Hello everyone.
This is the first time I have written a blog, but just wanted to share my experience to help those who are scared of the delivery like I was this time.
Before I gave birth to my 1st child, a son in December 2010, at the marvelous age of 40. I wasn't scared of the birth. I expected it to be painful and figured it wasn't called labour for nothing. With him, my waters broke at 4am on a Monday morning then nothing. No contractions. As I was GBS positive I was admitted into hospital the following day to be put on the hormone drip to start the contractions and have the intra venus antibiotics. Wow, contractions came on strong and quick. I wanted to be able to walk around and change position as needed, was allowed to stand and sway next to the bed until the midwife walked between me and the bed and stood on the line causing it to slide out of my arm! She had to insert a new one at the side of my wrist and told me now it was Better I stayed on the bed. I was in so much pain with little progression that I ended up having the epidural and my son was born by forcept delivery after an episiotamy (being cut)on the Wednesday at 8:50am. I felt so out of control and didn't realise how affected I was by it until I was pregnant recently. just thinking about the birth made me anxious and want to cry. It also took a while to heal down below, and for about two weeks after the birth I couldn't walk for too long at a time as I had a "knot" in my ligament which the GP thought had been cought by the forcepts during labour, was on ibuprofen for it.
Moving on to this pregnancy. I was nervous of the birth, and didn't want to feel so out of control as last time but wanted to feel empowered in the way I had heard others speak of their experiences.
Again, my waters broke early morning at 3am on a Sunday, I told my partner that we may as well snuggle down and go back to sleep as our son took another two days to arrive. I put the bedside light off and snuggled down..... between 4 and 5am contractions came on regular and got stronger, phoned the hospital to be told to take paracetomol and take a bath until she heard me have a contraction on the phone and told me to go in. The hospital was 45mins away, I had contractions every 2-3minutes by the time we arrived in the carpark. I was about 20feet from the entrance when I had a contraction and felt a movement going down, I couldn't move, my partner asked me to walk to the door as he was scared to leave me, but I couldn't move and was convinced I had pooped my pants. I shouted towards the door,"HELP! the baby's coming". The receptionist came out,took one look and went back in, then two midwives came out with a wheelchair, I said that I was sorry but I thought I'd pooped my pants, and couldn't sit down, so they told me, after laughing, to kneel on the wheelchair instead. I was wheeled into the delivery room, examined, and was told I was fully dilated and they could feel the head, and to go with nature and to push as I felt to.I was told I was too far to have pain relief and one midwife said that I didn't even need gas and air which I promptly said "Just give it to me", if nothing else, it helped to control my breathing. We had arrived at the hospital at 6am and my beautiful little girl was born at 6:09am, weighing a healthy 9lbs 2ozs. No episiotomy, no major tears. In 90 mins I was sitting up, showered, dressed, and eating breakfast. By the way, I hadn't actually pooped my pants, but it was actually the baby's head starting to come down the birth canal that I was feeling.
It was an amazing experience, completely different to last time. I did feel empowered and so proud of what this 43year old body was actually capable of. x
Well done xx
Late birth announcement!
Mirena at the time of birth
Shes finally here!!! 
Baby James and my LONG week!
Baby grace born 26/09/13 at 11.29am weighing 7 pounds 12 
