From the beginning I tried to prepare myself for going overdue. I was due on December 29th (or 28th or 30th depending who you asked
) but tried to see mid-January as the end date so I wouldn't be discouraged if I went past it. However, as we got further into December I admit I started dreaming of having the baby before Christmas and my GP was convinced I'd go early which got me even more hopeful. It was no surprise though when my due date came and went. I'd been having period pains for weeks and several evenings of contractions that would increase in intensity but die out overnight since about 38 weeks, and baby had been engaged for a while, but there were no other signs or indications that baby was anything other than perfectly comfortable.
Going overdue really wasn't that bad - it was quite a mild summer and I was still very mobile and flexible and never got that uncomfortable "get this baby out" feeling many women experience. The hardest part of it was dealing with all the "no baby yet?" comments.
Thursday January 5, 2012
I had my 41 week appointment at the antenatal clinic. The doctor discussed induction and we booked it for the following Thursday as I was ok with being induced from 42 weeks but not before, without medical reason. The doctor offered me a sweep, which I accepted. She did the internal and found me to be 1cm dilated, but my cervix was still 2cm long and posterior. She could already feel it softening after doing the sweep though, and the sweep itself wasn't nearly as bad as I was expecting it to be.
Saturday January 7, 2012
Around 10am I went to the bathroom and when I wiped there was my plug! I knew that it didn't necessarily mean anything but it was exciting nonetheless. I vacuumed the floor, cleaned the kitchen and bathroom and double checked my bags had everything but the stuff we had to grab on the way out the door (which was listed on the fridge with the hospital phone number).
Around 3pm I was watching tv when I felt a trickle. I ran to the bathroom but there was no more, and my bladder was quite full so I figured I must have peed a little
My undies were only slightly damp. I put on a pad though and went back to my show.
3:30ish I finished my show and decided to have a nap as I hadn't slept well at all Wednesday night. I laid down on the bed and rolled over and there went another trickle! I was almost sure now that it was my waters. They kept trickling throughout the afternoon and shortly the contractions started, about 20-30 mins apart and not very strong, but certainly stronger than any other ones I'd had up to that point. I had a bit of a nap and urged DH to do the same as he'd been up since 5am, but he didn't.
DH wanted me to call the maternity ward, but I didn't want to as I knew I wasn't in labour yet and it could be a while and I didn't want to be subject to a "24 hours after water breaks" timeline. Eventually I did give in though and rang about 9:30 and they said to go straight in. We puttered around a little bit and then packed the bags in the car and headed to hospital. We got there just after 10pm and I was hooked up to a CTG in the consulting room and I was monitored for an hour by a midwife named Jeff (and then a midwife named Olivia and a midwife named Sharon and a doctor named Paul...) Paul asked if we were wanting to induce or wait to see if labour would start on it's own and we chose to wait.
Well, my half hour trace turned into an hour, and then two hours, and then three hours... Every 20 minutes or so baby would decel slightly. Nothing major, but they wanted at least a half hour of good readings before they'd let us go home. That didn't happen until 1:30! We didn't get home until 2 and poor DH had been awake since 5, and they wanted us back in around 8am. My contractions had got a bit stronger and were 10 mins apart while hooked up to the CTG. As soon as we got home they became a lot stronger to the point of having to breathe through them so I knew there wouldn't be much sleep for me.
Sunday January 8, 2012
I made a nest in the living room so as not to disturb DH and tried to sleep. I timed contractions off and on - they ranged from 3 1/2 minutes to 10 minutes apart, with most averaging between 5-7, and lasting 60 seconds. DH got up about 7, we had breakfast and called maternity at 8 and went in for about 9. It was much quieter in the morning (there were two babies born and two other women in labour while we were in the previous night) and all three birthing rooms were empty.
I was met by a midwife named Debbie who hooked me back up to the CTG. This time baby's heartrate was decellerating with every contraction (some just before, some at the peak and some after, so what they call variable). It wasn't too bad, and she was showing good activity otherwise which was a good sign, but Paul said it's what they call suspicious and recommended induction to get her out while she was still tolerating it well. Again, we found him very fair and not pushy. He even said that if we refused induction, while it would be against medical advice it wouldn't be a decision he would object to.
We asked for a moment to discuss it, and I cried a little and we prayed together that whatever happened baby would be fine and we could avoid a c-section.
We opted to have the induction while baby was still happy and just before noon Debbie took us over to one of the birthing rooms to get started. i was hooked up to a wireless waterproof CTG and then she did an internal to discover my cervix was still quite posterior, but nearly fully effaced and I was 2-3cm dilated with no waters left (thought it was just my hindwaters as it was just trickling). And she also said that baby, who had been head down and facing my back since about 30 weeks was now posterior! Silly baby.
The syntocinon drip was started at noon, on low and gradually increased (I later learned that it had eventually been increased the maximum amount and I was getting 5 contractions every 10 minutes, and the replacement midwife turned it way down), and I had been admitted just in time to be brought lunch! There was even a leftover tray that she brought for DH so he didn't have to leave to get something to eat. He did go get my labour bag from the car at this time though. I sat eating my lunch bouncing on the birthing ball. Meanwhile Debbie had started filling the tub for me.
