Hello due date! I'm 40 weeks pregnant and I've still got no baby. Well I have, but he/she isn't here yet. Anyway it's absolutely boiling and I'm off for my first sweep today. Quite nervous! Seems a little bit weird someone messing about down there, but I better get that out of my mind. I'll be giving birth soon and everyone and anyone will be looking down there!
Well I'm back and what a strange feeling that was. The midwife said that the babies head was low and she could feel it. She did't quite get it. God knows what that means. I just feel very weird down there haha. She didn't think it would be much longer before the baby made an appearance anyway as he/she is really low down. She advised me to go for a long walk, keep active, have sex (yuck! thats the last thing I wanted to do and I didn't do it either).
It's a few days after my sweep now and I found that it hasn't helped me unfortunately, I'm still sat here in this heat and I feel like a big fat overdue sweaty whale. This also means I'll be back for another in a weeks time. If I'm still cooking this little baby by then.
41 weeks pregnant
Another week has gone by pregnant in this Summer heat is bloody hard work. I've spent more time on the kitchen floor in my underwear then I have fully dressed these last 2 weeks (who am I kidding? I've been like this for about 2 months). Back to the blog post. I've just been in for my second sweep and the midwife was really happy with the outcome so fingers crossed it will work. I really want this baby to come on naturally. I'm getting scared as my biggest fear (other than giving birth) is having to be induced.
41 weeks and 2 days pregnant.
Well my midwife must have done the trick I went into slow labour on the 17th July at around 9pm I felt my first contraction. It wasn't painful (just yet), but I was getting regular contractions every half hour or so. I thought it might of been braxton hicks or something as I didn't think this baby would ever come out. I went to bed that night around 10.30pm and ended up on the sofa at 3.15am in pain. It wasn't unbearable at this point, but I couldn't sleep. That day I was in and out of the bath trying to get comfortable. It was a red hot day and nothing seemed to be helping me. I was stood in my underwear, swinging too and throw leaning over the bottom of the stairs (nice site), over the bed or sat on the toilet (gross, I know), but this was the comfiest place for me to be. At around dinner time the next day (18th July) I lost my plug. What a weird looking thing they are. I swear no one tells you about all this stuff. After that all I cared about was getting comfy and trying to ease the pain. Which is pretty impossible when you're in labour, but I was trying to hold off phoning the hospital until I really felt like I couldn't handle the pain anymore. At around 5.30pm on the 18th July I phoned the hospital to tell them I was having contractions every 5 minutes and they were lasting around 1 minute 30 seconds. She advised me to have a bath and to take some paracetamol. Do they all say this the first time you phone? Haha. I waited another hour and my mum just told me to go through to the hospital. The car journey to the hospital is another thing I dreaded as I didn't know how I was suppose to get comfy when I was in labour and I was right it was bloody awful and it seemed to take forever. I couldn't wait to get out the car. I was sprawled out on the back seats of the car in a fashion, with the windows down, sweating my tits off. I definitely didn't have a 'glam' looking labour or make myself look nice. When we reached the hospital the midwife examined me and told me I was 3cm dilated. I was in agony, but I was trying to deal with it like a trooper. I thought I would of snapped their heads off as I'm quite a hormonal person anyway, but I was the complete opposite. I was in my own zone and I was really calm. I didn't have any birth plan other than the fact that I wanted an epidural haha. When we got to the room the midwife offered me some diamorphine and because I was in so much pain I said yes and I wish I didn't have it now as it slowed down my labour and it tuck ages for me to get from 3cm to 5cm. I just remember being sat on the toilet most of the time as I couldn't lay on the bed or sit anywhere else because of the pain. At around 2am (I think this was the time) the midwife asked me if I wanted to go into the birthing pool and I said yes. I was willing to try anything. Wow those baths are AMAZING! This helped me with the pain for around 3/4 hours without any pain relief as the diamorphine had wore off and I didn't want anymore. The midwife told me that my baby was back to back and that I was having one contraction, a small break and then two contractions together. I didn't have a clue anyway I just knew how painful it was and it felt like it was never ending. I waited to get to 5cm dilated and asked for an epidural. I had the epidural, which may I add wasn't scary at all (googling horror birth stories and looking at epidural needle sizes isn't such a good idea). The epidural only worked down one side of my body. So I was still feeling my contractions and then after about 1/2 hours someone came back and blocked the other side. Wow .. I couldn't recommend epidurals enough haha! I was able to lay down and actually get some rest. I couldn't go to sleep though. The next thing I knew I was 10cm dilated and the midwives said I was ready to push.
The midwife who was with me from reaching the hospital up until 7am the next morning was so lovely! She was so disappointed as she was going to change over and I was going to be ready to push soon. She told me that she would come visit me the next day to see what I'd had and to see how I got on. The next two midwives who tuck over were absolutely lovely! They made my birth so positive and we had a right laugh in the end. We were laughing between pushes. Midwives don't get enough praise and acknowledgement. I'm so thankful for these lovely ladies being a part of my labour and delivery. They put me at ease even when I was worried ...
I'd been pushing for 2 hours and the babies head wasn't coming out. You could see the head, but it wasn't going any further and the baby started to get stressed (he/shedid a poop inside me). The doctors came and examined me and told me that they was going to try and give me a ventouse delivery. I was really nervous as they was going to have to cut me. I knew I wouldn't be able to feel anything, but the thought of it when you're awake just makes you panic. There was about 10 people in the delivery room with me and I was started to get scared.
At 9.46am on the 19th July 2017. Baby Peaches Liza was born weighing 7lb 12oz. From this moment on my life was about to change forever (and my vagina *several stitches later*).
Wow! What an experience. When I was in mid labour I said I'd never do it again and then as soon as she was born I said I'd definitely do it again. Are us mums/women mental or what? haha.
You have changed my world little girl. I still can't believe I created you and carried you for 9 months. You're the biggest and best achievement in my life. I can't wait to watch you grow, achieve things in life and just smoother you with sloppy kisses and cuddles.
Love you always. Mam x
