caro103
Alex and Eddie's Mummy
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So as my EDD approached for the birth of my second baby and yellow bump I was eagerly wanting to go into labour! I had lots of signs that it might be imminent for a couple of weeks before the birth but non of them lead to anything. As Id gone 8 days over with my first born I wasnt overly surprised to reach my EDD this time.
So it all started Sunday 14.7.13 on my EDD my midwife (also a friend since she delivered my son) asked my permission to do a sweep. As Id had so many twinges and the baby was laying back to back I agreed to see if we could get things started. I felt like I was about to go all week and wondered if the babys position was preventing things properly kicking off.
So she did the sweep about 11am, said I was pretty favourable and about 2cm, which as Id already had a baby, wasnt indicating I was in labour. A few hours later I was pretty sure something was starting to happen. We went for a walk and to the park with our son. I was getting irregular tightenings and had a bloody show. I really thought things would get moving once Alex was in bed, however instead things fizzled out overnight! Much to both my mum (also a midwife and 2nd on call for me) and midwifes frustration as both had had a terrible nights sleep as they knew I was niggling, oops!
So come 7am my midwife sent me a text to ask what was happening, I advised still niggling but nothing overly regular , she was at work that day so agreed to come and assess me again. About 10am she appeared, checked me again and did another quick sweep, she said there were loads of changes over night and I was now 3-4cm dilated, however still not in established labour, but she would keep in touch. As the day went on I continued to have mild contractions and found it harder and harder to keep my toddler entertained, but still not really what Id call labour. Around 1pm I decided Id put the tens machine on as I was getting a little uncomfortable and let my midwife know things had progressed enough to need this as pain relief.
At about 4pm my midwife phoned me, I advised things were getting stronger but I was fine and Id let her know when I felt I needed her. I also asked my father in law to come and collect Alex as I really felt his presence was hindering things going properly. Then only 30mins later I decided I needed to know whether things were really progressing or whether it was all in my head, otherwise I somehow needed to relax and wait for proper labour to kick in.
So 5pm my midwife assessed me again, said I was now 4-5cm and getting there however still not in established labour!! But decided shed go home, have a shower and dinner then touch base in an hour, knowing with second babies things can get going quite quickly. Anyway while she was still with me and Alex had gone to his granddads I started contracting more and more, so she whizzed off, then about 1 hour later phoned me and although I was still coping easily I said to come back as I was starting to feel like Id like to use the pool. When I had my first baby once I got in the pool I really relaxed and let me body do its thing and I could feel I was resisting the contractions while not in water again.
So she reappeared around 7pm, I said I wanted to get in the pool, so she re-assessed me around 7.30pm ish, said I was now 7-8cm! I was very surprised as really I was still easily breathing through the contractions with just the tens on! And they were only coming around every 3-4mins still at this point, I could hold a 100% coherent conversation between them.
I got in the pool and she said shed call my mum as she is second midwife and now I was 7-8cm it was about time she came. I was so surprised, as last time my mum got called when I was totally out of it with the pain. My mum arrived within minutes and I was fully talking to her and laughing saying I looked like a fraud! We were a little concerned the contractions had totally stopped since getting in the pool, however decided to wait it out a little longer, after about 10-15mins they started up again, so it was obviously the excitement of being told I was so far along, getting in the pool and having the second midwife called out!
After this the contractions ramped up a little and I asked for gas and air, I find I can really then zone out of the pain and relax through the contractions. Very quickly I felt pressure in my bum, but kept resisting it and just riding through the contractions.
Then all of a sudden both my midwife and my mum leaped into action, with she sounds pushy, and Id not realised but was at the point of pushing, they then said it might just be the membranes pushing through causing the pressure sensation, I was sure it wasnt just the membranes and was kind of gutted to be told that all this pressure might just be membranes. I was asked to move from me knees leaning over the pool to upright but facing the other way as the midwife couldnt see and was encouraged to go with my body, not push but pant (not that I had much choice by this point as it was just doing its own thing!), and next thing I know is membranes have burst and a babys head it out!
This is where I remember it being a bit funny, bearing in mind I was there with a babys head out, I said something along the lines of I think I tore again, you naughty boy or girl, my midwife thought I was asking whether it was a boy or a girl, so we had a brief and mini chat that she didnt know yet as only the head was there and I was like I know that, thats not what I meant... lol! Anyway its very odd and amazing to reach down and touch your childs head as their being born, I never got to experience that with my first as he arrived back to back and got a bit stuck so by the time I shifted him head and body came out all in one contraction.
So this time I waited for the next contraction then birthed the shoulders and body, the midwife passed the baby to me where I looked down to find we had another little boy
. He was born at 21.55 with only a 5 minute second stage!
