My Emily Katelyn's Birth

[AwesomeFoursome]

On Wednesday 2nd September, I woke up at 5am with a pain then another, I started timing them, 7 minutes apart. At 12.30pm I hopped on bb to say I thought things have started moving along. The pains continued all day until 4pm we decided to DTD to see if it got things moving. It seemed to stop everything. Bugger, I thought, not having her today. I had a sleep then at 8pm we went for a walk, I started getting pains every now and then. At 9.30pm they were regular and started more painfully and about 6 minutes apart. I squatted down with each contraction and DH sat behind me rubbing my back. I had a thread on bb on which wonderful ladies wrote encouraging and very helpful things. Between contractions I sat at the computer and read the thread over and over. It helped me keep focus and stay calm. About 11.30pm I updated on bb. We finished packing the bags between contractions. The contractions started getting closer together. I waited for them to stop, for everything to stop, for some reason I still felt they were going to stop. I hopped in the bath, the contractions were really painful, I looked at my stomach and I could see each contraction, it would go hard and rise, I found it amazing to watch, I moaned through the contractions, trying not to make too much noise so I didn't wake DS. I felt pressure in my bottom and thought maybe I REALLY am in labour lol. DH came in at 2am and timed the contractions, they were about 2 minutes apart, he said we had to call the hospital so he called and I talked to my midwife who happened to be on duty. She said to come up to get checked out. DS was meant to go to a neighbour's house but I couldn't leave him, I wanted my boy with me. I waited until DH got the bags, DS and himself into the car then I hopped in, I didn't want to be in there for a second longer than I had to be. I vomited along the way and couldn't decide if I wanted DH to go faster or slower. When we got there I told DH to leave the bags in the car in case I was not in labour and we were told to go home LOL. He got the labour bag, Harrison's bag and left the baby bag in the car. They opened the doors and the male nurse asked if I needed a wheelchair, I said no I was fine. We walked about 20 steps, another contraction. I've never seen someone run for a chair so fast before. I think I scared him. I would have preferred to walk but I didn't want him worrying. I was wheeled to a delivery suite to be checked out. My midwife did an internal and said I was 7, almost 8cms. **** so I won't be going home. She said, you're not going anywhere, you are having a baby in the next 1-2 hours. She checked the paperwork and the blood test said I had group B strep so I had to have a drip in. She put it in between contractions. It was getting really really painful, I asked for the gas. The midwife called the doctor to tell him what was happening. I was on the floor squatting down then I started panicking, I want an epidural, get me a epidural NOW, I screamed. The midwife very calmly said it's too late for an epidural, would you like me to check you. I said yes but turn the gas up first. I told DH to call the neighbour to pick DS up. Looking back I was in transition but didn't realise at the time. She did the internal and when she was taking her hand out "pop" waters broke everywhere. She said I was ready to push. When the baby was crowning I asked for an epidural again LOL, the midwife asked if I wanted to feel her head. I felt her head, hair, heaps of hair. I was ready to finish the job. Emily Katelyn was born at 3.58am. Dh cut the cord. DS came over to meet his little sister, he gave her lots of smiles. I was so proud of DS, during the birth he just watched a dvd and played the whole time. He occasionally came over and checked me then went back playing. He adores his sister and is very protective of her, I think him being at the birth helped him take to her so quickly. Emily's Apgars were 1 minute - 9, 5 minutes - 10. Not long after she was born our neighbour arrived to pick up DS, he waved bye and when with her. The doctor arrived and stitched me up, while Emily fed. I had a 2nd degree tear. I had a shower and felt on top of the world. The midwife said afterwards, that when she saw me she didn't think I was in labour because I looked too calm . We were released on the early discharge program and went home at 10.30am. Emily is an angel baby, great feeder, self settles, and sleeps great - althrough she got day and night a little mixed up. I feel so blessed. I would like to thank all the ladies who supported me through my pregnancy and labour, THANK YOU!!!!

ETA: 1st Stage: 1 hour 15 minutes (from when I arrived at the hospital) , 2nd Stage: 13 minutes