Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Birth story: Part Two The Birth
The first part of my birth story was here. I did say that I was going to write about it in three parts but I am not yet sure I want to write about the third part, when Piran had to stay in hospital for five days after he was born. I think perhaps I should leave it and not go back and relive it because we have moved on and I have a healthy, happy baby now.
Here is the birth part though, because I want to remember this. In two parts. One the birth plan that I didn’t want to write but my midwife said I really should. The bloody thing did not even leave my bag, and as you can see from my added notes, was in no way anything like what happened! The second part is what actually happened.
Birth Plan for Kelly
I plan to have my baby at the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath. However if I can I would like to stay at home for the early stages of labour in a comfortable relaxed environment. Ha ha ha! My labour started on my fourth day in hospital. Home was a distant memory. Also, there were no early stages of labour, just full blown labour. Nice.
Once in hospital I would like to stay as active as I can. Hmm, so if we count when I was actually in labour I had the baby heartbeat monitor and a drip to induce the contractions so all I could do was stand next to the bed. I would like to be in a room with as little light as possible, quiet with as few interruptions as possible. At the beginning a lot of the time it was just Paul and I with the midwife popping in to check us occasionally. It was the middle of the day so the room was quite light! I want my husband, Mr C, with me to help me as I need it and deal with questions on my behalf. This I had, and without him I would have been lost. If possible I would like to stay upright I did manage this until the epidural was put in then I was on the bed the whole time and I would like to use the birthing pool if available. Yeah, with the amount of wires coming out of me, not possible! I understand the need to monitor the baby but would like as little medical intervention as possible. Well, the best laid plans of mice and men…..
Pain relief: I have a TENS machine to use in early labour. Didn’t even make it out of the bag. I do not want pethidine. I managed to stick to this one! I will try gas and air if I feel I need it. Oh yes, I needed it! I would like to use water to help with the pain. The only water involved was the stuff that I sipped out of a cup through a straw between contractions. I would like to avoid an epidural if I can, however as this is my first baby if I cannot cope with the pain I will consider a low dose. Oh I couldn’t cope and I did have this. So glad I did in the end….the size of the baby and the length of time it took for me to give birth to him….it would have been too much.
I would like to avoid a c-section, but will listen to the advice of the medical professionals if they feel that it is necessary. I did this, despite the fact that the medical professionals told me that my cervix was ‘up in the gods’ and I would probably need one.
Once the baby is born my husband Mr C would like to cut the cord. I would like immediate skin-to-skin contact if possible and want to breastfeed. I had the skin to skin and I did breastfeed the baby within the first couple of hours. I don’t think Paul cut the cord, but everything is a little hazy.
I would like an injection to help me deliver the placenta. The bloody HUGE placenta if the doctor is to be believed, which after some problems was delivered. They asked Mr C if we wanted it. No thank you.
We would like the baby to have the Vitamin K injection. Which it eventually did. It seems however that this one detail had stuck in Mr C’s mind so he asked when the baby would be having the injection the minute he was born. For some reason the midwives found this amusing. Poor Mr C.
What really happened!
They came and collected me from the ward at 9.30, and we packed up all of my things and were taken round to the delivery suite. We were shown to a room and they monitored the baby as usual to check he was okay. Then at 10 they broke my waters. It was such a strange experience, not helped by a slight overdose of the gas and air ;o)
We were then sent off to walk sideways up and down the stairs to try and start contractions. We walked around the hospital for the next two hours, stopping once for a sandwich for lunch. At 12 we went back to our room but because contractions had not really started they put me on a drip to start them. Because of this the baby also had to be monitored so I had the monitoring strap on. So all I could do was lean on the bed, not move around the room.
I won’t go into too much detail, but by 1 o’clock I was having three contractions every 10 minutes. I started using the gas and air somewhere around 1.30 and then I remember looking at the clock and it said 1.40pm. I then looked at the clock again what I thought was a hour later and it was 1.50pm. Only 10 minutes had gone past! At this point I spoke to Paul and because I was convinced that I had hours to go I decided to have an epidural. We asked me the midwife when she came back and she asked for the anestetist to come and while we waited she examined me. It was just after 2pm and I was only 2-3cm dilated so I was glad that I had asked for the pain relief.
The next hour was taken up by getting the epidural put in, which is not very easy as you have to stay completely still even though you are having contractions. By 3pm it was in, and despite a wobbly moment Mr C had not passed out! I was then examined again and I was 8cm dilated!
By 4pm I was ready to push and really soon Mr C was telling me that they could see the baby’s head. Unfortunately I really struggled to just get that last bit done and after an hour of pushing they got the doctor in to help. The baby was getting tired and his heart was slowing so they delivered him by ventouse, at 5.19pm.