We cuddled and had skin to skin while waiting for the cord to stop pulsating, but I have to say I felt really uncomfortable and stingy down below so kind of wanted to get out the pool. Therefore we forgot to take family pictures...that Ill always regret! But theres a few of me immediately post birth holding the baby so at least we got those. We realised in all the excitement of finding out the babys gender that Id not told them what his name was going to be so my mum prompted me, (shed been keen to know our choices for ages but wed not say
), announced his name was Edward Stirling .
By this point I felt really uncomfortable so wanted to get out the pool. The cord stopped pulsating after about 10 minutes, so the midwife clamped the cord and Dan got to cut it, which he willingly did so I could get out the pool and deliver the placenta.
I wanted a natural third stage so I laid on the sofa and I think baby Edward got given to Daddy for a quick cuddle while the midwife also had a quick look at the tear. I have to say I felt horribly uncomfortable down below and really quite crampy. The midwife asked if I felt like I needed to push, and so tried gently and the placenta just slipped out, probably about only 3 minutes after getting out the pool! I felt much better after this.
Baby Edward came back to me for more skin to skin and his first feed (or this might have happened before the placenta, I cant remember!!). As Id had a water birth we needed to wait an hour to be stitched so we just laid on she sofa, I gave Edward a feed and just enjoyed having done it , plus everyone got stuck into the biscuits Id bought and we all had tea!
I then passed Edward to his Daddy while my midwife assessed and stitched me up. I have another 2nd degree tear and lots of swelling, unfortunately the same point went that went with my first son, but she assured me it didnt look quite so bad this time and I have to say now being 4 days in I definitely feel less sore than I did with Alex.
Edward was weighed at some point, he was 7lb 11.5oz, which shocked me as Alex had been 8lbs 9oz, who says second babies are bigger!
Once stitched up I had a shower, got given more tea and toast in bed while feeding Edward again and we were all tucked up into bed. I think my midwife and my mum left at around 1am. My mum and Dan even managed to get the pool emptied before we came to bed so we didnt have to deal with the nasty post birth smell the next morning. Nor explain why my older son couldnt go in the pool when he arrived home!
Our first night went well, Edward slept quite a lot and woke around 7.30am, I did struggle a little with getting him latched initially but that seems to have mostly resolved now. His big brother came home from Grandads about 8.45am and got to say a quick hello before going to nursery for the day, he was thrilled to meet him.
Id do it all again in a heartbeat and think was talking about having number three whilst still in the birth pool, much to Dans horror.
Edward Stiring T, born 15.7.13 21.55, 7lb 11.5oz
Sorry about the slightly glazed eyes and the length of the story! xx
So it all started Sunday 14.7.13 on my EDD my midwife (also a friend since she delivered my son) asked my permission to do a sweep. As Id had so many twinges and the baby was laying back to back I agreed to see if we could get things started. I felt like I was about to go all week and wondered if the babys position was preventing things properly kicking off.
So she did the sweep about 11am, said I was pretty favourable and about 2cm, which as Id already had a baby, wasnt indicating I was in labour. A few hours later I was pretty sure something was starting to happen. We went for a walk and to the park with our son. I was getting irregular tightenings and had a bloody show. I really thought things would get moving once Alex was in bed, however instead things fizzled out overnight! Much to both my mum (also a midwife and 2nd on call for me) and midwifes frustration as both had had a terrible nights sleep as they knew I was niggling, oops!
So come 7am my midwife sent me a text to ask what was happening, I advised still niggling but nothing overly regular , she was at work that day so agreed to come and assess me again. About 10am she appeared, checked me again and did another quick sweep, she said there were loads of changes over night and I was now 3-4cm dilated, however still not in established labour, but she would keep in touch. As the day went on I continued to have mild contractions and found it harder and harder to keep my toddler entertained, but still not really what Id call labour. Around 1pm I decided Id put the tens machine on as I was getting a little uncomfortable and let my midwife know things had progressed enough to need this as pain relief.
At about 4pm my midwife phoned me, I advised things were getting stronger but I was fine and Id let her know when I felt I needed her. I also asked my father in law to come and collect Alex as I really felt his presence was hindering things going properly. Then only 30mins later I decided I needed to know whether things were really progressing or whether it was all in my head, otherwise I somehow needed to relax and wait for proper labour to kick in.
So 5pm my midwife assessed me again, said I was now 4-5cm and getting there however still not in established labour!! But decided shed go home, have a shower and dinner then touch base in an hour, knowing with second babies things can get going quite quickly. Anyway while she was still with me and Alex had gone to his granddads I started contracting more and more, so she whizzed off, then about 1 hour later phoned me and although I was still coping easily I said to come back as I was starting to feel like Id like to use the pool. When I had my first baby once I got in the pool I really relaxed and let me body do its thing and I could feel I was resisting the contractions while not in water again.
