I've decided after seeing quite a few birth stories floating around that I would do ours, its taken me quite a long time to deal with the emotional stress of giving birth, not that it was a bad birth as it wasn't but just the dealing with what actually happened to my body really!
On the 8th of may 2014 at 38 weeks pregnant I decided that enough was enough, I was done with feeling fat and frumpy and un able to take a deep breath! I took the dogs for a long walk, drank raspberry leaf tea, ate spicy food and the other thing that we all know brings on labour but don't necessarily like to take about on social media! The following morning (the 9th) I woke with a few twinges and mild period pain, I didn't think much and carried on about my day, we had recently moved into a new house that was still being renovated and we were living mostly upstairs and in our living room, other than that it was a building site.
By around 10am I thought that something could be happening but the pain wasn't that bad, I called my husband and told him and he carried on at work as normal as we both felt that there was no rush. I carried on, walked the dogs (very slowly) did some housework and changed the bed as I knew that I probably wasn't going to be doing any housework for a while! My husband arrived home at 2pm and the pain was a little worse so I rang the hospital, they felt that if I was ok at home for now then I should stay put and keep busy for as long as possible, this rang true with what we both wanted too.
As the afternoon progressed so did the pain but I wasn't in enough pain to really worry I could still move around happily and talk through each contraction. We did normal things and got excited about what was going to happen soon, we even ate lunch and dinner! Although bu around 7pm I was getting a little anxious that nothing else was happening, my contractions were every 6 minuets and painful so we took a trip to the hospital to put our mind at rest. I was examined and was told that if i was happy to I could go home for the night try and sleep and see how I was the next day. That night was the longest of my life I was anxious in pain and feeling suddenly a little to aware about what I was going to do in the next few hours. by 5am I hadn't slept and the pain was really bad, I rang the hospital who said I could come in, I don't really know why but i suddenly decided that sleep was needed and I slept for two hours! When I woke I got up for a wee and realised that I wasn't having a wee at all and that my waters had gone! It wasn't what I expected at all! it was trickling not gushing and I felt like I was having a very long wee! we jumped into the truck (i say jumped more like waddled holding onto a towl that i could sit on to save the seats!) we didn't talk much on the way to the hospital it wasn't what I had planned I wanted to have done my hair and be wearing something half decent, the reality was that I was a mess who looked like she had peed herself!
I was examined and told I was 5cm dilated, I was quite disappointed but I was also relieved that I wasn't going to give birth too soon! I spent the morning wandering around my room and chatting to my husband, the midwives left us alone most of the time and checked on me every hour. At 1pm I enquired about pain relief even though I had been addiment that I wouldn't have any at all! I had gas and air and although it didn't help the pain it did help me to relax through each contraction. after another hour I was told I could get in the birthing pool, this was amazing it nearly took all the pain away. After just over an hour in the pool they got me out to examine me, I was still just 5cm! They could feel that all my waters hadn't gone and proceeded to brake them, after that I don't remember much, I lay on the floor in agony unable to get back in the pool. To me this felt like it went on for an hour but my husband informs me that it was 2.5 hours! He said it was horrific to watch and although I didn't scream I made my discomfort very clear!
At last they allowed me back in the pool, I immediately said I can't do this anymore, everyone in the room stated to look very excited, apparently when women feel like this its not long before they start pushing. Sure enough I wanted to push, I hadn't realised that this urge would be so strong! I gave up on gas and air as I was starting to feel light headed and sick. After 3 pushes I could feel the most unnatural thing ever the midwife said if I push once more then the babies head would be out. I felt like my pelvis had been cut in half! But I still managed to have a sense of humor according to my husband. Two pushes later and harry was born, I wanted a very natural birth so hadn't had the injection to make me deliver the placenta. Now it was just a waiting game, I stayed in the water for quite a while holding Harry in my arms, I couldn't believe the instant love it hit me like a ton of bricks! Once I had delivered the placenta I got out of the pool and lay on the bed watching my husband have some skin to skin time with Harry. That I can safely say was the most perfect thing I had ever seen.
I had some trouble breastfeeding and wasn't treated very well about it, I didn't stay in hospital for long I went home where o got to grips with breast feeding and I'm still doing it now at nearly 9 months old.
Harry is the most perfect baby and I couldn't love him more. My birth story still makes me feel anxious now but it hasn't put me off we will definitely (if we can) have more babies.
I hope you enjoyed reading my birth story.
