My birth story warning this is a long post!
Sunday
Well today I am 40+14! Officially two weeks over due. I have had the first lot of prostaglandin gel which has given me regular contractions but no waters breaking yet. My cervix is very far back and the head is very low indeed. I am missing not having wifi and being able to chat and hear from you all on the site. I am wondering how Allyemo1985 is getting on. Has baby arrived yet?! They will only give me three lots of gels unlikely a second course. Then we are into a Caesarian section.... Not ideal but at least then something will happen as it is unlikely they are going to let me go beyond as I am so overdue. I was surrounded by mothers that were in pain and struggling. One is 37 weeks, I feel like saying is that all! I will keep you all updated. Not conducive to sleep!
Wednesdays update...
Baby Samuel, husband and I came home today! I delivered Samuel at 9:30pm last night after being in hospital since 6pm Sunday night. I had to wait nearly 24 hours for my second larger dose of prostaglandin gel. Not much happened Monday night then my waters broke at 10:30 pm ( much more liquid than I thought nicely pink and surprisingly fragrant- you really can tell the difference). I then started having contractions every minute for a minute and a half. At about 3am I had to ask for something stronger as I was so tired, a bath and paracetamol wasn't cutting it and the codeine didn't touch it. Then the head midwife called my husband and the delivery suite agreed to take me in. So I packed up my case through contractions went to the delivery suite and Mark arrived! I was so pleased to see him and pleased something was finally happening. However my contractions were erratic so they sent me back to the induction/postnatal ward. Thankfully they didn't send Mark home and we got a whole bay to ourselves to rest up and for me to get some sleep, I was so tired and had loads of adrenaline shivers!
I was told to have some breakfast as I hadn't really eaten much (if you don't have energy then the contractions subside apparently) and was shattered from contractions without them going anywhere and to go for a walk. So Mark and I did both he grabbed some food and then we walked back, only to be told that delivery suite would be able to take me and that I was overdue enough that they were going to put me on a synotocin drip to get my contractions to be regular. I obviously missed the gene for I'm done I need to deliver the baby now. It really felt as though we were getting somewhere and that even the hospital now thought it was time at 40+15! I was also using a tens machine to manage the contractions which helped.
So there was a slight delay in the hormone drip as my mother went into anaphylactic shock with both of her deliveries and the was a risk I could do too, the anaesthetist was brilliant as was the on duty consultant and didn't want anything to start until all the drugs were in place. The hospital really took it seriously and everyone on the delivery suite was so lovely. My midwife was a total star and the student midwife I had seen in antenatal appointments was allowed to transfer and stay with me for the shift. Mark and I couldn't have hoped for better care. I was put on the hormone drip at 3pm and as I was very tired and shivery and I was also persuaded to have an epidural, which I have to say was totally the right choice for me, I felt refreshed and managed to have a hours solid kip, which I was going to need. I was fully dilated at 7:30 pm so the hormones did their job. I wasn't allowed to try pushing until 8:30 as they wanted to ensure I remained fully dilated and I had my last epidural top up at 7pm and no more. Sadly there was a shift change so we lost the student and senior midwife and had a new midwife for the delivery, which we were both disappointed about but understood. However she was also lovely.
So I started pushing at 8:30 and he was delivered by 9:30pm! He had a full head of dark hair and ladies, no-one was , more shocked than me but he weighed 10lbs 2ozs! How on earth did I produce such a big baby, I was told about 8lbs! As i didn't look i thought and everyone said that big! Thankfully I only had a second degree tear and no episiotomy was needed, Mark was allowed to cut the cord, once I had a delayed cord cut and announce the sex. I didn't go into anaphylactic shock so if we have another one that is good to know! Samuel was feeding on the breast half an hour later, my husband was amazing and so supportive and really helped me through it. I know this sounds a bit gushy but having waited 23 months to conceive, then 40+15 days to deliver, with stops and starts we are totally in awe of our little big man! We are both shattered and teary in a good way but he has been so good so far, we are so blessed. I cannot say how much I have appreciated everyone's support on this site and I really missed it in hospital as there was no wifi and we weren't allowed to have our mobiles on, hence the lack of contact. I was thinking of you all and will try to post a pic at some point when I get chance. In fact I was telling all the midwives about the site and the great support I have got from it. So signing off for now as a new mummy totally in awe of this little miracle sleeping in front of me. Love and best wishes to you all x