I was so tired I do not remember much about the end, I know that there were a lot of people in the room because they were worried about the baby and that all of them exclaimed that he was a big baby! (10lb 2oz as it turned out)
Finally, we had our baby.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Sleep, a fragile thing
Just a quickie before I go up the stairs to Bedfordshire and make my way to the Land of Nod. There is a fabulous Sleep Deprivation carnival over at Sleep is for the weak, with some amazing posts to be read.
On this subject we seem to have the bedtime routine cracked, Piran has a bath leading to a bottle at 7pm and then is down awake in his cot by 7.30 and stays there happily putting himself to sleep. I am still doing two night feeds, getting up between 11.30 - 12.30 and 3.30 - 4.30 every night at the moment. If he would just drop one it would be nice, but at least Mr C and I get to eat dinner in peace each night at 7.30 and we can spend some quality time together in the evenings, doing things we love (okay, watching tv yawning but at least it is together).
After reading all these posts I see that we are lucky and I hope that this will continue but it seems to be a fragile thing!
Right now though I am going to have a quick cuppa and then go make like a cactus and go to sleep!
Piran in the 'semi cactus' position.
On this subject we seem to have the bedtime routine cracked, Piran has a bath leading to a bottle at 7pm and then is down awake in his cot by 7.30 and stays there happily putting himself to sleep. I am still doing two night feeds, getting up between 11.30 - 12.30 and 3.30 - 4.30 every night at the moment. If he would just drop one it would be nice, but at least Mr C and I get to eat dinner in peace each night at 7.30 and we can spend some quality time together in the evenings, doing things we love (okay, watching tv yawning but at least it is together).
After reading all these posts I see that we are lucky and I hope that this will continue but it seems to be a fragile thing!
Right now though I am going to have a quick cuppa and then go make like a cactus and go to sleep!
Piran in the 'semi cactus' position.
Make it Monday: Sloe Gin
So, because I am on maternity leave and although the little man takes up most of my time I do want to make a lot of my Christmas presents this year. We were chatting on twitter one evening and other people were sharing their ideas so Liz is going to hold a Thrifty Christmas carnival over at Violet Posy between 9th-12th November, where we will all share our ideas for 'thrifty' Christmas presents. I will submit this post, but I thought that I would start my own little regular slot: Make it Monday.
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As part of the Christmas presents for our three sets of parents we have decided to make hampers. We will be including sloe gin in some of them, so Mr C scoured the hedgerows and bought home three bags of sloes and I made the sloe gin. This is the recipe that I used last year, and it turned out very well. This year however I decided to have a little bit of fun with it and I have made different variations and written the recipe on a label stuck to each bottle. Then in December we will have a taste test to see the difference between each batch and come up with an ultimate recipe (I hope!)To make 1 litre of sloe gin
Ingredients450g/1lb sloes
225g/8oz caster sugar1 litre/1¾ pint gin
2 cinnamon sticksMethod
1. Wash the sloes and place into a freezer overnight.2. Pour 500ml of gin into a 1 litre sterilized jar.
3. Divide the sugar and frozen sloes in half and place half in the jar and have in the gin bottle.
4. Add a cinnamon stick to each.
5. Seal both the jar and the bottle tightly and shake well.
6. Store in a cool, dark cupboard and shake every other day until sugar has dissolved. Then shake once a week for two months.
7. The sloe gin will now be a beautiful dark red and ready to drink, although it will still improve with keeping.
8. Strain through muslin, squeezing as much liquid out as possible and pour into sterilized bottles.
If you want to, do not discard the drained fruit, as you can reuse it to make sloe sherry. I found this recipe this week and plan on trying it myself this year! And a very boozy Christmas to us all!
New beginnings
I have been a blogger for over four years. In that time so much has changed, and I have stuck with Blogger all the way! Now, however, I am a different person and lots has changed. I am currently in the process of deciding what to do with my future and as part of that it is time to move on. So as of the 1st October I am moving. To a new blog. Link to follow on moving day. It will be rough and ready for a few weeks but I hope that we will be happy there.
Update a few hours later: Oh I have been playing round with a new blog all morning and I just don't know if I should do it or not? I think that I have such a good following here that it would be silly. Perhaps I just need a new look or need to spend some quality time with this blog. I am not really sure why I want to move. I had some vague idea that I would share it with my family if I started from scratch but the problem is I am not sure that is a good idea anyway.
Anyone got an opinion?
Update a few hours later: Oh I have been playing round with a new blog all morning and I just don't know if I should do it or not? I think that I have such a good following here that it would be silly. Perhaps I just need a new look or need to spend some quality time with this blog. I am not really sure why I want to move. I had some vague idea that I would share it with my family if I started from scratch but the problem is I am not sure that is a good idea anyway.
