ProjectXY

It’s been a while since I wrote here and it might be a while longer until I write again. I have been quite busy.

I have decided that I should write something about my experience with labour and maybe carry on with this blog writing about this wonderful world of parenthood. It will be good to come back in a few years time and read everything

As I have little time available to write and there is a lot to say I though I may as well do it in parts.

It all began on Sunday the 7th February. My dad and stepmum had arrived a few days earlier and we decided to go out for a meal with Russ’s parents and siblings to introduce Maria to them. Russ was also going to play the monthly football match with other members of his family so we decided to put it all together.

We went out for a meal on a pub and I began not feeling very well. I was tired and my stomach was uncomfortable. I thought it might have been a bug or something. Anyways we went to see the boys play football and I was feeling worse and worse. I told Russ that I really wasn’t feeling well. Someone said joking that if Russ scored a hat trick then she would be born that day. Russ did and asked me : ” So where is that baby?”

We came home and there were no signs of me getting better. I started to find it odd as when I have an upset stomach it usually doesn’t last as long.

I started watching a film with Maria. I will never forget – The Devil Wears Prada. I started to realise that the pain would come and go but it was quite irregular so made nothing of it. Went to bed and the pain continued. I couldn’t sleep and I could tell that it would come and go so I started wondering if they were contractions. At 1am I was sitting in the study browsing the web looking for what contractions are supposed to feel like. In the end I reached no conclusions. They could be contractions or not. I started timing them and they were very irregular, sometimes 10 min apart sometimes 5.

When back to bed, woke up Russ and told him to be prepared just in case. The pain started to become stronger and after an hour or so I gave up and asked Russ to take me to the hospital. We woke up my family and told them we would let them know what happened. Chances were that even if they were contractions I would be sent home for a bit longer.

When we got to the hospital they put me in the observation room strapped on to monitors to check the contractions and the baby’s heart beat. I had the confirmation. They were contractions (at that point I still didn’t want to keep my hopes up) and I was 1 cm dilated. They did send me home but I had to stay a bit longer because they wanted to monitor the baby properly and apparently she was in a deep sleep! Deep sleep??? There I was in pain and she was in deep sleep??? Some nerve The midwife told me that when it got to the point where I couldn’t smile between contractions it was time to go back to the hospital.

When I got hope my dad and Maria were getting ready to go out and meet us. We got home just in time to stop them. I tried to rest a bit more. But the contractions were getting really strong. I started to struggle with the pain. When it got to around 8am I couldn’t cope anymore and decided I needed pain killers. Paracetamol was not doing the trick.

We got in the car and this time Maria came with us. My dad stayed at home as we were waiting for a mattress delivery (good timing). There was a lot of traffic and it was hell. The pain was really strong and we were getting nowhere near the hospital I definitely could not smile any more and could not hide the pain I was feeling.

We finally got there and I was happy to find that I could have 2 birth partners so Maria could come in with us I went to the monitoring room again and was told I was 5 cm dilated already! She was on her way!

I’m sure that Russ will soon write a bit more about the experience of becoming new parents and I will add my posts as well (if I can find the time).

There is something I want to say before anything else. I am amazed with all the help and support I was given by the Derby hospital staff. It went way beyond my expectations and it made things a lot easier. Babies don’t come with instructions and there is a lot to learn. There was always someone available to help with everything and they were all wonderful, even though they were way under staffed.

Ignoring Cat’s post 4 days ago which was about having no signs, today our daughter Kaia was born. She weighs a healthy 7lb 6oz, and both mum and daughter are doing well. We’ll write more in time, but here is a picture

Now the real fun begins

No signs at all. No show, no contractions, not even milk leaks… And after 7 first babies I know being born from one month to a couple of days early it’s getting quite frustrating. Only mine left and it doesn’t look like she will follow the trend of being early or even on time.

Lots of people said she would be early but I really don’t think it will happen. I am prepared to wait a couple more weeks even though the discomfort has taken a new level. I am also prepared for the possibility of  having to be induced just like what happened with me and Russ. But that is not what worries me.

What worries me is that we have now confirmation that Russ will be in Exeter for a week, possibly 2 (maybe including the weekend) after the 15th. She is due on the 9th. If she is even a week late, Russ will be 4 hours drive away. I will not be alone, as my dad and step mum arrive tonight, but I would still prefer to have Russ with me through the whole process and I am certainly not prepared for him to miss the birth. I know that it can take hours but it can also be quick and I’m also not happy of Russ to leave a very important client and drive 4 hours under stress and in a hurry. I need him safe and sound and with energy to help me.

The other thing is that my dad is staying for 3 weeks and we tried to arrange it so that he could see his first granddaughter before he leaves. That is the purpose of the visit. But if she is very late and the induction takes ages to work he might miss it.

For now all I can do is wait and see.