The speedy arrival of James

EmmaL · August 31st, 2007, 07:57 PM

My first labour lasted 22 hours, this one was much different

Sorry in advance for the length, even though it was so short!!

I was 39 weeks pregnant, when I woke with quite bad back pain - looking back, I realise that it was different pain than I was used to... I got up, had a shower and took my 3 year old DD to childcare for the day. I was going to use this day as a pamper day, as I figured that it was probably going to be the last day that Grace was at childcare before I had the baby (she goes once a week). So, I went to my local large shopping centre (Marion, for those who live in Adelaide), and had a haircut, stopped for some brunch, then went to a salon for an eye brow wax and a pedicure - I figured that if I couldn't see my feet, someone was going to have to do it for me

.

Whilst sitting on their suede couch waiting for my toe nails to dry, around 12:30, my waters broke with a massive gush

The most embarrasing moment of my entire life!! I called my DH who arrived about a half and hour later to take me home!! I was too scared to move anywhere so the lovely lady who just did my toes kept bringing me fresh towels every 10 minutes or so. I wasn't having any contractions, so we just went home where I had a shower and found DH madly surfing the net for girls names, as we hadn't decided on any yet.

About 2:30 I rang the hospital to let them know that my waters had broken, but that nothing was happening yet, just the odd cramp or two. We had planned on staying home for as long as possible, after having such a long labour with DD. The midwife told me that my swab had come back positive (I hadn't had my 39 week appt yet to find that out), so I had to come in for antibiotics until the baby was born. She told us not to hurry, anytime in the next 2 hours would be fine.

We arrived at the hospital at about 4pm, and sat around for the next half hour or so doing nothing really. Still getting very irregular and mild cramping though. The obstetrician came to see me at about 4:30, and put an IV line in and got the antibiotics ready. At 5 he gave me a speculum exam and told me that my cervix was tightly closed still, and posterior, and that he would be back in the morning around 8am to induce me.

My midwife gave me the antibiotics and went off for her tea break around 5:15 - as soon as she left the room the contractions came on hard and fast. She came back at 5:45 and was surprised to see me in so much pain. They were so much more intense than the contractions in my first labour, coming one on top of each other, about 5 with no break in between, then a break of 30 secs or so before the next lot of 5. I was desperate for something to take the edge of so I asked for "something, anything!!!" The midwife told me that I was nowhere near able to have an epidural but she could get me some pethidine, which I readily agreed to, so she gave me that at 6:15. At 6:45 I screamed "how the h#*l dilated do you need to be to get an epidural!!" I felt like such a wus cause I'd only ben contracting for an hour and 45 minutes!! She said at least 3 cms, and she doubted that I was there yet, but she decided that I could have one anyway cause the contractions were so intense and close together.

She went to get the trolley ready and call the anaesthetist, and all of a sudden I had to go onto all fours and felt like I had to push!! I yelled at DH - I have to push but it's too soon for the baby, maybe I need to do a poo, but I can't get off the bed!! I think he panicked a bit at that cause he wasn't sure what I wanted him to do

At 6:50 the midwife came back in and DH told her about the pushing, so she told me to hang on and she'll have a look - one look down below and she said "well we won't be needing the epidural, there's a head!!" and 1 push later James Robert Langdon landed on the bed with a thump - the poor midwife only had time to grab some fresh gloves before he shot out - no gown or glasses

at 7pm on the dot on tues 31st July!!

My poor james must have shocked himself with his speedy journey cause he just lay on the bed for about 30 secs looking around in amazement before letting go a massive scream!!! He was 8lb 41/2oz, or 3760g, and lovely!! The midwife told me that I was her quickest labour from closed cervix to 10 cms in 1 hour 50 minutes!

After a bit of cleaning up, and a big bit of stitching, he was sent to the neonatal ward for observation as they thought his oxygen levels were a bit low due to some discolouration of his lips and cheeks, but it turned out to be a bit of bruising from the journey. He slept pretty much for 24 hours, having to be woken with wet facewashers for feeds 6 hourly, because of the pethidine, but soon livened up a bit. He also had a severe tongue-tie, which stopped him from being able to latch onto the breast, so we expressed, and now he's going all guns since having it snipped at 4 days old!

We were told that if we were to have a 3rd, DH will have to learn how to deliver in the laundry at home, cause we may not make it to the hospital

Thank you for reading