On the 5/11/17 at 18.57 we finally met our little love- we have a beautiful baby boy!
Life has been a whirlwind since then, as life with a newborn has ups and downs for sure and I have absolutely no idea how anyone copes with multiples! But we are head over heels in love with our son and are all doing well.
Birth story
We planned a Homebirth for a variety if reasons; I believed in myself and my baby, I didn’t want to be messed around with, I was TERRIFIED of having an epidural and the associated increased risk of an instrumental birth but thought I’d ask for one if I was at the hospital, and it’s a bloody long way from where we live to the hospital and I didn’t think I could be bothered with the journey whist trying to give birth. So we borrowed a birthing pool, booked the birth with the midwives, I made a playlist and we got old sheets, dust sheets and towels to protect the furniture and carpet. I bought snacks for us and the midwives and candles to set the mood.
My labour started on Saturday 4th, after my 4th sweep at 11 days overdue. I was booked in for induction the next day but had spoken with the consultant and midwives as I planned to decline it for a couple more days but would go for monitoring to make sure everything was ok. I was beyond fed up, emotional and exhausted but I wanted to give myself and my baby the very best chance of normal birth. Women in my family have babies late, without complications and so rationally I just felt I was taking after them. Honestly though emotionally I thought I may be pregnant forever and couldn’t imagine finally meeting this baby.
So, I had some twinges from 16.30 on the 4/11 awhen mum and I were tiling the bathroom. I’d been fairly active already that day so chose to bounce on my birthing ball rather than walk and cross my fingers that this was finally it! By evening they were getting uncomfortable and A and I went for a walk around the estate to the local shop. It was Saturday before bonfire night so we watched fireworks going off all around us and the night felt so heavy and full of promise-I was going to meet my baby!
After ten I decided to go to bed. I figured if labour was going to progress this would ramp it up and if not I’d get some sleep. Well it ramped up and soon became quite strong. My contractions were coming so frequently every 2 minutes but were short lasting so I knew it was early stages. They were intense though! I kind of liked the feeling of those early contractions, think I was so damn grateful things were happening! At midnight I sent A for a sleep elsewhere as I knew things were progressing and wanted her to get some rest before it really kicked off.
As we neared 1am I started getting horrendous pain in my back at the height of contractions. I struggled with it. I had my tens machine on and was on all 4’s on the bed but couldn’t help but call out with the pain. I knew I’d be vocal, I’m a vocal person anyway ha! The contractions were coming alllll the time still and I was hoping I was going into active labour (as in 4cm or more) but they were till short lasting and every now and then I’d get a big gap of a few minutes between the pains. I was messaging two friends all the while, they were our birthing partners and are also midwives elsewhere. I asked one of them to come as I was starting to find it hard and wanted to see if they thought I was in active labour before I called out the local midwives.
H arrived at about 2am and I was vocalising with the contractions. She rubbed my back a while and generally supported A and I but agreed I was still in early labour. Shortly after she suggested I go in the shower for pain relief a while which I did, on all 4’s with the water on my back. It did really help.
By 4am I was in agony with my back. I could cope with the contractions but at the height of them the back pain was overwhelming. My other friend arrived also, and they suggested going into the birthing pool so A started filling it. I’d been going between kneeling on the bed and shower before this. By 4.45 I was asking for pain relief and asked them to call out the midwives. I got into the pool whilst they did this and shouted my way through the contractions!! I had stopped being able to talk to anyone effectively at this point as what I find hilarious is that all the preparations is made like candles and music etc I just didn’t give a toss about!
The midwives arrived somewhere around 6 am and it immediately became clear that my blood pressure was really high. I needed to go to the hospital. Everything else was good, babies heartbeat, my pulse etc and I was 6cms dilated! But my blood pressure would not go down. It normally runs pretty low so it was really significant for me and I knew both baby and I needed to get checked out. As I was in established labour they called an Ambulance. That ambulance ride was the most agonising experience of my life! At home the back pain I was having was horrendous but if I was on all 4’s I was somehow coping. In the Ambulance I had to sit on the stretcher for the 20 mile journey and I could.not.cope as the pain in my back was unreal and so that ambulance ride is one of my strongest memories of labour.
When we arrived at the hospital I was ready for pain relief. I wanted an epidural but because by blood pressure was so high they needed to get blood tests back first. I needed to be on the bed for both of us to be monitored- so much pain! I just wanted to go on all 4’s but couldn’t. I honestly felt like I was going to die of that back pain!
Finally I got the epidural, which took a while to work but when it did wow-back in the room! During the time I was waiting for it to work I felt my waters go but was in too much pain to tell anyone! I was finally able to talk to A and my friends when it kicked in but still forgot to mention that my waters had gone until the midwife pointed it out when changing my pad! Haha!
My labour slowed down after this, I imagine to do with the stress as well as the epidural and unfortunately I needed some medication to just get rid of the last cm of cervix. Once it had gone though- we were off! I managed to push my baby boy out in under half an hour. He was born healthy as can be, right onto my chest and stayed there with his cord intact for ages. Within ten minutes he has latched himself onto the breast with literally no assistance and fed for over half an hour.
He’s barely left the breast since and at 11 days old is back to his birth weight. It’s been hard at times with cluster feeding and a significant tongue tie but we’re doing fab and I’m loving feeding him.
The last 11 days have been a rollercoaster of emotions and I’m happy to have got through them. I cannot wait to see what the next 11 days brings us! 💙
jamjarkid 