Tigger87
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Jacob James Wigley born 17/09/13 at 00.43, 9lb 12oz
Sorry for the long post, it was a relatively short labour but I want to have it written down to try and remember it all!
I had zero real signs apart from the odd period cramp up until my sweep on the Thursday at 40+5. This started me off with very regular but incredibly mild contractions that night, but it all went off when I slept. Same on Friday, Saturday and Sunday night. Was feeling very fed up Sunday and had a massive cry at my OH that baby wasn't coming, mum had said she'd do another sweep but then changed her mind as we'd had a busy day Sunday and she didn't want me too tired.
Woke up Monday and started getting regular pains that were a bit more uncomfortable than before but still very mild. Spent the day cleaning, sleeping, pottering. Had another cry that baby wasn't on its way and I was very fed up. Mum didn't want to do a sweep just incase it started some bleeding and made the doctors overreact or something. Come 5pm, I was very down in the dumps and still uncomfortable so she gave in and said she'd do it - only to tell me I was 4-5cm and fully effaced!
About 7pm the pains got worse but far less regular. They would come on in batches of maybe 3-4 close together then go off for 10 minutes. At 8pm we decided to go to hospital so that I could have some pain relief, expecting to be there for quite some time.
Had a contraction in the car that was horrible, another on the way into the hospital.... Then nothing! The midwife was looking at me in a very thoughtful manner saying that "technically" I was in established labour because I was 4cm, but I needed strong regular contractions which I just wasn't getting. She also commented on how calm and collected I was being! (I had gas and air by this point too which made the world of difference!! Only for these early contractions unfortunately though)
She said she was taking my mum off, and me and OH were to have a kiss and cuddle and a bit of nipple tweaking to get things going. So about 9.15, they really ramped up!!! They filled the pool and we went into that room. Baby's heart rate went over 200bpm so midwife got a bit jittery and wanted to listen lots but couldn't easily get to my tummy from the position I was in and kept making me sit back in the pool. So every contraction was a race to roll over and get in a more comfy position!
By about 10.30, I totally gave up with the pool, it was doing nothing for the HORRENDOUS pain, and I wanted pethedine. And an epidural. And to just go home and give up, I didn't want a baby anymore.
Midwife put off giving me pethedine, even though she said she'd give me it, so I never had any in the end. Mum and OH helped towel me off and put a nightie on and I climbed on the bed. Within half an hour to an hour (so 11.15-11.30ish) I'd started to push. My waters went not long after this, had quite thick meconium in them so dr needed to be called for delivery. I was expecting this though, as he was now 10 days late, the likely hood of meconium had increased.
Midwife got me to turn over, stick my legs up in some stirrups and put some handles up for me to pull against. Was pushing for what felt like forever, but I was quite enjoying it. It didn't hurt, the contractions had started to get really irregular again and so this bit took a while. I didn't feel like I was really doing anything, but about 11.50pm I was able to actually feel his head with my hand! Lots more pushes, with lots more gaps between contractions (stupid unhelpful hormones!!), I even had a few minute gap between contractions when he'd started crowning! Ow! My OH thought it a good idea to encourage me at one point by saying "I can see his hair and he's not ginger!" I told him I didn't care he was coming out anyway haha! During the pushing stage, my heart rate kept increasing. The machine would ding when it got past 150 i think, so by the end of each contraction it was up to about 170!!! Came back down after a few breathes though
So head was born, one more push and he "flew out" (I wish it was that easy!!) and placed straight on my tummy to wait for OH to cut the cord. Felt like ages before I asked what he was - we were team yellow and I'd totally forgot we didn't know if he was a boy or girl! Dr checked him and gave him all clear. Spent the next hour having another dr sewing me up - I narrowly avoided a 3rd degree tear apparently, and had a tear on my labia. I keep getting told how well I did to push him out on my own with no assistance, it could've come close. Feel very beaten up and bruised now- and have a massive haemorrhoid on my bum!! We came home on a 12 hr discharge - they usually wait 24 hrs after meconium but as mums a midwife and so close they allowed us the earlier one!
I'm totally in love, he's the biggest most amazing achievement I've ever accomplished! I keep saying if I do it again I'm having an epi immediately, but the more I think about it, for what I've got out of it, the pain wasn't so bad!!
