KerryGold
Leila's Mum & cookin' Pip
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I woke on Thursday 2 June about 6 in the morning with intermittent period-type pains and backache and wondered if something was going on was wasn't too sure. I found a hot wheat bag helped through the pains and they came and went (in comparison to the irritable uterus pain, which was continual when it was there). I had a reflexology appointment in the afternoon to get things going but the therapist reckoned I might already be in labour. She worked me over thoroughly and within a couple of hours I was contracting. Who knows whether she made a difference or not. She made me feel optimistic and chilled though, which probably did help!
The proper contractions started at 4pm and I got on the TENS machine after 6pm. Later in the evening, I had a bath, but this seemed to make the contractions closer together and when I got out they went back further apart again
It was after 11pm when I decided to call the hospital. The contractions were about 6 mins apart at this stage. The woman I spoke to was really patronising. She told me that I was probably in what we call the latent phase and I really should stay at home unless I really couldnt cope. She told me we have been on the phone 6 mins I had not had a contaction. I told her I call her as soon as I had finished one. When I hung th ephone up, Wed been on less than 4 mins. WITCH! A couple of hours later and I told R that was it; I needed to get to the hospital. He says the contractions were more like 4 mins apart at this point so he called them back and said "We're coming!" He has since said that the car journey was the worst in his life. We had to stop 4 times for me to leap out and contract in the street!
After we parked at the hospital, R tried to rub my back to help me before we headed in through A&E but I yelled out Dont touch me! I think hes a bit scarred by that as there were people around!
I had to run in the loo in the A&E department and when I came out, a porter appeared with a wheelchair and offered to take me up to maternity. I have no idea what this man looked like as I never even saw his face but I could have kissed him! 
At maternity, things were busy. 2 other women arrived in labour within 10 mins of me. I was asked to give a urine sample and my waters went while I was on my way. I had to wait a long time. During this, I was sick 3 times and I couldnt lay down during the BP and baby checks etc. Obviously I had to, to get my cervix checked but she did it between contractions and was superfast and I was amazed as to how minor a procedure it was. I was 4-5cm dilated so they told me they would take me round to labour. This was about 2am. I asked if there was any chance of using the pool (knowing how busy they were) and they were like Oh? You want the pool? Sure, well get filling it! I was taken into the room with the fancy pool and disco ball. We hadnt seen it on the tour as it was in use. It was really nice, but I dont remember too much about it!
The pool seemed to take forever to fill. I was leaning over the side waiting. At one point my TENS seemed to stop working and R found an electrode had become detached, so colour me completely convinced of its efficacy from being entirely cynical before! All during this time, I was wondering why I wasnt being offered gas and air, but I couldnt really speak. As they told me we had to take the TENS off to get in the pool, I mustve said something and she offered Would you like to try to the gas? I was like YES! She told me they hadnt offered it earlier because of the vomiting. I found the gas a little tricky to use being asthmatic. I would feel I was running out of air before I really wanted to stop sucking on it. Sometimes I would have to have the pain of the end of the contraction so I could feel like I was breathing normally and when the contractions were really bad I sometimes took the mouthpiece out right in the middle to pant so quick breaths before getting back on it. I was really out of it but everything was manageable. Only for one fleeting second did the word epidural enter my head but as soon as it had appeared so did another contraction so my attention was back on that. I pooed in the pool. Three times I think. R says hell never look as our kitchen sieve in the same way now!
Time passed by. I have moments of clarity of seeing R looking over the pool at me, of changing positions and moving around. I seemed to get onto my knees for each contraction. I had my eyes closed mostly though. I would generally be sticking my hand out the water asking for gas or water and hoping R would stick the right thing into my hand! At some point, I started to feel like I was pushing. I couldnt control it. It relieved the pain of the contractions better than anything else. I felt as though I told the midwife several times that I felt like I was pushing. She kept reminding me that we didnt know how far dilated I was and she was worried I might be pushing too soon (i.e. still having a lip of cervix getting in the way) so kept telling me to try to pant through them. I agreed but knew that I couldnt. I couple of times I felt like I was losing it. I cried out I think. I remember both her and R kind of holding my hand/arm/head and telling me to keep calm and breathe deeply.
A little before 5am, the midwife started talking about needing to check my cervix again at 6am (4 hours after I was admitted) I said I dont want to still be feeling like this at 6am! Shortly before 5.30am she told me I had to get out of the pool to pee since I hadnt moved from the pool in over 3 hours. I agreed. But when I got to the edge of the pool, I just told them I couldnt do it. She told me that if I got out to pee, shed check my cervix now, while I was out, rather than doing it at 6am and making me get out again. I agreed and they helped me to the bathroom.