When the tub was ready Debbie helped me undress (I couldn't myself due to the drip in my arm) and get in. I'd brought a bathing suit along as I'm rather modest and thought I would be in labour too, but it turns out that I didn't care in the least about being naked the whole time
The order of events that follow may not be in the order they happened as my memory isn't totally clear.
My contractions were already 2-3 in 10 minutes before the drip was started according to the CTG, but they soon were more intense. The water was amazing though. It was a little awkward getting comfortable with the cannula in my arm though, and baby was decelling when I was leaning back so I had to sit forward, which then would make the monitor slip so I had to hold it in place. lol. DH kept running out of the bathroom every time I had a contraction to see how baby's heartrate was doing and I eventually told him off and from then on he was very devoted to staying with me the entire time. I don't even remember him going to the bathroom.
While in the tub I started getting back pain which caused me to moan through the contractions. DH poured water over the small of my back which helped a bit. I started to feel sick and spoke up just in time to get a sick bag. Threw up 4 times and then held the bag out for DH to take - he didn't take it fast enough and I practically threw it at him to get the smell away from me
As the back pain got worse DH had to coach my breathing as I kept forgetting to inhale so the midwife offered me G&A. She gave me a low dose to start with but after 3 or 4 breaths I gave it back. It didn't even have time to have any effect - I just didn't like the rattling sound it made or something.
At some point I announced that I had to poop and climbed out of the tub to sit on the toilet. I couldn't tolerate the back pain in that position though, and couldn't poop (I'm pretty sure that at that stage I really did have to poop - I hadn't been that day). It was suggested I get back in the tub but I didn't want to and opted for the shower instead. I leaned over with the nozzle blasting hot water on my lower spine and swayed and moaned through the contractions until DH put on his swimmers and got in with me, so he sat on a chair in the shower and I leaned on him. That was lovely for a while but the back pain kept getting worse. Debbie asked if I would consider water injections. I'd never heard of them before but didn't ask, just said yes!
She called a second midwife and they gave me the water injections. They weren't kidding about it stinging! But it really did provide a lot of relief and I was able to cope a LOT better from that point on.
At some point Debbie's shift ended and Judy (AMAZING) took over but I'm not sure when exactly that occurred. It was around the 2 hour point though I think.
After I had the water injections I laboured on my hands and knees over a bean bag (I think?) with DH sitting on a chair at my head. Every so often I'd mention that I had to poop and the midwife asked if I was sure it was poop or if I was just feeling it with contractions. I can't remember now if I had three internals or two (aside from the initial one) but I have a feeling she checked me at both 6 and 8cm so I'll go with that.
Still on the beanbag I rolled over so she could check my progress as she wasn't sure if I was really needing to poo or push. In my head I was thinking "If I'm less than 5cm I want an epidural - no if it's less than 6cm" when she announced that I was 6cm and did indeed have full bowels. That was at about 3pm I believe.
I didn't want to move from where I was, so stayed on the floor on my bean bag for a while. I kept threatening to poo but never did
At some point the feeling got stronger and I realised it was just with contractions and I mentioned as much. I'm not sure if my second internal was done soon after I mentioned this or if the urge to push went on for a little while longer before she checked me again to discover I was 8cm - good progress for 1 hour, but not allowed to push!
Either way, I got the urge to push way too early and by far the hardest part of my labour was NOT pushing for two hours! I was really really vocal during that time and DH was my lifeline. He was sitting behind me and I would reach up to my head and he'd give me his thumbs or hands to hold and I would pull my 240lb husband out of his chair. Nearly broke his thumb at one point too as I'd grabbed his double jointed one in just the wrong spot.
In between contractions though I was so relaxed I would nearly fall asleep and DH would give me sips of water or a bite of granola bar or an orange segment as I asked for them. I had my eyes closed virtually the whole time.
Before labour I was concerned about making noise, but in the middle of it you just don't care. I did what I needed to do, though I did say that I sounded like a dying goose
I did eventually poop a little bit (I was obsessed about it apparently lol - kept either announcing that I would or asking if I had) and I peed at least a couple of times lol. But I honestly didn't care - there was no one there but my husband and the midwife and she just cleaned me up and got new towels under me.
After two agonising hours of not being allowed to push Judy checked me again and there was still a tiny lip of cervix left. She did something - no idea what - and told me that I could finally push. Sweet relief! Pushed where I was lying on the bean bag for a while. She encouraged me to move a couple of times but I didn't want to. Eventually she convinced me to and I just turned over to be on my hands and knees with my head in DHs lap. After a while she brought the birthing stool in and encouraged me to use that for a while. Then to the bed to try a supported squat (bed nearly vertical with my feet in the paddles). Baby was on the brink of crowning for practically the whole time and I'd make some progress but then when the contraction ended baby would slip back...
Judy then was very apologetic and said that she knew it wasn't the most natural position but I should try lithotomy.
I was so beyond arguing at that point. I don't know how many times I thought I was out of energy and I just kept praying for strength to keep pushing, and by the next contraction had just barely enough energy to get through. I also kept thinking (didn't have the energy to ask out loud) what would happen if I couldn't do it.
