Figured its about time I got in here and wrote my birth story, seeing as everyone else has managed to get theirs done... And mostly I just want a place to show off pictures of my bubba 
This is a happy story, for people dreading labour, and shows just how quickly things can happen
So, those of you that have seen my posts around the forum will know how easy a pregnancy I had... I had the bare minimum of symptoms, and was able to work up to week 39.
The symptoms I had were two nights of being sick around 12w (which I think was more due to me not eating, than anything else). I had some boob leakage around 24w (just a couple of spots), and I had an achy back for the last coupla months from the weight of carrying him around.
For this reason, I was expecting a horrific labour.
For the last three-four weeks, on the occasional morning I'd wake up with dull menstrual cramps that would disappear once I got up and started moving. (Braxton Hicks).
Thursday 10th Jan, 23:30, I was sat at home with OH, watching TV and contemplating bed. I decided I'd go in like, 15 minutes once the program we were watching finished.
23:40, I sat bolt upright on the couch clutching my stomach... OH sat up an asked what was wrong, and I told him I thought I'd had a contraction. He asked if I wanted to ring the hospital, which I said there was no point doin as they'd want to know frequency of contractions etc. so I went to the loo instead.
I had two or three drops of pinky water on the toilet tissue, and a second contraction on the way down the stairs, so OH said about ringing in, just for some advice even. So I called, had a contraction, the MW asked me to call back in five minutes as she was just discharging someone. I hung up, had another contraction. Phoned the MW back, she took my details etc, and I had two more contractions whilst on the phone to her, and she told me to go in.
OH grabbed me a pair of trousers (was sat in nighty and shorts) and a pair of socks (he knows I don't go ANYwhere without socks, lol) and he ran down and woke my mum (who'd stayed the week so I wasn't alone while OH was at work), and took me to the hospital.
Friday 11th Jan, 00:10, We arrived at the hospital half an hour after my first contraction (luckily we only live ten minutes away, and that's with OH driving slowly). I had another three contractions in the car, making the total ten contractions in thirty minutes.
I went straight into a room to be examined, where they strapped the monitors around my stomach to keep an eye on baby's heartbeat an stuff.
By this point I was begging for the drugs, which they said I couldn't have as I had to be monitored for half an hour, reach 4cm, and get round to the delivery suite before I could have anything.
I'd "planned" on gas and air/water birth. That did not happen. Basically, the contractions came on so suddenly, I'd not had a chance for them to "build up" for me to get used to them.
At the end of the half hour monitoring, the MW checked me and said I was 4cm and ready to go straight to delivery. So off I went, wheeled round on the bed.
I got into the delivery suite and switched on to the bed there. I was given gas and air within a minute of getting there.
It was not good. It made me feel really sicky, so I threw it at OH, and told him to get me proper drugs. The MW offered me Pethadine, rather than going straight to an epidural, which I was pleased about (I didn't want an epidural unless I HAD to, but at the time I'da took whatever was offered).
Pethadine, is the medicine of the Gods! Even if it did take the MW three hours to get it (OH said about twenty minutes... I swear it was an awful lot longer than that, lol).
The second she stuck that needle in, all the pain just, drained away. It was awesome!
Oh, for anyone still waiting... I found the pain to be just like menstrual cramps, except a gazillion times worse. (Yes, I do have a pretty low pain threshold).
However. A period of time (no idea how long it was, about an hour, I think) after the pethadine killed the contraction pain, I felt the need to push.
There's nothing can prepare you for that feeling... Like the worst case of constipation ever.
So, although I couldn't feel the contractions, I knew when they came as the pressure and need to push came back.
I spent most of the time on my knees, with the bed-back up, my arms hugging and my face mooshed into the pillow, occasionally flipping onto my back. In between each contraction, I slept. OH said it was the weirdest thing he'd ever seen... One minute, I was moaning that "it hurt", "I couldn't do it", "I needed to push", and "you do it for me", next I was sound asleep.
At some point, my waters went, all in one go in a big gush, all over my socks
lol
I remember the MW saying she was going to give me a small cut just to help things along, and that she was gonna numb it first with an injection.
I felt the needle go in (didn't hurt, just, felt it).
The next thing I knew, baby was here
03:35, Baby Caleb was born, on his due date (Friday 11th Jan, 2013), after a total of just four hours in labour.
And as a bonus point, I never actually had an episiotomy. I heard the MW say she was gonna give me a cut... Apparently she said to OH "what we'll actually do is give her three more contractions, if baby's not here by then, then we'll make a cut".
