Our Beautiful Daughters Birth - 03/03/2008
So I didn't have the best pregnancy. It kinda sucked. Morning sickness for five months with four seperate hospital admissions on drips, amnio at 20 weeks, anaemia, low blood pressure, gestational diabetes....
but it was all worth it.
Sunday 2nd March, nine days from due date and I had a bit of a show. Baby was still quite high and not engaged but I told hubby it was any time now and we should get ourselves prepared. I had a shower and shaved my legs (priorities lol) but nothing else happened until Sunday night when i started getting a little niggly lower back pain.
On Monday morning I woke up at about 5.30 and knew I was feeling some really minor contractions. Also had a more complete show. I had my breakfast and waited for them to intensify a little. At 6.30 they were about 10s long and 4min apart so called LMHS and midwife said when they start to last 45s and become a bit more unbearable then come in. I woke up Phil and warned him that baby was coming today and get himself ready. Over the next two hours Phil got himself ready and got Miss 3, Piper, up and ready. Meanwhile my contractions were getting a little more intense but still felt like period pain. Phil timed them and they were about 40s long and only about 2 mins apart. Pipers labour had only lasted 3hr 50 mins so he got back onto the hospital and they said come on in.
At this stage they were still bearable so I hoped I wouldn't be labouring at the hospital for hours.
We arrived at the hospital at 8.45am and a midwife examined me about 10 mins later. I was already 5cm. Ok, it was definately happening.
I was transferred from an assessment room to a labour room in the higher risk side of the birthing unit. I hadn't been told this prior but the GD meant they needed to monitor me more closely. I was introduced to my midwife Carol, and she was an absolute legend. She was a big part of keeping us quite calm, focussed and relaxed.
My contractions seemed to suddenly intensify. I was now using the gas (love the gas) and getting enough relief from it that I didn't need any other drugs, although they were extremely painful. Meanwhile my Mum arrived and was able to keep an eye on Miss 3 (yes she was there, I'll give more details on her later). A line was put in the back of my hand in case I needed to have sugar but it ended up not being required.
This continued until about 10.30 am when the contractions suddenly changed again and I said I've got to push. Carol broke my waters, (beside the pushing the most intensely painful part) and the last phase started. Phil was sitting on a stool right next to my head and was holding onto my hand, I was squeezing hard with that hand while my left still had the gas going into my gob lol. On about the second push Carol said, the heads coming do you want to feel it? ERRR NOOOO. Just get her out! LOL. There was another two pushes and at 10.45am our daughter was born.
I couldn't believe how fast it all went and I am absolutely delighted at how non stress it was. I was less panicky about the pain and what was going on so I felt a lot more connected to my breathing and pain management and I know I even smiled a couple of times between contractions and could converse a little. I had a small first degree tear but it was smaller than with Piper, I think because I was a little more focussed with the pushing phase and timed it a little better. Also my support of Phil and the wonderful midwife kept me focussed and calm.
Meanwhile, Miss 3 was in the room with us the whole time. I had done some research before hand to try and find out other peoples experiences with having siblings at births but hadn't really found any definitive advice. We decided to play it by ear and had some contingencies if she started showing signs of being traumatised or distressed. We prepared her before hand by telling her that when the baby comes Mummy will be in pain and the baby will be coming out of Mummys vagina but it was all normal. We packed a bag together of books and crayons and change of clothes and she bought a present for the baby and wrapped it with hand drawn wrapping. She had also seen me being quite ill during pregnancy so I don't think she was as shocked at seeing me out of control. During the labour she coloured in at a table in the corner of the room and even when I got really (I mean really) loud she apparently looked a little concerned but remained unphased when reminded by Nanny that it was normal and went back to colouring! The mood in the room was pretty calm, no one was panicking so I think she picked up on that and took her cues from the adults. I am so proud of her and am so glad that she got to share in the experience of welcoming her sister to the world and she got to see her and hold her within seconds of her arrival.
I really have to say that the entire birth was the best possible experience I could have hoped for and I am ecstatic that our family is complete.
Our beautiful daughter weighed 6lb 13oz, was 49.5cm long and had a head circumference of 33cm.
And after two days of being called The Baby, I can announce that our angel is named
Madison Rose Tibbits
