Esmè Alexandra entered the world on Tuesday 7th January 2014 at 13.31pm weighing 8lb10oz. A little background first. Id had a good labour with ds but had suffered a 3rd degree tear. This time I was offered a section but declined. I had had the epidural last time and this time was really hoping to have a waterbirth with only gas and air so I could push more effectively. Id been advised only to labour in the water and get out for delivery so the midwife's could watch me more closely for signs of tearing.
Id been having braxton hicks for a few weeks but on the saturday evening they were coming every 5 mins or so for the whole evening. I did start to wonder if it was the start of something but I managed to sleep through the night so assumed they were still bh. They continued all day sunday but were irregular and mild. However sunday night I woke up several times through the night because they were starting to get more painful. Monday morning they were still there so I decided to call triage .They told me that it sounded like early labour and to wait and see if they got stronger and longer. I went to town with my mum and sister, more to take my mind of things and get some walking in than anything else, but managed to fit a bit of last minute baby shopping in lol. When we got home I put ds to bed and decided to to some last minute jobs around the house. This started to make the contractions very painful and I called DH to come home from work and my mum to say ds would be staying there that night as I felt it would happen through the night.
Around 8pm I called l & d to let them know labour had started and to see if the pool was free. They told me to come in and be assessed and even though I was pretty sure I was no where near yet I went down as wanted to get a better idea of what was happening. Was told I was 3cm but wasn't in established labour yet, so to go home and try and sleep and hopefully would be ready to go back in the morning. By around 1230am the contractions really intensified and felt I needed to go back. This time I was 7cm and had bulging membranes. I was sent to delivery suite and was put on the fetal monitor while they ran the pool and baby was looking good .I used the pool for a few hours and it did really help with the pain but I couldn't get comfortable especially during a contraction so decided to get out. The midwife told me she would examine me at 6 and if my waters hadn't gone she would break them and that she thought baby would be born not much after. However when I was examined I was still only 7cm and baby was still very high. The midwife broke my waters and she thought that would really help baby move down and put more pressure on the cervix. There was meconium in the waters so had a mini panic about the monitors as i really didn't want to stay strapped to bed like with ds. The midwife was great I was put on a wireless monitor so I could still move around. They were going to re check me at 8am and as the time got nearer I knew I wasn't close enough as I wasn't feeling enough pressure. Sure enough I was still only 7cm and baby was still high. They got a doctor to examine me and baby was lying back to back and with her head trying to come down at a funny angle so the biggest part of her head was coming first. The doctor kind of panicked me now talking about an assisted delivery and c-sections. They really wanted me to go on a drip to try and kick start labour. The contractions were already excruciating and I was finding it hard to keep in control through contractions. I decided to take the drip and get the epidural at the same time. Getting the epidural was the hardest part by far, trying to lie still while they administrated it was hell but the relief was amazing. Once the epi set in I got really upset as id been doing so well on the gas and air, I felt really disappointed in myself and knew labour was now going to end in the same way as last time, on the bed not been able to push that well.
I was given 2 hours for the drip to work and at 1230 I was examined and was finally 10cm but told baby was still high and presenting at the wrong angle. I was told I could push for an hour and then they would get the doctor in. The beginning of pushing I had a little panic I felt for sure it wasn't going to work, I was screaming at the midwife I was going to die and to send me for a section. The midwife and DH were fab and calmed me down. After about 10mins of panic I really focused on pushing and after around 45mins of pushing, esmè was born at 13.31pm, screaming and blue but beautiful and amazing. She was put straight on my for skin to skin and the emotion and relief was amazing.
I did tear but not as bad as last time and I don't regret my decision to try for a natural labour. I did feel disapointed at first that things didn't go to plan, but having my beautiful daughter in my arms makes it all worth it.
We have since had a few issues with breastfeeding and ended up back in hospital due to a big weight loss. But were home now and feeding seems to be going well. She's back up to 7lb 15oz and getting re weighed today. Hopefully wont be too long before she's back to birth weight. But everything else has been amazing and just enjoying time with my new little family.
