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!
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.
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