Anyone got an opinion?
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Sleep deprivation
We love a good carnival and there is a sleep deprivation carnival over at Sleep is for the weak.
I thought I would add a short and sweet submission, and this morning is very apt as the baby got me up at 6.30, had his bottle and promptly went back to sleep for the last hour. He is happily snorning away in his little sleeping bag, I am wide awake on the sofa!
Anyway, all I have for you is one tweet that was written two days after bringing Piran home from the hospital:
Mr C just asked how you spell Shelia. I responded "4".
Plus, sleep deprived pictures have been requested. I have no shame so I give you two! Please, focus on that gorgeous baby people, no mention of baby weight!
A slightly more flattering look! (using the CUTE baby to hide double chin...crafty!)
Oh, and look at the little cherub catching up on his sleep. Lucky devil!
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Why my week has sucked weasles
I love that, sucked weasles, it is what we used to say at work if we were having a bad day. Those of you that follow me on twitter may have realised that I have been having a bad week. I have tried to keep my upset, anger and frustration to a minimum but when I am here all day alone it is good to have an outlet.
I have written on this blog before about the condition that I have. It is called Hidradenitis suppuritiva. Unfortunately it is one of those things that there is no cure for. I have had countless operations, courses of antibiotoics, seen specialists, consultants and a homeopath yet here I am again.
I had hoped that I would get some relief when pregnant as it has always seemed linked to my hormones in some way. It usually flares up every month but when I was pregnant I did have some relief, although I can remember two main occasions where I had it badly, and I wrote this post about it. At that time I had a lesion on my bottom which made sitting, walking or lying down very uncomfortable. This week I have had a massive leison at the top of my leg where it meets my groin (where my knicker elastic would be). I am unable to walk, wear anything other than a skirt or a nightie, I could not bend the leg so getting up and down stairs was agony and bending impossible unless I stuck my left leg out behind me (like a dodgy ballet dancer). Sitting was agony.
You can imagine what looking after a 7 week old baby is like when you cannot do these things. I cannot put him on his play mat or in his chair. I can manage his cot as it is not too low. Luckily I have a changing table where he is a chest height so that is not to bad. He likes to be jiggled about and rocked to sleep but this means walking which was hard. Getting down into the chair to feed him was so hard I was biting on a muslin to stop me crying out. In the end we have camped out in the bedroom for the past two days with his bottles and a flask for warming them and he has laid on the bed or watched his mobile in his cot to amuse himself. Not so bad now when he is so small but what about when he is older?
If I stop to consider all of this I feel like I am paralysed. This flare up has coincided with my periods returning after having a baby so the chances are that this will happen every month. How will we manage to look after Piran? When I am phsically unable to do something for him I feel like such a failure. Was I selfish to have a baby? I thought about it a bit but we didn't factor it into our decison making. What about when he is mobile? How will I run and catch him, how will I stop him if he does something dangerous? I haven't been able to take him for a walk this week, and I usually try and make sure he gets out every day. His Nan has taken him for me but I am his mother, it is my job.
Everyone that says you get delivered a truck load of guilt along with your baby was right, I am constantly second guessing my own decisions, I spend hours deliberating about what I am going to do about going back to work (and I am not even due back until next June!) and worrying that I am not doing the best for my child. Now I have thoughts of how will we cope if this gets worse, what happens if it is hereditary (not proven, but my brother has the same thing, although no one else in my family does) and how can I even consider a second child if I am not capable of looking after the first?
I have a responsibility to this little man who is lying fast asleep on the bed next to me right now. I have to banish my fears and deal with each day as it comes. Today I feel physically a bit better, so my mental state is a bit better too. I have to stay positive and take positive action. I am going to spend some time doing some research into things I can do to help myself and I am going to go back to the doctor and get another referral to see someone about this. I do not want an operation again but perhaps it is time to try antibiotics again or maybe there is even something new, after all it is over a year since I saw anyone about this.
I have written on this blog before about the condition that I have. It is called Hidradenitis suppuritiva. Unfortunately it is one of those things that there is no cure for. I have had countless operations, courses of antibiotoics, seen specialists, consultants and a homeopath yet here I am again.
I had hoped that I would get some relief when pregnant as it has always seemed linked to my hormones in some way. It usually flares up every month but when I was pregnant I did have some relief, although I can remember two main occasions where I had it badly, and I wrote this post about it. At that time I had a lesion on my bottom which made sitting, walking or lying down very uncomfortable. This week I have had a massive leison at the top of my leg where it meets my groin (where my knicker elastic would be). I am unable to walk, wear anything other than a skirt or a nightie, I could not bend the leg so getting up and down stairs was agony and bending impossible unless I stuck my left leg out behind me (like a dodgy ballet dancer). Sitting was agony.
