Megan was due on June 20th, 2008. My work made us take 6 weeks of maternity leave before the due date, but I had varicose veins in my right leg (still do) and was a bit over working, so I got the doctor to write a letter stating that I needed to finish a week early. In hindsight I should have stuck it out, because I didn't realise how bored I'd get at home.
My due date came and went, despite trying all the home remedies to kick start labour from 38 weeks onwards. The doctor would not even discuss induction until the due date and would book it in any earlier than 7 days over.
GRRR, grumble, whinge, whine... I was sick of being pregnant, I wanted my baby out... yesterday!!
We continued with trying to get labour started at home and thought we had succeeded on the Wednesday night, a day and a half before the sceduled induction. Pains and pressure had me convinced labour had started, but it kept stopping and starting at irregular intevals. We called the hospital but since everything was irregular, I was told to stay home.
By Thursday night, things had started to be a bit more regular so we made another call to the hospital. They told us to come in and they'd check me out. So the moment we'd been waiting for had arrived...or so we thought!!
The nurses did all of their contraction labour checks with the belt-y thingy, but apparently I was in false labour. Since my induction was booked in for the following morning, they gave us the option of going home or staying the night and giving me a sleeping tablet so I was rested for the following day. Mike and I decided to stay.
The pain started at what I have worked out to be about 4am. Painful enough to get me out of bed and walk around a bit, but then the sleeping tablet must have still been in my system, coz I went back to sleep straight away. I think this happend twice again... the details are fuzzy already and the sleeping tablet worked really well!
The nurses came to wake me at about 6am to get started for the induction. I told them about the pain and they did their checks and told me I was already 4cm dilated. The doctor decided not to give me the induction drugs, but still broke my waters. This was supposed to get things moving... but it didn't much :(
My labour progressed very slowly. I had regular contractions that increased in intensity but everything moved at a snails' pace. I was exhausted and it hurt so I asked for an epidural. I really hadn't wanted one previously, but I was just so tired and so over being pregnant that I thought feeling nothing was a great idea!
The nurses convenced me to have the gas first. This helped for a while before I needed to move onto the pethedine injection. I honestly don't think this did anything apart from making me space out and feel super sleepy between contractions. The nurses told Mike to go and have a break at one point and I was so angry... why did he deserve a rest... I didn't get one?
I remember the transition phase, I needed the blinds closed and wanted everyone to SHUT THE HELL UP! I didn't know it at the time, but the nurses explained all the phases afterwards :) When it was time to push, I made loads of noise that I'm sure was completely unnecessary. Pushing lasted an hour and a half. Mike saw Megan's head crowning. This really surprised me coz I thought that would gross him out (I don't think I could look...eeewwww).
When Megan was born, the doctor said her umbilical cord was quite short. I'm convinced she was bungy jumping her way out which is why everything took so long- she'd get half way then bounce right back! I still remember the smell of her, all bloody and covered in gunk! If any of the kids hurt themselves now and there is lots of blood, I'm instantly transported back 4 years to that hospital room.
Megan arrived on Friday, the 27th June 2008 at 4:15pm, 1 week overdue. She was 6lbs 14oz (3.11kg) and about 48cm long. He labour was officially 12 hours long.
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| Note the blue hands and feet... I thought she'd have bad circulation like me, but luckily not. |
I needed a few stitches coz I had an episiotomy to get the bouncy child out. Apart from super soreness and total exhaustion, I was great! Mike left to call and text everyone and I hung around in the grotty, bloody room with my new baby on my chest.
Mike took so long and I really needed a shower, so I had to leave my hours old baby with the nurses while I cleaned up. I felt so much better aftetr that shower. When I came out, the nurses had moved all our stuff out of the birthing room and into our ward room, Megan included! I was a bit unnerved to come out of the shower and find my baby gone already! But when they showed me to the room, Mike was there with her, so I didn't totally freak out.
Visitors piled in over the next few days. Mike stayed for the whole time on a horrible fold out couch. I was happy to have the nurses take Megan to the nursery so I could sleep, but always felt lost without her and went to get her after a few hours. We stayed in hospital for 3 days and part of me wanted to stay in the security of the hospital, with nurses only a button push away.
But eventually we went home and then whirlwind of having a new baby begun...
This is how I remember it all happening. I'm sure parts are wrong and I've probably missed bits too. As my memory fills in the blanks, I'll come back and update/edit this story!
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