L
Lena
Guest
My son Nathan Richard was born yesterday at 9:28am, 4 days early and weighs 8lbs, 9oz. His birth story below.https://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p125/chrissy7184/DSCF1153.jpg
I was just sat up in bed watching television around 10:30pm on the 29th June and all the sudden my water broke without any twinge of a contraction or anything. So we rang the hospital and they said to come in so we calmly as we could gathered our stuff and off we went. Since i wasn't really contracting that much they said it might be best if i go home for a few hours and get some sleep and come back in. I told them I didn't want to do that and would feel more comfortable staying in the hospital just in case so they got me my own room on the maternity floor. Thank goodness it was my own room because within about 2 hours, I was moaning and making 'owww, owww, owww' noises every few minutes because the contractions started. Then around 3:30am i called the midwife and told her I wanted her to check me and see how far along I was and they said checking me, they risk infection and that i would have to go to the delivery ward if i wanted painkillers and to be checked. So i said 'well bring me there and get me something for the pain' so off we went (at this point i was having my contractions every 2-3 minutes and they were lasting about 1 minute each).
The midwife checked me at 4am, i was only 2cm dilated (your 10cm when your ready to have the baby) and she said you had to be 3cm or more to get anything for the pain. So they only gave me some paracethemol type stuff and told me to try and sleep. I didn't sleep at all. Contractions got so much worse and i kept begging them to check me again but they said they could only check every 4hours so i had to wait til 8am. Around 7am i was saying 'i need to push, i feel like i need to push, pleasssseeee check me' so they gave me some gas and air (which is basically just oxygen, checked me, and i was 8cm now... and too far along to get any pain relief!!! Gahhh. I didn't want an epidural but i wanted some pethadine which is a really strong shot they can give you for the pain (only side effect is it would make me and Nathan drowsey so i would have trouble pushing and he would come out sleepy and possibly have trouble feeding right away, so in hindsite, im glad i didn't get it). So i had to do it without anything really for the pain. I had a TENs machine but that was absolute rubbish! It did absolutely nothing for the pain. I started pushing around 7:30 i think and boy was i a screamer! I must have scared anyone half to death that was on the labor ward that morning. Chris was amazing and sooo encouraging and held my hand the whole way through (think i nearly broke his hand a few times). The midwives delivering the baby were soooo nice and really knowledgeable and helped me get the baby out quickly with minimal tearing and at 9:28 Nathan was born.
I did have a 2nd degree tear and needed some stitches, which I was really worried about happening before the labor (was really scared of stitches and tearing) but after pushing him out it really wasnt that bad. Chris just held Nathan next to me when they stitched me up and I didn't even really care what they were doing. I was just looking at my little boy. Plus, i was high on gas & air so it was all good. I'm hobbling around a bit today and a bit sore, but it wasnt as bad as I expected.
When i was in labor i thought it was the worse pain i've ever had in my entire life but now that it is over, looking back i think I had a relatively easy, quick labor, especially compared to some of the stories my friends told me. The midwives were all surprised he came out as fast as he did. Nate is also feeding really well (breastfeeding) and as soon as he came out even while they were stitching me up he was just looking at me as chris was holding him, opening and closing his mouth wanting to eat... hah. He's a hungry little boy.
We came home from the hospital yesterday evening because me and Nathan were both doing well. The hospital said it was up to me and I could stay as long as i wanted. but, i was really tired and had been awake for 36 hours and if i had slept on the ward, i would have been there with other women and crying babies in the same room and Chris wouldn't have been able to sleep there so i would be on my own to do everything (diaper changes, feeding, burping, cuddling) when i was really tired. So we came home, I had a nap and chris spent some time with Nate and then we all went to sleep. He woke up a few times in the night for feeding and cuddling, but overall I think we all got about 6 hours last night which really isn't too bad for a newborn. He's sleeping now and only seems to cry when he actually wants something so far and not just for the heck of it, which I'm pleased about.
I think Raspberry Leaf Tea definately sped along my labor. Also, my biggest piece of advice to anyone is, use a birthing stool! When your in labor the last thing you want to do is move from the bed, but once I got on that birthing stool, he was out within 15 or 20 mins. Its a stool they'll have at the hospital, your OH sits behind you and you lean against them and it has a hole in the middle which baby exits through. Gravity is really on your side when your on one of those!