You can imagine what looking after a 7 week old baby is like when you cannot do these things. I cannot put him on his play mat or in his chair. I can manage his cot as it is not too low. Luckily I have a changing table where he is a chest height so that is not to bad. He likes to be jiggled about and rocked to sleep but this means walking which was hard. Getting down into the chair to feed him was so hard I was biting on a muslin to stop me crying out. In the end we have camped out in the bedroom for the past two days with his bottles and a flask for warming them and he has laid on the bed or watched his mobile in his cot to amuse himself. Not so bad now when he is so small but what about when he is older?
If I stop to consider all of this I feel like I am paralysed. This flare up has coincided with my periods returning after having a baby so the chances are that this will happen every month. How will we manage to look after Piran? When I am phsically unable to do something for him I feel like such a failure. Was I selfish to have a baby? I thought about it a bit but we didn't factor it into our decison making. What about when he is mobile? How will I run and catch him, how will I stop him if he does something dangerous? I haven't been able to take him for a walk this week, and I usually try and make sure he gets out every day. His Nan has taken him for me but I am his mother, it is my job.
Everyone that says you get delivered a truck load of guilt along with your baby was right, I am constantly second guessing my own decisions, I spend hours deliberating about what I am going to do about going back to work (and I am not even due back until next June!) and worrying that I am not doing the best for my child. Now I have thoughts of how will we cope if this gets worse, what happens if it is hereditary (not proven, but my brother has the same thing, although no one else in my family does) and how can I even consider a second child if I am not capable of looking after the first?
I have a responsibility to this little man who is lying fast asleep on the bed next to me right now. I have to banish my fears and deal with each day as it comes. Today I feel physically a bit better, so my mental state is a bit better too. I have to stay positive and take positive action. I am going to spend some time doing some research into things I can do to help myself and I am going to go back to the doctor and get another referral to see someone about this. I do not want an operation again but perhaps it is time to try antibiotics again or maybe there is even something new, after all it is over a year since I saw anyone about this.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
Monday morning
I am too happy in bed this morning! Got up, gave the screaming child his bottle then both of us have gone back to bed, me with the laptop and Piran happy in full leg waving glory on the bed next to me. I do not want to face today, I had two things planned, meeting someone for lunch and then the dreaded return visit to the dentist that I am not looking forward to. Just seen on twitter that the person I am meant to be meeting for lunch is on a train to Birmingham so we will not be having lunch so the next thing I need to do is be in town at 2.20pm to drop Piran in to Nanny at work. I won't take him to the dentist with me, last time I cried and was in a right state, seeing me like that could scar him for life.
Last week I was so pleased to finally finish my first project since the baby was born. When my parents were staying we went to Paul's parents for lunch. My Stepdad sat on a chair and went through the bottom! Paul's mum was going to get rid of it so we grabbed it as a chair for the nursery. We had been feeding Piran in bed at night and it is not very conducive to staying awake.
The straps and cushions were very old. I bought new straps on the internet, then bought some cheap cushions from Ikea which I put together with the old cushions and covered them in fleece. Then I made new cushion covers with material also from Ikea, box cushions with zips in and everything. I am very proud of these, the first time that I put a zip in anything! Anyway, the pictures are below.
The chair was actually Paul's nan's and I got the highest praise from his mum when she said that his nan would have liked what we had done with the chair. Crikey!
Last week I was so pleased to finally finish my first project since the baby was born. When my parents were staying we went to Paul's parents for lunch. My Stepdad sat on a chair and went through the bottom! Paul's mum was going to get rid of it so we grabbed it as a chair for the nursery. We had been feeding Piran in bed at night and it is not very conducive to staying awake.
The straps and cushions were very old. I bought new straps on the internet, then bought some cheap cushions from Ikea which I put together with the old cushions and covered them in fleece. Then I made new cushion covers with material also from Ikea, box cushions with zips in and everything. I am very proud of these, the first time that I put a zip in anything! Anyway, the pictures are below.
The chair was actually Paul's nan's and I got the highest praise from his mum when she said that his nan would have liked what we had done with the chair. Crikey!
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Saturday, September 19, 2009
Three ladies, two babies and one bump do lunch
I stole the title, from a great tweet this morning!
