Now before I gave birth I did try my best to avoid other peoples labour stories, videos and generally anything that tells the truth about labour. That was my coping mechanism. What I didn't know couldn't frighten me or hurt me(I get crazy squeamish). Nor did I then have any expectations. I didn't do amazingly at avoiding everything I did watch Hannah Maggs birthing video ( HERE) and I also read Louise's/Sprinkle of Glitters blog post on her labour story for Darcy (HERE). Both of which put the fear in me. After reading them I did my best to forget them.
People always say when you go into Labour you WILL know. I questioned this. 'How would I know?' ' what if I had a pain already in my life that was similar to an early contraction meaning I didn't recognise I was in labour?' 'how was I to be sure my waters had broken?'. Well I was right to question it. On the 27th October I was feeling just a tad under the weather, a little bit run down and went to lay in bed at around 9pm. I woke back up around 11pm when my brad came up to bed. Now my knickers felt a bit damp, but they did a lot by then anyway due to my constant trips to the bathroom I just wasn't sure. about half hour later and about 3 more trips to the loo I thought it maybe this is it, maybe they have broken. I stated to get very light stomach cramping pains (much like intense period pains). Still I wasn't all that sure. I sat and tried to see if these pains came and went regularly, which they did. So I called the midwife, she told me to try get some sleep, which was not happening at all. This is what they don't prepare you for in child birth the growth of pain. it starts uncomfortable and just gets worse and worse.
For me the contractions grew rapidly. I called the midwife 3 times that night, nothing she suggested eased the pain at all. it just got more and more intense. (I sent brad to bed for a bit to try get some sleep) at half 2 I just couldn't wait around any more. walking around was all I could do to ease a bit of the pain. Alas I was no going to be able to do that for long.
We arrived at the hospital at 3.05 am . I had gotten no sleep, the pain was just getting worse. I was popped into a room and then a stream of midwives and doctors started coming into the room. It suddenly felt quite serious. Fletcher's heart beat was far to high and they didn't know why. I was put on a drip to hydrate me and him, his made his heart beat drop but lower than they wanted it to.This meant that along with the monitor attached to my belly I wasn't moving any where! the c word was chucked about, doctors telling me all this stuff in medical terms. What they don't tell you before labour is how many people will look at your vagina (and not bat an eyelid) They also don't tell you that you will end up with some ones hand in you vagina. I would like to point out by this point I still had been given no drugs. I almost threw up at one point through the pain and was then offered gas and air (amazing stuff, I made brad try it too!)
I had my legs up in those things that Ross plays around with in friends, I couldn't see anything 'down there ' , Thank God. I was honestly the sweatiest person ever during this, fans were pointed at me and glasses of water continuously handed to me. I had people doing stuff 'down there' to Fletcher that I had no idea about (something was clipped to him for a more accurate heart rate?!?)
I always knew my labour was going to be quick. I always liked to get things over and done with, and well so does my body apparently. It was too quick for me to be given any other drugs, so just gas and air for me (I told brad afterwards I reckoned I was a god for that!) I felt the need to push at some point and with the midwives help I was guided through each contraction, seeing as I had avoided everything to do with learning about labour, I felt like a natural and I kept being told I was doing very good (I do think they say this to everyone though).
At 6.32am on the 28th October, Fletcher was born, just 3 and a half hours after we had entered hospital. As he was placed on me someone jabbed an injection in my leg (thanks for the warning!). After giving birth to your child you have to push again and deliver the placenta, brad actually saw this and I think it is something that has forever been imprinted in his brain! I was also snipped (yay thanks for that one!) so I was being stitched up, something you really cannot feel but it is uncomfy for a couple of weeks after. Just another warning, you will have someone put a finger up your bum, probably more than once too. But by that point yo don't give a crap, you have a baby and have already have enough happen in that 'area' that you could no longer give a crap..
We were lucky enough that we were allowed home that very evening with Fletcher. We went through all that initial fuss having plenty of doctors coming and looking at monitors and my vagina to actually be very healthy with Fletcher feeding well and allowed out of hospital the same day!
Toodles
Kelsie xxx
Tumblr
Congratulations on the birth of your baby boy! xx
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! xxx
Delete