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Hi everyone, here is my birth story for my beautiful son Ethan Matthew.....
I was 40+2 last Tuesday (2nd August) according to the date I know I ovulated, but 41+1 according to my dating scan. I'd had a MW appointment on 27th July where they were due to give me a sweep, but couldn't do it as his head was too high, it was just on the brim & hadn't even started to engage. I was beginning to think he would never come. On the Tuesday I had no indication anything was happening until I went to the toilet before bed, and was getting pink tinged cm when I wiped. I went to bed hoping this was the start of something but being fully aware it could still be a few days.
I went to sleep and woke up at 2.50am for my normal trip to the toilet. I was still getting blood when I wiped but thought nothing else was happening. As I walked back to bed though I felt a tightening but wasn't sure whether it was a contraction or not, but as I lay in bed I soon realised I was getting contractions. They were painful but not overly so, and were coming every 3-4 mins lasting 45 seconds to a minute. I rang the hospital just to see when we should come in, as we had to get my Mum round first for Katie, so I didn't want to leave it too late. They were pretty dismissive though and said as my contractions had only just started, they would likely go away and then come back again at 4-5 mins apart and gradually get stronger, I was conscious though that this didn't happen with Katie and labour progressed quickly (I started pushing at home with Katie).
I tried to get some sleep but couldn't. I woke Chris up at about 4.30 to let him know but told him I thought it'd be a while yet. After he had some cereal he went back to bed and so did I but they were getting stronger & I couldn't sleep. I rang my Mum at 5.45am and asked her to come over but told her there was no rush, to get ready and have her breakfast and then come over. The plan was to get a bath but I suddenly realised that I was getting that unmistaken feeling of wanting to push
I rang my Mum back and said I think she needed to get here asap, then woke Chris & we both got ready. By this point the contractions were getting strong and about 2-3 mins apart. My Mum arrived and I rang the hospital to say I was coming in.
We arrived at hospital at 7.30am and after waiting about 10 minutes were taken into a delivery room. They asked me to do a urine sample but nothing would come out, and whilst I was on the toilet my waters broke. According to my notes this was at 8.03am but I reckon it was more like 7.50am as it happened practically as soon as we arrived (and when we parked up I checked the time so I could do an accurate birth story
). The MW got me on the bed to examine me but by that time the urge to push was very very strong, so she was busy trying to set stuff up, examine me and letting me push when I needed to! When she did examine me I was fully dilated but she said the head had a long way to go. That disheartened me and made me think I'd be pushing for ages, but after a big push she said the head had come down far & he had a lot of hair 
It was hard to tell when I was getting a contraction as despite the pain of them earlier, I could not feel the pain at all, I just felt the urge to push. His head soon started to crown - OH MY GOD. I've been watching one born every minute USA and they always mention the 'ring of fire'. I never really knew what they meant by this as I didnt really experience it with Katie, presumably as I had an episiotomy with her which gave me a big relief and enabled her head to pop out easily. But wow I felt it with Ethan and it bloody hurt!!!!! At first I actually stopped pushing whenever he started to crown as the pain was so bad and told the MW in a hintful way that I had had an episiotomy with Katie in the hope she'd give me one!! But she just said I was stretching nicely
I did manage to push through the pain but bloody hell it stung!!! And there is nothing more frustrating of feeling yr baby's head move down more then when you're waiting for the next contraction, it goes back in 
When his head was out it was stinging like mad and I couldn't wait for the next contraction to push his body out, it took ages! I was expecting that part to be easy as Katie's just seem to slide out, but it took some pushing to get his body out!!! and again, bloody hurt!!
At 8.27am on 3.8.11, after just 22 minutes of pushing (according to my notes) and 5 hours, 40 minutes since the first contraction, my beautiful son Ethan Matthew was born with no pain relief whatsoever, weighing a whopping 9lbs 13oz and measuring a tall 58cm. We had no indication he was gonna be a big baby, Katie was just 7lbs 9oz and I was measuring the same as my bump with her. When he was born he was placed straight on my chest but he wasn't moving much and was just making little gurgling sounds. I kept asking if he was ok and why wasn't he crying and they said he was fine and just in shock and needed stimulation. They were rubbing him with towels but he still was only gurgling so she took him off to the resus table and ended up having to give him a bit of oxygen and finally he let out a big cry, music to my ears!!
They had a bit of trouble getting my placenta out, it was big as was his cord. I had had the injection to get it out quickly but it wasn't for coming out, and I started thinking oh bloody hell I have a natural birth then will end up needing surgery to get the bloody placenta out!! They emptied my bladder with a catheter which did move it down further, but it still wasn't for coming, so they got a senior midwife in who made me go on the gas and air to relax me, and she managed to get it out just after 9am.
I just had a small tear that needed 2 stitches. They were in 2 minds whether to put stitches in, and said they only did it for cosmetic reasons as I may end up with a 'loose flap'
He had his first breast feed at 9.30am and did really really well, and breastfeeding is going well for us. I gave birth in the birth centre part of the hospital and after I showered they transferred us to a clean room and it was lovely, really big and they just left us to it really. We were discharged at 6pm and came home to meet his big sister Katie, who is being absolutely brilliant with him, she loves him to bits.
