Hi everyone
Have been dying to write with my amazing birth story since I got back from hospital on Thursday. My lovely little boy Joseph decided to arrive 4 weeks early last Sunday, weighing in at 5lb 9 .heres what happened!
I finished work last Friday (yes, I know!) looking forward to 4 weeks of rest. I was a little concerned about these lower back pains id been having since Wednesday. Ive suffered with back pain in my pregnancy but these pains were coming and going in waves. On Saturday night I was up all night with the pains. I just assumed it was babys head engaging. Hubby said I should ring the hosp just to be sure. When I rang them they said to go in.
When I got there I just assumed it was me being a drama queen as usual. They hooked me up to the machine and monitored what was going on. Every time I had one of these pains you could see the monitor thing going up and down. After a while on the machine the MW confirmed I was in non established labour and that the pains were contractions. She did an internal on me and told us to expect the baby early. Hubby replied how early? and she said 24-48 hours! I was already a centimetre dilated. I was told that babys head and shoulders were fully engaged.
I burst into tears as I was worried about baby being born premature and had it in my head that it wouldnt be healthy. We decided to go home so I could finish packing my hospital back as we thought it could take a while for things to progress.
At home I put my tens machine on which was really good in the early stages of labour. We stayed at home until 8pm that evening when the contractions got more regular and lasting 50 seconds. I had also had a bloody show at that point.
When we got to hospital I was 3cm dilated and I continued to use my tens machine for quite a while until I needed some gas and air too. I would recommend the tens machine for the first part of the labour. Its when things get more painful that you may need stronger pain relief. At 9pm the MW told us to expect baby by 4am. She kept saying that my waters would break soon but they didnt. At 7cm dilated she decided to break them herself (ouch). Thats when I couldnt believe what she told me .
She said she needed to get a second opinion because she thought after feeling around up there whilst breaking my waters that the baby was actually breech! Her actual words were I think ive just felt some girly bits! (So after putting her hand up there she thought she could feel a little girls fanny, my little girl turned out to be my little boy!). I couldnt believe what I was hearing. Every midwife that has examined me for the last 12 weeks has said that the babys bum was digging in my ribs and that it was head down. It turns out that its bum was actually its head and everyone got it wrong.
Next thing I know all these people are coming in the room examining me (which I was starting to get used to!). The senior MW told my MW off for breaking my waters. They did a scan and confirmed it was breech. Initially the MW was giving me a choice saying I could go ahead and deliver naturally. I was a bit out of it by then but from what I can remember the consultants and paediatrician were advising us against it and basically telling us that it had to be a caesarean as it was the safest way of delivery.
So they shoved the paper in front of me and told me to sign. Then we were wheeled into the delivery room. Trying to get the injection into my spine was interesting as I was contracting really regularly and in lots of pain, unable to keep still!
Before long I was able to really relax as when the epidural kicked in it was lovely! I had gone from being in all this pain to completely pain free. I started to get excited about seeing my little baby.
I was still worried there was something wrong with baby though. Hubby kept reassuring me and I kept asking if he was ok because at one point he nearly fainted! Then they pulled baby out and all was quite. I could see him but John actually confirmed he was a boy, which im pleased about as I wanted him to tell me the sex. I was so relived when Joseph let out a loud cry; it was the best sound ever! They brought him to me and he laid on my chest, his big eyes beaming and blinking at me. It was the most special moment of my life. He didnt need any oxygen or to be taken into special care at all. Within half an hour I was feeding him and he latched on really well. I felt so lucky and relieved and was pleased with his weight (5lb 9oz).
Joseph is doing really well and we are so pleased. I think im still in shock from the last week though. So much has happened and I keep going over it in my head. Why was he premature and why did no-one pick up on him being breech? Im also disappointed that I got so far in labour and then had to have a caesarean as I really wanted to have a natural birth. I know all that shouldnt be important now but I cant help feeling it, especially as my hormones are making me weepy. I also cant believe I didnt get a break after leaving work!!! But more time with my son now before I go back next January .
Thank you for reading my story and good luck to you all. My advice would be to speak to your MW if you are in doubt about babys position so they can send you for another scan. If theyd done that with me then we would have know he was breech (unless he turned late on which I guess is a possibility).
