We have a 9 month old!
9 months ago Jack arrived and his infectious smile has filled our hearts ever since.
Having a baby in the middle of a pandemic is not easy or the way I envisioned his birth when I first got pregnant ... I had hoped for a repeat of Billy's birth ... pretty easy and at home ... but it didn't turn out like that. Due to some complications during the pregnancy, my age and that I had gestational diabeties, I had to be induced early. Steve hadn't been able to come in with me since my first scan, which hadn't been easy, especially when there was scary or bad news. I was so nervous about going into hospital to have him. I had never stayed overnight in hospital before and had heard some horror-birth-stories and I was really not looking forward to it.
I had been due to go in for 5pm, but as I hadn't felt him move all night before which was unusual as he was always very active, so we were there for 10. The hospital is an hour away and although, if I was being induced, Steve was going to be alowed with me (between the hours of 10-6pm) while I waited ... as I ended going in that morning to be checked out first, Steve couldn't come in. Luckily all was fine but as I was there they decided to induce me. I had to have a Covid test and until my results came back I was stuck in a little side room. As we didn't know when they would get round to inducing me, Steve had decided to go home and be with Billy, who was being looked after by my mum, rather than sit in the car park all day. He could only be with me while I was in the delivery room.
While they waited for my Covid results to come through I had to wait in a side room. I wasn't alowed to leave it ... as I had thought Steve would be able to stay with me after they had induced me while we waited, I had not bought much with me to do as I had thought I would have his company. It ended up being a very long day with only my phone to distract me. They induced me at lunch time and then just had to wait .... nothing really happened ... I was already 1cm when I went in and not much seemed to happen all day. I hardly saw anyone and eventually at 10.30pm they came to move me to a ward as my Covid result had come back negative!
There was one other lady in the ward who had been induced after me, but her results had come back after about an hour. She was in quite a bit of pain with early contractions and wanted to have a shower so I popped in the bathroom first to have a wee and get ready for bed ... I did the biggest wee ever ... and my pessary came out! The midwife came and put it back in but straight away by the bed it came out in a big puddle ... my waters had broken!
The hooked me up to a monitering machine for about an hour to make sure all was ok with Jack. I was then told to get a bit of sleep. My contractions had started but not too bad and amazingly I slept for a couple of hours, until at 2.30am they woke me up to take me to the delivery suite. I called Steve, who drove like the wind to get to me!
As I was going to be strapped up to a moniter and on a hormone drip, I would not be able to eat once I started, so they gave me some toast and a cup of tea while we waited for Steve. I have to say that throughout my whole time in hospital, I can not praise the midwives and staff enough, they cared for and looked after us so well. I really needn't have been worried!
Steve arrived ... and they started the drip and moniter at about 3.30am. For the first hour nothing much happened ... to be honest both Steve and I dozed a bit. It was quite weird being there in the middle of the night with the hospital so quiet and not knowing what to expect. Every hour for the next few hours they turned the drip up and the contractions got stronger and stronger. I know after the first 3 hours they had to check with the doctor that it was ok to carry on turning it up as it can cause the baby distress. I couldn't move much as I was attached to the drip and the moniter but I was getting quite uncomfortable and around 7.30am ish when the midwives changed shifts, I had a little while sitting on the big ball but I couldn't do it for long. I got back on the bed and started to use gas and air. I never used it before as with Billy I had only had a couple of parcaetamols a few hours before he arrived.
My mum told me after that she had heard that the hormone drip they use is terribly painful and I can confirm it was the most pain I have ever been in in my life. Steve was amazing and rubbed my back whenever I grunted at him to do it ... breating with the gas and air was all I could focus on and speaking was almost too much. At one point the midwife wanted me to roll onto my side as Jack was getting distressed but to be honest the effort was too much, they would have had to move me ... I liturally couldn't do it. That last hour was a total haze of pain and breating ... I was beginning to think I couldn't go on and said something like I need something more, but it was too late, he was about to come and with a few pushes, he came ... and my head lifted from the gas and air cloud that it had been in and he was on me and I was looking at the most perfect boy.
9 months ago Jack arrived and his infectious smile has filled our hearts ever since.
Having a baby in the middle of a pandemic is not easy or the way I envisioned his birth when I first got pregnant ... I had hoped for a repeat of Billy's birth ... pretty easy and at home ... but it didn't turn out like that. Due to some complications during the pregnancy, my age and that I had gestational diabeties, I had to be induced early. Steve hadn't been able to come in with me since my first scan, which hadn't been easy, especially when there was scary or bad news. I was so nervous about going into hospital to have him. I had never stayed overnight in hospital before and had heard some horror-birth-stories and I was really not looking forward to it.
