Conception and Pregnancy-One Born Every Minute

After the birth of my first child, Little Miss I swore to myself that I would never put myself through that again. I was sick for the first 3 months of my pregnancy, I felt low very often and I was young at 17 so of course my reaction would be 'No i'm not doing that again!' But after I had my daughter I got Post Natal Depression and this made me fearful of having another child in the future when I started to think about it seriously a few years later.

My partner and I decided after a month that we would like to have another child, a sibling for our daughter and to experience it all again. When we discussed it we had moved into our own flat and both of us felt like we were in a good position to extend our family. It was when our then landlord informed us that they were deciding to sell their property that our visions of extending our family had been temporarily cut short...or so we thought....

As it turned out over the 3 months we had been actively trying for number 2 we had been very lucky in conceiving. When I look back at my dates with my first I also conceived in round about the same time frame. Although it wasn't ideal, and the prospect of having to find a new home was a lot to take in while pregnant we were over the moon to be expecting our second in February 2011.

I was sick again for the first 4 months of my pregnancy, I had one thing after the other to visit the GP about and my hormones sent my anxiety into overdrive coupled with some outside problems. Over all though I had a problem free pregnancy and delivery on February 19th 2011 at 38 Weeks and 1 Day although my midwife looked at him and considered him to be at least a couple of weeks earlier than my dates would suggest. It was a wonderful day.

This post is for the Netmums and Channel 4's One Born Every Minute Blog prompt on Birth Stories. You can read more stories on the Netmums birth story boards or at Netmums Parent Bloggers Network

One Born Every Minute is on Channel 4 at 9pm Wednesday

Hannah x

One Born Every Minute- Pain

Pain. It effects everyone differently doesn't it? If there's one type of pain that will set everyone a part it's the pain of going through childbirth. For some it's a positive experience from start to finish where each contraction is breathed through where as for others a contraction needs to be screamed through whilest sucking in every bit of gas and air you can get!

With my daughter I had no idea what to expect. I didn't go to any classes as I couldn't get there. I read books and spoke to people on Mums forums about what to expect. Nothing can prepare you however for childbirth...
It was 16th January at 11pm that I started getting stronger contractions. I'm used to having quite strong period pains and this was what I was experiencing perhaps with a little more on top. I knew it was getting though when I asked Other Half to run a bath.

Within ten minutes of moving around knowing that things really were happening we called the midwife. Typical that when the midwife wants to see how you go through a contraction it seems to all calm down...only to pick up the minute you hang up. I was told 'call back when things felt more intense' needless to say this was again another ten minutes later.

My mother in law took me to the birthing unit with Other half where I was examined without too much discomfort at all to find I was already 4cm dilated and ready for my pain relief: the Birthing Pool. I was open minded about my pain relief options so wrote down that gas and air was worth a try. I couldn't stand the stuff! I had one go, felt dizzy then grossly sick. I made my mind up not to bother with this any longer and concentrate on breathing and holding on to Other Half who had climbed in the pool.

I remember the 2nd stage being painful, I cursed a few times then i had a very odd feeling indeed..I got up to go to the loo and quickly proceeded to the bed where I began pushing. And Oh My Goodness me..The most vocal of my whole labour was when my daughters head was crowing. No one told me about that intense pain..Surly I was having a baby, not giving birth to a batch of razor blades? After the initial pain everything faded when she was born on 17th January 2008 at 8.33am weighing 6Ibs 4oz.

The second most painful part of childbirth for me was, strangely enough when it was all over. Having stitches was awful (I hate needles but having needles in your perineum is a whole different ball game! )I was sore for days and after pains hurt like hell...

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Then I had my son. The whole process was, I believe a lot quicker. He was born on February 19th 2011 at 7.52pm weighing 6Ibs 11.5oz. The labour may have been quicker but it was definitely more painful. I decided once again to give birth at my local Birthing Unit using the birthing pool as my only form of pain relief. The only difference was that this time I wanted to give birth in the pool as well.
For anyone thinking they may like to give birth in a midwife led unit I highly recommend it but you must keep in mind that usually your only forms of pain relief are natural (moving about, birthing pool, birthing ball etc) gas and air or pethidine injection.

