DH and I always knew we wanted children. We'd talked about it before - the only thing we couldn't agree on was the timing. I wanted babies now, now, now, while DH (sensibly) wanted to wait till we were better set up financially.
About May last year we began talking more seriously about starting our family and made plans to start trying about November 2008. However, a couple of weeks later I found out I was pregnant! I guess we 'relaxed' slightly in the contraceptive department once we'd decided for sure that we'd start trying .
I had a fantastic pregnancy. I experienced a bit of morning sickness in beginning, but nothing too severe. The worst of it was that I just could not find anything I wanted to eat - and as a result I lost about 6kg in the first trimester. I worried a lot too, as is pretty normal I think. When we went for our first scan at 12 weeks I couldn't believe there was actually a baby there! After the morning sickness passed, my pregnancy was wonderful. I felt good, and loved experiencing all the new things: feeling my bub move for the first time, and my growing belly.
My due date came and went as I expected it to. At 41 weeks (12th Feb), DH and I went into the antenatal clinic for my check up. It took ages to get in as they were really busy. They did all the usual checks: BP, fundal measurement, fetal heart beat... all was well. Then they did an internal exam to see if my cervix was 'ripe' yet - it wasn't, and organised for me to be induced on Monday 16th. Before I went to leave, they asked me to be hooked up to a CTG, just to check on bub and make sure he was doing well. Everything was going along fine, but then all of a sudden the fetal heart rate would drop down to 80-90 bpm. It would only happen for a moment, and I thought it was a fault of the machine. But then it happened again... no one knew what was going on, but they wanted to continue monitoring me to be sure. I was on the machine for almost 2 hours, and his heart rate dropped again a couple of times, so they decided to move me upstairs to the labour ward to continue monitoring me overnight. A doctor came to see me, and because I was already 41 weeks he said they would try inducing me that night anyway. They inserted the hormone that was supposed to ripen my cervix, and I was left hooked up to the CTG. I started having painful contractions (I'd been having painless ones before that), but was told that they weren't really 'useful' contractions - all they were doing was ripening my cervix, not actually helping to bring my bub into the world any time soon. For the most part, while I was being monitored everything was fine with bub, but every now and then the fetal heart rate would drop... then, as my contractions were getting worse, bub's heart rate dropped to 70-80 bpm for ages. The doctor said that it seemed to be that me being induced was distressing bub even more... and then it it got crazy. Before I knew what was happening the hormones they'd used to induce me were taken out, I was being explained the risks of caesarians, being put in a hospital gown and asked to sign consent forms. DH was taken away to get ready to go in the OR with me, and I was wheeled upstairs. I was still having contractions that were gradually getting worse, and bub was still being monitored the whole time. Then, as I was waiting to go in to have the epidural inserted I felt a 'pop'. I didn't think any more of it until I had to move on the bed when the epidural was being inserted when a gush of liquid came out. My waters had broken! - but they were stained slightly green/brown, which made them think that bub had passed his first bowel motion in utero... not a good sign. So, they really felt the need to speed things up. The epidural took effect, I was rushed in the OR. A midwife continued monitoring bub's heart rate, but it kept getting lower and lower. It was when she said that it was down to 40bpm that I all of a sudden realised how serious this all was. DH and I both paniced... but after a few minutes of this really odd feeling of pulling and tugging - I heard a baby crying! At 12.34am on Friday 13th February 2009 my little man was here! Hearing that cry was the best sound I've ever heard. It grabbed my heart. I really wasn't expecting that one noise to have such an effect on me!
They took him over to a table and checked him over, and the doctors were surprised at how well he was considering how worried they'd been. They brought him over to me, though I could barely see him as I couldn't move and my beautful baby was all wrapped up in a blanket. We named him Oliver. DH and Oliver left to go to the nursery while they finished stitching me up and I was out in recovery. I was in recovery for what felt like forever - it was about an hour and a half from when he was born to when I went downstairs to see him. I didn't sleep that night - and DH didn't go home until 4am. Actually, I didn't sleep until the following night - I was very, very sleep deprived!
I was in hospital from Thursday/Friday to Tuesday. Going home was so daunting, but DH and I managed okay. I'm recovering well. Feeding is going okay - it could be better (on my part - I have very big boobs and flat nipples), but Oliver gets plenty! There's certainly no problem with supply!
Oliver's arrival was very quick and unexpected! At 1.20pm on the Thursday DH and I had just gone in for a check-up - then less than 12 hours later our little man was out in the world! It wasn't quite the way we'd hoped or expected, but that's all quickly forgotten when I see his beautiful face .
Selina- I have been waiting to read this story. I have tears in my eyes. I am so proud of you and have loved following your pregnancy and now the birth of your son Oliver. It must have been very scary for you seeing that heart rate drop the way it did. Thank you for sharing Oliver's birth with us and I think he is just so handsome!
welcome baby Oliver you and I share a birthday and being born on friday the 13 th i think is a good omen congrats to you both on a brillant job of bringing your beautiful little man into the world enjoy your baby moon and i hope your recovery goes well.
I'm so glad they hooked you up for monitering! What a dramatic entrance. The main thing is you are both well! I am so hapy for you and DH. What a little cherub you have created!
Wow, just read this again. I can't believe it was three years ago. It was definitely not the birth experience I had hoped for, but in a way I'm glad for it - it made me want to educate myself about birth and take charge of my own birth for DD.
It's so hard to believe that teeny tiny baby is now a funny, gorgeous, affectionate 3 year old boy. Everyone says it, but it is so so true - they really do grow up too fast.
The unexpected entrance of Oliver (13/02/09)
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