ChocolateKate
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Hello,
I'm delighted to announce the safe arrival of Polly Susan Elizabeth, who was born at 11.31pm weighing 5lb 10 ounces on Friday 26th August 2011.
When pregnant, I found these birth stories really interesting and useful so I hope this helps someone. *Prior to labour I was terrified of the unknown and extremely worried about the pain and I can quite honestly say that it wasn't that bad and I would do it all again in a heartbeat. *It also goes without saying that we're over the moon with the safe arrival of little Polly and are completely in love. *Even if I was allowed to get any sleep I'm not sure I would as I just want to stare at her all day and night.
I started having contractions at around 5am on Friday morning. *I couldn't sleep through them so I got up and although they were coming quite regularly they went very painful. *I sent my husband off to work and at 10-ish they completely stopped. *Was gutted. *Around midday though we were back in action and they started to hurt quite a bit, coming around once every seven mins. *At half one I had flung myself over my birthing ball, was trying to half concentrate on Sex And The City and called OH begging him to get home. Come 4pm we'd called the birthing centre once and I was screaming at my OH to ring them again and to take me in. *He was so strict with me but I knew we'd end up hitting Friday night rush hour. *I had my TENS machine on (have NO idea if it did anything) and was really breathing through the three minute contractions and in a lot of pain.
We got to the centre around half five and I was examined. *I was quite upset when they told me I was only 2-3cm as I really didn't want to get sent home. *I felt so much more in control just having the medical professionals around me as I'd been getting a little bit scared at home. *There were no other ladies labouring, the pool was free and they said it was fine for me to stay in and they'd monitor me every four hours. If I hadn't progressed at 10pm then I'd be sent home. *Had a nice room with just mats, a ball, a beanbag and a chair. *We could set up our own music (you should have seen my face when the midwife offered me a Wet Wet Wet CD!) and I started to try the gas and air. *I'd already been sick twice in pain so was worried I wouldn't like this but I tried a bit and it was amazing. *
The midwife suggested I try a bath and so I got in around 9pm. I carried on with the gas and air in there and then I heard this massive pop which scared the living daylights out of me. *I screamed at my OH to get the midwife as there was lots of blood and I convinced myself I'd had a placenta abruption (I read too much in pregnancy), in fact it was just my waters and my show which looked a lot worse than normal in water!
Got out the bath at 9.30pm and I was telling the midwife I needed to push and when would she examine me again. *She agreed to do it before finishing her shift but she was laughing at me because I don't think she thought I was in established labour. Apparently first timers contract on average half a centimetre an hour. She examined me before handing over as it was the end of her shift and was like 'crikey Katie, you might have this baby by ten!' I had no idea what the time was but i knew I would want to hit her if I then didn't have the baby by ten.
The new midwife came in and I took an instant dislike to her. *She didn't understand my mumbles and I didn't want my OH to have to translate. In fact she was AMAZING. *She was Italian and I knew things were hotting up because about 20 mins into her shift she didn't leave me at all. *She also started doing reflexology on my feet (I couldn't move from all fours). *I asked if I could get in the pool and then knew things were serious when her response was, 'we don't have time to fill the pool Katie, she's coming'. *
I actually found the contractions worse than the second pushing stage although I won't lie to you, both bloody hurt. *My OH had a few looks and I remember thinking there was a conspiracy between him and the midwife and they were whispering behind my back. *They didn't let me have the gas and air whilst pushing as you'd push everything through your mouth back into the tube rather than downwards so there was no pain relief. I can't explain it though as every breath out I pushed hurt but it is the only type of pain you'll probably ever feel to progress something positive.
I remember begging the midwife to 'just pull her out' (yeah right!) but she did crown, then i pushed her head fully out a few contractions later and I remember seeing her feet under me. *The midwife wiped her over and she started to cry. I managed to turn over, whip my top off and put her straight on me. *I just couldn't believe we'd done it and that she was absolutely perfect.
My husband then says things went a bit Tarrantino so I won't go into too many details. *Safe to say when the cord stopped pulsating and my OH had cut it, my placenta didn't come out naturally. *I had the injection in the end to try and hurry it along but that didn't work either. *The head midwife was called to avoid me going into theatre for a spinal block. *He managed to save me that experience and then he also gave me a few stitches as I had a tiny second degree tear. *For this, I did use the gas and air which made me feel really very drunk.
My husband had Polly throughout and they weighed her and gave her a Vitamin K injection whilst I showered. We then had some tea and toast and were left in the room alone till around 4am. *I didn't want my OH to leave but there wasn't much choice and in fact at least he then got a few hours sleep. *I went into the small post-natal ward there which I didn't enjoy much but I did everything in my power yesterday to show that we were coping well so that we could come home. *My OH came back at 10am and we were discharged around five. *We're tired but doing well and loving being parents.
