Thursday 2 April 2015

My Labour And Delivery Story

Helloo :)

Yay! I'm finally a mummy! At long last!

My beautiful baby son Ethan made his way into the world on Friday 27th April 2012, around 14 hours after writing the last labour post!

My labour and delivery story actually follows on from that post, as my contractions got stronger and more and more regular, until at about 4.45am, i decided i had better wake Simon, as the contractions were 5 minutes apart, and had been for around an hour!
I think i still didn't really believe it was 'proper' labour, as i had had so many false alarms, so i decided to get a bath (as we were due to ring the maternity assessment ward at 7.30am anyway, to get an induction time) and then ring the hospital afterwards,which i did around 6am, as my contractions were getting stronger.

The hospital told us to make our way there, which we did for 7am (after i decided i wanted to go through the hospital bags we were taking, 'just to check' everything!)

Once there, we went to the Maternity Assessment, where we waited. and waited. After taking my name, nobody came to 'assess' me, or even took my pregnancy notes, and i was left to pace up and down the assessment area, contracting, until i decided to put my tens machine to use.
(I found that it didnt help with the pain very much, but was more of a distraction, so i probably wouldnt bother using one again, as it was fiddly and uncomfortable, and the benefits of the machine didnt outweigh this for me)
after around an hour, a midwife came t tell me to go to another part of the maternity floor, which we did, just to wait yet again. i was getting fed p and annoyed, as i still had not been assessed, and my contractions were getting stronger and more painful.
as i had only been given [aracetamol, by this point i was wanting something stronger, so i asked simon to get the midwife.
when she finally came, she seemed surprised to see me in pain, and when i said i was having strong contractions, she decided she wanted to hook me up to the machine that does the babys heartrate and monitors contractuions, for at least half an hour before deciding on a course of action. arrggghh!!
(this time on the machine, it was awful, because it not only monitors the contractions, but also when they were building up, and how painful they were (the higher the number, the stronger the cntraction)

after what seemed like ages, she decided that i propbably was in labour, and after much asking by me, decided to examine me (by this time it was half past ten in the morning) and told me I was 4-5cm dilated and she seemed shocked!



Thursday 3 May 2012

Introducing Ethan Luke :D

Helloo :)

My baby boy Ethan Luke is FINALLY here!
He was Born on Friday 27th April 2012 weighing 7lb 15oz, very healthy and looking absolutely GORGEOUS!

Here is a couple of pictures from when he was less than one day old ( just to show him off! ;) and i will be back soon with my labour and delivery story :)


5 minutes old :)

less than 24 hours old :)

Smitten is not the word, my baby was well worth the wait! :)

Thursday 26 April 2012

1 week, 6 days Overdue, Looks Like Induction.....

Helloo :)

I cant actually believe i am writing this post, as i REALLY thought i would be a proper mummy by now, especially seeing as the midwife said i was 2cm dilated on Tuesday when she did my membrane sweep (and i was starting having contractions ect)
Since then, things haven't really changed, i have had a LOT more of the mucus plug come away (or the show) which shocked me, as i didn't expect there to be so much more of it (i had a lot come away in the early hours of this morning, at about 3.40am and more this afternoon, at around 6pm, and little bits since) and i have continued to have contractions, at irregular intervals, some a lot stronger than others, with some actually painful enough to wake me up every hour or so last night, before easing off into nothing.

Start TimeEnd TimeDurationFrequency
3:40:26 AM----4:26----
3:33:38 AM3:34:32 AM0:5310 m, 29 s
3:23:10 AM3:24:14 AM1:35 m, 23 s
3:17:47 AM3:18:38 AM0:506 m, 47 s
3:11:00 AM3:11:51 AM0:504 m, 19 s
3:06:40 AM3:07:30 AM0:499 m, 16 s
2:57:24 AM2:58:19 AM0:546 m, 54 s
2:50:31 AM2:51:22 AM0:50----

This is an example of how random my contractions are, whilst being strong enough to wake me up and keep me awake, then fade away :/ (this graph was done on Contraction Master Online, (click for link) and i added it in the early hours of Friday morning, a few hours after first writing this post, as yep, i was up having more contractions, and yet more of my show)

I seem to have more contractions on an evening and at nighttime, (maybe because I'm less active then?) and they seem to be in my lower back spreading across my tummy. they last anything from 40 seconds to a minute, seem to get fairly regular for a while (last night i had a really strong contraction that woke me up, then i timed the contractions for an hour or so, and each one (a lot less painful than the initial one) came about every six minutes, and lasted around 40 -60 seconds, before again, tailing off to nothing).
That is soooo frustrating :(

To take our minds off it and to get us out of the house, (and with a small secret hope that it would start proper labour off) Simon, my 2 year old niece Olivia and I went swimming today (thursday) my first time in about 10 years!) and it was a great distraction :)
The feeling of weightlessness was lovely, and i only really appreciated it once i stepped out of the pool, as the full weight of my bump hit me like a ton of bricks, and i could have cried!
It made absoultely no difference to my labour status though, and while I think that any exercise when overdue is good (within reason!),  the baby is only going to come when it is ready, regardless what mum-to-be does!
So sadly, Induction looks likely :(