So this morning I packed up the baby and drove to Worthing to meet with my fabulous new blogger / twitter friends Mrs OMG Pregnant and Miss Leslieanne. Thanks to Pizza Express and a kind offer of a free lunch as a tie in to their new Leggera pizza launch. Now none of us had the pizza with the hole (not like a polo, this one is filled with salad) but we did have a lovely lunch and chatter and over two hours flew by. It was wonderful to meet them and great to swap stories and experiences.
No photos I am afraid, I have to protect the identity of the people involved (alright, I admit it, I forgot I had the camera) but I did get one of Piran's first time at the seaside.
So this morning I packed up the baby and drove to Worthing to meet with my fabulous new blogger / twitter friends Mrs OMG Pregnant and Miss Leslieanne. Thanks to Pizza Express and a kind offer of a free lunch as a tie in to their new Leggera pizza launch. Now none of us had the pizza with the hole (not like a polo, this one is filled with salad) but we did have a lovely lunch and chatter and over two hours flew by. It was wonderful to meet them and great to swap stories and experiences.
No photos I am afraid, I have to protect the identity of the people involved (alright, I admit it, I forgot I had the camera) but I did get one of Piran's first time at the seaside.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Sunday, September 13, 2009
How my baby got his name
When I found out that I was pregnant the question on everyone's lips was whether or not we would find out the sex of the baby before he was born. Personally I was not bothered either way but Mr C did want to know when we had the 20 weeks scan and I was happy to go along with what he wanted.
I remember the minute we found out in such clarity. I was laying on the bed, my tummy covered in go and my legs elevated to try and get a very squiggly baby into a good position for all of the measurements to be taken. The lady asked us if we were sure that we wanted to find out and when we said yes she moved the thing on by belly and there for all to see it was very obviously a boy. I swear that he had not been still for a second the whole way through the scan but for that glorious moment he opened his legs wide and was so still, like he was screaming "look what I have got"!
I turned to see the tears in my husbands eyes as he realised he was having a boy and it was officially one of the happiest moments of my life. Then listening to him telling everyone with such pride in his voice.
By finding out at that moment I was present, I remember every second, I know what it felt like. When Piran was born I was quite frankly screwed. I was bruised, battered and tired. I do not remember hearing my babies first cry, I have a vague memory of hearing the midwife and doctor exclaim that he was a big baby and then something warm and squiggly was put on my chest and I just lay there in shock. I now have two very special memories to keep, and one has not been swallowed by the other. If I ever have another baby then I will do the same.
Also, we got the idea for Piran's name because we found out he was a boy on St Piran's day, 5th March. St Piran is the patron saint of Cornwall and tin miners and my family lives in Cornwall, I grew up there, we were married there and it is our favourite place to be when we can. So for us, it was perfect.
This post was written as a contribution to A Mother's Secrets a place where mothers swear to tell the truth and only the truth. Please visit to find out whether other pregnant mums wanted to know the sex of their baby and their experiences.
I remember the minute we found out in such clarity. I was laying on the bed, my tummy covered in go and my legs elevated to try and get a very squiggly baby into a good position for all of the measurements to be taken. The lady asked us if we were sure that we wanted to find out and when we said yes she moved the thing on by belly and there for all to see it was very obviously a boy. I swear that he had not been still for a second the whole way through the scan but for that glorious moment he opened his legs wide and was so still, like he was screaming "look what I have got"!
I turned to see the tears in my husbands eyes as he realised he was having a boy and it was officially one of the happiest moments of my life. Then listening to him telling everyone with such pride in his voice.
By finding out at that moment I was present, I remember every second, I know what it felt like. When Piran was born I was quite frankly screwed. I was bruised, battered and tired. I do not remember hearing my babies first cry, I have a vague memory of hearing the midwife and doctor exclaim that he was a big baby and then something warm and squiggly was put on my chest and I just lay there in shock. I now have two very special memories to keep, and one has not been swallowed by the other. If I ever have another baby then I will do the same.
Also, we got the idea for Piran's name because we found out he was a boy on St Piran's day, 5th March. St Piran is the patron saint of Cornwall and tin miners and my family lives in Cornwall, I grew up there, we were married there and it is our favourite place to be when we can. So for us, it was perfect.
This post was written as a contribution to A Mother's Secrets a place where mothers swear to tell the truth and only the truth. Please visit to find out whether other pregnant mums wanted to know the sex of their baby and their experiences.
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Wednesday, September 09, 2009
Competitions
Through Twitter I have found Sew Scrumptious. She is having a Bib giveaway.....they are really cute too.
Cafe Bebe has a great competition to win 25 personalised photocards from Dandelion Lounge.
Finally, visit Yummy Mummy Tips for a chance to win many prizes including tickets to the Earls Court Baby Show.
Cafe Bebe has a great competition to win 25 personalised photocards from Dandelion Lounge.
