MidnightSun
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Baby Rose arrived on Sunday, May 29th at 08.30 in the morning at Stoke Mandeville Midwife Led Birthing Centre. She weighed 6lbs 15oz.
My birth plan was to have as natural birth as possible, labouring and giving birth in the pool and using only gas & air if need be whilst making the most of my Natal Hypnotherapy.
During pregnancy I had drunk pure raspberry leaf tea from 32 weeks, conducted perineal massage since 35 weeks and used Starflower Oil (1000mg capsules) vaginally since 37 weeks to ripen the cervix.
On the Friday morning (39+6) I was booked in for a stretch and sweep - it was early because I had voiced concerns to my MW with regard to being induced if I went very overdue. MW told me I was already 3cm dilated and 80% effaced! Very pleased!
That afternoon I had mild period pains and backache, but nothing really concrete happened. The next morning I was the same, and was rather disappointed and not looking forward to the sweep that I had booked for the Sunday morning! At about 2pm I started to experience a lot more back ache and period pains, and come 3.30 I realised that I had tightenings every 10 minutes. The tightenings were rather like Braxton Hicks, but this time they were only at the bottom of my bump and not all over like before.
By about 7pm that night they had turned into real contractions and I decided to have a bath to try to relax myself. It really did help. I also put on my Natal Hypnotherapy CDs and whacked on my TENS.
At midnight I decided to go to bed, the contractions were about 4.5 mins apart by that point, but manageable. Well, surprise, surprise I had only been in bed 10 minutes and they decided to take a notch up. By this point I was pacing the room, breathing deeply and timing them intently. They were coming almost every 3 minutes. I was sick and also had diarrhea
At 2am I called the Birthing Centre and after being on the phone to them for about 10 mins they told me not to come in as they thought I was managing very well at home. I wasn't very happy about it, but what can you do? I think a lot of that was down to my Hypnotherapy and the fact that my breathing was calm and controlled, as was I.
10 minutes later I rang again and told them I felt I needed to come in, so they said to roll on up.
The first thing I was told when I got there was that they were very busy. Hilarious really because as they led me to the room I was to be put in on labour ward (just to be examined) I had to walk through the birthing centre, where every room was empty!! Anyway, the lady examined me and much to my disappointment told me that I was still only 3cm and that I should go home. I was mortified. It's an hour's journey there and back for me and I couldn't imagine going! The MW then spoke to a senior colleague who said that I may stay. They did another stretch and sweep and she broke my waters, although I had been trickling since about 8pm.
After that things really stepped up a notch, and in all honesty a lot of it was a daze. I had my Hypno Birth Music playing all the time and it really did help, although I found it difficult to do the actual visualisations the 3,2,1...reelaaax did help.
At about 5pm I was starting to groan with the contractions and requested some gas and air, and although at the time I thought it was doing sod all my birthing partners tell me I stopped groaning and di cope better. the only problem was it made me very sick, light headed and I also had a very bad case of jelly legs. I didn't use it on every contraction as I found that sometimes my deep breathing techniques were enough.
7am and by now I was starting to get pissed off that they wouldn't examine me to see if I was past 5cm so that I could get into the pool. So I sent my sister out to speak to them, as it had been almost 4 hours since my waters broke. After what seemed like forever (although it wasn't) they came and said that they were filling the pool up and to come through. They examined me and well.... no wonder I was in pain I was fully dilated! I literally RAN to the pool... the relief was amazing.
My body was obviously nearing the time to push, as I kept on getting involuntary urges to bear down. At 7.30am the medial team changed over, which was great as the MW that came on to be with me was just so much nicer than the last one. She told me to carry on as I was until 8am, when she would like me to start pushing. She also told me that they would
be taking the gas and air away, which although I was a bit miffed about at the time, I did manage well.
MW helped me get into a comfortable position and said that when each contraction started she wanted me to put my chin down onto my chest, take a deep breath and push as hard as I could down into my bottom and that she wanted three of these per contraction. At first it felt like it wasn't doing much, but then I could hear my birth partners saying 'come on Claire!' as they could see my bulging down below. I was sneaky and I admit to having a couple of contractions that weren't that strong, and so I took that time to have a rest lol.. All in all I pushed for half an hour, and did one poo
I had skin to skin in the pool with Rose and delayed cord clamping. I delivered the placenta (well, it just fell out actually, had to catch it lol) physiologically after about 20 mins. I cut the cord.
Rose had AGPAR scores of 10 on every level and was bright, pink and alert when she was born.
I didn't tear my perineum (all that massage I reckon lol) but have torn all my vaginal walls inside and am having a bit of a rough time of it to be honest the pressure down there is immense and it sometimes does make me feel pankicked, so much so that I have had to see my GP about it and was given valium to calm me when I could feel a panic attack coming on
Still... I know that I will heal and that every day is a step in that direction.
Rose is just wonderful though, a very content and happy little girl and I must say that feeling of love and fierce protection is quite overwhelming at times in that I still cannot believe she's mine!