I sat on the loo and realised there was NO WAY I was going to be able to pee. Things felt kind of strange. I put my hand down between my legs (R says I did this several times) and I could feel something. I said Somethings coming out! She said "Some more of your waters?" I'm like "No, I think it's the baby!" I was crowning! Panic stations! The alarm was pressed (I vaguely remember hearing it, but didnt realise it was for me) and the midwife and Richard almost carried me back to the pool. The midwife then started telling me I was about to have my baby. With the next contraction the head kind of popped out. She then took the gas away from me and got me to think clearly. She told me with the next contraction the rest of the baby would be born. I would have to move backwards from my hands and knees and bring it up between my legs and left them out of the water so they could breathe. I planned for a natural third stage, so we would stay like that. She told me that I could not have the gas for this. When the next contraction came I started blindly reaching for the gas again and she reminded me that I wasnt having gas, I was getting my baby! The baby slipped out easily and I brought it up my front as instructed. R started crying. I sat there in the darkness looking at this little face looking up at me all wide eyed and quiet. R spoke to it and it turned to look at him. Clearly recognising his voice
The midwife said Do you know what youve got? I hadnt even looked! I didnt want to move them away from me even to look but I did and discovered that my 
bump was a beautiful 
bundle!
Leila May Parker was born at 5.45am on Friday 3 June weighing 8lb1oz.
We cuddled together quietly in the water for a while and a few minutes later, I delivered the placenta naturally. Throughout the labour, I had contracted/pushed out blood clots and then there was some blood when Leila and the placenta were delivered. Leila also pooed in the pool and after the midwife cut the cord to send the samples for my Rhesus tests, she splattered blood all up the side of the pool. R says the pool looked like a total gore fest!
I had a small second degree tear but it was not bleeding and although the doctor wanted to stitch me up the senior midwife said it was not compulsory so I declined. Leila did not cry at all until she had her vitamin K injection!
All in all, the birth was amazing. I still cannot believe that I managed to have the exact birth I hoped for. Use of the nice pool room, delivery in the water, natural third stage etc I felt so lucky
Weve had a few issues since though. The paediatricians have noticed that Leilas head is squashed on the right-hand side. She was obviously lying in the womb with all her weight on this point for some time. Her nose is bent over to the right. They said that its positional and will rectify itself; nothing structurally is wrong. We can already notice improvements though!
Weve had some issues with breastfeeding. Firstly, she was too sleepy and not interested at all, meaning I had to pump some colostrum for her and give it to her by syringe, then bottle. As my milk was starting to come in, we found out that Leila wasnt sucking hard enough to get what she needed and I didnt know it wasnt hard enough since I hadnt felt the suction before
She lost a lb by day 3 and had to go back into hospital for supervision. I think we might have cracked this now though so keep everything crossed for us.
While we were in the hospital one of the paediatricians detected a heart murmur. We were lucky enough to get her seen by a top specialist from Alderhey today who was at his clinic at our local hospital. The pulmonary valve in her heart is sticking so not opening sufficiently and she will need an operation to fix it. They will inflate a little balloon in the valve and open it up. Its a one-off thing and then will be fixed.
So, by day 5 of Mummyhood, Ive already been through quite a lot but I love my little girl so much!
Ill upload some pictures another time
xXx
Pics!
(Including 1 week PP bump)
The proper contractions started at 4pm and I got on the TENS machine after 6pm. Later in the evening, I had a bath, but this seemed to make the contractions closer together and when I got out they went back further apart again
It was after 11pm when I decided to call the hospital. The contractions were about 6 mins apart at this stage. The woman I spoke to was really patronising. She told me that I was probably in what we call the latent phase and I really should stay at home unless I really couldnt cope. She told me we have been on the phone 6 mins I had not had a contaction. I told her I call her as soon as I had finished one. When I hung th ephone up, Wed been on less than 4 mins. WITCH! A couple of hours later and I told R that was it; I needed to get to the hospital. He says the contractions were more like 4 mins apart at this point so he called them back and said "We're coming!" He has since said that the car journey was the worst in his life. We had to stop 4 times for me to leap out and contract in the street!After we parked at the hospital, R tried to rub my back to help me before we headed in through A&E but I yelled out Dont touch me! I think hes a bit scarred by that as there were people around!
I had to run in the loo in the A&E department and when I came out, a porter appeared with a wheelchair and offered to take me up to maternity. I have no idea what this man looked like as I never even saw his face but I could have kissed him! At maternity, things were busy. 2 other women arrived in labour within 10 mins of me. I was asked to give a urine sample and my waters went while I was on my way. I had to wait a long time. During this, I was sick 3 times and I couldnt lay down during the BP and baby checks etc. Obviously I had to, to get my cervix checked but she did it between contractions and was superfast and I was amazed as to how minor a procedure it was. I was 4-5cm dilated so they told me they would take me round to labour. This was about 2am. I asked if there was any chance of using the pool (knowing how busy they were) and they were like Oh? You want the pool? Sure, well get filling it! I was taken into the room with the fancy pool and disco ball. We hadnt seen it on the tour as it was in use. It was really nice, but I dont remember too much about it!
The pool seemed to take forever to fill. I was leaning over the side waiting. At one point my TENS seemed to stop working and R found an electrode had become detached, so colour me completely convinced of its efficacy from being entirely cynical before!
