Its funny how certain dates and times will always be important to you no matter how many years pass and you can always remember them specifically in great detail. For example for us, Thursday, 19th July, 2012, 9.34am will always mean something. Because this was the date and time our first little girl Lola-Rose was born. And rather speedily at that actually! Since becoming a mother I do love listening to and reading about other women's birth stories as they can be so different and rather interesting. So I've decided to relive mine and share it with you as today is our due date for our second little girl (14/11/14) and I haven't even had a twinge! So yes, every single pregnancy is different even if you've had a baby before! I hope you enjoy Lola-Rose's story on how she entered the world and ill remain optimistic labour is soon, praying I feel a little 'something' whilst typing....
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My pregnancy was the easiest most straight forward first time pregnancy ever. Not a single problem, ailment, symptom, discomfort or pregnancy related doo dah all the way through. Lucky or what? I was worried id eat like a starved horse but to be honest I ate for one most of the time. I did end up in Triage at the maternity unit once as I was malnourished and went blind for about 20 minutes. I was severely dehydrated and they wanted to keep me in for 3 days to level out my hydration levels and feed me up. It was silly and since that day I force fed myself as I didn't realise the strain pregnancy had on my body. It was terrifying. I craved mostly lucozade and Dr Pepper, McDonald's chips, McDonald's coke and SPONGE! Especially bath sponge and scouring pads you'd use to do the dishes. Lovely! I went through packs of them. I didn't swallow them though I just chewed and chomped on them like a dog with a bone hahah. So addictive. The strange thing is though, this craving has followed me onto my second pregnancy, I can not get enough sponge. I buy them like people buy bags of crisps and just open them to chew around town. I must look mental.
So LR was due 21/07/2012 but on the 18/07/12 I was grumpy all day. Mega uncomfortable, grumpy, unhappy, feeling odd, not myself and niggly all day. No pain just generally unhappy! I went to bed and at around 1am 19/07/12 I woke up to the oddest sensation in my lower back ever. Imagine a string tied to the bottom middle of your back and someone pulling it, then letting go, pulling it again and then just releasing it go. I had it for about an hour, that's when this period pain started. And that's exactly how it felt. Like when your due on and you have that horrible crampy, sore, phooey, needing the loo feeling. I had it in my lower back and my bump would go hard. No way could this be labour? 2 days before my due date, no pain or warnings the day before at all then all of a sudden.....my waters went at 3.30am exactly. I heard the pop from inside me which was odd and then warm between my legs. This was most definitely it.
I turned to Ross like a lost lamb and shaking said "babe my waters have just gone, wake up" and his charming reply was "course they have" as he rolled back over to sleep! When I nudged him, no sorry, shook him ferociously saying "no really babe, look my waters are leaking" it was then he realised it was D-day. I ran down stairs to ring the maternity unit and they advised me to go in, whilst asking was I definitely sure my waters went. Baring in mind as I was on the phone I was in a little puddle! The first thing he did was jump in the shower and asked me what he should wear. MEN! I think that was his way of calming himself down though so I just laughed it off whilst starting to have the poohs. I really hope I don't get this part again! So many women have labour poohs due to contractions and pressure down below. It is so bloody uncomfy! I just literally sat on the loo for ages....not nice. On route to the hospital my waters totally erupted all over the front seat as I sat down. My bump wasn't even big so I had no idea where this mass of water was coming from! Its shocking how much is in there honestly. When we arrived they didn't ask me if I was in pain, which I was and told me to come back when my contractions were frequent and painful. So we drove home, grabbed a McDonald's brekkie, sat down to eat it and then BOOM this wave of pain erupted through my bottom half and I couldn't speak. I was contracting thick and fast out of nowhere. I rang my mother to meet us at the hospital because as soon as we got home we literally got straight back in the car. The journey was a blur, I cant really remember the part before my mother getting there but I couldn't speak the pain was indescribably bad, I didn't want pain relief and then I just felt this urge. My girlie bits were pushing. It was bizarre. My bottom half was purging itself and I felt as if I was pushing but I wasn't, my body was, utterly weird! I went from 4cm dilated to crowning in 35 minutes. I had a 35 minute contraction.....it was not fun!
The worst was yet to come. Because my labour had progressed before the midwife knew what to do, my bits hadn't stretched or were flexible should we say so I needed an episiotomy there and then with no, I repeat NO pain relief. You're meant to have a local anaesthetic....I didn't even have a paracetamol! So on my next contraction the midwife literally just cut my bits open with surgical scissors and out flew and I mean flew Lola-Rose. 6 hours labour in total, 30 minutes of pushing, a handful of pushes and she was here. The midwife couldn't believe how quick it progressed and for a first time mother/labour/baby it was insanely quick and straight forward. Especially without the aid of pain relief. I felt like a superhero I swear hahhaaha!! I stayed in overnight by choice as I felt really tender with the stitches and in all honesty it happened so quick I was in a bit of shock and wanted a hand. I didnt sleep at all I just kept looking at her and worrying about every single tiny thing. From her nappy being to tight to her sneezing! Surpisingly I was walking around happy as larry the next day and was absolutely fine! Considering I had been cut, had stictches, no sleep and didnt know where I was we went home and started to live our little lives :)
So there we have it, thats how Lola-Rose came into this world. I didnt have the usual pre warning labour signs everybody says they have, I didnt lose my bloody show until I was labouring, I did lose some mucus plug exactly 7 days before she was born (it was like green phlem!), I was grumpy the day before and I was drinking raspberry leaf and taking the capsules so I definately think they helped with the pushing phase!
Keep your eyes open for labour story No.2!
ELLIE