kimmyjane84
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- Dec 6, 2007
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Firstly, I'd just like to say "thank-you" to everyone on here who supported me throughout my pregnancy and "sorry" for the fact that it's taken me so long to post-up my birth announcement/story...
As some of you will know, I had 3 different due dates:
* 4th December 08 - According to the date of my last period, cycle length etc.
* 7th December 08 - According to an emergency scan at about 7-8 weeks.
* 29th November 08 - According to my 14 week scan (which had to be used as the "official" due date).
Luckily everything had been pretty straight-forward during my pregnancy, so I'd just thought that the birth would be the same... However, things didn't go as planned at all!
For those that don't want to read the full story, Harry was born on Monday 15 December 08 at 11:29am. He was delivered by C-Section and weighed 8lbs 3oz. He was 53cm long.
**Photos at end of post**
For those that want all the details, please read on...
On 26th November I had my final appointment with my midwife, who sat down with me and put the final touches to my birth plan. I decided to go to the local midwife run unit for a water-birth. As the unit would only take me if everything was "low-risk" she suggested that I go to the hospital for a S&S the following week if little one hadn't made an appearance by then. This way, even if he was a little bit late I'd still be accepted at the unit.
On 29th November we moved house (although only across the road to a larger property), which I thought might kick start things as I was doing a lot of walking between the two houses. Plus it would have been sod's law that little one arrived right in the middle of us moving! But he decided to stay put. Therefore, I had the S&S on the Saturday (1 week late), but it didn't seem to make any difference at all. The midwife told me that little one still hadn't fully engaged, but that she could just about feel his head.
Over the next few days (and the days prior to my S&S) we tried everything we could to get things kick started, but no luck! Went back for a second S&S 4 days later. The midwife decided that it would be best to book me in to be induced on Saturday 13th December (2 weeks late) just in case the S&S didn't work, but I was still convinced that little one would probably arrive by then!
I was wrong... He stayed put right up to the morning of my induction! This meant that I had to go in for the induction and although it would be in the same hospital where the midwife run unit is based, I wouldn't be able to go to the unit OR have a water birth!
We had to be in the hospital at 7am to be induced and had only had about 4 hours sleep prior to this. They booked me in, took all of my details, showed me to a bed and linked me up to the monitors. After being there for a couple of hours they inserted the first of 2 pessaries and told me to go for a walk after another half hour linked up to the monitors. We went for a walk to the top of the multi-storey car park and back down again, to the local supermarket, to the cafe for a late breakfast and around the hospital grounds. My stomach and back were aching as if I had bad period pains, but I wasn't having any regular contractions.
After 6 hours they examined me to see if the pessary had started to work... Nothing!! I was about 0.5cm further dilated than I had been when the pessary was inserted. They decided to go ahead and insert the second pessary in the hope that it might work better than the first pessary had. I was linked back up to the monitors and although I started to have mild contractions, they weren't strong enough or regular enough. We went for another walk, had lunch, called family and friends to keep them up-to-date and returned after a further 6 hours to be examined again... Still nothing!! They decided to keep me in overnight, examine me again in the morning and go from there. Keith stayed with me overnight in a reclining chair next to the bed, but neither of us got much sleep.
The following morning we waited and waited for a consultant to see us and explain what would be happening next. Finally, at lunchtime, they told us that as things were no closer to starting "naturally" they would be moving me to the labour ward to have my waters broken and to be put on a drip... BUT, they didn't have any room on the labour ward, so we waited until 8pm to be moved...
Once on the labour ward there was more waiting until they tried to break my waters around 9pm. They managed to attach a small clip to the baby's head to monitor his heart rate etc, but there were no waters to be broken. By 11pm ish I was classed as being in "established labour" and within a couple of hours I decided that I needed some pain relief, so had an injection of diamorphine. This took the edge off of things and I was able to rest between contractions. I had 2 top-ups of the diamorphine, but they didn't work anywhere near as well as the initial dose. I also used the gas & air, but didn't get on too well with it, as I couldn't get the hang of breathing it in at the right time due to being so exhausted.
