He's here! - My birth story and the following weeks

Our new addition baby Eben made his appearance on Thursday 11th February at 5.25am weighing in at a healthy 7lbs 6oz. I was 39 weeks and 1 day and I didn't have any signs leading up to the labour. I had been looking out for signs such as loss of appetite, diarrhoea, Braxton hicks, lose of mucus plug but I had none of those! I had an appointment with my midwife the previous day and we put a plan in place for me to have a stretch and sweep for the following week. Maybe it was finally having the end in sight and me being able to relax that led me to going into labour. Anyway I went to bed as usual but Reubie my 3 year old was in bed with us as he was ill with hand, foot and mouth. At about 1am he woke up not feeling well and at 1.50 I went to the loo thinking I needed a number 2 but instead my waters broke on the toilet! it wasn't a massive gush but I knew it was definitely my waters. I hadn't had any contractions but rang the maternity hospital anyway and we arranged for me to go in at 8am unless I started having regular painful contractions. As soon as I got off the phone the contractions started and were 5 minutes apart and reasonably painful. After half an hour we decided we better go into hospital so my husband rang his mum to get her to look after Reubie and then rang up the maternity hospital to let them know we were on our way in. We got to hospital at around 3am the contractions were more painful but I was worried I might be in labour for ages so didn't want to take pain relief too soon. After about half an hour I definitely needed the gas and air. Last time I had two lots of pethidine and diamorphine before I had gas and air but I decided against any this time as they made me feel quite sick and out of it last time. Before I had the gas and air the midwife examined me and said I was about 5cm dilated. I felt a bit disappointed I wasn't more dilated but the midwife reassured me that second births can happen much quicker. Dilation of a firstborn can take up to an hour per centimetre, luckily for me I only had about 2 hours more to go not 5 hours. The contractions were becoming closer and closer and there soon was barely a seconds break between each one. Finally it was time to push my midwife was lovely and really encouraging, she told me she could see his hair and it wouldn't be long only a few more pushes. it was painful but that relief once the head is out is indescribable, one more long hard push and out  he came! He had his hand by his face and the cord was wrapped around his head and hand twice, so it was lucky his hand was there. I had a lovely cuddle whilst delivering the placenta. Then I was examined and had a second degree tear so I had to have 2 stitches, I was given the option of an injection down there to numb the pain or more gas and air. I opted for gas and air, the pain was bearable. Then it was all over! Daddy got a cuddle whilst I went to have a bath. Then we moved down to the ward for breakfast. It all happened so fast it was so strange to think that 6 hours before Eben was in my belly!
I had forgotten about the after pains was soon  reminded of them, apparently they get worse with each child, luckily this is our last! I honesty think I would have preferred to give birth again than have the after pains and the pain of the stitches! The after pains lasted about 4 days and the pain from the stitches eased after about 1 week. Now that its been 2 1/2 weeks the pain from stitches has completely gone. If I didn't have a bloody annoying sore throat and cough I think I would actually feel my normal self, even if sleep has been lacking a bit!

