Well ladies I am delighted to announce I gave birth to a beautiful baby boy on Friday, 28th June at 10.32am weighing 6lb 12oz! His name is Hugo and he arrived exactly 1 week early.
I'd like to share my birth story with you all as I found reading other people's story very helpful. I am being totally honest and will warn I am including some gory bits but I feel it's only fair I am truthful about what I went through!
So...
Little Hugo was due 5th July. I had finished work on 14th June and was enjoying pottering around and taking it easy!
For 2 weeks I had been feeling more frequent Braxton hicks and occasional tightening but they never turned into anything more. Although I still had a while to go I was very anxious about going over due.
So Thursday 27th June came round and I had a breastfeeding workshop and had arranged a final meal out with the girls before baby arrives!
I went to the class which was great! Learned a lot and got some great tips. Had a couple of bigger twinges during the class but didn't think anything of it as I had the same thing the night before and they just stopped.
I went home at 2pm and made a batch of tripple chocolate muffins. My husband holds a monthly meeting for his staff and I always provide some goodies for them! The twinges carried on but I was busy and just continued thinking it was Braxtons
Next I went to meadowhall shopping centre to meet my friends for tea, did a bit of shopping first and had a Starbucks, all the time these pains were coming more and more, during the meal I was using a contraction counter app and they were everyday 3-5 mins lasting 30-60s it was at this point I thought ok I think this is it!!
Called the husband who was also with friends and said he needed to go home, my friend took me home and on the way back I called the hospital who advised have a bath take paracetamol and stay home until I can't cope any more!
Did all of the above and within an hour the pain was so intense I could hardly breathe or speak so we decided it was time to go! Everything was packed and ready so off we went. Contractions in the car were no fun! And I think a few people at traffic lights got a shock when they saw me. Luckily it was half midnight so not busy!
I was assessed very quickly and was relieved to be told I was 4cm I was so proud of myself to have been in labour for 10 hours and got to 4 cm on just 2 paracetamol.
They gave me the gas and air and this was great. Made a real difference up until about 6am when the contractions were so intense and pretty much one after another. The midwives had started monitoring Hugo more and more and I sensed something was wrong... his heart was dipping very low after each contraction.
I decided I wanted an epidural as I was really struggling. The anaesthetist came and there was a bit of drama over him actually giving it to me as I broke my back 9 years ago. I had meeting with an anaestethist earlier in the pregnancy and he assured me it would be fine to have one... the issue was there were no notes confirming this! Nightmare! Any way I told them everything and he eventually did it! He then became my best friend!
So loved the epidural however it pretty much stopped contractions at 6cm so was given drugs to get them going again! Then Hugos heart rate was dropping lower for longer. The consultant did some tests where small samples of blood were taken from the top of babys head to check all his levels. The results were instant and all came back normal however the midwife looking after me was not happy and kept going to the senior consultant for 2nd opinions. After 4 hours of checks and monitoring I was prepped to go to theatre. They said they will repeat the blood samples one last time and if they came back abnormal I'd need a c-section.
the results were good so the consultant said as I was only 9cm we would wait another hour and see if I can get to 10cm. This made me very anxious as despite the good bloods I just wanted him out! Midwife not happy with the decision either so she saw the main consultant again and she said no I need to be in theatre now! She instructed that I was topped up with epidural and they would check me again in theatre. If I was 10cm they would try to deliver baby by forceps but if not it would be c-section! I was terrified but relieved in a way as I knew either way he would be out soon!
They gave me a huge dose of epidural, before I wad numb but could still move and had strength in my legs but after this extra I lost all feeling and movement from just below my boobs to my toes!
I was checked and to everyone's surprise I was 10cm so out came the forceps! Thank God I had that epidural is all I can say! Hugos head was delivered very quickly and the cause of his dropping heart rate became clear... the cord was tight round his neck. It was pulled off but it snapped! Hugo was born at 10.32 open eyes and crying. They whisked him off and got him sorted and he was fine and all in one perfect little piece! sadly the same could not be said for me though...
The placenta wasn't delivering despite lots of medication so the consultant had to go fishing for it! Felt nothing other than pressure and just very weird. He eventually got it all in one piece! Damage to me was minimal considering everything we went through. A small tear, small episiotomy and some pretty nasty piles!
We had 2 nights in hospital due to pain management and extreme swelling and when I say swelling... good god! I had a peak and thought I'd turned into a boy!!!
All has calmed down now and the main problem is the piles actually!
Hugo is an angel, sleeps well and feeds perfectly! I desperately wanted to be able to breastfeed so the fact that its going so well has made up for the less than ideal delivery..
Hospital care was incredible and I can honesty say it's true all the pain is a distant memory the second you hold baby!
Motherhood is amazing and I look at our beautiful boy and get so emotional. I'm terrified of getting things wrong, dropping him, cot death... pretty much everything really but I'm told its normal! I need to relax and trust myself!!!
I hope you have enjoyed reading my post and that I haven't bored you or freaked you out either!
I'm going to try and upload a photo so fingers crossed I manage it!!
X
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