I got to 8cm dilated and started to feel as if I needed to push, but after about half an hour I'd gone back to only 6cm dilated! Little one was back-to-back and trying so desperately to get out that I'd just become swollen. A surgeon then came in and examined me. She explained that although I'd been doing really well, I'd now been in labour for around 10-11 hours and that there was no way little one was going to make it out on his own... I HAD to have a C-Section!!
I was taken to theatre and given a spinal block. Everyone was really lovely and made things as easy as they could for me. After what felt like ages laying on the operating table, the surgeon asked if I was ready to meet my son! I said yes and she lifted him above the screen on my chest so that I could see his head, shoulders and chest... He was blue and didn't cry, but he did spit a load of "gunk" in my face! The next thing I knew, he was gone. I laid there for ages think "why hasn't he cried yet?" and then the Paediatrician passed him to my husband to hold while I was being stitched-up. I was told that my blood count would need to be carefully monitored, as I'd lost 2 pints of blood during the C-Section... A 1/4 of the blood in my body!! But luckily all was OK and I narrowly missed having to have a blood transfusion!
We went back to the labour ward so that the spinal block could wear off. I stayed there until late that night and was then moved to the mother and baby ward, where I stayed until the Wednesday night.
My scar from the C-Section has healed well and I've had no problems since, which I'm really pleased with.
Although things didn't go as planned, I wouldn't change my little monkey for the world. I'm just soooooo glad he's finally here with us and that he's safe and well. Still can't quite believe that he's 3 months old on Sunday. Also can't believe I've spent 2 hours in-between feeding and crying and nappy changes typing this!!!
My big bump 26 Nov 08
https://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2662/50/73/512417521/n512417521_1976880_8344407.jpg
Harry - 1 hour old!! (Mobile phone pic - so not very good!)
https://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2237/50/73/512417521/n512417521_1847357_1349.jpg
Harry - 1 day old!!
https://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2237/50/73/512417521/n512417521_1847358_1640.jpg
Sleepy Harry
https://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2237/50/73/512417521/n512417521_1847371_4398.jpg
In the snow (February 09)
https://photos-d.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-snc1/v2237/50/73/512417521/n512417521_1873803_7116.jpg
On holiday in St Ives, Cornwall (February 09)
https://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2344/50/73/512417521/n512417521_1941338_43257.jpg
As some of you will know, I had 3 different due dates:
* 4th December 08 - According to the date of my last period, cycle length etc.
* 7th December 08 - According to an emergency scan at about 7-8 weeks.
* 29th November 08 - According to my 14 week scan (which had to be used as the "official" due date).
Luckily everything had been pretty straight-forward during my pregnancy, so I'd just thought that the birth would be the same... However, things didn't go as planned at all!
For those that don't want to read the full story, Harry was born on Monday 15 December 08 at 11:29am. He was delivered by C-Section and weighed 8lbs 3oz. He was 53cm long.
**Photos at end of post**
For those that want all the details, please read on...
On 26th November I had my final appointment with my midwife, who sat down with me and put the final touches to my birth plan. I decided to go to the local midwife run unit for a water-birth. As the unit would only take me if everything was "low-risk" she suggested that I go to the hospital for a S&S the following week if little one hadn't made an appearance by then. This way, even if he was a little bit late I'd still be accepted at the unit.
On 29th November we moved house (although only across the road to a larger property), which I thought might kick start things as I was doing a lot of walking between the two houses. Plus it would have been sod's law that little one arrived right in the middle of us moving! But he decided to stay put. Therefore, I had the S&S on the Saturday (1 week late), but it didn't seem to make any difference at all. The midwife told me that little one still hadn't fully engaged, but that she could just about feel his head.
Over the next few days (and the days prior to my S&S) we tried everything we could to get things kick started, but no luck! Went back for a second S&S 4 days later. The midwife decided that it would be best to book me in to be induced on Saturday 13th December (2 weeks late) just in case the S&S didn't work, but I was still convinced that little one would probably arrive by then!
I was wrong... He stayed put right up to the morning of my induction! This meant that I had to go in for the induction and although it would be in the same hospital where the midwife run unit is based, I wouldn't be able to go to the unit OR have a water birth!
