Hi there, I'm Squigs hubbie and delighted to announce the arrival of our daughter.
Both mother and daughter are fine but will remain in hospital until Friday morning.
Here are some pics to enjoy:
http://picasaweb.google.com/cyberfin/SERENA
*** Thought I'd just tap on my birth story here rather than start a whole new thread... Although with the way I write..
I'll make this as brief as possible.. although it has been a strange experience 
as Tia was born in the UK so I've experienced that too..
I woke up on the 22nd feeling like crap... but thought it was just because I'd had this on off pain and period pain for days, hadn't slept that night with the heartburn and pelvic/back pain, and was just feeling thoroughly miserable. Went out to have a coffee with my mum as she had previously arranged, then had lunch with DH. I told him then that I thought I might have a urine infection. So we called the Salud (doctors surgery type thing) and they said the midwife was there and to go up... So we did only to find out that they were wrong and Nancy wasn't there and our only option was to go to the hospital if we were THAT worried. I wasn't going to go but DH said I had too
. We get there and I get an English mw who was lovely, Sheryl. She monitored me for half hour and did an internal, only to tell me that I was only 2cm dilated still, the cervix was well back, but my contractions were really strong, even though I couldn't really feel them. Did a dip test and it proved negative for any infection. I was seen by a consultant who asked if I wanted to stay or go home as labour was imminent, but I said I'd go home.
I came home around 6ish... got DH to go get me some chocolate, called my parents to drop Tia off, sat on here to look at some posts, internet connection kept failing, then I heard this loud clunk which made me need to pee.. thought little miss must have engaged...
went to the toilet and my waters went when I sat down.. No gush though just like lots of pee without the peeing sensation, very odd. I just leaked constantly...
Then everyone panicked and wanted to get me up to the hospital asap.. I really really wanted to stay at home for ages, but no one would let me, plus my parents had arrived with Tia so it was just more practical to go to the hospital then. We got there at 8:30, and I was seen by Nancy this time, before she had been delivering a baby, she checked my waters and said they had gone, monitored me again.... but I was still just having these tightenings and period pain. Nothing more... so I was put on the maternity ward and told to wait... within 20 minutes I was having contractions every 2/3 mins and they were starting to get painful... And was taken down stairs to the same place where they monitor you which has the labour suite attached.. I was the only one there.. so much for the full moon phenomenon.
I spent a long time there bouncing on a ball... moving around... and was doing well... around midnight I decided to take a bath, but was getting really tired. I hadn't slept the night before or during the day.. and hadn't really slept properly for a few weeks.
The bath was really nice, but after being in the bath for about an hour, it started getting cooler, and I started having trouble coping. I agreed to come out and be checked, see how things were doing, but when she checked I was only 4cm dilated. I could have cried. She checked my contractions, which were through the roof in strength, but so short they weren't really doing much to dilate my cervix, which was blamed on me being nervous... Which was true... this was around the time, I started saying I'd had enough and wanted to go home... it became my mantra. I agreed to have something that apparently relaxes you and helps you dilate. Dunno what it was, but it sounded funky... but it was a huge mistake... it only increased the pain, and because it was a drug I was basically strapped to a monitor and not allowed off my back from the bed... which made all my contractions happen in the front of my pelvis, like my pelvis was being broken into...
Around 3ish I had another internal and was told I was only 4/5cm dilated and I cracked and demanded and epidural. The anestatist was about to go into surgery so she came down and prepped the catheter, flushed it through with some mild nubbing drug they use to check its working and obs had to be done for 20 mins before she would come back down to attach the drip. The drug they used, did nothing for the contractions, they were still painful, I could still feel every one. And then after 20 mins they got worse... and worse.. until I started begging them to call the anestatist back to put the drip in. Around 4ish. Nancy came in and did another internal... apparently I was getting loud mainly begging to go home. I was only 7 cms dilated. The monitor was showing I wasn't having any contractions, or very mild ones, she put up a bag of oxtocin (I begged her not to until the anestatist came back)... she readjusted the monitor, pushed little miss to the centre of my belly and the monitor started showing constant, strong contractions.. She checked again and I was 10cm dilated... I done about 3 cms in a matter of 10 mins...