Good luck if you are pregnant and waiting for your little bundles of joy. *I have found this forum so helpful so thank you ladies for all your continued support. Xx
*
I'm delighted to announce the safe arrival of Polly Susan Elizabeth, who was born at 11.31pm weighing 5lb 10 ounces on Friday 26th August 2011.
When pregnant, I found these birth stories really interesting and useful so I hope this helps someone. *Prior to labour I was terrified of the unknown and extremely worried about the pain and I can quite honestly say that it wasn't that bad and I would do it all again in a heartbeat. *It also goes without saying that we're over the moon with the safe arrival of little Polly and are completely in love. *Even if I was allowed to get any sleep I'm not sure I would as I just want to stare at her all day and night.
I started having contractions at around 5am on Friday morning. *I couldn't sleep through them so I got up and although they were coming quite regularly they went very painful. *I sent my husband off to work and at 10-ish they completely stopped. *Was gutted. *Around midday though we were back in action and they started to hurt quite a bit, coming around once every seven mins. *At half one I had flung myself over my birthing ball, was trying to half concentrate on Sex And The City and called OH begging him to get home. Come 4pm we'd called the birthing centre once and I was screaming at my OH to ring them again and to take me in. *He was so strict with me but I knew we'd end up hitting Friday night rush hour. *I had my TENS machine on (have NO idea if it did anything) and was really breathing through the three minute contractions and in a lot of pain.
We got to the centre around half five and I was examined. *I was quite upset when they told me I was only 2-3cm as I really didn't want to get sent home. *I felt so much more in control just having the medical professionals around me as I'd been getting a little bit scared at home. *There were no other ladies labouring, the pool was free and they said it was fine for me to stay in and they'd monitor me every four hours. If I hadn't progressed at 10pm then I'd be sent home. *Had a nice room with just mats, a ball, a beanbag and a chair. *We could set up our own music (you should have seen my face when the midwife offered me a Wet Wet Wet CD!) and I started to try the gas and air. *I'd already been sick twice in pain so was worried I wouldn't like this but I tried a bit and it was amazing. *
The midwife suggested I try a bath and so I got in around 9pm. I carried on with the gas and air in there and then I heard this massive pop which scared the living daylights out of me. *I screamed at my OH to get the midwife as there was lots of blood and I convinced myself I'd had a placenta abruption (I read too much in pregnancy), in fact it was just my waters and my show which looked a lot worse than normal in water!
Got out the bath at 9.30pm and I was telling the midwife I needed to push and when would she examine me again. *She agreed to do it before finishing her shift but she was laughing at me because I don't think she thought I was in established labour. Apparently first timers contract on average half a centimetre an hour. She examined me before handing over as it was the end of her shift and was like 'crikey Katie, you might have this baby by ten!' I had no idea what the time was but i knew I would want to hit her if I then didn't have the baby by ten.
The new midwife came in and I took an instant dislike to her. *She didn't understand my mumbles and I didn't want my OH to have to translate. In fact she was AMAZING. *She was Italian and I knew things were hotting up because about 20 mins into her shift she didn't leave me at all. *She also started doing reflexology on my feet (I couldn't move from all fours). *I asked if I could get in the pool and then knew things were serious when her response was, 'we don't have time to fill the pool Katie, she's coming'. *
I actually found the contractions worse than the second pushing stage although I won't lie to you, both bloody hurt. *My OH had a few looks and I remember thinking there was a conspiracy between him and the midwife and they were whispering behind my back. *They didn't let me have the gas and air whilst pushing as you'd push everything through your mouth back into the tube rather than downwards so there was no pain relief. I can't explain it though as every breath out I pushed hurt but it is the only type of pain you'll probably ever feel to progress something positive.
I remember begging the midwife to 'just pull her out' (yeah right!) but she did crown, then i pushed her head fully out a few contractions later and I remember seeing her feet under me. *The midwife wiped her over and she started to cry. I managed to turn over, whip my top off and put her straight on me. *I just couldn't believe we'd done it and that she was absolutely perfect.
My husband then says things went a bit Tarrantino so I won't go into too many details. *Safe to say when the cord stopped pulsating and my OH had cut it, my placenta didn't come out naturally. *I had the injection in the end to try and hurry it along but that didn't work either. *The head midwife was called to avoid me going into theatre for a spinal block. *He managed to save me that experience and then he also gave me a few stitches as I had a tiny second degree tear. *For this, I did use the gas and air which made me feel really very drunk.
My husband had Polly throughout and they weighed her and gave her a Vitamin K injection whilst I showered. We then had some tea and toast and were left in the room alone till around 4am. *I didn't want my OH to leave but there wasn't much choice and in fact at least he then got a few hours sleep. *I went into the small post-natal ward there which I didn't enjoy much but I did everything in my power yesterday to show that we were coping well so that we could come home. *My OH came back at 10am and we were discharged around five. *We're tired but doing well and loving being parents.
Good luck if you are pregnant and waiting for your little bundles of joy. *I have found this forum so helpful so thank you ladies for all your continued support. Xx
*
x
