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Well it all started on Wednesday the 11th of February. I had a early appointment with my consultant to discuss induction I was at this point 5 days overdue. The consultant decided to book me in for inducement on Sunday evening using Prostegene gel and then a second dose again Monday morning (the 15th and the 16th) He then wanted to do a internal and I asked him to sweep my membranes which he was happy to do. I was worried it would hurt but only found it a little uncomfortable. He said that my cervix was nice and soft but still a little long and that he would expect to see me in Hospital Monday morning. Well I left the appointment and went home via a girlfriend's for a cup of coffee. I noticed a period like pain in my tum but it was nothing to bad so I put it down to the fact that I had just had my first internal during my entire pregnancy. In the afternoon, I had a appointment with my active birth class people we had arranged to meet up at one of the girls all 6 of us (2 with babies the rest of us still waiting) by the time I got there I had begun to feel a low pain in my back and tum very much like a period pain type thing. I also found it very difficult to get comfortable. I left early going home the way of a jewellers to get a battery for Nick's wristwatch. I ended up getting Nick a crystal brandy decanter for his becoming a papa present ( I figured why not??) at the same time :o) Well I got home and curled up on the sofa Nick got home and we had dinner. Nick poured me a bath and I went to bed early still with this low dull ache in my back and lower tum. Thursday 12th of February I woke up at 4 10 am with contractions every 15 mins. I got out of bed for about 1 hour trying not to disturb Nick and trying to find a way to feel comfortable. Went to the toilet and had a BIG show.. (this kept on coming all day) about 5 am I went back into bed and woke up Nick to get him to help me put on my TENS machine. Nick put it on and he went back to sleep (or more like a slumber I don’t think he slept very well) I watched Nescar racing on tv (we haven’t got cable in the bedroom and it was the best choice) At 8 30 the contractions stopped... but what the day before had been a dull ache in my lower back and tum had now become a ache all over my back and tum and I was certain that the contractions would begin again soonish. We decided Nick was to go into work to pick up some stuff and then work from home that day. I felt rather uneasy about being on my own. He was supposed to be about 2 hours and left at 9 30 am he arrived back at 2 PM..... (loads of stuff to do and he had problems getting away) for some unknown reason that day the phone in the morning (when I was trying to sleep) didn’t stop ringing.. loads of our friends rang (some who we hadn’t heard from for quite a while) and they all got rather excited to hear that thing were moving. Well Nick got back from work and I had decided I wanted Beuf Bourgioune for dinner so we went to the supermarket for the ingredients at 3 30pm (My contractions started up again at 3 PM now coming every 10 mins) we got everything and went back home the contractions were fine and I got through them using the TENS machine and by breathing. Well we made the Beuf Bourgioune (takes 3 hours) and sat down to eat it at 8 30pm...eating is something I do very slowly but it seemed to be VERY VERY slow that evening. and at 8 50 PM I had to give up. My contractions had by then gone down to 6 min apart and they were getting harder to get through with the tens. I wanted to get into a bath. Nick ran upstairs and poured me a bath and I got in. ( I missed a episode of Friends I NEVER miss Friends) I stayed in the bath for what I thought was 10 mins before I called Nick. (Turned out I had been in there for 11/2 hours.. He helped me out and I got dry and went into lie down on the bed and read some mags. (everytime I had a contraction some more mucus from my plug came out) but when I went onto the bed I suddenly became aware that with every single contraction some blood also came out. This worried me a little as I didn’t recall there ever was any mention of blood with the plug (or at least only a little blood) so we decided to call the labour ward. They had a little talk with me (I was on the toilet at this point must have been a weird sight LOL) and told me to come in so they could have a look. I could always go home if it was nothing. Well Nick and I took our time and got the bags into the car (just in case) and got a few dishes out of the way. Well on the way there, my contractions suddenly changed from coming every 5 mins to every 2 mins and they felt rather weird. We got to the car park at the hospital and started walking over towards the entrance and the labourward (this is normally a 5 mins walk it took us nearly 20 mins as I kept having to stop and hang onto Nick for support through the contractions - and also I could only walk very slowly) we made it up to the labour ward at 5 mins to midnight.. Friday the 13th of February 1998 We got greeted by the midwives and one of them introduced her self to us as Biddi Twyman the midwife who we would be having :o) (She was SO nice) As we