She kept telling me about the pressure to push, but I had not feeling to push down, Just this intense pain in my pelvis, I kept trying to explain but I just couldn't... I was also still only allowed on my back and I really wanted to get up and squat as I just didn't feel right... But wasn't allowed. Then all of a sudden they were moving me to the birthing room. At this point the anestatist turns up, if she'd been close enough I would have twated her one, but it was too late as the head was crowning... I don't know why they put me in this chair, with handles and foot rests, and OMG did that feel better... I could actually get some pressure and start pushing... and I pushed so much I burst blood vessles all over my face In about 6 pushes little miss was out. They delivered her on to my stomach, but all I can remember feeling was this isn't my baby... it doesn't look like Tia... It was so odd. I don't know if that's normal for second time mums or not... And that was that... no help or meds for the worst and last bit... and erm... It was really painful 
I felt so bad because I was really crying alot to go home, and telling the mw's I couldn't do it... anymore as I was too tired.
I felt myself tear near urethra and I've had 3 stitches in which are INCREDIBLY painful. Most mums complain about the after pains when it's a second baby but OMG a torn ureathra feels like fire all the time... Most of the birth pictures of me happen to be the pictures where I am either having the stitches in or delivering the placenta (my DH was SOOOOoooo kind
but he has since photo shopped them thank gods )... I got cold really quickly as did little miss and we were both put under a heat lamp.. although I don't know why that was they don't tell you things here.
I put little miss straight to the breast when we went back to the recovery room under the heat lamp..and DH was sent away... while the midwives cleared up and did the paper work...and for the first time I was left alone with my new daughter... she looked so pretty her eyes so wide and blue... and it felt so wonderful to be back breast feeding my baby again
And that is my incredibly long drawn out birth story.... sorry...
Both mother and daughter are fine but will remain in hospital until Friday morning.
Here are some pics to enjoy:
http://picasaweb.google.com/cyberfin/SERENA
*** Thought I'd just tap on my birth story here rather than start a whole new thread... Although with the way I write..
I'll make this as brief as possible.. although it has been a strange experience as Tia was born in the UK so I've experienced that too.. I woke up on the 22nd feeling like crap... but thought it was just because I'd had this on off pain and period pain for days, hadn't slept that night with the heartburn and pelvic/back pain, and was just feeling thoroughly miserable. Went out to have a coffee with my mum as she had previously arranged, then had lunch with DH. I told him then that I thought I might have a urine infection. So we called the Salud (doctors surgery type thing) and they said the midwife was there and to go up... So we did only to find out that they were wrong and Nancy wasn't there and our only option was to go to the hospital if we were THAT worried. I wasn't going to go but DH said I had too
. We get there and I get an English mw who was lovely, Sheryl. She monitored me for half hour and did an internal, only to tell me that I was only 2cm dilated still, the cervix was well back, but my contractions were really strong, even though I couldn't really feel them. Did a dip test and it proved negative for any infection. I was seen by a consultant who asked if I wanted to stay or go home as labour was imminent, but I said I'd go home. I came home around 6ish... got DH to go get me some chocolate, called my parents to drop Tia off, sat on here to look at some posts, internet connection kept failing, then I heard this loud clunk which made me need to pee.. thought little miss must have engaged...
went to the toilet and my waters went when I sat down.. No gush though just like lots of pee without the peeing sensation, very odd. I just leaked constantly...Then everyone panicked and wanted to get me up to the hospital asap.. I really really wanted to stay at home for ages, but no one would let me, plus my parents had arrived with Tia so it was just more practical to go to the hospital then. We got there at 8:30, and I was seen by Nancy this time, before she had been delivering a baby, she checked my waters and said they had gone, monitored me again.... but I was still just having these tightenings and period pain. Nothing more... so I was put on the maternity ward and told to wait... within 20 minutes I was having contractions every 2/3 mins and they were starting to get painful... And was taken down stairs to the same place where they monitor you which has the labour suite attached.. I was the only one there.. so much for the full moon phenomenon.
