in full blown labour was actually going to be like, but I fear I was hideously optimistic) and off we went to Hull Royal. An hour later, through the rush hour, we rolled up outside the hospital. We parked in the main car park as I was ok to walk across to the Women and Childrens Hospital, and left the case in the car as I didn't want to look a prat if we were sent home. In we went, got taken into a lovely room, and checked over by a midwife. Typically enough, my contractions all but stopped. The midwife said I was only 2cm dilated, and at this stage it could be another 2 days before I was in full labour, and the best thing for me to do would be to go home. I was really disappointed, and I think Mark was too but we tried to stay positive. We left the hospital, and as we were walking past the main hospital building I had a contraction that took my breath away. With hindsight, we should have gone back into the Woman and Childrens hospital there and then. The contractions started to get stronger and stronger on the way home (another hour!!), and by this time I was really quite uncomfortable.

We got home, and Mark made us a sausage sandwich while I sat doubled over some cushions on the sofa watching Eammon sodding Holmes on This Morning. The contractions were getting overwhelmingly strong, and I knew this was the real deal. The nice gentle contractions I had woken up with felt like a tickle compared to this. Mark ran me a nice hot bath, which I climbed into. It did relieve the pain quite well, and then all of a sudden I was overwhelmed by the most enormous urge to get out of the bath. I didn't know why I had to get out of the bath so badly, I just did. At that point, I really needed to go to the loo, and then my waters broke. I won't go into it, but that was the weirdest thing. Almost straight after, I was violently sick. Poor Mark was looking more than slightly concerned at this point, and I think he was telling me to ring the hospital again. I rang them, and I don't think I made much sense apart from wailing about my waters having broken. I was told to get back there straight away. Mark came back, and I was still wailing, asking him how the hell we were going to get me to the hospital in the state that I was in. Mark said there was only one way to get me there, and helped me get dressed and into the car. The make up I had put on at 7am was now all over my face. Did I care? No.

Another hour in the car, speed bumps in Leconfield, and absolutely MONSTROUS contractions coming every minute or so. That was the longest journey of my life. As we were driving through Hull through every contraction I buried my face in the sleeve of Marks big puffa jacket. Passers by must have wondered what the hel was going on. Worst of all, I could feel things moving downwards and at one point I thought "Oh my God I'm going to have this baby, I'm going to give birth down Spring Bank, that was not in my birth plan.". We got back to the hospital, this time we didn't park in the main car park, we parked right outside the Women and Childrens hospital. We left the case in the car again, not because we thought we might get sent home but because we didn't have time to be faffing about with any case.

I got out of the car and could hardly walk. A nurse outside offered to get me a wheelchair, but I didn't want that either. I'd been sat in the car for an hour and that was enough. We staggered back up to the labour ward, where we were met by a vision in blue, the lovely Jo who was to be our midwife. She took me to a delivery room, and I felt a lot more comfortable staright away. Don't get me wrong, I was still in sheer bloody agony, but I was a lot happier. I had vowed I didn't want an epidural, but at this point I was starting to ask for Pethadine. I didn't think I could handle the pain any more. Jo told me I had to be examined and then I could have some pain relief, and in the meantime gave me gas and air. Gas and air is marvellous stuff! It sent me a bit high but really took the edge off the pain. Someone appeared to give me my antibiotic drip, finally, and I was examined again and told I was fully dilated this time and ready to push the baby out. This came as no suprise to me, I knew the baby was nearly here, I had spent the last half hour trying to keep it in!

Another midwife had appeared from somewhere, and they were both telling me to push. At this point, partly due to the gas and air, and partly due to total madness, I had decided that I didn't want to push the baby out. Jo was trying to encourage me, telling me she could see the baby's head and there was lots of lovely dark hair. The other midwife was telling me to put my chin to my chest, take a good puff on the gas and air, and push hard. However, I had other ideas. I very calmly informed them that actually, no. That babies head was much too big to fit through that gap, so no, thank you very much, I wouldn't be pushing it out. It was like I was taking my ball and going home. Anyway, another painful contraction was enough to cure this madness, so I pushed. And yes, it hurt. But I won't go into that.

Another push later, and there was the baby. Mark was at my side. I asked if it was the boy I had been so convinced I was having, and was told no, it was a little girl. I can now admit that I was over the bloody moon. I had secretly been hoping for a girl, but you can't ever say that can you? We decided to call her Edie, then chose Violet for a middle name. Edie was put on my tummy and I couldn't believe how beautiful she was. Mark cut the cord and I was shown how to feed her. I have never felt so euphoric in my life. Then she was wrapped up and taken to be chacked over, and then to her Daddy for a cuddle. She was chewing her fingers and wringing her hands, something she still does all the time. While all this was going on I had to deliver the placenta, and then have stitches. I had been told that you are so overwhelmed by the baby you don't feel the stitches. This is a lie.