All the best to all the new and soon to be mommies!
I was just sat up in bed watching television around 10:30pm on the 29th June and all the sudden my water broke without any twinge of a contraction or anything. So we rang the hospital and they said to come in so we calmly as we could gathered our stuff and off we went. Since i wasn't really contracting that much they said it might be best if i go home for a few hours and get some sleep and come back in. I told them I didn't want to do that and would feel more comfortable staying in the hospital just in case so they got me my own room on the maternity floor. Thank goodness it was my own room because within about 2 hours, I was moaning and making 'owww, owww, owww' noises every few minutes because the contractions started. Then around 3:30am i called the midwife and told her I wanted her to check me and see how far along I was and they said checking me, they risk infection and that i would have to go to the delivery ward if i wanted painkillers and to be checked. So i said 'well bring me there and get me something for the pain' so off we went (at this point i was having my contractions every 2-3 minutes and they were lasting about 1 minute each).
The midwife checked me at 4am, i was only 2cm dilated (your 10cm when your ready to have the baby) and she said you had to be 3cm or more to get anything for the pain. So they only gave me some paracethemol type stuff and told me to try and sleep. I didn't sleep at all. Contractions got so much worse and i kept begging them to check me again but they said they could only check every 4hours so i had to wait til 8am. Around 7am i was saying 'i need to push, i feel like i need to push, pleasssseeee check me' so they gave me some gas and air (which is basically just oxygen, checked me, and i was 8cm now... and too far along to get any pain relief!!! Gahhh. I didn't want an epidural but i wanted some pethadine which is a really strong shot they can give you for the pain (only side effect is it would make me and Nathan drowsey so i would have trouble pushing and he would come out sleepy and possibly have trouble feeding right away, so in hindsite, im glad i didn't get it). So i had to do it without anything really for the pain. I had a TENs machine but that was absolute rubbish! It did absolutely nothing for the pain. I started pushing around 7:30 i think and boy was i a screamer! I must have scared anyone half to death that was on the labor ward that morning. Chris was amazing and sooo encouraging and held my hand the whole way through (think i nearly broke his hand a few times). The midwives delivering the baby were soooo nice and really knowledgeable and helped me get the baby out quickly with minimal tearing and at 9:28 Nathan was born.
I did have a 2nd degree tear and needed some stitches, which I was really worried about happening before the labor (was really scared of stitches and tearing) but after pushing him out it really wasnt that bad. Chris just held Nathan next to me when they stitched me up and I didn't even really care what they were doing. I was just looking at my little boy. Plus, i was high on gas & air so it was all good. I'm hobbling around a bit today and a bit sore, but it wasnt as bad as I expected.
When i was in labor i thought it was the worse pain i've ever had in my entire life but now that it is over, looking back i think I had a relatively easy, quick labor, especially compared to some of the stories my friends told me. The midwives were all surprised he came out as fast as he did. Nate is also feeding really well (breastfeeding) and as soon as he came out even while they were stitching me up he was just looking at me as chris was holding him, opening and closing his mouth wanting to eat... hah. He's a hungry little boy.
We came home from the hospital yesterday evening because me and Nathan were both doing well. The hospital said it was up to me and I could stay as long as i wanted. but, i was really tired and had been awake for 36 hours and if i had slept on the ward, i would have been there with other women and crying babies in the same room and Chris wouldn't have been able to sleep there so i would be on my own to do everything (diaper changes, feeding, burping, cuddling) when i was really tired. So we came home, I had a nap and chris spent some time with Nate and then we all went to sleep. He woke up a few times in the night for feeding and cuddling, but overall I think we all got about 6 hours last night which really isn't too bad for a newborn. He's sleeping now and only seems to cry when he actually wants something so far and not just for the heck of it, which I'm pleased about.
I think Raspberry Leaf Tea definately sped along my labor. Also, my biggest piece of advice to anyone is, use a birthing stool! When your in labor the last thing you want to do is move from the bed, but once I got on that birthing stool, he was out within 15 or 20 mins. Its a stool they'll have at the hospital, your OH sits behind you and you lean against them and it has a hole in the middle which baby exits through. Gravity is really on your side when your on one of those!
All the best to all the new and soon to be mommies!
glad your all doing well hunni congratulations on your beautiful little bundle of joy x
