Hi ladies 
First of all just wanted to say thank you to everyone for the amazing support throughout my pregnancy, it's so nice to have somewhere you can feel you can ask silly questions without being judged... i'm sure there will be many more to come now Ella is here and I feel like I know nothing!!
Ok, so I will try and detail my birth story as best I can although it did go by in a bit of a blur! Here we go...
I was due 10th January 2011 and by 17th there was still no sign of baby making an appearance so went in for a sweep. Although it was uncomfortable, it wasn't too bad, and by that point I would have done anything to get things moving I wanted here here so badly! MW said my cervix was low and soft, and she could feel a head so felt I didn't have long to go. This was music to my ears as I was booked in for induction on 20th January and wanted to avoid that if possible. So went home, and got straight on the birthing ball and bounced like my life depended on it... spent the rest of that day and the two that followed walking lots, bouncing lots, making the most of hubby if you know what I mean (hee hee) to get things moving.
Nothing kicked off so woke up on Thursday 20th January at 5.45am and started getting ready to go in for induction. I had actually woken up with period type pains but as 'd been having these on and off for a week or so I just ignored them, called the ward to make sure everything was still on and they had a bed for me and they told me to come in. Got there for 11am, they took me to my bed and asked me to wait while they sorted out another lady who was going down to delivery. At around noon the MW came over and said 'we're a little confused as to why your here'? I told her i'd been given the appointment by the hospital at 28 weeks, for induction if baby hadn't already arrived... and told them i'd called that morning to check it was still all on, and after being asked for my name and gestation was told yes, come in so here I was. She then told me that they can't induce until 40+12 without a medical reason and as I was only 40+10 the best they could do was do a full antenatal check and give me another sweep (ARGH!)
So, at 1pm down to the clinic we went, bags and everything(!) and saw a consultant. She saw I was uncomfortable with these cramps and asked how often they were coming, I told her every five minutes or so but there was no tightenings so had been trying to ignore them rather than time them... she then tells me these are contractions and i'm probably in labour so will send me back to the ward to be examined! She also said that if I wasn't in labour, she would induce me as it was only 2 days and my BP was a little higher than normal (probably from the drama of the morning!)
Got back onto the ward and was put on a trace... the cramps were getting stronger now and I couldn't talk through them, just had to breathe as I was bent over the table. Came off the trace at just before 4pm and the MW examined me as they were strong now and 3 in every 10 minutes... and would you believe it... I was 4cm dilated
I was taken down to the birth centre where I was booked in for a water birth and was told that they wouldn't fill the pool just yet as we had another 6cm (and therefore approx 6 hours) to go before being fully dilated, and getting in the water now might slow things down. MW asked if wanted any pain relief but I said I was ok for now as we still had a while to go and I wanted to go as long as possible before starting anything so she settled me in and went off to see to another lady at about 4.30pm. 20 minutes later, my waters broke and I had the almighty urge to push which surprised me because I was expecting this to be hours away
Hubby called the MW back in, she saw meconium in my waters and explained that because of this, I needed to go to the delivery suite to be monitored as birth centre is MW care only. Got into the delivery suite at 5pm and started on the gas and air (which was like heaven!!) Could not fight the urge to push any more so got on it and at 5.42pm Ella Rae entered the world weighing 8lb 4oz!
Although my birth plan kinda went out the window! I really didn't care, it all went so fast, all I managed to focus on was what my body was doing and working with it to get LO here safely. I am shocked to the core that I managed without any pain relief at all until the pushing stage but glad that I did and actually didn't find labour was nearly as bad as I was expecting it to be... I would do it again any day for a reward like this
Couple of pics just a few minutes old and one this morning having snuggles with daddy!
First of all just wanted to say thank you to everyone for the amazing support throughout my pregnancy, it's so nice to have somewhere you can feel you can ask silly questions without being judged... i'm sure there will be many more to come now Ella is here and I feel like I know nothing!!
Ok, so I will try and detail my birth story as best I can although it did go by in a bit of a blur! Here we go...
I was due 10th January 2011 and by 17th there was still no sign of baby making an appearance so went in for a sweep. Although it was uncomfortable, it wasn't too bad, and by that point I would have done anything to get things moving I wanted here here so badly! MW said my cervix was low and soft, and she could feel a head so felt I didn't have long to go. This was music to my ears as I was booked in for induction on 20th January and wanted to avoid that if possible. So went home, and got straight on the birthing ball and bounced like my life depended on it... spent the rest of that day and the two that followed walking lots, bouncing lots, making the most of hubby if you know what I mean (hee hee) to get things moving.
Nothing kicked off so woke up on Thursday 20th January at 5.45am and started getting ready to go in for induction. I had actually woken up with period type pains but as 'd been having these on and off for a week or so I just ignored them, called the ward to make sure everything was still on and they had a bed for me and they told me to come in. Got there for 11am, they took me to my bed and asked me to wait while they sorted out another lady who was going down to delivery. At around noon the MW came over and said 'we're a little confused as to why your here'? I told her i'd been given the appointment by the hospital at 28 weeks, for induction if baby hadn't already arrived... and told them i'd called that morning to check it was still all on, and after being asked for my name and gestation was told yes, come in so here I was. She then told me that they can't induce until 40+12 without a medical reason and as I was only 40+10 the best they could do was do a full antenatal check and give me another sweep (ARGH!)
So, at 1pm down to the clinic we went, bags and everything(!) and saw a consultant. She saw I was uncomfortable with these cramps and asked how often they were coming, I told her every five minutes or so but there was no tightenings so had been trying to ignore them rather than time them... she then tells me these are contractions and i'm probably in labour so will send me back to the ward to be examined! She also said that if I wasn't in labour, she would induce me as it was only 2 days and my BP was a little higher than normal (probably from the drama of the morning!)
Got back onto the ward and was put on a trace... the cramps were getting stronger now and I couldn't talk through them, just had to breathe as I was bent over the table. Came off the trace at just before 4pm and the MW examined me as they were strong now and 3 in every 10 minutes... and would you believe it... I was 4cm dilated
I was taken down to the birth centre where I was booked in for a water birth and was told that they wouldn't fill the pool just yet as we had another 6cm (and therefore approx 6 hours) to go before being fully dilated, and getting in the water now might slow things down. MW asked if wanted any pain relief but I said I was ok for now as we still had a while to go and I wanted to go as long as possible before starting anything so she settled me in and went off to see to another lady at about 4.30pm. 20 minutes later, my waters broke and I had the almighty urge to push which surprised me because I was expecting this to be hours away
Hubby called the MW back in, she saw meconium in my waters and explained that because of this, I needed to go to the delivery suite to be monitored as birth centre is MW care only. Got into the delivery suite at 5pm and started on the gas and air (which was like heaven!!) Could not fight the urge to push any more so got on it and at 5.42pm Ella Rae entered the world weighing 8lb 4oz!
Although my birth plan kinda went out the window! I really didn't care, it all went so fast, all I managed to focus on was what my body was doing and working with it to get LO here safely. I am shocked to the core that I managed without any pain relief at all until the pushing stage but glad that I did and actually didn't find labour was nearly as bad as I was expecting it to be... I would do it again any day for a reward like this
Couple of pics just a few minutes old and one this morning having snuggles with daddy!
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but unfortunately for ella, she got my ears!!