We had to be in the hospital at 7am to be induced and had only had about 4 hours sleep prior to this. They booked me in, took all of my details, showed me to a bed and linked me up to the monitors. After being there for a couple of hours they inserted the first of 2 pessaries and told me to go for a walk after another half hour linked up to the monitors. We went for a walk to the top of the multi-storey car park and back down again, to the local supermarket, to the cafe for a late breakfast and around the hospital grounds. My stomach and back were aching as if I had bad period pains, but I wasn't having any regular contractions.
After 6 hours they examined me to see if the pessary had started to work... Nothing!! I was about 0.5cm further dilated than I had been when the pessary was inserted. They decided to go ahead and insert the second pessary in the hope that it might work better than the first pessary had. I was linked back up to the monitors and although I started to have mild contractions, they weren't strong enough or regular enough. We went for another walk, had lunch, called family and friends to keep them up-to-date and returned after a further 6 hours to be examined again... Still nothing!! They decided to keep me in overnight, examine me again in the morning and go from there. Keith stayed with me overnight in a reclining chair next to the bed, but neither of us got much sleep.
The following morning we waited and waited for a consultant to see us and explain what would be happening next. Finally, at lunchtime, they told us that as things were no closer to starting "naturally" they would be moving me to the labour ward to have my waters broken and to be put on a drip... BUT, they didn't have any room on the labour ward, so we waited until 8pm to be moved...
Once on the labour ward there was more waiting until they tried to break my waters around 9pm. They managed to attach a small clip to the baby's head to monitor his heart rate etc, but there were no waters to be broken. By 11pm ish I was classed as being in "established labour" and within a couple of hours I decided that I needed some pain relief, so had an injection of diamorphine. This took the edge off of things and I was able to rest between contractions. I had 2 top-ups of the diamorphine, but they didn't work anywhere near as well as the initial dose. I also used the gas & air, but didn't get on too well with it, as I couldn't get the hang of breathing it in at the right time due to being so exhausted.
I got to 8cm dilated and started to feel as if I needed to push, but after about half an hour I'd gone back to only 6cm dilated! Little one was back-to-back and trying so desperately to get out that I'd just become swollen. A surgeon then came in and examined me. She explained that although I'd been doing really well, I'd now been in labour for around 10-11 hours and that there was no way little one was going to make it out on his own... I HAD to have a C-Section!!
I was taken to theatre and given a spinal block. Everyone was really lovely and made things as easy as they could for me. After what felt like ages laying on the operating table, the surgeon asked if I was ready to meet my son! I said yes and she lifted him above the screen on my chest so that I could see his head, shoulders and chest... He was blue and didn't cry, but he did spit a load of "gunk" in my face! The next thing I knew, he was gone. I laid there for ages think "why hasn't he cried yet?" and then the Paediatrician passed him to my husband to hold while I was being stitched-up. I was told that my blood count would need to be carefully monitored, as I'd lost 2 pints of blood during the C-Section... A 1/4 of the blood in my body!! But luckily all was OK and I narrowly missed having to have a blood transfusion!
We went back to the labour ward so that the spinal block could wear off. I stayed there until late that night and was then moved to the mother and baby ward, where I stayed until the Wednesday night.
My scar from the C-Section has healed well and I've had no problems since, which I'm really pleased with.
Although things didn't go as planned, I wouldn't change my little monkey for the world. I'm just soooooo glad he's finally here with us and that he's safe and well. Still can't quite believe that he's 3 months old on Sunday. Also can't believe I've spent 2 hours in-between feeding and crying and nappy changes typing this!!!
My big bump 26 Nov 08
https://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2662/50/73/512417521/n512417521_1976880_8344407.jpg
Harry - 1 hour old!! (Mobile phone pic - so not very good!)
https://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2237/50/73/512417521/n512417521_1847357_1349.jpg
Harry - 1 day old!!
https://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2237/50/73/512417521/n512417521_1847358_1640.jpg
Sleepy Harry
https://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2237/50/73/512417521/n512417521_1847371_4398.jpg
In the snow (February 09)
https://photos-d.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-snc1/v2237/50/73/512417521/n512417521_1873803_7116.jpg
On holiday in St Ives, Cornwall (February 09)
https://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2344/50/73/512417521/n512417521_1941338_43257.jpg
Congrats hun 