38 weeks/ false labour

So I made it past 37 weeks!!! Yippee! I'm so happy that this little boy has made it to full term! I'm now 38 weeks and 2 days!! I have definitely had a few signs that have made me think birthday might be soon but I also know that you can have a million signs that labour is immanent but can still go weeks pasts your due date! the first hint I had that I thought labour was on it's way was some consistent contractions. They started at 7pm on Sunday night when I was 36 weeks and 4 days and were about 7 minutes apart. I've suffered with a lot of Braxton hicks this pregnancy and usually I go to bed and the stop so I thought the same would happen this time but no! they got closer together, every 5 minutes and seemed to be lasting longer. By 4 am I started to worry that even though they weren't painful that they might turn painful and then we'd have to travel to the hospital in rush hour traffic. So we rang the hospital up and they said to come in and they'd take a look at me. Luckily my mother in law doesn't live far and has been on call for us since 31 weeks! She very kindly came to look after Reuben and take him to nursery in the morning. I got to hospital and they checked my cervix, which they said looked about 1cm dilated but they also said that as I had given birth before that could just be how my cervix is. I then had all the usual blood pressure taken, temperature and I was put on a monitor to check my contractions. They were every 5 minutes as I had thought but there wasn't really anything they could do but monitor me and wait to see if anything happened. It was a long boring day of sitting around the contractions eased to around 8 minutes apart a couple of times only to return to 5 minutes apart an hour later. I felt like nothing was happening so asked if they could check to see if my cervix had changed or not, I figured if it hadn't there wasn't much point in sitting in hospital. I thought it was strange that they hadn't suggested that they take a look earlier. Anyway they looked and said 1-2 cm so basically no change. So we went home. The contractions carried on the rest of the evening but hen suddenly disappeared as soon as I went to bed!! The same thing happened again the Friday after when I was 37 weeks and 2 days but this time I didn't bother going into hospital and after about 12 hours of regular contractions they stopped again when I went to bed.
Since then I've had a few occasions where my back has had period like pains and my pubic bone has been really painful but otherwise I seem to have had less Braxton hicks! I'm starting to feel like maybe he's going to go past his due date! We shall see, I am starting to feel uncomfortable but I'm so relieved that I won't be having a premature labour that I don't mind the wait, oh I'm just so excited to meet him!!
On another note, I have found myself nesting but I'm the sort of person that permanently nests! I've also found myself buying lots of clothes online that I can wear after I've given birth! I think I've ought about 10 dresses in the last week!! I wonder if it's a subconscious way of me thinking about getting my pre pregnancy figure back?

Breastfeeding Rant!

I feel like everyday there's a post on facebook by one of the many parenting/motherhood type pages I follow talking about breastfeeding and usually in what I see to be a negative light. I'm sure you've seen the video (which admits to being a set up) where a breastfeeding mum is feeding her child on the tube when a man sitting a few seats down tells her to stop and that he doesn't want to see it. I think the aim of the group who set it up is to see how the public react to this situation. The public react in a good way defending the mum but I can't help but think that this video may put off mothers to be who are planning on breastfeeding. Yes it shows that people will generally back up the mum but a nervous or shy mother to be may think they will get this every time the feed in public. They maybe dreading the confrontation that might occur when they want to feed in public. Today there was a post by a lady who struggled to breastfeed talking to other mothers who struggled, the outcome in the end was they all continued to breastfeed and it was all ok. I understand that for someone struggling watching the video may help them to see that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, but it may also make people feel that everyone struggles. There was no balance in the video to show that for some it can be easy.
Because of all these posts I keep seeing about how hard breastfeeding is and how confrontational it can be to feed in public I would like to share my experiences. My son was born premature at 31 weeks and 3 days gestation, breastfeeding would be hard to establish quickly as he was in hospital and I was at home. I pumped every 3 hours as was advised by the midwives and nurses to ensure I had a good supply that could be fed to him when I wasn't there. He was fed to start with by tube but after a few days they fed him with a cup rather than bottle so he didn't get used to the feel of a bottle. I also did a lot of kangaroo care and we attempted a breastfeed at every feed before he had my milk from a cup. It was tiring having to pump around the clock but not painful and my supply was very healthy. I ended up filling the hospitals freezer, ours and my mother in laws with my milk! The only time I felt a bit uncomfortable was if I didn't pump often enough and was really full, then I would just express a little into a sink until I could pump! After about 3 weeks I was able to go into transitional care to establish breastfeeding before he would be allowed home. We were in for about 10 days, he had to be consistently gaining weight whilst breastfeeding. It felt like a long time but really 10 days is brilliant. When we got home I continued to breastfeed until about 5 months when I got paranoid about how much he was getting. Something I imagine most mothers of premmies feel. So I thought give him a bottle of expressed breast milk for a few days just to see what he was getting, then of course he wouldn't go back to breastfeeding!
Whilst I was breastfeeding I didn't have any negative experiences, whilst feeding in public. I had no stares, no whispers, no frowns and no comments from anyone. I suppose maybe I could have had some looks but didn't notice them?! I did have some positive experiences I found a lot of local coffee shops would come and wait on me rather than letting me come to the counter and they always asked if I wanted any water. One owner of a café said to come back anytime I needed to feed and I could just sit and didn't need to buy anything.
What I'm trying to say with this post is that although some mothers can struggle and it maybe too painful to breastfeed for others it can be very easy. If you're a first time mum and the thought of how painful breastfeeding might be scares you, It might not be painful. Or maybe you're worried about how the public will react, you might be surprised! Give it a go! If it's too painful you can stop, there is no shame in bottle feeding but you won't know unless you try. And as for any negative public reaction, I've always had some lines ready to use in case: 'it's the law that I can breastfeed anywhere' is what I would say and then ignore them, I don't imagine anyone would say anything in response but if they did I would tell them to take it up with the manager of the venue I was at, as they would have to support me as it is the law. As I said though I have never had any negativity or confrontation, mothers to be thinking of breastfeeding give it a go you might like it!