First contraction - nothin. Second contraction - shot out like a rocket. Apparently MW was like, "I can see his head, his head's coming, we have a head-shoulders-chest-legs-he's-here!" And that was that. I did end up with a graze, but no cuts, and no tears. Yay
So that was it. Four hours literally from first contraction to baby.
He screamed for about 30 seconds, then just sat there on my chest peering around at everything
After about an hour, he went to daddy for cuddles whilst I attempted a shower (which wasn't too bad), and they threw my socks away... lol
Once I came out of the shower, I was sat in a wheelchair, given the baby, and wheeled round to the ward (about 5am by this point). OH was allowed to stay whilst we got settled, but they eventually chased him out around 7am.
And so ends the story of baby Calebs arrival.
Did it hurt? Oh. My. God yes it hurt, there's no point trying to say it didn't. The pethadine helped immeasurably, and I think I probably could have coped with the pushing a whole lot better, but bear in mind that my back had been useless for a coupla months by this point, and you use back muscles to push. Mine were no good for this, and I think that possibly made it a whole lot harder than it needed to be.
I think the contractions coming on so quick maybe meant I didn't get a chance to get used to them as they built up... That's what a MW said, and it makes sense...
If I could go through this birth again, would I change it at all? Nope. It all happened the way it was supposed to happen, and that's fine with me. I avoided both an epidural, and an episiotomy/tearing, I didn't get put on a drip, and I had immediate skin-to-skin. Those were the things that mattered to me, and all stayed as wished.
So for any ladies still waiting for their babies... There are some horror stories out there, which you've probably heard... This is not one of them. I've not sugar-coated... It damn well hurt and I do remember it hurting.
But believe everyone when they say it really is soooooo worth it.
As a final note... I really am so very greatful for the way it all happened. From finding out I was pregnant at 4+2, to today, where Caleb is exactly (40w) 11 days, 22 1/2 hours old. I understand that as much as I was in pain at the end, so so SO many others have it SO much worse than me. I understand I had an easy ride.
I still couldn't have done it without devoted daddy there beside me, looking/running around after me throughout pregnancy, coaching me through labour telling me that I CAN do it, reminding me to breathe, and generally staying calm, and running around after me again now Bubba-Cake's here.
And a thanks to all you ladies who ever answered any of my posts, or anyone else's posts, that I didn't know I didn't know until I read them. And of course, for reading through all my waffle
Here's some pics to ease the waffle-pain xx
Here's Bubba-Cake at around five hours old.
This is a happy story, for people dreading labour, and shows just how quickly things can happen
So, those of you that have seen my posts around the forum will know how easy a pregnancy I had... I had the bare minimum of symptoms, and was able to work up to week 39.
The symptoms I had were two nights of being sick around 12w (which I think was more due to me not eating, than anything else). I had some boob leakage around 24w (just a couple of spots), and I had an achy back for the last coupla months from the weight of carrying him around.
For this reason, I was expecting a horrific labour.
For the last three-four weeks, on the occasional morning I'd wake up with dull menstrual cramps that would disappear once I got up and started moving. (Braxton Hicks).
Thursday 10th Jan, 23:30, I was sat at home with OH, watching TV and contemplating bed. I decided I'd go in like, 15 minutes once the program we were watching finished.
23:40, I sat bolt upright on the couch clutching my stomach... OH sat up an asked what was wrong, and I told him I thought I'd had a contraction. He asked if I wanted to ring the hospital, which I said there was no point doin as they'd want to know frequency of contractions etc. so I went to the loo instead.
I had two or three drops of pinky water on the toilet tissue, and a second contraction on the way down the stairs, so OH said about ringing in, just for some advice even. So I called, had a contraction, the MW asked me to call back in five minutes as she was just discharging someone. I hung up, had another contraction. Phoned the MW back, she took my details etc, and I had two more contractions whilst on the phone to her, and she told me to go in.
OH grabbed me a pair of trousers (was sat in nighty and shorts) and a pair of socks (he knows I don't go ANYwhere without socks, lol) and he ran down and woke my mum (who'd stayed the week so I wasn't alone while OH was at work), and took me to the hospital.
Friday 11th Jan, 00:10, We arrived at the hospital half an hour after my first contraction (luckily we only live ten minutes away, and that's with OH driving slowly). I had another three contractions in the car, making the total ten contractions in thirty minutes.
I went straight into a room to be examined, where they strapped the monitors around my stomach to keep an eye on baby's heartbeat an stuff.
By this point I was begging for the drugs, which they said I couldn't have as I had to be monitored for half an hour, reach 4cm, and get round to the delivery suite before I could have anything.
I'd "planned" on gas and air/water birth. That did not happen. Basically, the contractions came on so suddenly, I'd not had a chance for them to "build up" for me to get used to them.
