I've finally managed to get enough time to be able to write my birth story for you all........I hope you're sitting confortably!!
Wednesday 15th October
Well the day started pretty much like any other Wednesday, got up, had breakfast. When I went to the loo at 10am to do my wee sample to take to my 39 midwife appointment later that afternoon I had a massive show!! I'd had a few tiny bits of pinky dishcharge the day before but this was loads of it and it was really bloody... I was so excited that I nearly jumped off the loo. Two hours later I was starting to get pains, they were very mild but definately contractions. The pains were like someone had an elastic band around my tummy that was being pulled too tight. I had another wee at about 2pm and there was loads more show which I got a bit worried about because I thought it would just be one lot. I rang the CMU to check if it was normal and to let them know that I was having contractions because I was booked for a home birth and they needed to warn the on call MW that she could be getting a call that night! I went for my MW appointment at 3pm and by this time the pains, although still really mild, were every 15 minutes. The MW felt my tummy while I was there and confirmed that I was starting in my latent phase but did say not to get too carried away because it could all stop. She did let the on call MW know though. I went home and walked the dog hoping to let gravity do some work and by 9pm the contractions were every 10 minutes. I fugured I was in for the long haul.
Thursday 16th October
I contracted throughout the night. I was using the birth ball to bounce on because it helped slightly with the back pain. When the pains got too bad I tired the TENS machine but it was rubbish and didn't help at all so I only lasted about an hour with it. The pains were getting really strong by 3am but they were still only 5 mins apart and lasting about 40 seconds. The worst thing was that I was really really sick......and I mean projectile!!! every morsel of food I'd had for my tea came back up and the neausea that went with it made the pains seem loads worse! By 4am the contractions were finally every 4 minutes and lasting a good 50 seconds to 1 min
so while DH got the pool filled up I got on the phone to the CMU to tell them to get the MW out to me. By the time she turned up at 4:45am they were every 3 mins and she took one look at me and said I was in labour and started filling my notes in. Then came the internal examination.......seriously thought she was trying to find my tonsils!! She looked at me and said...'I'm really sorry but your cervix is still really high up and completly closed....your not in labour yet!' 
I could have punched her in the face. She did say that because my cervix wasn't open yet and because I'd been contracting all through the night that it would be a good idea to get in the pool.....DH had spent 45 minutes filling it up I may as well use it 
We were hoping that the pool would slow down or even stop the contractions enough for me to be able to have some rest. As soon as she left I got in the pool and I can't tell you what a relief it was.... I was like a different person. The nausea completley went and I could relax in between each contraction. It was fab. The contractions slowed down to every 6 minutes but didn't stop so I didn't get any rest. I got out of the pool about an hour later and tried to eat something but within 10 minutes it was back sitting in the sick bucket again 
At 4pm that afternoon the new on call MW rang me up to see how I was going on and said she'd call round to check on me. When she got here I was still having painful contractions every 6 - 7 minutes so she did and internal again and said that I was 1cm dilated but 2 when contracting!! She left me expecting a call in the night
Friday 17th October
Yet again I contracted throughout the night and I was in pain and contracting constantly between every 10 and 5 minutes. When they were every 10 minutes I managed to have about 5 minutes doze in between each contraction for about an hour but I think that was more just exhaustion by that point than anything else! By 6:30 the contractions were still only every 5 minutes but they were getting really really painful now and the nausea and sickness was making me feel really ill and all I wanted to do was get in the pool. At 7am I rang the MW and asked her to come round and examine me. I was hoping she'd say I was either in proper labour so could get in the pool or tell me of a way to stop it so I could rest... I'd not eaten or slept in two days by this point
When she arrived at 8am and examined me she told me I was still only 2cm but 3cm when I was contracting and she could feel the waters bulging when I was contracting but until I was 3 - 4cm I still wasn't in labour!! She did say it was ok for me to get in the pool though so I could have kissed her. The pool was such a relief, I can highly recommend them to anyone. She did say that as it was getting further on she was going to call the 2nd MW out and ask her to bring round the G&A tanks ready. She went off to do her morning calls and I got in the pool. The MW arrived with the tanks at about 12 noon and the 1st MW came back to check on me at 1:30pm. She did and internal and I was finally 3cm at last I was in labour. She could feel the waters bulging when I contracted but she couldn't break them so I got back in the pool. Because I was now officially in labour both MW's stayed with me even though I was still only contracting every 4 minutes. I was still only using the pool for pain relief at this point and I still hadn't eaten or slept!! By 5pm it was changover time for the MW's and the new on call MW came round and did another internal and said I was still 3 but 4 when contrating and luckily she managed to break my waters for me From here on in the contractions just went mental. I got back in the pool but I was just so focused on getting trough each contraction that I have no idea of time or anyone else being there. Every 4 hours I was asked to get out of the pool for an internal and when I reached 7cm (I'm told it was about 9:30pm) I finally gave in and asked if I could have the G&A because the pain was too much. I loved it!!! I continuted to contract throughout the night and was getting the urge to push but the MW's told me I wasn't fully dilated so to try and breath through and not push.......that hurt more than the actual contraction!! It was like trying to hold back the tide. I actually strained all the muscles around my back and tummy trying to hold back the pushing. Finally they let me start pushing at 11pm. I was soooooooo tired by this point and didn't think I could do it. The only energy I'd got was from Lucozade!