I spent a long time there bouncing on a ball... moving around... and was doing well... around midnight I decided to take a bath, but was getting really tired. I hadn't slept the night before or during the day.. and hadn't really slept properly for a few weeks.
The bath was really nice, but after being in the bath for about an hour, it started getting cooler, and I started having trouble coping. I agreed to come out and be checked, see how things were doing, but when she checked I was only 4cm dilated. I could have cried. She checked my contractions, which were through the roof in strength, but so short they weren't really doing much to dilate my cervix, which was blamed on me being nervous... Which was true... this was around the time, I started saying I'd had enough and wanted to go home... it became my mantra. I agreed to have something that apparently relaxes you and helps you dilate. Dunno what it was, but it sounded funky... but it was a huge mistake... it only increased the pain, and because it was a drug I was basically strapped to a monitor and not allowed off my back from the bed... which made all my contractions happen in the front of my pelvis, like my pelvis was being broken into...
Around 3ish I had another internal and was told I was only 4/5cm dilated and I cracked and demanded and epidural. The anestatist was about to go into surgery so she came down and prepped the catheter, flushed it through with some mild nubbing drug they use to check its working and obs had to be done for 20 mins before she would come back down to attach the drip. The drug they used, did nothing for the contractions, they were still painful, I could still feel every one. And then after 20 mins they got worse... and worse.. until I started begging them to call the anestatist back to put the drip in. Around 4ish. Nancy came in and did another internal... apparently I was getting loud
mainly begging to go home. I was only 7 cms dilated. The monitor was showing I wasn't having any contractions, or very mild ones, she put up a bag of oxtocin (I begged her not to until the anestatist came back)... she readjusted the monitor, pushed little miss to the centre of my belly and the monitor started showing constant, strong contractions.. She checked again and I was 10cm dilated... I done about 3 cms in a matter of 10 mins... She kept telling me about the pressure to push, but I had not feeling to push down, Just this intense pain in my pelvis, I kept trying to explain but I just couldn't... I was also still only allowed on my back and I really wanted to get up and squat as I just didn't feel right... But wasn't allowed. Then all of a sudden they were moving me to the birthing room. At this point the anestatist turns up, if she'd been close enough I would have twated her one, but it was too late as the head was crowning... I don't know why they put me in this chair, with handles and foot rests, and OMG did that feel better... I could actually get some pressure and start pushing... and I pushed so much I burst blood vessles all over my face
In about 6 pushes little miss was out. They delivered her on to my stomach, but all I can remember feeling was this isn't my baby... it doesn't look like Tia... It was so odd. I don't know if that's normal for second time mums or not... And that was that... no help or meds for the worst and last bit... and erm... It was really painful I felt so bad because I was really crying alot to go home, and telling the mw's I couldn't do it... anymore as I was too tired. I felt myself tear near urethra and I've had 3 stitches in which are INCREDIBLY painful. Most mums complain about the after pains when it's a second baby but OMG a torn ureathra feels like fire all the time... Most of the birth pictures of me happen to be the pictures where I am either having the stitches in or delivering the placenta (my DH was SOOOOoooo kind
but he has since photo shopped them thank gods )... I got cold really quickly as did little miss and we were both put under a heat lamp.. although I don't know why that was they don't tell you things here. I put little miss straight to the breast when we went back to the recovery room under the heat lamp..and DH was sent away... while the midwives cleared up and did the paper work...and for the first time I was left alone with my new daughter... she looked so pretty her eyes so wide and blue... and it felt so wonderful to be back breast feeding my baby again
And that is my incredibly long drawn out birth story.... sorry...