My birth plan was to have as natural birth as possible, labouring and giving birth in the pool and using only gas & air if need be whilst making the most of my Natal Hypnotherapy.
During pregnancy I had drunk pure raspberry leaf tea from 32 weeks, conducted perineal massage since 35 weeks and used Starflower Oil (1000mg capsules) vaginally since 37 weeks to ripen the cervix.
On the Friday morning (39+6) I was booked in for a stretch and sweep - it was early because I had voiced concerns to my MW with regard to being induced if I went very overdue. MW told me I was already 3cm dilated and 80% effaced! Very pleased!
That afternoon I had mild period pains and backache, but nothing really concrete happened. The next morning I was the same, and was rather disappointed and not looking forward to the sweep that I had booked for the Sunday morning! At about 2pm I started to experience a lot more back ache and period pains, and come 3.30 I realised that I had tightenings every 10 minutes. The tightenings were rather like Braxton Hicks, but this time they were only at the bottom of my bump and not all over like before.
By about 7pm that night they had turned into real contractions and I decided to have a bath to try to relax myself. It really did help. I also put on my Natal Hypnotherapy CDs and whacked on my TENS.
At midnight I decided to go to bed, the contractions were about 4.5 mins apart by that point, but manageable. Well, surprise, surprise I had only been in bed 10 minutes and they decided to take a notch up. By this point I was pacing the room, breathing deeply and timing them intently. They were coming almost every 3 minutes. I was sick and also had diarrhea
At 2am I called the Birthing Centre and after being on the phone to them for about 10 mins they told me not to come in as they thought I was managing very well at home. I wasn't very happy about it, but what can you do? I think a lot of that was down to my Hypnotherapy and the fact that my breathing was calm and controlled, as was I.
10 minutes later I rang again and told them I felt I needed to come in, so they said to roll on up.
The first thing I was told when I got there was that they were very busy. Hilarious really because as they led me to the room I was to be put in on labour ward (just to be examined) I had to walk through the birthing centre, where every room was empty!! Anyway, the lady examined me and much to my disappointment told me that I was still only 3cm and that I should go home. I was mortified. It's an hour's journey there and back for me and I couldn't imagine going! The MW then spoke to a senior colleague who said that I may stay. They did another stretch and sweep and she broke my waters, although I had been trickling since about 8pm.
After that things really stepped up a notch, and in all honesty a lot of it was a daze. I had my Hypno Birth Music playing all the time and it really did help, although I found it difficult to do the actual visualisations the 3,2,1...reelaaax did help.
At about 5pm I was starting to groan with the contractions and requested some gas and air, and although at the time I thought it was doing sod all my birthing partners tell me I stopped groaning and di cope better. the only problem was it made me very sick, light headed and I also had a very bad case of jelly legs. I didn't use it on every contraction as I found that sometimes my deep breathing techniques were enough.
7am and by now I was starting to get pissed off that they wouldn't examine me to see if I was past 5cm so that I could get into the pool. So I sent my sister out to speak to them, as it had been almost 4 hours since my waters broke. After what seemed like forever (although it wasn't) they came and said that they were filling the pool up and to come through. They examined me and well.... no wonder I was in pain I was fully dilated! I literally RAN to the pool... the relief was amazing.
My body was obviously nearing the time to push, as I kept on getting involuntary urges to bear down. At 7.30am the medial team changed over, which was great as the MW that came on to be with me was just so much nicer than the last one. She told me to carry on as I was until 8am, when she would like me to start pushing. She also told me that they would
be taking the gas and air away, which although I was a bit miffed about at the time, I did manage well.
MW helped me get into a comfortable position and said that when each contraction started she wanted me to put my chin down onto my chest, take a deep breath and push as hard as I could down into my bottom and that she wanted three of these per contraction. At first it felt like it wasn't doing much, but then I could hear my birth partners saying 'come on Claire!' as they could see my bulging down below. I was sneaky and I admit to having a couple of contractions that weren't that strong, and so I took that time to have a rest lol.. All in all I pushed for half an hour, and did one poo
I had skin to skin in the pool with Rose and delayed cord clamping. I delivered the placenta (well, it just fell out actually, had to catch it lol) physiologically after about 20 mins. I cut the cord.
Rose had AGPAR scores of 10 on every level and was bright, pink and alert when she was born.
I didn't tear my perineum (all that massage I reckon lol) but have torn all my vaginal walls inside and am having a bit of a rough time of it to be honest the pressure down there is immense and it sometimes does make me feel pankicked, so much so that I have had to see my GP about it and was given valium to calm me when I could feel a panic attack coming on
Still... I know that I will heal and that every day is a step in that direction.
Rose is just wonderful though, a very content and happy little girl and I must say that feeling of love and fierce protection is quite overwhelming at times in that I still cannot believe she's mine!
but we are using our washable wipes and soapnuts and getting on well with both 
breastfeeding isn't going so well and I am having to start expressing, but I figure that if it doesn't work she did have 3 full days of liquid gold and that must have done her some good, right?
love her little hat x