had said hello, I got another contraction and hanging on to Nick they just told me to stay there until it was over then they would take me to a room.. Well we got taken to the room with the birthing pool ( I wanted a waterbirth ) and Biddi said she would do a internal to see what was going on. She said the blood was just coming from the plug and was nothing to worry about. As she started doing her internal my waters broke. That was it, we were not going back home as we had thought. Nick went down to the car for my labour bag and we thanked our lucky stars we had decided to bring it :o).. I was at this point at 1 cm. I explained to Biddi I wanted a waterbirth and she said that while she was happy for me to labour in water she was not qualified to deliver in water but she would try to get a hold of a consultant who was when we came to that stage if only I would be aware that I might have to get out to give birth (I was happy with that) So she started to fill up the pool and after about 20 mins I got in. Ahhh relief :o) It was so nice :o) I was managing fine with the water and breathing and my contractions increased to every 1 1/2 mins at this point we thought that this wouldn’t be all that long a labour (and so did the midwives) well at 4 am Biddi asked me to get out of the water for a internal and 20 mins monitoring of baby I got out but my body didn’t like this. My contractions stopped dead for 10 -15 mins and then came back every 5 mins... :o( they were double peaked (even triple sometimes) and even though they were not as strong as before they somehow seemed more difficult to get through.. I at this point was at 3 cm.. I got back into the pool but had mega problems finding any sort of breathing pattern with the contractions Biddi gave me the gas and air (Entonox) and after about 3 contractions to work out the way to breathe to use the entonox I found it a great relief... by 6:30 am though I was feeling really tired having not slept since 4 10 Thursday morning and obviously from the contractions. still every 5 mins.. I at this point found the water and the gas and air was just not enough I could not find the strength within myself and I was crying and holding on to Nick saying “It Hurts It Hurts! (He later told me this was the worst stage of the labour for him as he felt very helpless not being able to help me) Nick had been a rock all night helping me breathe through the contractions and telling me how to when I forgot how to breathe.. well the Midwife shift was coming up (close to 8 am) and Biddi suggested that I get a epidural as she didn’t feel I was going to have the strength to get through this as I was just to tired. Apparently I at one point crying said to Nick "I just want to sleep!!" (don’t recall that bit but remember this as a rather awful time) Well the new shift came on and we got a midwife called Sharmaine (she was funnily enough the same midwife we had seen on Sunday the 8th when we thought my waters had broken) Sharmaine and Biddi talked with Nick and then with me and in the end I agreed to a epidural. I got out of the pool said goodbye to Biddi and got settled on the bed. The anaesthetist came in and gave me the epidural (didn’t hurt at all - in fact getting the IV in was worse as they missed my vein the first time) OH the RELIEF!! NO pain :o) I fell asleep nearly immediately. My contractions however didn’t take to kindly to the epidural and decided now was the time to go even slower so it was decided to put me on syntanol (not certain this is how to spell it but it is a drug to help the contractions getting more regular) I started out on 30 ml but quickly got put on 40 Peanut however didn’t like that to much so I got put down to 30 again... at 11 am I had another internal and was at 3-4 cm. At this point I had a little cry as I felt as if nothing was happening (OH and I was getting very hungry) Nick went of to have some lunch and came back just after I had a top up of the Epidural. At 2 PM I was now on 60 mls of the syntanol stuff and the second midwife shift came on. We got a midwife called Wendy and a trainee called Elizabeth (Elizabeth funnily enough had been following the birth preparation classes I had been attending so I knew her a little) at 4 PM I was examined again and was now at 4-5 cm. This was very disheartening as I felt like nothing was happening. They called in a consultant whom I took a instant dislike to. He prodded my tummy a bit and pronounced "that is a 8 1/2 pound baby in there" (funny that as they throughout my pregnancy had said peanut was small) I said I don’t want more than a 6 -7 lbs baby thank you... He then decided not to say I had been in established labour until 11 am that morning at this point I was near tears. If I had not been in labour until 11 am what had all that hard work been? (In the UK you care counted in established labour once you reach 3 cm - at 4am that morning I had been at 3 cm) well the consultant then said to the midwives not to examine me again until 8 PM. Nick and I asked a few questions about what would happen if I still only had gone 1 cm up and they said we would then not be likely to have a vaginal delivery (as it turned out the consultant did me a favour with the 