I had several internals this time around which were pure agony and then a sweep to really get things going. How I didn't scream I don't know, my poor midwife felt awful but she had to what she had to do! The sweep soon got things moving and soon became just another part and parcel of the birthing process.

I was a lot more vocal during my sons birth and I don't recall feeling the pains I experienced with him with my daughter so it was a little shocking to the system! I didn't have time to feel as much pain when his head was crowning as everything happened so fast, of course I was most concerned with the state of my lady garden and was surprised (and over the moon) to learn no one was coming near me with any needles this time!
The after pains were far worse the second time around and I suspect they'll be agony if I decide to have another child.
Anyway, as they say 'It's all worth in the end' and it was indeed.

This post was written as part of Channel 4s/Netmums One Born Every Minute. Why not link up and share your story of labour and pain? OBEM is on channel 4, Wednesdays at 9.00pm

Hannah

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One Born Every Minute-Dads

There are 2 names that go onto my birth plan when I have to sit down and think about writing the ever so short and to-the-point list, and that's Mum and Jason.


I could not imagine going into labour without Jason, my partner of nearly 5 years. I'll be the first to admit that during the second stage of labour it is my Mum who I turn to the most, I think that's because she's 'been there done that' but when I'm at the stage to bring my newborn into the world his words of encouragement are all I hear.

It's true that many fathers feel absolutely useless. I know I would too. For me, Jason just waited to be called upon. If i needed a laugh he was there with a joke. A sip of water, he was there with a cup. If I needed a small boost of encouragement he'd take my head in his hands and kiss me on the forehead, tell me how well I'm doing before I scooted back to my Mum to huff and puff my way through the next contraction.

Then it's all over. He stares in wonder at our newborn, holds back tears of joy while cutting the cord and watching me bring our wonderful new child onto my chest for those precious seconds of love.

Then he's there to check I'm okay in the shower, help me get dressed and hold my hold through the after pains even at 2am. I really don't know what I would have done without Jason at my side when I was in labour. I am truly thankful. In his words:

"I wouldn't miss it for the world."

This post is part of Chanel 4's/Netmums One Born Every Minute linky which is currently running on the Netmums Blog. Both would love for you to get involved so head on over and check it out. One Born Every Minute is back on your screens from Wednesday 4th January, Chanel 4, 9pm.

Hannah

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My Birth Story!

Finally a chance to spout off about my 2 little darlings coming into the world! Both of my children arrived very easily, with minimal fuss, 2 midwives (one of which was my wonderful Auntie), my partner and my Mother as my birth partners both times and my second was a water birth..fabulous!

This will be very short as there honestly isn't much i can remember! I don't remember any times or anything like that. What I can tell you however, is I stayed up rather late with with period pain at my mother in laws house where I was staying at the time with Jay (Other Half). It was about 11.30pm when I tried to go to sleep I had the most awful pain I had ever experienced in my tummy! I told jay to run the bath and got in as soon as I could. We called the midwife once, just managed to speak to her through some rather heavy breathing and was advised to go to the local birth unit where I had said in my birth plan I was desperate to give birth.
When we arrived I was already 4 cm dilated and the birthing pool was being filled up. My Mum arrived about an hour or so later when i was swirling around the pool in a lot of pain. I tried gas and air at this point and thought it was horrid. I was absolutely not having any pethidine (involved a needle) so I was going it alone from there on.
Fast forward 4 hours later, I had a funny feeling 'down there' " I need the loo" I proceeded to announce to mum (this was roughly 20 mins after smelling Jays breath and vomiting in a yellow bucket which was very hastily brought to me! 
I stepped out leaving Jay panicking about the blood in the pool, once he was satisfied with the explanation (it was the mucus plug..lush) he got out to dry off while I sat on the loo trying to push...Cue mother coming in and asking if i was okay..."Mum, I don't need a poo, I need to have a baby" I said (very calmly may I add.)
I waddled to the bed, realised we hadn't brought any milk or bottles (not supplied in birthing units) so mother in law missed the birth literally by about 15 minutes because she very kindly dashed out to buy the essentials! 
Anyway, back to me..I lay there legs akimbo, lady garden to the world, I pushed about 2 times when my aunt walked through the dear, said a quick hello before going into midwife mode, I gave another push (which I'm told turned me blue- i wanted it out!!) Had that very familiar razor sharp burning pain overcome me (NO ONE TOLD ME ABOUT THIS) and that was when I screamed, the most vocal part of my whole labour may I add. With one final push (good because I was extremely dizzy at this point) Little Miss was brought into the world with very little noise! I looked at my shrivelled up little bundle and realised I had just done the most amazing thing in the world. We were all crying, cameras out, texts being sent off here there and everywhere..I was stitched up (haunting me to this day thank you very much, def in the Que for my 'designer vagina!) (I'm being serious by the way) and was sent off home after a shower....Wonderful!