Some helpful links!:
https://www.nct.org.uk/parenting/feeding
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/pages/breastfeeding-positioning-attachment.aspx
https://www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/
http://www.breastfeedingsupporters.org.uk/

4 weeks until due date!!!

So since my last blog post I have had my last scan at 34 weeks. It was an extra growth scan due to my previous premature labour. Although as I've said before I'm not sure that I need the extra growth scans seeing as my sons size was never an issue! Any how it was lovely to see Boy again and to know that everything looked ok. They said he was measuring perfectly average for gestation, which would have been about 5lbs, so that was great. I had a midwife appointment later that day as well and when she measured my bump it measured 3 weeks ahead! 37 weeks instead of 34! And as I've heard that scans can be up to a lb out I cant help but wonder if Boy is going to be a big baby like his brother! I know measuring a bump isn't the most accurate either, but I cant help thinking he's going to be big! I'm not actually worried about the birth at all, even though this baby will be much bigger than Reubie who was only 3lbs15. I'm also quite laid back about my birth plan. I'm not really sure they're worth having, I think it would be disappointing if you set your mind on a water birth and then were unable to have one. My plan if you can call it a plan is to have pain relief if I feel I need it and to give birth in my local maternity hospital. I don't want an epidural the thought of that needle freaks me out! And I'm really not afraid of needles usually. Epidurals aren't available at the maternity hospital anyway. I don't like the thought of a water birth but if its suggested by the midwife and I feel like it at the time maybe I will! I haven't really thought of positions as I think that's something you can only decide at the time. With Reubie I had been in hospital and having contractions for 2 days before I was in active labour so I was so tired there was no way I could do anything but lie down. I remember close to the end of labour the midwives asking me to sit up more as the gravity would help and I said 'I can't you'll have to drag me up!' which they did! I hope this time around I won't be so tired and I can try some different positions which may help me to have a faster and more comfortable labour.
Just one more week and I will have reached full term, I really never thought I would make it this far!!

Nearly Full term!

This pregnancy is zooming by I can't believe I'll be 34 weeks in 2 days time! I also can't believe that this time last pregnancy Reubie was born! I've never been more pregnant than I am now and I definitely am looking very pregnant! I definitely felt a great relief after reaching Reubie's gestation of 31 weeks and 3 days, then I had the worry of what if this one comes just before Christmas or on Christmas day! Luckily he didn't and another sigh of relief was sighed. Having a baby in hospital is bad enough but when it's Christmas time and you have a toddler you want to make it as special as possible for them.

me at 33 weeks!

So now I am 33 weeks and 5 days and feel reasonably calm about the rest of my pregnancy. I feel like if this little boy decides to be born today all will be okay. I'm sure others who have had full term babies would be scared to death if they went into labour this early but I'm feeling positive. I have a growth scan on Wednesday when I will be exactly 34 weeks. this is just part of my high risk care from having a previous prem labour. I'm not really sure there's any benefit to having the scan as Reubie was big for his gestation so he wasn't born early due to any placenta issues i.e not getting enough nutrients to grow but it's lovely to get another peek at him! At my 20 weeks scan he was measuring slightly big and at my last midwife appointment my bump was measuring a bit bigger too, so I'm expecting this scan to say he's going to be big! Hopefully not too big! Especially if I go to my due date or later! I'm quite excited by the fact that I may even go over my due date! I'm sure if I do reach it though I'll be trying everything to bring on labour!

Only 3 weeks and 2 days until I reach full term and I can have this baby at my local midwife led hospital. As there are no doctors you have to be low risk and have reached full term. I would really love to give birth there my husband and I were both born there and it's only a 10 minute walk from our house. Now I really need to finish packing my hospital bag!!