Freya Rose has arrived!

Here's the Birth Story!

The lead up...
Thursday was a MADLY busy day. We were up at 6.30am ready for the scan at 9am. After the scan, Noah and I went to Toddlers and then whizzed round town for a few bits. I said I'd drop into work but as I drove out of the car park, the car started playing up on me so I got all stressed and managed to get it to Sy's work to park it and tell him - there was no way I was going to drive it like that! Sy lives just around the corner from our soft play place so Noah and I walked the 10 mins to get there and stayed there and had some lunch until Sy was on his break and could pick us up. Popped into school quickly and then went home. Noah had a huge 3hour sleep from 3-6pm but I was busy updating here etc. and tidying up so didn't nap myself (wished I had later!).

The birth story...
Simon got home from work at 6.30pm. As Noah had slept so long we knew he'd be up late so thought we'd descend upon the MIL for a couple of hours! At 7pm, just as we were about to leave I felt a small leak down below so rushed to the loo where some fluid fell out of me - completely clear (and not wee as I'd just done a big one!). I wasn't sure if it was waters or not but told Sy just in case and thought I'd wait and see what happened. In the car on the way to MILs I had my first cramp and had a few for the couple of hours we were there. Was texting a Mummy friend at this point for advice on waters breaking and what labour feels like when it happens naturally, lol! The cramps weren't bad enough to cause any real pain and I didn't mention them to Sy or the MIL at the time as I still wasn't convinced I was in labour!

Got home at 9pm and the cramps soon got closer and ‘crampier’! I thought I’d have a shower and freshen up and when I went to the loo after getting out I had a show! It must have been pretty much complete – an enormous blob of pink jelly. Fascinating! Thought we better phone Sy's Mum then to come and get Noah in case it really was labour! The cramps were now about 5 minutess apart already but I could still talk through them while bouncing on my trusty ball. I had it in place of the computer chair so I could sit and surf the net/time the contractions online to take my mind off things between cramps! We phoned the labour ward to let them know what was going on and to ask their advice about what to do and when. They said the typical take paracetamol, have a bath, ring back when the pains are 4 minutes apart and hurt a bit more!

I didn’t have a bath – had a funny feeling things would be quick. By 11pm I knew it was time to tell the hospital we were coming in. The pains had intensified and were 3 or 4 minutes apart. Still only painful enough to make me go ‘Oooooohhh owowowowowowowow!’ but definitely at the point I knew things were happening!

We got to the hospital at about 11.30pm and I was taken to my room (which was one with a birthing pool even though I hadn’t asked – was really pleased!). Because of the oligohydramnios I was strapped to the monitor for 20minutes to monitor baby’s heat-rate during the contractions but she was fine. I did a wee and got changed out of my clothes and then, not long after midnight, the contractions suddenly changed!! VERY painful, very fast and very long! It felt like there was hardly any let up between them!

I wasn’t comfy on all the ball all squashed up anymore so knelt over the back of the bed. Asked for some Gas&Air as hadn’t used it before. I didn’t mind it and it did help me become a bit less aware but I preferred the feeling of ‘coming down’ after I’d stopped breathing it in than the feeling of while I was sucking it so stopped using it after about half an hour. I couldn’t be bothered to hold onto the damn thing either and by this stage I was really growling and moaning and the sound of my noises echoing down the mouthpiece was horrendous! So in the end I just hung onto the bed and shouted lots!! I was so quiet and calm with Noah but I was a bit of an animal with my grunting this time round! It did hurt a hell of a lot more though! I also poo’d when I was at the ‘almost ready to push’ stage. I knew I needed to and I knew I wasn’t quite ready to push baby out but had to push something out so thought I might as well! Good old labour, eh! I remember apologising for it being soft and squidgy (not that I could see it!). I also remember the Midwives at this point discussing anal swelling and wondered what on earth I’d done (luckily nothing - the Senior MW was just giving the student MW a bit of a lesson!!)!!

By 2am I was ready to push. I’d not had an internal or anything since I’d arrived but it was all happening so fast and the midwives didn’t seem concerned. I turned over to sit/lie on the bed as I was tired of kneeling at this point. With Noah, the pain of the contractions seemed to die down a bit when it came to pushing but this time it was still excruciating. I felt the head moving down and crowning a lot more too. I had one really long contraction which I controlled really well, pushing and stopping on command to get her head out and then one final contraction to get her body out. Two big pushes – that was all it took!

Freya Rose was delivered, squawking, onto my tummy at 2.17am on Friday 28 March 2008. 11 days early and taking us all by surprise! She arrived 7 hours after my waters broke, not quite 3 hours after I arrived at hospital and after only being in hideous pain and 'established labour' for about 2 hours! Fast and painful.

After the birth...
I had the injection to deliver the placenta, the doing of which also hurt this time (little contractions) and even asked to have a look at it – I was curious!! I only had a first degree tear (graze they told me!) so didn’t need any stitches this time. It’s a little tender but that's all.

Freya was given her Vitamin K and was weighed – 3.09kg or 6lb 13oz (bang on the 50th centile for a baby girl born at 38+2. She seems so small compared to Noah, although is the same length he was when born but they told me she’d be long! She had a feed then and mastered it instantly.

Simon didn’t hang around too long so once I’d convinced the Midwife I would like to stay the night (she asked if I wanted to go home then!) he trotted of to make his phone-calls and go to bed!! I bathed and got dressed and we arrived on the Post Natal Ward at about 4am.

I’m really glad I got to do it naturally...and that it’s over now!! I’m also really proud of myself for having no pain relief this time round!