Saturday 18th October
Despite my best efforts to get her out before midnight she didn't want to come out and I finally managed to push her out at 12:28am. She weighed 6lbs 10.5oz (despite a growth scan saying she was 7lb 1oz at 37 weeks so expect an 8 - 8.5lb baby!!!) and she was just so beautiful. I cried, my husband cried, my mum cried and even the MW had a tear in her eye!! The only one that didn't cry was Poppy!! She was just so calm and quite and just looking around at everyone.
I managed it all on just the G&A and I didn't have any tears or cuts. The homebirth was totally magical and I would totally recommend it to anyone and I will definately do it for our next baby. Despite the fact it lasted so long I loved the labour and giving birth experience and it's not put me off in the slightest. It didn't hurt as much as I thought it would!
Poppy May is a lovley baby, hardly every cires and is a joy to have and I can't believe how much I love her and just can't stop looking at her!!
Here's a link to a few photo's for you........hope it works. Sorry it's so long but it was a long labour
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=37662&l=62f9f&id=699309603
Wednesday 15th October
Well the day started pretty much like any other Wednesday, got up, had breakfast. When I went to the loo at 10am to do my wee sample to take to my 39 midwife appointment later that afternoon I had a massive show!! I'd had a few tiny bits of pinky dishcharge the day before but this was loads of it and it was really bloody... I was so excited that I nearly jumped off the loo. Two hours later I was starting to get pains, they were very mild but definately contractions. The pains were like someone had an elastic band around my tummy that was being pulled too tight. I had another wee at about 2pm and there was loads more show which I got a bit worried about because I thought it would just be one lot. I rang the CMU to check if it was normal and to let them know that I was having contractions because I was booked for a home birth and they needed to warn the on call MW that she could be getting a call that night! I went for my MW appointment at 3pm and by this time the pains, although still really mild, were every 15 minutes. The MW felt my tummy while I was there and confirmed that I was starting in my latent phase but did say not to get too carried away because it could all stop. She did let the on call MW know though. I went home and walked the dog hoping to let gravity do some work and by 9pm the contractions were every 10 minutes. I fugured I was in for the long haul.