11 am thing had he gone from 4 am I would have had a c sec at that stage) well about 1/2 hour later I started getting a piercing pain in my tum just under where the babies heart monitor was sitting. I found this really horrible and complained to Nick about it quite a lot. Nick had a word with the midwives (having discovered that they didn’t agree with the consultant on not examining me until 8 PM he talked them into doing a internal before then) Elizabeth did the internal at 5 30 and then asked Wendy to do one as she was unsure if she had done it correctly. She thought I was fully dilated. Well Wendy thankfully agreed :o) but at this stage the epidural was wearing off and this piercing pain in my left side became worse and worse. I didn’t seem to be able to find any rhythm to the pain it just came and went and came again. I was hanging onto Nick's Neck crying saying "It Hurts It Hurts" I couldn’t find a breathing rhythm even with Nick's help and at one point bust into tears and said “ " cant do this". Nick and the midwives told me that yes I could and just to tell them when I needed to push I thought I am NEVER going to feel like pushing (This was most definitely the most HORRIBLE stage of labour for me..... the transitional stage I later realised) after what felt like hours (Nick later told me it was no more than 20 mins tops) I suddenly got this weird strange but very strong urge to push and Push I did. I found the entonox a great help and in a strange kind of way rather enjoyed this stage I felt I could do something with the pain and now the pushing contractions had started the piercing pain had gone away. at one point the midwives were worried I had taken to much entonox as I was keeping my eyes closed and had problems communicating with them and I had to make a major effort to explain to them that I could hear and understand what they were saying but I just could not concentrate on focusing and talking they seemed happy with that and let me keep the entonox. I remember trying to explain to Nick were to stand to support my knee .. (I was going down no UP no further down...) and one of the midwives whispered to Nick "Don’t worry this is normally the abuse stage" *grin* Then Peanut's head started crowning and they guided my hand down to feel it :o) (it felt wet and slippery but gave me a incentive to go on) Elizabeth said to me to start panting when she told me to all while with every contraction they all shouted at me to PUSH PUSH. (I remember being most focused on Nick's voice I guess as I knew it the best) then this Burning sensation came down below Elizabeth shouted at me to Pant and I panted the I pushed again and a major relief came as the burning disappeared.. Peanuts head was out. and Peanut started crying. That was the weirdest sensation as the body was still inside me. One more contraction and this wet warm slippery body was delivered right up on my tummy I looked down at these big dark blue eyes and felt this amazing deep love filling up my heart the Midwife said "Its a girl" and I took a hold of my little girl and said "hello Darling Hello Darling" and started crying. (doing it again now at the thought of it all) Nick cut the cord and the placenta was delivered whole thankfully... only felt like a pulling sensation then like some wet slimy stuff coming out of me... Nick cuddled up close to Peanut and me and we looked at her she stopped crying the minute she got onto my chest. We both said "Well it is not a Elizabeth" (we had 4 names Elizabeth had been the favourite and the other 2 Alexia and Helena) Nick said what do you think Helena or Phoebe and I said I think she looks like a Phoebe. As I said Phoebe Nick said Phoebe so we were in agreement on the fact that she looked like a Phoebe :o) The midwives left us alone for 1 hour we cuddled Phoebe and she had a breastfeed (took to it like a real pro) the midwives then came back into the room and sewed me up ( I needed 7 stitches as Phoebe had kicked her head back just it was coming out) Nick went to phone his parents his dad Shouted YES when he heard it was a girl (first granddaughter after 4 grandsons) and they both adored the name :o) (MIL esp. proud as Margrethe is the Danish version of Marguriette her middle name so Phoebe was named after her and my paternal grandmother) The midwives then got a hold of a cup of tea for Nick and I and a Chicken sandwich each (the first thing I had eaten since the Beuf Bourgioune Thursday evening) tasted heavenly :o) I got washed up and then we got taken up to the maternity ward. Me holding our beautiful daughter and Nick following closely behind with the suitcase :o). Nick went home about 1/2 hour later (now close to 10 PM) to sleep and I spend the night dosing but mainly looking at our beautiful beautiful little girl :o) At the end of this I think I need to add that the one thing that springs to mind when I think about Phoebe is the song MY girl I’ve got Sunshine On a cloudy day, When its cold outside I’ve got the month of May.. I guess you would say What can make me feel that way MY GIRL... Talk about MY GIRL :o) MY beautiful little daughter :o) Lonnie (Proud mama to Phoebe Margrethe)
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