My friends sis-in-law happens to be a midwife, and my friend quizzed her on my behalf in regards to my induction which is booked in for tomorrow, and she thinks that i will probably be able to skip the gel/pessary step in the induction, as i am dilated enough to have my waters broken already (the midwife on Tuesday told me this), so they will only need to break my waters once a bed becomes free on the labour ward, so i SHOULD skip the long wait for my cervix to open as it already is 2cm dilated :)

I have all my bags packed, the car seat is ready to go, and we are a little apprehensive, excited, and looking forward to things finally happening, but it just feels a little bit deflating to not have the panic/excitement of natural labour starting :(
BUT, on the VERY big plus side, we should have our son this weekend, yay!

Last at-home pregnant Bump pics, at 42 weeks exactly, and total weight gain in my pregnancy from 4 weeks gestation to 42 weeks is: 2st 11 lb :/







(this post was written on Thursday night around 10pm, and updated early Friday Morning, so bump pics are of me at two full weeks overdue :)


Tuesday 24 April 2012

11 Days Overdue, but Finally in Labour!

helloo :)

Well, I'm in slow labour, but at least its official!

I'm now 11 days overdue, and had a midwife appointment booked in for 11.20am this morning, for a general check up and stretch and sweep (membrane sweep) If she felt it necessary, which will apparently put around half the women who have it done into labour with 24 hours, so i was hoping she would do one, just to get things moving, as i REALLY don't want to be induced on Friday, (if possible!)

But when i woke up this morning, around half 7, i felt 'different', not in any pain at all, just a bit of backache and sort of a dragging feeling at the bottom of my tum, (both generally, and especially whilst walking,) and i noticed i had had some of the 'show' (a clear jelly-like mucus stuff which seals the cervix) and this continued to come away most of the morning, up until my midwife appointment.

When i went in to see the midwife, (it was a different midwife to my usual 2) i explained about the show, and she said she would still do the cervical sweep, to try and get things moving for me.
When she examined me, (which is very uncomfortable more than painful) she got really excited and told me that the baby was 'presenting beautifully', was really low down and central, she could feel his head, and that i was already 2cm dilated and my cervix was getting thin! She said this is really unusual in a first baby (being 2cm dilated without pains or anything), and even if i did end up staying in slow labour, and have to be admitted to hospital on Friday, she thought it highly unlikely that they would have to give me a pessary (an artificial aid to kick start the labour hormones), and that they would only probably need to break my waters, which should mean (hopefully) a quicker delivery! Yay!

Other things at midwife appointment - my blood pressure and everything was great, Baby's head was more or less as engaged as its going to get until delivery, Ethan's heartbeat was perfect (it sped up after he was prodded in the head by the midwife, and he moved loads afterwards!) and my bump was measuring 39cm (a week behind, but good) and then that was it, and i was sent on my way from my last midwife appointment , which, in a funny way made me feel a bit sad :/

Since the appointment, Simon is a nervous wreck but has gone off to work, mum and i have taken the dog out for a walk, as i keep getting told that the more you walk about the better/quicker labour is, and now I'm just waiting and getting excited for things to start happening!
I'm still not in any 'proper' pain, although I'm getting more noticeably stronger contractions, (that are like Braxton Hicks coupled with period pain in my lower back) that are coming about every 30 to 45 minutes or so, at a rough guess, and the midwife said to look out for period pain type pain, and bleeding (which Ive had a small amount of, along with more of my 'show') or breaking of water (both of which need to be reported to hospital maternity assessment unit) as signs of labour :)


I am now going to get a warm bath with some of the 'magic' essential oils, then put on my labour Tens Machine if i feel the need, as i would like to stay at home for as long as i can before going into hospital.
So fingers crossed that things happen tonight, and these will be my last Pregnant Bump Pictures, at 41 weeks and 4 days:





Come on baby, i cant wait to meet you! x

Saturday 21 April 2012

1 week 1 day overdue & Midwife appointment update :)

helloo :)

And welcome to my follower! :)

I really thought last time that my next post would be full of pics of my newborn, but nope, I'm STILL pregnant, and now one full week and one day overdue (and feeling it) :(



I saw my usual midwife on Tuesday, who told me that I'm measuring two weeks under at 38 weeks (!) and the baby is not quite engaged -WTF? For the last five or so weeks, i have been measuring spot on (measuring a week or so over before) and have been told by different midwives that the baby's head was fully engaged (and i was led to believe that with a first baby they cannot come 'out' of being engaged?)
Maybe she was having an 'off' day, as she also said i would be due to be induced on Sunday the 29th, making me 42weeks and 2 days overdue :/
After panicking and correcting her, we finally have our (correct) induction date booked in for Friday 27th April 2012, and I'm having a 'stretch and sweep' at my midwife appointment next week, so we should DEFINITELY have a baby by the beginning of May!