Sorry for the long post, it was a relatively short labour but I want to have it written down to try and remember it all!
I had zero real signs apart from the odd period cramp up until my sweep on the Thursday at 40+5. This started me off with very regular but incredibly mild contractions that night, but it all went off when I slept. Same on Friday, Saturday and Sunday night. Was feeling very fed up Sunday and had a massive cry at my OH that baby wasn't coming, mum had said she'd do another sweep but then changed her mind as we'd had a busy day Sunday and she didn't want me too tired.
Woke up Monday and started getting regular pains that were a bit more uncomfortable than before but still very mild. Spent the day cleaning, sleeping, pottering. Had another cry that baby wasn't on its way and I was very fed up. Mum didn't want to do a sweep just incase it started some bleeding and made the doctors overreact or something. Come 5pm, I was very down in the dumps and still uncomfortable so she gave in and said she'd do it - only to tell me I was 4-5cm and fully effaced!
About 7pm the pains got worse but far less regular. They would come on in batches of maybe 3-4 close together then go off for 10 minutes. At 8pm we decided to go to hospital so that I could have some pain relief, expecting to be there for quite some time.
Had a contraction in the car that was horrible, another on the way into the hospital.... Then nothing! The midwife was looking at me in a very thoughtful manner saying that "technically" I was in established labour because I was 4cm, but I needed strong regular contractions which I just wasn't getting. She also commented on how calm and collected I was being! (I had gas and air by this point too which made the world of difference!! Only for these early contractions unfortunately though)
She said she was taking my mum off, and me and OH were to have a kiss and cuddle and a bit of nipple tweaking to get things going. So about 9.15, they really ramped up!!! They filled the pool and we went into that room. Baby's heart rate went over 200bpm so midwife got a bit jittery and wanted to listen lots but couldn't easily get to my tummy from the position I was in and kept making me sit back in the pool. So every contraction was a race to roll over and get in a more comfy position!
By about 10.30, I totally gave up with the pool, it was doing nothing for the HORRENDOUS pain, and I wanted pethedine. And an epidural. And to just go home and give up, I didn't want a baby anymore.
Midwife put off giving me pethedine, even though she said she'd give me it, so I never had any in the end. Mum and OH helped towel me off and put a nightie on and I climbed on the bed. Within half an hour to an hour (so 11.15-11.30ish) I'd started to push. My waters went not long after this, had quite thick meconium in them so dr needed to be called for delivery. I was expecting this though, as he was now 10 days late, the likely hood of meconium had increased.
Midwife got me to turn over, stick my legs up in some stirrups and put some handles up for me to pull against. Was pushing for what felt like forever, but I was quite enjoying it. It didn't hurt, the contractions had started to get really irregular again and so this bit took a while. I didn't feel like I was really doing anything, but about 11.50pm I was able to actually feel his head with my hand! Lots more pushes, with lots more gaps between contractions (stupid unhelpful hormones!!), I even had a few minute gap between contractions when he'd started crowning! Ow! My OH thought it a good idea to encourage me at one point by saying "I can see his hair and he's not ginger!" I told him I didn't care he was coming out anyway haha! During the pushing stage, my heart rate kept increasing. The machine would ding when it got past 150 i think, so by the end of each contraction it was up to about 170!!! Came back down after a few breathes though
So head was born, one more push and he "flew out" (I wish it was that easy!!) and placed straight on my tummy to wait for OH to cut the cord. Felt like ages before I asked what he was - we were team yellow and I'd totally forgot we didn't know if he was a boy or girl! Dr checked him and gave him all clear. Spent the next hour having another dr sewing me up - I narrowly avoided a 3rd degree tear apparently, and had a tear on my labia. I keep getting told how well I did to push him out on my own with no assistance, it could've come close. Feel very beaten up and bruised now- and have a massive haemorrhoid on my bum!! We came home on a 12 hr discharge - they usually wait 24 hrs after meconium but as mums a midwife and so close they allowed us the earlier one!
I'm totally in love, he's the biggest most amazing achievement I've ever accomplished! I keep saying if I do it again I'm having an epi immediately, but the more I think about it, for what I've got out of it, the pain wasn't so bad!!