Then, time to give everyone the happy news. I rang my Mum, who was actually at the hospital. As soon as she knew I was in labour she couldn't concentrate at work so she had come along to wait. Then my dad, who was shocked as I had told him I had been sent home, but had been in no fit state to tell him I was back in the hospital and in labour, so he hadn't even realised what was going on. He said this was a good thing, as it had spared him a lot of worry. Then Mark rang Joe, text messages were sent, I rang the salon to tell the Bettys the good news, and Facebook was updated. Then the good wishes started coming in, and it was all a bit of a blur from then on. Mum was allowed into the delivery room to see us, and because it was a long time before the midwife got my notes done and I was taken down to the ward, Joe, Linda and my Dad were allowed in too. It was a bit hectic but it was fantastic. Just after I had had Edie, Jo and the other midwife told us that Jo was newly qualified, and Edie was the first baby she had delivered as a qualified midwife, which we thought was so lovely.

And then eventually everyone went, and it was just me and my new baby daughter. I felt on top of the world, I was lucky to have such a quick labour, and there was no complications, and I just felt fantastic. I still couldn't quite believe I was a Mum, and I had such a gorgeous baby girl. It was everything I had hoped for and more. Truly the best day of my life.

Because my labour had been so quick, they hadn't had time to get the two doses of antibiotics in me that I needed so Edie had to be given them. This meant staying in the hospital for 3 nights at least, so she could have antibiotics twice a day. She had to have a little canula in her hand bless her. We also had to be sure that she hadn't picked up the Group B Strep so she had to have swabs and bloods taken, and they had to come back clear before we could leave the hospital. On Monday we got the results back, they were negative. Edie was fine and could go home which was such good news.

Despite my reservations about Hull Women and Childrens hospital I have to say they were wonderful and I enjoyed our stay in there. I felt I had a really positive experience there and have such happy memories of the day my beautiful, perfect daughter was born.

 

[Mrs Miggins]

So there we have it, my journey into Mummyhood. Hard to believe now this all took place 3 years ago. I hope very much to be writing another pregnancy and birth journal soon.

 

[pinksmarties]

That is so lovely, I am more of an emotional wreck now than I normally am after reading all that. I can't wait to for you to go through all that again, very soon.

 

[Mrs Miggins]

Thanks Pink. I'm so glad I wrote it all at the time. With hindsight I wouldn't be so vocal on facebook, but I am pleased I still have it.

 

[SmallTownUSA]

Thank you so much for sharing! It was nice to read your whole story!

 

[Mrs Miggins]

Thank you! Seems like such a long time ago and also just like yesterday!

 

[filipenko32]

Awwwwww mrs migg I'm glad they told you that midwife was newly qualified after the delivery!! And Edie IS so beautiful! I have seen her picture . Thanks for sharing your story but I am an emotional wreck now!

 

[Mrs Miggins]

Thank you! I'm going to add some photos I think. I'm so glad I wrote it all, I can remember it but reading it back now brings back the memories in technicolour. Oh I want to do it all again!!

 

[filipenko32]

You will!!! You definitely will! I think you'll have a boy next!

 

[Mrs Miggins]

Not sure I'd know what to do with one of those!!

 

[filipenko32]

I know, they have 'funny' bits!!!

 

[Mrs Miggins]

Funny bits! Ha ha!!
Right here come the pics....
https://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r232/daphnetiger/8948dbc8.jpg
Ready to pop!
https://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r232/daphnetiger/8225fab7.jpg
Swaddled and about an hour old.
https://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r232/daphnetiger/5398d88d.jpg
Gazing in wonderment - I couldn't believe she was mine!

 

[Mrs Miggins]

https://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r232/daphnetiger/20e75537.jpg
Aw, just aw.
https://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r232/daphnetiger/20a4f967.jpg
Mummy!! Who's this funny man!!!
https://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r232/daphnetiger/a2bda0d9.jpg
Crinkly feet.
https://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r232/daphnetiger/657b4442.jpg
Now my beautiful baby is my beautiful little girl.

 

[pinksmarties]

Can't see any pics?

 

[Mrs Miggins]

Can't you?? Can you see the captions?

 

[Mrs Miggins]

I can see them.. can anyone else?

 

[girlinyork]

I see them. They're really lovely