Its awful being overdue (in a way), as every little pain or twinge has me thinking 'this is it!' especially as i have started getting occasional backache coupled with Braxton Hicks (usually at nighttime or during the night), that fool me into thinking its labour starting as it comes regularly 5-6 times - before stopping completely -Arrrggghhh!
I just want labour to either start properly, or stop with pretending!
I am feeling generally uncomfortable, more tired and achy now, and since Monday, walking any sort of decent distance is bordering on painful, with my groin area and legs feeling like they need to 'click' (is this normal?) but this only feels this way when I'm walking, so maybe pressure from the baby?

Having tried everything i can think of to induce labour (see previous post's) i have given up and I'm just trying to keep myself active (IE, walking as much as i can) and busy, as i think i would drive myself insane doing nothing, just sat around waiting (and also a small part of me thinks that I'm bound to go into labour if I'm at my Grandads birthday tea (yesterday), the Wacky Warehouse having lunch with a friend and her little boy (Thursday) or at an appointment then shopping in town with Simon (Tuesday), but no. Nothing.

For some reason, since i was around 30 weeks pregnant, i have had it in my head that the baby is going to arrive on the 24th April (next Tuesday) and Simon now thinks it will be the 28th, so it will be interesting to see if he does come on either date! We have also been trying to guess what the baby's weight will be (dodgy midwife's estimate is 8lb), my guess is 8lb 4oz and Simon's guess is 8lb 7oz, so we all think he will be a chunky baby!

Latest Pregnant pics, taken today (41 weeks and one day)





Hopefully my last ones!

Tuesday 17 April 2012

My Son's Nursery :)

helloo :)

I thought i would do a quick 'tour' in pictures of my baby's room/nursery which Simon and I are sharing (until Ethan is a bit older) as it is set out pre-baby, as i know it will probably get altered around once he is actually here, and we figure out the easiest ways of doing the everyday (and night!) mummy and baby things :)


I do love how it looks at the minute, as i managed to fit pretty much everything in that i wanted for the baby (even if the walk in wardrobe IS rammed!) as well as our everyday stuff.

here is the 'nursery':

Bookcase,nursing rocking chair, new shelves, mini toy box, and some of Ethan's dressing gowns.



Ethan's wardrobe and bouncer


Changing station/chest of drawers


Window and tiebacks to match rest of room


moses basket, cot bed,  and nappy wrapper bin :)


Some of Ethan's Newborn and 0-3 month clothes

I found it impossible to do an overview of the room with just one picture, so i did a series instead, and didn't include our bed (next to the cot, and in front of the window) as i didn't think it necessary, although i could always add one later?

come on now, baby, we are all ready for you!




Monday 16 April 2012

3 Days OVERDUE!

Helloo :)

As you can probably tell from the title, i have yet to give birth to my little bundle of joy, and am currently 3 days overdue :(
Although i am not in any pain or discomfort (at all, unless i am walking a fair distance, and even that only started today, is that weird?) i am beginning to think he will never come out, and I'm getting fed up of people constantly ringing me to see if i have gone in labour, and although i dont actually believe they will work, i HAVE been trying the old wives remedies for inducing labour, and so far these have included:

* A full Pineapple (who knows why eating this fruit is said to work??)
* Raspberry Leaf Tea
* Sex
*Walking (or rather, a few hours clothes shopping on my due date, and a 20 minute waddle to my mums and 20 minutes back today!)
*Nipple Stimulation (with the electric breast pump)
*Essential Oils (Juniper Berry, Lavender, and Clary Sage) both mixed with a carrier oil and applied to my back and bump, and also 6 drops of each added to my bath water
*Evening Primrose Oil capsules
*Spicy Curry
*Horror Film


None of it has worked (so far!) and I cant think of anything else to try (except Castor oil, which i will NOT be trying!) but i will keep you posted if i discover any more!

I know i was going to do a 'whats in my labour bag' post as i love that sort of thing, but hadn't yet gotten round to it, (but i have since decided i will do this after i have had the baby, as i can then tell you what i actually used out of the bags).
Instead, I have been cleaning the house from top to bottom on a daily basis (more keeping on top of it really), as the baby could come anytime, and supervising Simon putting up the new shelves in the baby's room/nursery (don't they look cute with his little keepsake/bits and bobs on?!) and generally just pottering around at home.


Oh, another thing i didn't realise, (I was told this by a friend who has recently given birth), was that when you have your baby, the hospital take the maternity notes you have had throughout your pregnancy (along with everything that happens to be in them, including scan pics, heartbeat printouts, everything) and you don't get it back! that was a shock to hear, as i assumed that i would get to keep it, so i have been busy photocopying/scanning the lot and im keeping it (for the time being) in one of the free Bounty folders, as i want to keep everything that i can from my pregnancy as a keepsake, and also so i can show my son it when he is older, so if you want to keep a record of your pregnancy, like me, i would advise everybody to scan or copy it well before your due date, (just in case!) as any notes that get added afterwards can always be copied at the time.


As this may (hopefully!) be my last pregnant update, this is me and my bump, at 40 weeks and 3 days gestation:


Massive, but i will miss it :)