Here are some pics of my gorgeous little boy who has made our family complete
https://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m501/elliebank/b14e15c6.jpg
https://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m501/elliebank/a04e19e9.jpg
https://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m501/elliebank/4e9e1d2c.jpg
https://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m501/elliebank/0d4b1891.jpg
I was 40+2 last Tuesday (2nd August) according to the date I know I ovulated, but 41+1 according to my dating scan. I'd had a MW appointment on 27th July where they were due to give me a sweep, but couldn't do it as his head was too high, it was just on the brim & hadn't even started to engage. I was beginning to think he would never come. On the Tuesday I had no indication anything was happening until I went to the toilet before bed, and was getting pink tinged cm when I wiped. I went to bed hoping this was the start of something but being fully aware it could still be a few days.
I went to sleep and woke up at 2.50am for my normal trip to the toilet. I was still getting blood when I wiped but thought nothing else was happening. As I walked back to bed though I felt a tightening but wasn't sure whether it was a contraction or not, but as I lay in bed I soon realised I was getting contractions. They were painful but not overly so, and were coming every 3-4 mins lasting 45 seconds to a minute. I rang the hospital just to see when we should come in, as we had to get my Mum round first for Katie, so I didn't want to leave it too late. They were pretty dismissive though and said as my contractions had only just started, they would likely go away and then come back again at 4-5 mins apart and gradually get stronger, I was conscious though that this didn't happen with Katie and labour progressed quickly (I started pushing at home with Katie).
I tried to get some sleep but couldn't. I woke Chris up at about 4.30 to let him know but told him I thought it'd be a while yet. After he had some cereal he went back to bed and so did I but they were getting stronger & I couldn't sleep. I rang my Mum at 5.45am and asked her to come over but told her there was no rush, to get ready and have her breakfast and then come over. The plan was to get a bath but I suddenly realised that I was getting that unmistaken feeling of wanting to push
I rang my Mum back and said I think she needed to get here asap, then woke Chris & we both got ready. By this point the contractions were getting strong and about 2-3 mins apart. My Mum arrived and I rang the hospital to say I was coming in.We arrived at hospital at 7.30am and after waiting about 10 minutes were taken into a delivery room. They asked me to do a urine sample but nothing would come out, and whilst I was on the toilet my waters broke. According to my notes this was at 8.03am but I reckon it was more like 7.50am as it happened practically as soon as we arrived (and when we parked up I checked the time so I could do an accurate birth story
). The MW got me on the bed to examine me but by that time the urge to push was very very strong, so she was busy trying to set stuff up, examine me and letting me push when I needed to! When she did examine me I was fully dilated but she said the head had a long way to go. That disheartened me and made me think I'd be pushing for ages, but after a big push she said the head had come down far & he had a lot of hair It was hard to tell when I was getting a contraction as despite the pain of them earlier, I could not feel the pain at all, I just felt the urge to push. His head soon started to crown - OH MY GOD. I've been watching one born every minute USA and they always mention the 'ring of fire'. I never really knew what they meant by this as I didnt really experience it with Katie, presumably as I had an episiotomy with her which gave me a big relief and enabled her head to pop out easily. But wow I felt it with Ethan and it bloody hurt!!!!! At first I actually stopped pushing whenever he started to crown as the pain was so bad and told the MW in a hintful way that I had had an episiotomy with Katie in the hope she'd give me one!! But she just said I was stretching nicely
I did manage to push through the pain but bloody hell it stung!!! And there is nothing more frustrating of feeling yr baby's head move down more then when you're waiting for the next contraction, it goes back in When his head was out it was stinging like mad and I couldn't wait for the next contraction to push his body out, it took ages! I was expecting that part to be easy as Katie's just seem to slide out, but it took some pushing to get his body out!!! and again, bloody hurt!!
At 8.27am on 3.8.11, after just 22 minutes of pushing (according to my notes) and 5 hours, 40 minutes since the first contraction, my beautiful son Ethan Matthew was born with no pain relief whatsoever, weighing a whopping 9lbs 13oz and measuring a tall 58cm. We had no indication he was gonna be a big baby, Katie was just 7lbs 9oz and I was measuring the same as my bump with her. When he was born he was placed straight on my chest but he wasn't moving much and was just making little gurgling sounds. I kept asking if he was ok and why wasn't he crying and they said he was fine and just in shock and needed stimulation. They were rubbing him with towels but he still was only gurgling so she took him off to the resus table and ended up having to give him a bit of oxygen and finally he let out a big cry, music to my ears!!
They had a bit of trouble getting my placenta out, it was big as was his cord. I had had the injection to get it out quickly but it wasn't for coming out, and I started thinking oh bloody hell I have a natural birth then will end up needing surgery to get the bloody placenta out!! They emptied my bladder with a catheter which did move it down further, but it still wasn't for coming, so they got a senior midwife in who made me go on the gas and air to relax me, and she managed to get it out just after 9am.
I just had a small tear that needed 2 stitches. They were in 2 minds whether to put stitches in, and said they only did it for cosmetic reasons as I may end up with a 'loose flap'
He had his first breast feed at 9.30am and did really really well, and breastfeeding is going well for us. I gave birth in the birth centre part of the hospital and after I showered they transferred us to a clean room and it was lovely, really big and they just left us to it really. We were discharged at 6pm and came home to meet his big sister Katie, who is being absolutely brilliant with him, she loves him to bits.
Here are some pics of my gorgeous little boy who has made our family complete
https://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m501/elliebank/b14e15c6.jpg
https://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m501/elliebank/a04e19e9.jpg
https://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m501/elliebank/4e9e1d2c.jpg
https://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m501/elliebank/0d4b1891.jpg
thank you for sharing!
sorry hon!
xxx
) and have no idea how I am ever going to give birth when I can't do pain 