After an hour and 45 minutes she had to call the doctor for a consult as they don't like you to push for more than 2 hours. Paul came in and I remember him saying "wow you weren't kidding about it being right there". He told me that I'd already done all the work and wouldn't need forceps or vacuum, but if I wanted he could give me an episiotomy which would make enough room to get the baby out, or he could give me another 15 minutes at which point he'd do the episiotomy if needed. I asked for 15 minutes. In the end they gave me 45 and no episiotomy.
Judy had me look down when the very top of the baby's head was visible to me - it looked so weird! Still took a few more contractions from that point though. And I'd been hearing "almost there, just a few more pushes" for so long that when she said to stop pushing I freaked out and though something was wrong - but nope, it was just that the head was out! And as we'd been expecting a posterior baby from Debbie's report, as well as the back pain and the early urge to push and long second stage we were all very surprised to see a faceless baby! lol.
In the end I did have a second degree tear, but I didn't feel it, or the "ring of fire", or the anesthetic before Paul stitched me up.
Baby was placed on my chest immediately, and I was the first one to look and discover we'd had a girl! I was surprised but absolutely ecstatic. I whispered that she was a girl and DH and the midwife both asked me how I knew as they didn't think there had been a chance to look yet
Judy asked if I wanted a lotus birth or delayed cord clamping (we opted for delayed cord clamping - hadn't given anyone my birth plan in the end but I'm amazed how they asked me about pretty much everything I had on it as each thing became relevant, and aside from the induction everything happened the way I hoped). When the cord finished pulsing DH cut it - with very very dull scissors I might add.
The baby - Saranna, though she had no name for a day and a half - didn't show any interest in nursing at first, but she was very alert and DH and I were both mesmerised with her. We had skin to skin for a good two hours at least, as we hadn't moved when my parents got there after 10 and stayed until about 11. She had a really good feed and latched without any help.
I'd been going to have a physiological third stage but as I already had syntocinon in my system I did agree to the injection after about 15 minutes. Minimal blood loss and the placenta came out intact in three pushes. Meanwhile while I was feeding her she peed and pooed on me
My parents came at about 10:30 and were with us for her newborn checks. She weighed a healthy 3.62kg (7lbs 15 1/2oz) and was a whopping 54cm (21 1/2inches) long. Utter perfection
Here's our first family photo taken when she was barely 2 hours old.
https://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a175/Roshinda/Saranna/Samsungbabysarah071-1.jpg
And the earliest photo we have of her, before she's had a feed yet even.
https://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a175/Roshinda/Saranna/003.jpg
Being weighed
https://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a175/Roshinda/Saranna/007.jpg
As I mentioned, she didn't have a name for over a day. We had two girls' names picked out but we didn't think either of them suited her so we went back to the drawing board. I spent the first night calling her 'princess' and when DH came back on Monday morning he asked what I thought of the name Sarah/Sara. We'd discussed it before but it was too common a name for my liking at the time. However, as I'd been calling her princess it really seemed appropriate. We had to settle on a spelling though. Monday night DH went home and researched if different spellings of the name altered the meaning at all when he came across Saranna, a compound of Sara and Anna. We instantly fell in love with the name and call her Sara for short.
I initially didn't want to stay in hospital more than one night, but it turns out that not having to cook or clean or wash the dirty nappies (was in a cloth friendly hospital so used their supplied cloth nappies instead of my own) was pretty nice. Having a double room to myself was a big plus too. I ended up staying four nights and I'm so glad I did. Especially on the third night when my milk came in and I was too engorged to feed her and was able to have one on one breastfeeding help from the midwives. Best thing I could have done for my baby girl - I don't know if I would have been able to persevere without their help.
Not to mention the fact that no one prepared me for the feeling of being hit by a truck afterwards either. Especially my arms feeling so dead (though it could have been worse for me with the workout I got not pushing for two hours lol) and I needed help getting out of bed a couple of times.
The midwives who were with me for the birth asked me if I'd taken calmbirth classes, and when I said no they said I should teach a class. When they moved me to the ward they introduced me to the other midwives as the legend.
Sorry for the length and the excessive detail, but I really want an in-depth record of the experience. It was such an empowering experience and the best thing I've ever done. A labour of love
lol.
first he will be at the raf base in cranwell doing a course, next is a stag do thats been booked since last year. I suppose it gives grannies a chance to see baby. Anyway best be off to work!
though I'm not sure just how much longer it will last. It's going really well, but we can see his 4bottom teeth under the gum, and as soon as one of them pop's up I'll be stopping!!
We've been trying for a total of 14 months, and finally got our BFP a couple weeks ago. I got an early BFP at 10 DPO and all blood work has come back great. First ultrasound is on February 21st. I'm completely terrified and scared that something's going to go wrong again, so I'm trying to stay positive. Only symptoms have been exhaustion and sore boobs. I had sickness for a day or 2, but that's gone away ... 
Pleased to meet you! Positive thought's and keeping fingers crossed for these important week's ahead for you!! Sticky squishy, sticky squishy!!
