Liam James' speedy arrival
After a wonderful pregnancy- with only slight morning sickness, and not too many aches and pains I had arrived at my Due Date 20th Dec, without much sign of the baby arriving. I had had some pre-labour symptoms in the week leading up, but nothing serious. I convinced myself at this point that I would go way overdue, and just got on with getting things ready for Christmas.
I woke up on Saturday 22nd Dec feeling a little out of sorts, and just basically different from what I had done the previous couple of days. I headed off to get ready for bed just after 9pm, and found that I had lost my plug, I got really excited and called DH in to have a look (I can?t say he was as excited as me), and I told him that basically my labour could start anytime. I hopped into bed and went off to sleep, but remember stirring a couple of times and ?knowing? that I was going to have this baby really soon.
I woke at just after 1am on Sunday 23rd Dec to my first contraction, I knew straight away that it was a contraction and realised that I would be having this baby sometime in the next 24 hours. I got up and went to the toilet where I found I had lost the rest of my plug. Then I got back into bed hoping to get some more rest, as at this stage my contractions were still 10 mins apart, although they were quite strong.
As I was laying in bed I had some more contractions, I was trying not to time them too much because I remember reading it is best not to in early labour and just to try and ignore them. However, after realising that they were coming faster and faster I thought it was best I open my eyes and starting timing them. Over the next 3 or 4 contractions I found that they were every 7-9 mins and getting stronger.
I woke DH about 2:30 and told him the job was on, and then had a shower and I started getting contractions at least every 3-5 min. I thought I had better make it a quick shower and get myself ready. DH asked me when I got out whether I had any contractions and when I said yeah at least 4 he knew it was action stations, he jumped out of bed and got dressed and then made sure the car was packed.
After getting dressed I called the hospital to tell them we were on the way. Next I called my Mum and Dad to tell them we were on the way to drop DD off, however the phone rang of the hook a couple of times and I started to panic, on the third try my dad picked up and all I managed to say in the midst of a contraction was ?on the way to drop the baby off, be there soon?.
In the car I was getting Contractions every 3 mins lasting a min, and they stayed like that for the whole 45 min journey from home to Mum and Dad?s and then the hospital. On arriving at the hospital at 4:10 am I went straight into the Assessment unit where they did an internal and told me I was 4cms dilated and I was taken straight through to the birthing suite. Little did I know at this stage that the Midwives knew the baby would be here quite quickly.
In the birthing suite I jumped straight into the shower, but realised there was lots of rushing around going on in room- once again I hadn?t twigged that I was actually close to delivering the baby. The contractions were really painful at this stage, and I was starting to feel like they were too much and asked if I could have an epidural- I think this was more out of fear than not coping, because I felt I was doing ok with the contractions, .
The Ob. came in and put in a cannula because of a previous large blood lose and I was getting quite panicky at this stage because they contractions were right on top of each other and lasting at least a min and a half- I told the midwife that I was scared that I wouldn?t be able to push the baby out without an Epidural because it would hurt too much. She told me it was meant to hurt but it was ok because our body was doing what was natural. She did another internal and I was 8cm dilated- this was just 40 mins after my first internal.
At this stage I realised the baby was really close because I was starting to feel some real pressure, so I got myself together, decided to give the gas a go (and wow it worked wonders) and then hopped up on the bed on all fours. Basically from here I just rode through the contractions with the gas (babbling a way like a drunk ;) ) When all of a sudden the urge to push became so strong, the midwife just told me to go with it, so with that I took the gas out of my mouth and started to push with everything I had, after 3 good long pushes I delivered the head and in the next contraction my waters broke and I delivered my Beautiful Baby Boy at 5:49am, weighing 3.5 kgs, 50.5 cms long and head circ 36 cm.
When I heard his little cry I just felt overwhelmed, and DH cut the cord and I got to see the face of my gorgeous little man for the very first time, and I felt like the proudest mum in the world for the second time. While the baby was getting cleaned up and turned over on the bed and delivered the placenta.
All up my labour from the first contraction until I delivered was less than 5 hours, and I managed to get through it only using gas for the last 30 mins or so- which I feel was a huge achievement because I was sure I wouldn?t be able to do it without an epidural, but I am sooooo glad I did. I had a 2nd degree tear which didn?t really hurt much, and I have found it much more bearable than the pain from the episiotomy I had last time. After spending 1 night in hospital with Liam under observation because there was some Meconium in my waters, we were discharged and came home to start life as a family of 4.