All during this time, I was wondering why I wasnt being offered gas and air, but I couldnt really speak. As they told me we had to take the TENS off to get in the pool, I mustve said something and she offered Would you like to try to the gas? I was like YES! She told me they hadnt offered it earlier because of the vomiting. I found the gas a little tricky to use being asthmatic. I would feel I was running out of air before I really wanted to stop sucking on it. Sometimes I would have to have the pain of the end of the contraction so I could feel like I was breathing normally and when the contractions were really bad I sometimes took the mouthpiece out right in the middle to pant so quick breaths before getting back on it. I was really out of it but everything was manageable. Only for one fleeting second did the word epidural enter my head but as soon as it had appeared so did another contraction so my attention was back on that. I pooed in the pool. Three times I think. R says hell never look as our kitchen sieve in the same way now! Time passed by. I have moments of clarity of seeing R looking over the pool at me, of changing positions and moving around. I seemed to get onto my knees for each contraction. I had my eyes closed mostly though. I would generally be sticking my hand out the water asking for gas or water and hoping R would stick the right thing into my hand! At some point, I started to feel like I was pushing. I couldnt control it. It relieved the pain of the contractions better than anything else. I felt as though I told the midwife several times that I felt like I was pushing. She kept reminding me that we didnt know how far dilated I was and she was worried I might be pushing too soon (i.e. still having a lip of cervix getting in the way) so kept telling me to try to pant through them. I agreed but knew that I couldnt. I couple of times I felt like I was losing it. I cried out I think. I remember both her and R kind of holding my hand/arm/head and telling me to keep calm and breathe deeply.
A little before 5am, the midwife started talking about needing to check my cervix again at 6am (4 hours after I was admitted) I said I dont want to still be feeling like this at 6am! Shortly before 5.30am she told me I had to get out of the pool to pee since I hadnt moved from the pool in over 3 hours. I agreed. But when I got to the edge of the pool, I just told them I couldnt do it. She told me that if I got out to pee, shed check my cervix now, while I was out, rather than doing it at 6am and making me get out again. I agreed and they helped me to the bathroom.
I sat on the loo and realised there was NO WAY I was going to be able to pee. Things felt kind of strange. I put my hand down between my legs (R says I did this several times) and I could feel something. I said Somethings coming out! She said "Some more of your waters?" I'm like "No, I think it's the baby!" I was crowning! Panic stations! The alarm was pressed (I vaguely remember hearing it, but didnt realise it was for me) and the midwife and Richard almost carried me back to the pool. The midwife then started telling me I was about to have my baby. With the next contraction the head kind of popped out. She then took the gas away from me and got me to think clearly. She told me with the next contraction the rest of the baby would be born. I would have to move backwards from my hands and knees and bring it up between my legs and left them out of the water so they could breathe. I planned for a natural third stage, so we would stay like that. She told me that I could not have the gas for this. When the next contraction came I started blindly reaching for the gas again and she reminded me that I wasnt having gas, I was getting my baby! The baby slipped out easily and I brought it up my front as instructed. R started crying. I sat there in the darkness looking at this little face looking up at me all wide eyed and quiet. R spoke to it and it turned to look at him. Clearly recognising his voice
The midwife said Do you know what youve got? I hadnt even looked! I didnt want to move them away from me even to look but I did and discovered that my bump was a beautiful bundle! Leila May Parker was born at 5.45am on Friday 3 June weighing 8lb1oz.
We cuddled together quietly in the water for a while and a few minutes later, I delivered the placenta naturally. Throughout the labour, I had contracted/pushed out blood clots and then there was some blood when Leila and the placenta were delivered. Leila also pooed in the pool and after the midwife cut the cord to send the samples for my Rhesus tests, she splattered blood all up the side of the pool. R says the pool looked like a total gore fest!
I had a small second degree tear but it was not bleeding and although the doctor wanted to stitch me up the senior midwife said it was not compulsory so I declined. Leila did not cry at all until she had her vitamin K injection!
All in all, the birth was amazing. I still cannot believe that I managed to have the exact birth I hoped for. Use of the nice pool room, delivery in the water, natural third stage etc I felt so lucky
Weve had a few issues since though. The paediatricians have noticed that Leilas head is squashed on the right-hand side. She was obviously lying in the womb with all her weight on this point for some time. Her nose is bent over to the right. They said that its positional and will rectify itself; nothing structurally is wrong. We can already notice improvements though!
Weve had some issues with breastfeeding. Firstly, she was too sleepy and not interested at all, meaning I had to pump some colostrum for her and give it to her by syringe, then bottle. As my milk was starting to come in, we found out that Leila wasnt sucking hard enough to get what she needed and I didnt know it wasnt hard enough since I hadnt felt the suction before
She lost a lb by day 3 and had to go back into hospital for supervision. I think we might have cracked this now though so keep everything crossed for us.While we were in the hospital one of the paediatricians detected a heart murmur. We were lucky enough to get her seen by a top specialist from Alderhey today who was at his clinic at our local hospital. The pulmonary valve in her heart is sticking so not opening sufficiently and she will need an operation to fix it. They will inflate a little balloon in the valve and open it up. Its a one-off thing and then will be fixed.
So, by day 5 of Mummyhood, Ive already been through quite a lot but I love my little girl so much!
Ill upload some pictures another time
xXx
Pics!
(Including 1 week PP bump)
congrats 