So she reappeared around 7pm, I said I wanted to get in the pool, so she re-assessed me around 7.30pm ish, said I was now 7-8cm! I was very surprised as really I was still easily breathing through the contractions with just the tens on! And they were only coming around every 3-4mins still at this point, I could hold a 100% coherent conversation between them.
I got in the pool and she said shed call my mum as she is second midwife and now I was 7-8cm it was about time she came. I was so surprised, as last time my mum got called when I was totally out of it with the pain. My mum arrived within minutes and I was fully talking to her and laughing saying I looked like a fraud! We were a little concerned the contractions had totally stopped since getting in the pool, however decided to wait it out a little longer, after about 10-15mins they started up again, so it was obviously the excitement of being told I was so far along, getting in the pool and having the second midwife called out!
After this the contractions ramped up a little and I asked for gas and air, I find I can really then zone out of the pain and relax through the contractions. Very quickly I felt pressure in my bum, but kept resisting it and just riding through the contractions.
Then all of a sudden both my midwife and my mum leaped into action, with she sounds pushy, and Id not realised but was at the point of pushing, they then said it might just be the membranes pushing through causing the pressure sensation, I was sure it wasnt just the membranes and was kind of gutted to be told that all this pressure might just be membranes. I was asked to move from me knees leaning over the pool to upright but facing the other way as the midwife couldnt see and was encouraged to go with my body, not push but pant (not that I had much choice by this point as it was just doing its own thing!), and next thing I know is membranes have burst and a babys head it out!
This is where I remember it being a bit funny, bearing in mind I was there with a babys head out, I said something along the lines of I think I tore again, you naughty boy or girl, my midwife thought I was asking whether it was a boy or a girl, so we had a brief and mini chat that she didnt know yet as only the head was there and I was like I know that, thats not what I meant... lol! Anyway its very odd and amazing to reach down and touch your childs head as their being born, I never got to experience that with my first as he arrived back to back and got a bit stuck so by the time I shifted him head and body came out all in one contraction.
So this time I waited for the next contraction then birthed the shoulders and body, the midwife passed the baby to me where I looked down to find we had another little boy
. He was born at 21.55 with only a 5 minute second stage!We cuddled and had skin to skin while waiting for the cord to stop pulsating, but I have to say I felt really uncomfortable and stingy down below so kind of wanted to get out the pool. Therefore we forgot to take family pictures...that Ill always regret! But theres a few of me immediately post birth holding the baby so at least we got those. We realised in all the excitement of finding out the babys gender that Id not told them what his name was going to be so my mum prompted me, (shed been keen to know our choices for ages but wed not say
), announced his name was Edward Stirling .By this point I felt really uncomfortable so wanted to get out the pool. The cord stopped pulsating after about 10 minutes, so the midwife clamped the cord and Dan got to cut it, which he willingly did so I could get out the pool and deliver the placenta.
I wanted a natural third stage so I laid on the sofa and I think baby Edward got given to Daddy for a quick cuddle while the midwife also had a quick look at the tear. I have to say I felt horribly uncomfortable down below and really quite crampy. The midwife asked if I felt like I needed to push, and so tried gently and the placenta just slipped out, probably about only 3 minutes after getting out the pool! I felt much better after this.
Baby Edward came back to me for more skin to skin and his first feed (or this might have happened before the placenta, I cant remember!!). As Id had a water birth we needed to wait an hour to be stitched so we just laid on she sofa, I gave Edward a feed and just enjoyed having done it , plus everyone got stuck into the biscuits Id bought and we all had tea!
I then passed Edward to his Daddy while my midwife assessed and stitched me up. I have another 2nd degree tear and lots of swelling, unfortunately the same point went that went with my first son, but she assured me it didnt look quite so bad this time and I have to say now being 4 days in I definitely feel less sore than I did with Alex.
Edward was weighed at some point, he was 7lb 11.5oz, which shocked me as Alex had been 8lbs 9oz, who says second babies are bigger!
Once stitched up I had a shower, got given more tea and toast in bed while feeding Edward again and we were all tucked up into bed. I think my midwife and my mum left at around 1am. My mum and Dan even managed to get the pool emptied before we came to bed so we didnt have to deal with the nasty post birth smell the next morning. Nor explain why my older son couldnt go in the pool when he arrived home!
Our first night went well, Edward slept quite a lot and woke around 7.30am, I did struggle a little with getting him latched initially but that seems to have mostly resolved now. His big brother came home from Grandads about 8.45am and got to say a quick hello before going to nursery for the day, he was thrilled to meet him.
Id do it all again in a heartbeat and think was talking about having number three whilst still in the birth pool, much to Dans horror
. Edward Stiring T, born 15.7.13 21.55, 7lb 11.5oz
Sorry about the slightly glazed eyes and the length of the story! xx
