Well here we are, eight days after the birth of Oscar (at 3:50am on Tuesday 3 February weighing 7lb 12 oz), having just found a spare few minutes:
I had some contractions all through Sunday night, at roughly 20 minutes apart and not too painful, but these then stopped on Monday morning. All that day I spent walking up and down the house and sitting on the ball, as advised by ladies on this very forum - I would have gone out for a walk, but for the perilous snow and ice conditions! I don't know if that was what got things moving or not, but come Monday afternoon the contractions started up again at around 10 minutes apart on average, and through the evening they got increasingly closer together.
As the contractions got to be about 4 minutes apart, were more intense and I was finding it very difficult to concentrate on my breathing, some time around 9pm we phoned the New Forest Birth Centre, my preferred place to give birth, and they said to come in.
My husband found it quite scary driving in the ice and snow with his cargo puffing and panting and moaning away, but he radiated calm!! At the Birth Centre, the midwife looked me over and found I was 3cm dilated and my waters had broken (with no great fanfare as I hadn't even noticed!) and suggested we go home until the contrations were closer together and more regular. Grrr
As soon as we got home, the contractions became much closer together and very intense indeed. I found it nearly impossible to focus on my breathing as they were coming thick and fast, but when I did focus, it did seem more bearable. Within about an hour, I begged hubby to call the Birth Centre again to let us come in. This is where he was informed that both labour rooms were now in use and we would have to go to Princess Anne Hospital instead. When he told me this, I didn't take it too well and thought the world was going to end for a brief moment, bursting into floods of tears. After which, I decided I didn't care where I went as long as they could get the baby out!
We arrived at Princess Anne around 12.30am on Tuesday morning, where I was examined and found (to my surprise and relief) to be fully dilated. I finally got some gas and air to help me cope - I didn't notice any effect on the pain, but it certainly gave me something to focus on with the breathing so was a big help in that respect.
The pushing was such hard work, towards the end my husband described me as pumped up like a body builder with big, purple, veiny arms, hanging onto the end of the bed - I was kneeling facing the head of the bed. I don't know where I got the last bit of energy to push from, but I dredged it up from somewhere and the head was finally born, at which point Oscar started crying! This gave me the impetus to push his body out - I had finally done it and the relief was incredible!
We had skin-to-skin contact straight away, and he latched on for breastfeeding which was amazing.
I found out afterwards that he had come out in the style of Superman with one arm over his head which caused me to get a 3rd degree tear, although I didn't notice it happen what with everything else. This meant I had to go into theatre shortly afterwards to have it repaired under a spinal block, so that meant I was unable to move my legs for a good few hours after that, which was mighty weird! I passed the time by watching a heavy snowstorm out of the window (Oscar was back in the labour room with his Dad).
We spent Tuesday night on a ward at the hospital, then transferred to the New Forest Birth Centre on Wednesday afternoon, staying until Friday afternoon. They were able to help us all get used to things and provided lots of good advice before we went home to do it by ourselves.
Now we have been home for a few days and are slowly getting the hang of things. Oscar may have been a huge pain on the way out, but he is anything but to me now - I would do anything for him and we are turning into one blissfully happy family.
All the best to everyone with new babies, and to those with bumps, waiting for that pleasure to come!
Helen and Oscar xxxx