Sadly I suffered Post Natal Depression quite badly for a very long time (much longer than anyone really knew) But once the medication kicked in i was on the road to recovery. Unfortunately this gave me a lot of worries for my second pregnancy which was a difficult one. I was ill a lot, was very sick (but thankfully not sick enough to be hospitalised) I was very anxious about experiencing PND a second time knowing how much I missed with my daughter. When I found out I was having a little boy I was over the moon. Rightly or wrongly everything bad that had happened with little Miss made me think that I had to have a boy for everything to be different this time. Everything has been different this time, but not for that reason I am sure.

Now this one is good! I wrote this down (being very into writing at the beginning of 2011 and so very excited that I was feeling so amazingly good the second time round) Period pains started plaguing me all bloody night of the 18th February. I managed to drift in and out of sleep and on awaking I called my aunt to get her advice, this being about 7am. Quick phone call to mum who thought she would find me on all fours screaming for pain relief seemed very disappointed that I was still packing my hospital bag, leaning on the kitchen surface whilst stuffing my face with a piece of toast coated in chocolate spread (sugar levels people!). 

We said goodbye Jays mum who had come to look after Little Miss (thankfully still in bed) and drove off with Lewis Hamilton my Mum to the birth unit.

When I arrived I had my internal and I remember being very annoyed I was only 1cm. We stayed around a bit, stepped outside for some fresh air, had a couple of very intelligent stupid arsed turds shout 'fatty' out of their car window and ate some fruit bars. The longer I was there the more teasy I was becoming. My aunt suggested going out to the local park, we'd have a walk and a quick meal. We drove to the park (after Mother driving over every sodding pot hole in the damn car park) and went for some salad and chips and a walk around the lake. We decided nothing was still really happening so Mum took me and Jay to hers while she went off to work.

Dad was still asleep but soon woke up when mum mentioned the words 'Hannah, our house, labour' in the same sentence. I was greeted by him jumping through the kitchen door singing 'I'm talking  bout some great dilations' (yes he is 50-honest) and we had a nice conversation about my pain, my timings etc all the things you don't wanna talk about to your Dad really but it was bonding so who am I to argue?

I had stronger pains so called mum and she came home from work pretty quick. We went back to the unit but i was still only a few centimetres dilated. My midwife gave me a sweep (HOLY COW THAT IS PAINFUL) and I paced about a bit before declaring defeat once again and heading off home to cry in the shower: 'Why me, why can't i just have this sodding baby? I am soooooo ill and this is really not fair..If there is anyone up there who generally gives a shit get this baby out of me now!!'

*Pop* "That was odd, probably a very strange kick from my stubborn, unborn child"

*Gets out of shower* 'Owwwwwww!!! JASON!! My waters have broke. They have ACTUALLY broken". What a man, he helped me get changed while mum called the midwife who had run the birthing pool for me already! I spent about 4 hours in that pool by myself saying how at the time this was a good idea but I wasn't so sure now!

Little Man was born with about 4 or 5 pushes, pain relief free (because I don't like it not because I'm super human or something) I was a bit more concerned about my bits in my disorientated state but I was assured everything was fine and we were discharged same as before. I got to go home to my lovely daughter with my partner and new baby feeling fine, walking and not waddling and peeing without screaming hurrah!

Oh, and no post natal depression :-)

This post was written up for a link up of birth stories prompted by ActuallyMummy. Hop on over and read (and share) some more wonderful (and perhaps not so wonderful) birth stories.

*Edit- Also linking this post up with Parentonomy!

Cupcake Mumma