Finally, visit Yummy Mummy Tips for a chance to win many prizes including tickets to the Earls Court Baby Show.
Wordless Wednesday: The only way I get to use the laptop
Plenty fun playing with the webcam though. Anyone fancy making me a cuppa?
Sunday, September 06, 2009
Birth story: Part One Induction
Yep, as you can see from the title to save you all from what would probably be the longest post in the history of this blog I have decided to split it up. You should be grateful, the story of 9 days in hospital all at once would be way too much I tell you. That said, this in itself is pretty long!
I have been dying to write this post and dreading it in equal measures. I feel that this week I am now suitably removed from the whole process that it is now time to write it down and deal with the experience once and for all. Luckily, I wrote down what happened to me before Piran was born when I was in hospital being induced otherwise it might have been a very short post. So, for my sanity, here goes.
Piran was due on 18th July, however when there was no sign of him a week after that they booked me in for an induction. I was told to report to the hospital at 10am on Tuesday 28th July. What follows is the diary that I wrote while in hospital.
Tuesday 28th July
Arrived as instructed at 10am. Put onto a monitor, the baby is okay. They are too busy so they ask us to go home and telephone tomorrow to see if they would like us to come in then. So we leave and go to the supermarket, Starbucks and the garden centre. That evening we eat curry, I exercise, have sex and take a big dose of the homeopathic remedy meant to induce labour. Nothing works.
Wednesday 29th July
Happy birthday to me. I wake up and open my birthday cards then we ring the hospital. They tell us to come in so we throw everything back in the car and off we go again. All happens very quickly when we arrive - taken to a room, put onto a monitor, given the dose of Prostin! I was told that I should get up and about but try and have a sleep in the afternoon. If nothing happens then they will monitor me again at 4.30pm then give me a second dose. So we walked about the hospital, drank a lot of tea, rested and then because nothing changed the baby was monitored again and I was given the second dose. This gave me constant, strong period type pain. Given painkillers. Mr C is told to go home and rest. I have a bath to relax but when I come out they have to move me from my side room out onto the ward. Two babies, and a faulty alarm give me a very bad nights sleep. Before I go to sleep the midwife indicates that I should be monitored very early on and given the next dose of Prostin at around 8am.
Thursday 30th July
Mr C sneaks in early because it is his birthday and we open his cards and sit and wait. I have been up since 6am, showered (SOBBED my heart out for the duration), breakfasted and been for a walk. No one comes to see us until 10.30 with no explanation, then I am monitored and given the next dose of Prostin at 11. It is immediately very painful, although the pain is constant again. I am given pain relief, and told to get up and about as much as possible, have a bath etc. I try and walk as much as possible but it HURTS. Plus it is raining outside and there is only so much walking up and down corridors that you can do.I discover that walking up and down stairs is easier than on the flat. I am in too much pain to eat lunch. Mr C is getting very frustrated, I am getting more and more upset. The midwife has a very no nonsense attitude and we have just been left to get on with it all day with no explanation of what should be happening. At about 4pm we demand that someone come and speak to us. When we ask what happens next the midwife simply says "Nothing".
NOTHING?
That one little word just pushes me over the edge. A great deal of crying and I end up getting myself in quite a state. The pain is horrendous, uncomfortable but just Prostin pains. Woop, I am in pain, but it is THE WRONG KIND OF PAIN. Awesome. The midwife slows down and takes some time with me when she realises quite how hard this is on me and how upset I am. I am monitored and given painkillers and she lets us know she will get the doctor to come and see us and discuss what happens next. I am given a side room again, and the doctor comes and examines me at 7pm and tells me that although my cervix is thin and the baby is very low I have not dilated at all. I am told I will be given sleeping pills and will be monitored again in the morning. Mr C goes home, I take the pills and I get the best nights sleep - including sleeping through someone giving birth in the room next door! (I woke up, heard one scream and just went back to sleep!) Before I went to sleep I wrote a list of questions to ask in the morning, which helps a little.
Friday 31st July
I woke up at 7am and all the pain has gone. I had some breakfast and then Mr C arrived. Doctor came in at 10am and again, was very brisk, saying that he was going to examine me then monitor the baby and give the Prostin. This time however we were prepared and we asked him to go through everything before starting. He answered our questions and said that they wanted to try one last dose of Prostin (my fourth) and if that did not work then we would be booked in for a c section, when exactly would depend on how busy they were. The midwife came to see me, she was really nice and calming. Baby was monitored and I was given the Prostin again at 11am. Spent the next few hours walking and resting. Paul was getting more and more frustrated and I just kept crying all the time. The pains started again at 4pm. I asked for pain relief but instead they examined me and instead and there was no change. We asked to see the doctor but they said the baby would be monitored first.
