belle254
Mummy to Evie and Ollie!
- Joined
- Sep 25, 2009
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Announcing the arrival of my second child, the gorgeous Oliver Jack, born at home at 40+3 (same as his sister!) weighing a whopping 9lb 7oz (compared to his sister who was 6lbs 12oz at the same gestation!) 
We had a planned home birth like with my DD, and he was delivered by my mum (who is also a midwife) and her fantastic colleague.
Pregnancy was low risk and normal just like with his sister, apart from the fact he'd been measuring slightly big all along. However, as I'm naturally a 'petite' person and my first born weighed a normal 6lbs 12 we didn't worry too much about the size of him. Kind of wish we had now!
Started having strong braxton hicks on the Saturday night, about 8.30pm. Didn't think anything of it until 10.30, when I went to bed, and found I couldn't lie still through them any more. Downloaded a timer app and they were coming every 4 minutes roughly, for a minute each time, or longer. They stayed that way pretty much the whole time, apart from an hour before the end!
Bounced on my birthing ball drinking lucozade until midnight, when I rang my sister and the father of the babies (we separated 4 months previously but were still on ok terms- we both wanted him there). Both headed straight over. I rang the local midwifery team and asked for someone to come out to check me over and more importantly, bring the gas and air. I think everyone was kind of expecting this labour to go quickly, which didn't really happen.
Midwife #2 came out and assessed me as 2cm and progressing slowly. She dropped off the gas and air, watched me for half an hour, declared me to not be in established labour yet and left to go back home/to the birth centre.
Things continued like this (contractions every 4 mins, 1-2 mins in length) all the way through until about 8am. I was losing it by the this point, none of us had had any sleep since Friday night and I didn't feel like it was progressing. Hadn't used the gas and air so had coped with my ball and lucozade and codeine until then.
Out of desperation i asked my mum to examine me and she put me at a stretchy 4cm! So things were progressing, albeit slowly.
Just after she examined me my waters burst and exploded all over the bed and the carpet, and carried on dripping for ages. Things got a bit hazy from this time, and the contractions ramped up completely, I started on the gas and air, another midwife had to be called (change of shift) and we were in my bedroom which was not the best place for a home birth, but I sure as hell wasn't considering moving rooms at that point!
As it was day time my 12 month old was awake and being looked after by her dad downstairs. The second midwife examined me at 9/9.30 put me at 7cm. Shortly after I felt the need to push and mum and her colleague were flying around trying to get the room set up with protective covers down at the same time as calling for the FOB to come up and swap with my sister, who was going to look after my DD downstairs. About 10am I started pushing properly and this is where it got a bit scary.
I managed to push most of his head (was pretty out of it on gas at this point) And heard my mum say, right, you need to push as hard as you can now, and I heard the change of tone in her voice so tried my best. Less than a minute later they took the gas off of me and said they needed me to be lucid to concentrate, and said something about a 'McRoberts' manoeuvre and flipped me onto my back and asked me to pull me legs back to get in a better position. A few pushes later and his body was born, a bit shocked but happy and healthy.
Later found out that because Ollie was on the bigger size he had a slight shoulder dystocia which meant he was stuck with most of his head out. If it wasn't for my mums quick thinking and moving me around I dread to think what would have happened, but it really made me realise what these midwives are trained for! It's not all about the antenatals and home vists etc, they are medically trained for situations like these, which is hugely reassuring, and why I chose home births to begin with
and of course being in the comfort of my own home.
We were all cleaned up, fed, and in bed asleep by midday/lunchtime.
Ollie fed like a champ at first, albeit with a large tongue tie. We are in the middle of sorting it out with the hospital, and expressing until then.
A slightly eventful but positive home birth, again would recommened them to anyone! x
We had a planned home birth like with my DD, and he was delivered by my mum (who is also a midwife) and her fantastic colleague.
Pregnancy was low risk and normal just like with his sister, apart from the fact he'd been measuring slightly big all along. However, as I'm naturally a 'petite' person and my first born weighed a normal 6lbs 12 we didn't worry too much about the size of him. Kind of wish we had now!
Started having strong braxton hicks on the Saturday night, about 8.30pm. Didn't think anything of it until 10.30, when I went to bed, and found I couldn't lie still through them any more. Downloaded a timer app and they were coming every 4 minutes roughly, for a minute each time, or longer. They stayed that way pretty much the whole time, apart from an hour before the end!
Bounced on my birthing ball drinking lucozade until midnight, when I rang my sister and the father of the babies (we separated 4 months previously but were still on ok terms- we both wanted him there). Both headed straight over. I rang the local midwifery team and asked for someone to come out to check me over and more importantly, bring the gas and air. I think everyone was kind of expecting this labour to go quickly, which didn't really happen.
Midwife #2 came out and assessed me as 2cm and progressing slowly. She dropped off the gas and air, watched me for half an hour, declared me to not be in established labour yet and left to go back home/to the birth centre.
Things continued like this (contractions every 4 mins, 1-2 mins in length) all the way through until about 8am. I was losing it by the this point, none of us had had any sleep since Friday night and I didn't feel like it was progressing. Hadn't used the gas and air so had coped with my ball and lucozade and codeine until then.
Out of desperation i asked my mum to examine me and she put me at a stretchy 4cm! So things were progressing, albeit slowly.
Just after she examined me my waters burst and exploded all over the bed and the carpet, and carried on dripping for ages. Things got a bit hazy from this time, and the contractions ramped up completely, I started on the gas and air, another midwife had to be called (change of shift) and we were in my bedroom which was not the best place for a home birth, but I sure as hell wasn't considering moving rooms at that point!
As it was day time my 12 month old was awake and being looked after by her dad downstairs. The second midwife examined me at 9/9.30 put me at 7cm. Shortly after I felt the need to push and mum and her colleague were flying around trying to get the room set up with protective covers down at the same time as calling for the FOB to come up and swap with my sister, who was going to look after my DD downstairs. About 10am I started pushing properly and this is where it got a bit scary.
I managed to push most of his head (was pretty out of it on gas at this point) And heard my mum say, right, you need to push as hard as you can now, and I heard the change of tone in her voice so tried my best. Less than a minute later they took the gas off of me and said they needed me to be lucid to concentrate, and said something about a 'McRoberts' manoeuvre and flipped me onto my back and asked me to pull me legs back to get in a better position. A few pushes later and his body was born, a bit shocked but happy and healthy.
Later found out that because Ollie was on the bigger size he had a slight shoulder dystocia which meant he was stuck with most of his head out. If it wasn't for my mums quick thinking and moving me around I dread to think what would have happened, but it really made me realise what these midwives are trained for! It's not all about the antenatals and home vists etc, they are medically trained for situations like these, which is hugely reassuring, and why I chose home births to begin with
and of course being in the comfort of my own home.We were all cleaned up, fed, and in bed asleep by midday/lunchtime.
Ollie fed like a champ at first, albeit with a large tongue tie. We are in the middle of sorting it out with the hospital, and expressing until then.
A slightly eventful but positive home birth, again would recommened them to anyone! x