I will try and post a pic soon
Laura
Xx
Jospeh Samuel born early on 12/2/07 at 2.57am
Have been dying to write with my amazing birth story since I got back from hospital on Thursday. My lovely little boy Joseph decided to arrive 4 weeks early last Sunday, weighing in at 5lb 9 .heres what happened!
I finished work last Friday (yes, I know!) looking forward to 4 weeks of rest. I was a little concerned about these lower back pains id been having since Wednesday. Ive suffered with back pain in my pregnancy but these pains were coming and going in waves. On Saturday night I was up all night with the pains. I just assumed it was babys head engaging. Hubby said I should ring the hosp just to be sure. When I rang them they said to go in.
When I got there I just assumed it was me being a drama queen as usual. They hooked me up to the machine and monitored what was going on. Every time I had one of these pains you could see the monitor thing going up and down. After a while on the machine the MW confirmed I was in non established labour and that the pains were contractions. She did an internal on me and told us to expect the baby early. Hubby replied how early? and she said 24-48 hours! I was already a centimetre dilated. I was told that babys head and shoulders were fully engaged.
I burst into tears as I was worried about baby being born premature and had it in my head that it wouldnt be healthy. We decided to go home so I could finish packing my hospital back as we thought it could take a while for things to progress.
At home I put my tens machine on which was really good in the early stages of labour. We stayed at home until 8pm that evening when the contractions got more regular and lasting 50 seconds. I had also had a bloody show at that point.
When we got to hospital I was 3cm dilated and I continued to use my tens machine for quite a while until I needed some gas and air too. I would recommend the tens machine for the first part of the labour. Its when things get more painful that you may need stronger pain relief. At 9pm the MW told us to expect baby by 4am. She kept saying that my waters would break soon but they didnt. At 7cm dilated she decided to break them herself (ouch). Thats when I couldnt believe what she told me .
She said she needed to get a second opinion because she thought after feeling around up there whilst breaking my waters that the baby was actually breech! Her actual words were I think ive just felt some girly bits! (So after putting her hand up there she thought she could feel a little girls fanny, my little girl turned out to be my little boy!). I couldnt believe what I was hearing. Every midwife that has examined me for the last 12 weeks has said that the babys bum was digging in my ribs and that it was head down. It turns out that its bum was actually its head and everyone got it wrong.
Next thing I know all these people are coming in the room examining me (which I was starting to get used to!). The senior MW told my MW off for breaking my waters. They did a scan and confirmed it was breech. Initially the MW was giving me a choice saying I could go ahead and deliver naturally. I was a bit out of it by then but from what I can remember the consultants and paediatrician were advising us against it and basically telling us that it had to be a caesarean as it was the safest way of delivery.
So they shoved the paper in front of me and told me to sign. Then we were wheeled into the delivery room. Trying to get the injection into my spine was interesting as I was contracting really regularly and in lots of pain, unable to keep still!
Before long I was able to really relax as when the epidural kicked in it was lovely! I had gone from being in all this pain to completely pain free. I started to get excited about seeing my little baby.
I was still worried there was something wrong with baby though. Hubby kept reassuring me and I kept asking if he was ok because at one point he nearly fainted! Then they pulled baby out and all was quite. I could see him but John actually confirmed he was a boy, which im pleased about as I wanted him to tell me the sex. I was so relived when Joseph let out a loud cry; it was the best sound ever! They brought him to me and he laid on my chest, his big eyes beaming and blinking at me. It was the most special moment of my life. He didnt need any oxygen or to be taken into special care at all. Within half an hour I was feeding him and he latched on really well. I felt so lucky and relieved and was pleased with his weight (5lb 9oz).
Joseph is doing really well and we are so pleased. I think im still in shock from the last week though. So much has happened and I keep going over it in my head. Why was he premature and why did no-one pick up on him being breech? Im also disappointed that I got so far in labour and then had to have a caesarean as I really wanted to have a natural birth. I know all that shouldnt be important now but I cant help feeling it, especially as my hormones are making me weepy. I also cant believe I didnt get a break after leaving work!!! But more time with my son now before I go back next January .
Thank you for reading my story and good luck to you all. My advice would be to speak to your MW if you are in doubt about babys position so they can send you for another scan. If theyd done that with me then we would have know he was breech (unless he turned late on which I guess is a possibility).
I will try and post a pic soon
Laura
Xx
Jospeh Samuel born early on 12/2/07 at 2.57am