Paul went to clear his head and then typically the doctors arrived. I telephoned him and he ran back. They told us that they wanted me to have another night of rest and then I could either go home for 24 hours then if nothing happened come in on Sunday, or examine me and break my waters on Saturday morning. They did say that I could have an epidural but they would prefer to start the process without as that would mean more movement for me. We opt to start things off tomorrow, there is no way that I am leaving this hospital without the baby being born! I am unsure re pain relief. When we mentioned that the doctor yesterday said I would have a c section this doctor is reluctant, and advises that this will be the last resort. When they leave Paul is very frustrated, me too really, just wish that we would get a consistent message.
Paul goes home to rest and I just try and chill out. It is exciting that we will have our beautiful baby tomorrow and I will be pleased that the waiting is over but it is scary! It is an evening of chaos on the ward with one delivery in a side ward and the girl that came in for induction yesterday is wheeled off in labour at 9.30. I am given sleeping pills and go to sleep.
Saturday 1st August
I wake at 5am, and when I go to the toilet I have my show. Well it seems that something might have started to happen but I am realistic that this is probably too little too late! I have a chat with one of the midwives Jo and she makes me a cup of tea. A bit later I have breakfast and meet Nicola, the girl that went off to have her baby last night. She had a boy, Noah at around 4am this morning which is her birthday. I just put the telly on and wait for Paul to come in and for everything to start happening.
All in all it was an incredibly frustrating and annoying process. I understand that there were people there that had greater needs than mine and that the midwives were busy but I spent a lot of time not really knowing what should be happening or what would happen next. I felt isolated and cut off from my friends. I managed to post to my blog by email, and could access google reader but that was my lot. When I mentioned this some amazing bloggers wrote posts on their own blogs to me, or mentioned that they were thinking of me and wished me luck. I cannot explain what that meant to me at the time. I wish I could remember exactly who but I am afraid a lot of it is a blur. Please let me know if you were one of them, I would love to link from this post. I got so fed up of the phone calls and texts asking if anything had happened I switched my telephone off. I know a lot of people were worried but it was taking all of my energy to just get through each day, and explaining the same story over and over was too much.
So, we will leave me there, waiting for the midwife to come and tell me when they would be breaking my waters. I will return with the post about the actual birth, and then a third about what happened afterward and about Piran's stay in the SCBU. Not a fun story, but one I feel I should record if only to move on.
Update: Thanks for these posts. Sandy @ Baby Baby Miss Leslieanne @ Life with a little dude Mrs @ OMG We're Pregnant
I have been dying to write this post and dreading it in equal measures. I feel that this week I am now suitably removed from the whole process that it is now time to write it down and deal with the experience once and for all. Luckily, I wrote down what happened to me before Piran was born when I was in hospital being induced otherwise it might have been a very short post. So, for my sanity, here goes.
Piran was due on 18th July, however when there was no sign of him a week after that they booked me in for an induction. I was told to report to the hospital at 10am on Tuesday 28th July. What follows is the diary that I wrote while in hospital.
Tuesday 28th July
Arrived as instructed at 10am. Put onto a monitor, the baby is okay. They are too busy so they ask us to go home and telephone tomorrow to see if they would like us to come in then. So we leave and go to the supermarket, Starbucks and the garden centre. That evening we eat curry, I exercise, have sex and take a big dose of the homeopathic remedy meant to induce labour. Nothing works.
Wednesday 29th July
Happy birthday to me. I wake up and open my birthday cards then we ring the hospital. They tell us to come in so we throw everything back in the car and off we go again. All happens very quickly when we arrive - taken to a room, put onto a monitor, given the dose of Prostin! I was told that I should get up and about but try and have a sleep in the afternoon. If nothing happens then they will monitor me again at 4.30pm then give me a second dose. So we walked about the hospital, drank a lot of tea, rested and then because nothing changed the baby was monitored again and I was given the second dose. This gave me constant, strong period type pain. Given painkillers. Mr C is told to go home and rest. I have a bath to relax but when I come out they have to move me from my side room out onto the ward. Two babies, and a faulty alarm give me a very bad nights sleep. Before I go to sleep the midwife indicates that I should be monitored very early on and given the next dose of Prostin at around 8am.