Thursday 16th October
I contracted throughout the night. I was using the birth ball to bounce on because it helped slightly with the back pain. When the pains got too bad I tired the TENS machine but it was rubbish and didn't help at all so I only lasted about an hour with it. The pains were getting really strong by 3am but they were still only 5 mins apart and lasting about 40 seconds. The worst thing was that I was really really sick......and I mean projectile!!! every morsel of food I'd had for my tea came back up and the neausea that went with it made the pains seem loads worse! By 4am the contractions were finally every 4 minutes and lasting a good 50 seconds to 1 min
so while DH got the pool filled up I got on the phone to the CMU to tell them to get the MW out to me. By the time she turned up at 4:45am they were every 3 mins and she took one look at me and said I was in labour and started filling my notes in. Then came the internal examination.......seriously thought she was trying to find my tonsils!! She looked at me and said...'I'm really sorry but your cervix is still really high up and completly closed....your not in labour yet!' I could have punched her in the face. She did say that because my cervix wasn't open yet and because I'd been contracting all through the night that it would be a good idea to get in the pool.....DH had spent 45 minutes filling it up I may as well use it We were hoping that the pool would slow down or even stop the contractions enough for me to be able to have some rest. As soon as she left I got in the pool and I can't tell you what a relief it was.... I was like a different person. The nausea completley went and I could relax in between each contraction. It was fab. The contractions slowed down to every 6 minutes but didn't stop so I didn't get any rest. I got out of the pool about an hour later and tried to eat something but within 10 minutes it was back sitting in the sick bucket again At 4pm that afternoon the new on call MW rang me up to see how I was going on and said she'd call round to check on me. When she got here I was still having painful contractions every 6 - 7 minutes so she did and internal again and said that I was 1cm dilated but 2 when contracting!! She left me expecting a call in the night Friday 17th October
Yet again I contracted throughout the night and I was in pain and contracting constantly between every 10 and 5 minutes. When they were every 10 minutes I managed to have about 5 minutes doze in between each contraction for about an hour but I think that was more just exhaustion by that point than anything else! By 6:30 the contractions were still only every 5 minutes but they were getting really really painful now and the nausea and sickness was making me feel really ill and all I wanted to do was get in the pool. At 7am I rang the MW and asked her to come round and examine me. I was hoping she'd say I was either in proper labour so could get in the pool or tell me of a way to stop it so I could rest... I'd not eaten or slept in two days by this point
When she arrived at 8am and examined me she told me I was still only 2cm but 3cm when I was contracting and she could feel the waters bulging when I was contracting but until I was 3 - 4cm I still wasn't in labour!! She did say it was ok for me to get in the pool though so I could have kissed her. The pool was such a relief, I can highly recommend them to anyone. She did say that as it was getting further on she was going to call the 2nd MW out and ask her to bring round the G&A tanks ready. She went off to do her morning calls and I got in the pool. The MW arrived with the tanks at about 12 noon and the 1st MW came back to check on me at 1:30pm. She did and internal and I was finally 3cm at last I was in labour. She could feel the waters bulging when I contracted but she couldn't break them so I got back in the pool. Because I was now officially in labour both MW's stayed with me even though I was still only contracting every 4 minutes. I was still only using the pool for pain relief at this point and I still hadn't eaten or slept!! By 5pm it was changover time for the MW's and the new on call MW came round and did another internal and said I was still 3 but 4 when contrating and luckily she managed to break my waters for me From here on in the contractions just went mental. I got back in the pool but I was just so focused on getting trough each contraction that I have no idea of time or anyone else being there. Every 4 hours I was asked to get out of the pool for an internal and when I reached 7cm (I'm told it was about 9:30pm) I finally gave in and asked if I could have the G&A because the pain was too much. I loved it!!! I continuted to contract throughout the night and was getting the urge to push but the MW's told me I wasn't fully dilated so to try and breath through and not push.......that hurt more than the actual contraction!! It was like trying to hold back the tide. I actually strained all the muscles around my back and tummy trying to hold back the pushing. Finally they let me start pushing at 11pm. I was soooooooo tired by this point and didn't think I could do it. The only energy I'd got was from Lucozade!Saturday 18th October
Despite my best efforts to get her out before midnight she didn't want to come out and I finally managed to push her out at 12:28am. She weighed 6lbs 10.5oz (despite a growth scan saying she was 7lb 1oz at 37 weeks so expect an 8 - 8.5lb baby!!!) and she was just so beautiful. I cried, my husband cried, my mum cried and even the MW had a tear in her eye!! The only one that didn't cry was Poppy!! She was just so calm and quite and just looking around at everyone.
I managed it all on just the G&A and I didn't have any tears or cuts. The homebirth was totally magical and I would totally recommend it to anyone and I will definately do it for our next baby. Despite the fact it lasted so long I loved the labour and giving birth experience and it's not put me off in the slightest. It didn't hurt as much as I thought it would!
Poppy May is a lovley baby, hardly every cires and is a joy to have and I can't believe how much I love her and just can't stop looking at her!!
Here's a link to a few photo's for you........hope it works. Sorry it's so long but it was a long labour
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=37662&l=62f9f&id=699309603
BIG CONGRAULATIONS 
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