Friday night October 26th, at 6.30pm Andrew and I left to go to the Lyell McEwin and wait for the arrival of what we knew to be our son (Kameron). At 7.20pm I was finally taken to the labour ward (they came down at 7pm but didn’t see me there!)
Off we trot ready for the longest day of our lives.
Long day to meet Kameron
I was hooked up to the baby heart monitor at 7.30pm and there I laid for the next 3 hours until they finally decided to induce me around 10.30pm. By 11pm I was down in maternity to “wait it out”, and I had also found out by that time if nothing happened through the night I would be re-induced at 6.30am the following morning.
5.30am Saturday morning arrives and the midwife comes in to get me up so I can have a shower etc. I was up already anyway – I must have counted every minute through the night. I have also just started to experience very a slight ‘period pain’ type of feeling.
At 6am the labour ward rings down to maternity to say that they are ready for me and that Andrew was in the waiting room. So off we trot ready for the longest day of our lives.
At 6.30am I was re-induced, so Andrew rang my mum who said she would be there as soon as she wolfed down her breakfast and she arrived around 8.30am. I was hooked up to the baby heart monitors again and to see if I was having any contractions.
At around 10.30am the midwife suggested to get up and go for a walk as I could be in for a long day. Walking around the hospital the contractions had intensified slightly and as each one came on we all had to stop walking so I could breathe it out.
We went back to the labour ward around 11.30 the midwife asked me how I was going and I said that the pain had intensified big time, so she offered me a shot of pethidine which I accepted! That only lasted an hour before it began to wear off.
I was checked by the doctor at 2pm who announced I was 2-3cm dilated and didn’t need another lot of gels. Then they set up the delivery room and moved me in. The doctor re-checked me and discovered I was now 5cm. Thankfully for me just as I went to the delivery room the anaesthetist was at the desk so the midwife asked me if I wanted an epidural. I had no trouble saying yes!
My mum rang my step-dad at 2.10pm to let him know I was just about to have the epidural (which went in beautifully and was nothing like what I thought it would be). When I laid back down Andrew decided it was time for a smoke as the midwife said I would probably still be there till 11pm.
Andrew asked me if I wanted it filmed and I told him that is why he bought the video camera along!
Mum and I were alone for a while as Andrew made a few hundred phone calls as well and she asked me how i was feeling. I told her it felt like I had to do a really big poo with every contraction and she laughed.
The midwife that was to deliver walked in the room and mum told her what I said. She checked me out and said “You’re about to deliver” I looked at mum she looked at me, and we both said “WHERE THE HELL IS ANDREW?” He came waltzing in a couple of minutes later but it felt like an eternity and the room was a hive of people and activity. Andrew asked me if I wanted it filmed and I told him that is why he bought the video camera along… so he just hit record when I was told to start pushing. 8 minutes later Kameron Andrew arrived into the world.
Andrew was asked if he wanted to cut the cord but he was looking a bit pale and was shaking like a leaf so refused so Mum jumped in and did it and has told everyone she has seen since. A very big highlight for her.
We thought my labour had gone on for about 5-6 hrs but it was written on the card as 3hrs and 20mins. So from Midday, as he was born at 3.20pm.
Kameron was taken from me during the early hours of Sunday morning (28th) as he had low blood sugar levels and needed to be looked after by the neo natal department but he was allowed down for visiting times.
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