At the end of the half hour monitoring, the MW checked me and said I was 4cm and ready to go straight to delivery. So off I went, wheeled round on the bed.
I got into the delivery suite and switched on to the bed there. I was given gas and air within a minute of getting there.
It was not good. It made me feel really sicky, so I threw it at OH, and told him to get me proper drugs. The MW offered me Pethadine, rather than going straight to an epidural, which I was pleased about (I didn't want an epidural unless I HAD to, but at the time I'da took whatever was offered).
Pethadine, is the medicine of the Gods! Even if it did take the MW three hours to get it (OH said about twenty minutes... I swear it was an awful lot longer than that, lol
).The second she stuck that needle in, all the pain just, drained away. It was awesome!
Oh, for anyone still waiting... I found the pain to be just like menstrual cramps, except a gazillion times worse. (Yes, I do have a pretty low pain threshold).
However. A period of time (no idea how long it was, about an hour, I think) after the pethadine killed the contraction pain, I felt the need to push.
There's nothing can prepare you for that feeling... Like the worst case of constipation ever.
So, although I couldn't feel the contractions, I knew when they came as the pressure and need to push came back.
I spent most of the time on my knees, with the bed-back up, my arms hugging and my face mooshed into the pillow, occasionally flipping onto my back. In between each contraction, I slept. OH said it was the weirdest thing he'd ever seen... One minute, I was moaning that "it hurt", "I couldn't do it", "I needed to push", and "you do it for me", next I was sound asleep.
At some point, my waters went, all in one go in a big gush, all over my socks
lol I remember the MW saying she was going to give me a small cut just to help things along, and that she was gonna numb it first with an injection.
I felt the needle go in (didn't hurt, just, felt it).
The next thing I knew, baby was here
03:35, Baby Caleb was born, on his due date (Friday 11th Jan, 2013), after a total of just four hours in labour.
And as a bonus point, I never actually had an episiotomy. I heard the MW say she was gonna give me a cut... Apparently she said to OH "what we'll actually do is give her three more contractions, if baby's not here by then, then we'll make a cut".
First contraction - nothin. Second contraction - shot out like a rocket. Apparently MW was like, "I can see his head, his head's coming, we have a head-shoulders-chest-legs-he's-here!" And that was that. I did end up with a graze, but no cuts, and no tears. Yay
So that was it. Four hours literally from first contraction to baby.
He screamed for about 30 seconds, then just sat there on my chest peering around at everything
After about an hour, he went to daddy for cuddles whilst I attempted a shower (which wasn't too bad), and they threw my socks away...
lol Once I came out of the shower, I was sat in a wheelchair, given the baby, and wheeled round to the ward (about 5am by this point). OH was allowed to stay whilst we got settled, but they eventually chased him out around 7am.
And so ends the story of baby Calebs arrival.
Did it hurt? Oh. My. God yes it hurt, there's no point trying to say it didn't. The pethadine helped immeasurably, and I think I probably could have coped with the pushing a whole lot better, but bear in mind that my back had been useless for a coupla months by this point, and you use back muscles to push. Mine were no good for this, and I think that possibly made it a whole lot harder than it needed to be.
I think the contractions coming on so quick maybe meant I didn't get a chance to get used to them as they built up... That's what a MW said, and it makes sense...
If I could go through this birth again, would I change it at all? Nope. It all happened the way it was supposed to happen, and that's fine with me. I avoided both an epidural, and an episiotomy/tearing, I didn't get put on a drip, and I had immediate skin-to-skin. Those were the things that mattered to me, and all stayed as wished.
So for any ladies still waiting for their babies... There are some horror stories out there, which you've probably heard... This is not one of them. I've not sugar-coated... It damn well hurt and I do remember it hurting.
But believe everyone when they say it really is soooooo worth it.
As a final note... I really am so very greatful for the way it all happened. From finding out I was pregnant at 4+2, to today, where Caleb is exactly (40w) 11 days, 22 1/2 hours old. I understand that as much as I was in pain at the end, so so SO many others have it SO much worse than me. I understand I had an easy ride.
I still couldn't have done it without devoted daddy there beside me, looking/running around after me throughout pregnancy, coaching me through labour telling me that I CAN do it, reminding me to breathe, and generally staying calm, and running around after me again now Bubba-Cake's here.
And a thanks to all you ladies who ever answered any of my posts, or anyone else's posts, that I didn't know I didn't know until I read them. And of course, for reading through all my waffle
Here's some pics to ease the waffle-pain
xxHere's Bubba-Cake at around five hours old.
how teeny is Caleb?
xxx
lots of love xxx