A few mins old
https://i1057.photobucket.com/albums/t383/lizziemgm/Mobile%20Uploads/2014-01/20140107_133929_zpsxwn5caua.jpg
Meeting her brother for the first time
https://i1057.photobucket.com/albums/t383/lizziemgm/Mobile%20Uploads/2014-01/IMG_861979601188_zpssfpov8wr.jpeg
coming home
https://i1057.photobucket.com/albums/t383/lizziemgm/Mobile%20Uploads/2014-01/20140109_143101_zps30mk3wpw.jpg
now at a week old
https://i1057.photobucket.com/albums/t383/lizziemgm/Mobile%20Uploads/2014-01/20140113_101420_zpsx7mwcjeh.jpg
Id been having braxton hicks for a few weeks but on the saturday evening they were coming every 5 mins or so for the whole evening. I did start to wonder if it was the start of something but I managed to sleep through the night so assumed they were still bh. They continued all day sunday but were irregular and mild. However sunday night I woke up several times through the night because they were starting to get more painful. Monday morning they were still there so I decided to call triage .They told me that it sounded like early labour and to wait and see if they got stronger and longer. I went to town with my mum and sister, more to take my mind of things and get some walking in than anything else, but managed to fit a bit of last minute baby shopping in lol. When we got home I put ds to bed and decided to to some last minute jobs around the house. This started to make the contractions very painful and I called DH to come home from work and my mum to say ds would be staying there that night as I felt it would happen through the night.
Around 8pm I called l & d to let them know labour had started and to see if the pool was free. They told me to come in and be assessed and even though I was pretty sure I was no where near yet I went down as wanted to get a better idea of what was happening. Was told I was 3cm but wasn't in established labour yet, so to go home and try and sleep and hopefully would be ready to go back in the morning. By around 1230am the contractions really intensified and felt I needed to go back. This time I was 7cm and had bulging membranes. I was sent to delivery suite and was put on the fetal monitor while they ran the pool and baby was looking good .I used the pool for a few hours and it did really help with the pain but I couldn't get comfortable especially during a contraction so decided to get out. The midwife told me she would examine me at 6 and if my waters hadn't gone she would break them and that she thought baby would be born not much after. However when I was examined I was still only 7cm and baby was still very high. The midwife broke my waters and she thought that would really help baby move down and put more pressure on the cervix. There was meconium in the waters so had a mini panic about the monitors as i really didn't want to stay strapped to bed like with ds. The midwife was great I was put on a wireless monitor so I could still move around. They were going to re check me at 8am and as the time got nearer I knew I wasn't close enough as I wasn't feeling enough pressure. Sure enough I was still only 7cm and baby was still high. They got a doctor to examine me and baby was lying back to back and with her head trying to come down at a funny angle so the biggest part of her head was coming first. The doctor kind of panicked me now talking about an assisted delivery and c-sections. They really wanted me to go on a drip to try and kick start labour. The contractions were already excruciating and I was finding it hard to keep in control through contractions. I decided to take the drip and get the epidural at the same time. Getting the epidural was the hardest part by far, trying to lie still while they administrated it was hell but the relief was amazing. Once the epi set in I got really upset as id been doing so well on the gas and air, I felt really disappointed in myself and knew labour was now going to end in the same way as last time, on the bed not been able to push that well.
I was given 2 hours for the drip to work and at 1230 I was examined and was finally 10cm but told baby was still high and presenting at the wrong angle. I was told I could push for an hour and then they would get the doctor in. The beginning of pushing I had a little panic I felt for sure it wasn't going to work, I was screaming at the midwife I was going to die and to send me for a section. The midwife and DH were fab and calmed me down. After about 10mins of panic I really focused on pushing and after around 45mins of pushing, esmè was born at 13.31pm, screaming and blue but beautiful and amazing. She was put straight on my for skin to skin and the emotion and relief was amazing.
I did tear but not as bad as last time and I don't regret my decision to try for a natural labour. I did feel disapointed at first that things didn't go to plan, but having my beautiful daughter in my arms makes it all worth it.
We have since had a few issues with breastfeeding and ended up back in hospital due to a big weight loss. But were home now and feeding seems to be going well. She's back up to 7lb 15oz and getting re weighed today. Hopefully wont be too long before she's back to birth weight. But everything else has been amazing and just enjoying time with my new little family.
A few mins old
https://i1057.photobucket.com/albums/t383/lizziemgm/Mobile%20Uploads/2014-01/20140107_133929_zpsxwn5caua.jpg
Meeting her brother for the first time
https://i1057.photobucket.com/albums/t383/lizziemgm/Mobile%20Uploads/2014-01/IMG_861979601188_zpssfpov8wr.jpeg
coming home
https://i1057.photobucket.com/albums/t383/lizziemgm/Mobile%20Uploads/2014-01/20140109_143101_zps30mk3wpw.jpg
now at a week old
https://i1057.photobucket.com/albums/t383/lizziemgm/Mobile%20Uploads/2014-01/20140113_101420_zpsx7mwcjeh.jpg