Thursday 30th July
Mr C sneaks in early because it is his birthday and we open his cards and sit and wait. I have been up since 6am, showered (SOBBED my heart out for the duration), breakfasted and been for a walk. No one comes to see us until 10.30 with no explanation, then I am monitored and given the next dose of Prostin at 11. It is immediately very painful, although the pain is constant again. I am given pain relief, and told to get up and about as much as possible, have a bath etc. I try and walk as much as possible but it HURTS. Plus it is raining outside and there is only so much walking up and down corridors that you can do.I discover that walking up and down stairs is easier than on the flat. I am in too much pain to eat lunch. Mr C is getting very frustrated, I am getting more and more upset. The midwife has a very no nonsense attitude and we have just been left to get on with it all day with no explanation of what should be happening. At about 4pm we demand that someone come and speak to us. When we ask what happens next the midwife simply says "Nothing".
NOTHING?
That one little word just pushes me over the edge. A great deal of crying and I end up getting myself in quite a state. The pain is horrendous, uncomfortable but just Prostin pains. Woop, I am in pain, but it is THE WRONG KIND OF PAIN. Awesome. The midwife slows down and takes some time with me when she realises quite how hard this is on me and how upset I am. I am monitored and given painkillers and she lets us know she will get the doctor to come and see us and discuss what happens next. I am given a side room again, and the doctor comes and examines me at 7pm and tells me that although my cervix is thin and the baby is very low I have not dilated at all. I am told I will be given sleeping pills and will be monitored again in the morning. Mr C goes home, I take the pills and I get the best nights sleep - including sleeping through someone giving birth in the room next door! (I woke up, heard one scream and just went back to sleep!) Before I went to sleep I wrote a list of questions to ask in the morning, which helps a little.
Friday 31st July
I woke up at 7am and all the pain has gone. I had some breakfast and then Mr C arrived. Doctor came in at 10am and again, was very brisk, saying that he was going to examine me then monitor the baby and give the Prostin. This time however we were prepared and we asked him to go through everything before starting. He answered our questions and said that they wanted to try one last dose of Prostin (my fourth) and if that did not work then we would be booked in for a c section, when exactly would depend on how busy they were. The midwife came to see me, she was really nice and calming. Baby was monitored and I was given the Prostin again at 11am. Spent the next few hours walking and resting. Paul was getting more and more frustrated and I just kept crying all the time. The pains started again at 4pm. I asked for pain relief but instead they examined me and instead and there was no change. We asked to see the doctor but they said the baby would be monitored first.
Paul went to clear his head and then typically the doctors arrived. I telephoned him and he ran back. They told us that they wanted me to have another night of rest and then I could either go home for 24 hours then if nothing happened come in on Sunday, or examine me and break my waters on Saturday morning. They did say that I could have an epidural but they would prefer to start the process without as that would mean more movement for me. We opt to start things off tomorrow, there is no way that I am leaving this hospital without the baby being born! I am unsure re pain relief. When we mentioned that the doctor yesterday said I would have a c section this doctor is reluctant, and advises that this will be the last resort. When they leave Paul is very frustrated, me too really, just wish that we would get a consistent message.
Paul goes home to rest and I just try and chill out. It is exciting that we will have our beautiful baby tomorrow and I will be pleased that the waiting is over but it is scary! It is an evening of chaos on the ward with one delivery in a side ward and the girl that came in for induction yesterday is wheeled off in labour at 9.30. I am given sleeping pills and go to sleep.
Saturday 1st August
I wake at 5am, and when I go to the toilet I have my show. Well it seems that something might have started to happen but I am realistic that this is probably too little too late! I have a chat with one of the midwives Jo and she makes me a cup of tea. A bit later I have breakfast and meet Nicola, the girl that went off to have her baby last night. She had a boy, Noah at around 4am this morning which is her birthday. I just put the telly on and wait for Paul to come in and for everything to start happening.
All in all it was an incredibly frustrating and annoying process. I understand that there were people there that had greater needs than mine and that the midwives were busy but I spent a lot of time not really knowing what should be happening or what would happen next. I felt isolated and cut off from my friends. I managed to post to my blog by email, and could access google reader but that was my lot. When I mentioned this some amazing bloggers wrote posts on their own blogs to me, or mentioned that they were thinking of me and wished me luck. I cannot explain what that meant to me at the time. I wish I could remember exactly who but I am afraid a lot of it is a blur. Please let me know if you were one of them, I would love to link from this post. I got so fed up of the phone calls and texts asking if anything had happened I switched my telephone off. I know a lot of people were worried but it was taking all of my energy to just get through each day, and explaining the same story over and over was too much.
So, we will leave me there, waiting for the midwife to come and tell me when they would be breaking my waters. I will return with the post about the actual birth, and then a third about what happened afterward and about Piran's stay in the SCBU. Not a fun story, but one I feel I should record if only to move on.
Update: Thanks for these posts. Sandy @ Baby Baby Miss Leslieanne @ Life with a little dude Mrs @ OMG We're Pregnant
Wednesday, September 02, 2009
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