Hi ladies.
I'm posting on behalf of my fiance Allie. She asked me today to put this in here as although she's not been a big contributor with posting (she's a bit of a technophobe), she has gained a lot of insight and help from all your posts of the last nine months. My name is Jase by the way. I'm the proud and happy dad.
Due date was 28/01, I had been on nightshift and was in McDonalds friday morning (20/01) getting a large latte when my mum phoned to tell me she thought Allie was in labour.
My mate and the two girls behind the counter said my face was a picture.
My mum said she had phoned the maternity unit and they'd said take it easy as Allie had only started contractions at 05.30 and she'd be nowhere near ready to come in.
I got home at 09.45 and Allie was just getting into a nice warm bath.
I noticed she'd had her show (in the toilet) and her contractions were coming pretty thick and fast. More of the show appeared after her bath and I decided to time the contractions.
They were coming every 50 - 60 seconds or so and lasted anywhere from 40 - 80 seconds.
Hmmm, that's a hit close from what I'd read. Another call to the maternity unit and they still said to not worry. Get her to eat and drink something, then just take your time, don't stress out and come in to be assessed.
It was just gone 11.30, so I stalled in a bit cos since I'd got her to use her birthing ball, the contractions although still the same duration and the same time apart, they weren't causing her as much pain as before. Allie said at one point she could feel a wet running sensation and thought maybe her waters had gone. No sign from outside her clothing that they had though.
We eventually headed to the hospital and got there for around 14.00. Two wonderfully brilliant midwives (one a young trainee) put our minds at rest, told us to take it easy. Allie was still getting pretty strong contractions and started to ask for maybe a bit of pain relief. She's only had two paracetamols the whole time.
She was assessed and found to be fully dilated. We were is shock. Not least me. I'd seen upteen programs and read so much on these first stages of labour, so expected her to be shouting the house down. Not a shout, yell, scream or anything.
From start to full dilation on two paracetamols
and no screaming. Not what I'd read it to be.
We hadn't even brought any of her hospital bag in from the car (Why is Durham University hospitals carpark such a MASSIVE distance from the maternity unit????)
She was moved from the assessment room to a labour room and started pushing about 45 mins later. All she had was gas and air because she was fully dilated they couldn't give her anything else.
She pushed for one hour. If someone had come in and asked her to push the hospital 5 foot to the west, she would have done it.
It was noted that the babies heartbeat was becoming a little slow to rise back up to normal after each contraction/push, so a consultant was asked to take a look.
Seems little baby was a little to eager to start to make her way down and out, and her head was sideways and angled back a bit. If she'd have come out like that, she have been born face first.
Quick blood sample taken from the top of head, then off to theatre for a spinal block to be ready for the use of forceps and/or ventouse.
I was left outside after getting changed theatre clothes while the spinal block went in, then asked to come in and be with her as they started.
The plan was to use the forceps to ease little baby back up, turn her a bit and back down and out.
Allie commenced to push again (this time enough pushing to tilt the earth on it axis by a few degrees) little baby still was having none of it.
Out came the ventouse and with the use of the forceps at the same time, little 6lb 14oz Charlotte Neve Armitage came into our world at 18.43 on 20/01/2012. The theatre was absolutely sure Allie was having a 20lb elephant from the effort of getting her to make an appearance.
Allie and Charlotte will be home today (Sunday).
I went on a little shopping yesterday (Saturday) and bought Allie a ring. SHE SAID YES.
You girls...................how the hell you do what you do? I will never understand.
This was THE single most traumatic thing I've ever been through (also the most magical)
My hat goes of to every single one of you marvelous ladies. From what I saw yesterday, NO man could do that................EVER.
From myself and Allie, thanks for this forum and all the contributors. You are one of a kind.
Charlotte Neve;
I'm posting on behalf of my fiance Allie. She asked me today to put this in here as although she's not been a big contributor with posting (she's a bit of a technophobe), she has gained a lot of insight and help from all your posts of the last nine months. My name is Jase by the way. I'm the proud and happy dad.
Due date was 28/01, I had been on nightshift and was in McDonalds friday morning (20/01) getting a large latte when my mum phoned to tell me she thought Allie was in labour.
My mate and the two girls behind the counter said my face was a picture.
My mum said she had phoned the maternity unit and they'd said take it easy as Allie had only started contractions at 05.30 and she'd be nowhere near ready to come in.
I got home at 09.45 and Allie was just getting into a nice warm bath.
I noticed she'd had her show (in the toilet) and her contractions were coming pretty thick and fast. More of the show appeared after her bath and I decided to time the contractions.
They were coming every 50 - 60 seconds or so and lasted anywhere from 40 - 80 seconds.
Hmmm, that's a hit close from what I'd read. Another call to the maternity unit and they still said to not worry. Get her to eat and drink something, then just take your time, don't stress out and come in to be assessed.
It was just gone 11.30, so I stalled in a bit cos since I'd got her to use her birthing ball, the contractions although still the same duration and the same time apart, they weren't causing her as much pain as before. Allie said at one point she could feel a wet running sensation and thought maybe her waters had gone. No sign from outside her clothing that they had though.
We eventually headed to the hospital and got there for around 14.00. Two wonderfully brilliant midwives (one a young trainee) put our minds at rest, told us to take it easy. Allie was still getting pretty strong contractions and started to ask for maybe a bit of pain relief. She's only had two paracetamols the whole time.
She was assessed and found to be fully dilated. We were is shock. Not least me. I'd seen upteen programs and read so much on these first stages of labour, so expected her to be shouting the house down. Not a shout, yell, scream or anything.
From start to full dilation on two paracetamols
and no screaming. Not what I'd read it to be.We hadn't even brought any of her hospital bag in from the car (Why is Durham University hospitals carpark such a MASSIVE distance from the maternity unit????)
She was moved from the assessment room to a labour room and started pushing about 45 mins later. All she had was gas and air because she was fully dilated they couldn't give her anything else.
She pushed for one hour. If someone had come in and asked her to push the hospital 5 foot to the west, she would have done it.
It was noted that the babies heartbeat was becoming a little slow to rise back up to normal after each contraction/push, so a consultant was asked to take a look.
Seems little baby was a little to eager to start to make her way down and out, and her head was sideways and angled back a bit. If she'd have come out like that, she have been born face first.
Quick blood sample taken from the top of head, then off to theatre for a spinal block to be ready for the use of forceps and/or ventouse.
I was left outside after getting changed theatre clothes while the spinal block went in, then asked to come in and be with her as they started.
The plan was to use the forceps to ease little baby back up, turn her a bit and back down and out.
Allie commenced to push again (this time enough pushing to tilt the earth on it axis by a few degrees) little baby still was having none of it.
Out came the ventouse and with the use of the forceps at the same time, little 6lb 14oz Charlotte Neve Armitage came into our world at 18.43 on 20/01/2012. The theatre was absolutely sure Allie was having a 20lb elephant from the effort of getting her to make an appearance.
Allie and Charlotte will be home today (Sunday).
I went on a little shopping yesterday (Saturday) and bought Allie a ring. SHE SAID YES.
You girls...................how the hell you do what you do? I will never understand.
This was THE single most traumatic thing I've ever been through (also the most magical)
My hat goes of to every single one of you marvelous ladies. From what I saw yesterday, NO man could do that................EVER.
From myself and Allie, thanks for this forum and all the contributors. You are one of a kind.
Charlotte Neve;
such a nicely written post, and great to read it from a mans perspective! Congratulations to you both, both with the baby and the engagement 