I had been due to go in for 5pm, but as I hadn't felt him move all night before which was unusual as he was always very active, so we were there for 10. The hospital is an hour away and although, if I was being induced, Steve was going to be alowed with me (between the hours of 10-6pm) while I waited ... as I ended going in that morning to be checked out first, Steve couldn't come in. Luckily all was fine but as I was there they decided to induce me. I had to have a Covid test and until my results came back I was stuck in a little side room. As we didn't know when they would get round to inducing me, Steve had decided to go home and be with Billy, who was being looked after by my mum, rather than sit in the car park all day. He could only be with me while I was in the delivery room.
While they waited for my Covid results to come through I had to wait in a side room. I wasn't alowed to leave it ... as I had thought Steve would be able to stay with me after they had induced me while we waited, I had not bought much with me to do as I had thought I would have his company. It ended up being a very long day with only my phone to distract me. They induced me at lunch time and then just had to wait .... nothing really happened ... I was already 1cm when I went in and not much seemed to happen all day. I hardly saw anyone and eventually at 10.30pm they came to move me to a ward as my Covid result had come back negative!
There was one other lady in the ward who had been induced after me, but her results had come back after about an hour. She was in quite a bit of pain with early contractions and wanted to have a shower so I popped in the bathroom first to have a wee and get ready for bed ... I did the biggest wee ever ... and my pessary came out! The midwife came and put it back in but straight away by the bed it came out in a big puddle ... my waters had broken!
The hooked me up to a monitering machine for about an hour to make sure all was ok with Jack. I was then told to get a bit of sleep. My contractions had started but not too bad and amazingly I slept for a couple of hours, until at 2.30am they woke me up to take me to the delivery suite. I called Steve, who drove like the wind to get to me!
As I was going to be strapped up to a moniter and on a hormone drip, I would not be able to eat once I started, so they gave me some toast and a cup of tea while we waited for Steve. I have to say that throughout my whole time in hospital, I can not praise the midwives and staff enough, they cared for and looked after us so well. I really needn't have been worried!
Steve arrived ... and they started the drip and moniter at about 3.30am. For the first hour nothing much happened ... to be honest both Steve and I dozed a bit. It was quite weird being there in the middle of the night with the hospital so quiet and not knowing what to expect. Every hour for the next few hours they turned the drip up and the contractions got stronger and stronger. I know after the first 3 hours they had to check with the doctor that it was ok to carry on turning it up as it can cause the baby distress. I couldn't move much as I was attached to the drip and the moniter but I was getting quite uncomfortable and around 7.30am ish when the midwives changed shifts, I had a little while sitting on the big ball but I couldn't do it for long. I got back on the bed and started to use gas and air. I never used it before as with Billy I had only had a couple of parcaetamols a few hours before he arrived.
My mum told me after that she had heard that the hormone drip they use is terribly painful and I can confirm it was the most pain I have ever been in in my life. Steve was amazing and rubbed my back whenever I grunted at him to do it ... breating with the gas and air was all I could focus on and speaking was almost too much. At one point the midwife wanted me to roll onto my side as Jack was getting distressed but to be honest the effort was too much, they would have had to move me ... I liturally couldn't do it. That last hour was a total haze of pain and breating ... I was beginning to think I couldn't go on and said something like I need something more, but it was too late, he was about to come and with a few pushes, he came ... and my head lifted from the gas and air cloud that it had been in and he was on me and I was looking at the most perfect boy.
As soon as he was born I'm sorry to say that I said 'thank fu*k that is over ... oh my goodness I am so sorry that the first word you hear is fu*k ... and now I have gone and said it twice!' But I was so relieved it was over ... it had been such intense pain and I am so thankful for the midwives and Steve as I could not have gone through that alone!
She weighed him and measured him and did all the checks and had a feed. I had to be sewn up which seemed to take forever. Steve was able to have a long cuddle then as I need the gas and air again as it was really painful. I look back on Billy's birth and realise how easy it was, even being sewn up afterwards then was pretty painless. We spent the next few hours together. I had a quick shower and they gave me some lunch before I had to go back on the ward and Steve had to go home.
I had been so sad that Jack would not be born in our little home like Billy had, and that his first day and night would be in a hospital ... and it still makes me sad, but because of my gestational diabeties, Jack had to be monitered for 24 hours and have his blood tested. Luckily he was fine and we were able to go home the following lunch time.
Coming home to have my parents there for first cuddles and Billy already totally in love with him was the most precious thing and all I could think was how thankful I was!
You can read Billy's birth story {here}
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