My birth story…by Carol G
I’d had a show at about 36 wks (July 5th) then ALL movements stopped so I phoned the maternity ward who said to come in to make sure everything was OK. We did go in but not until we’d had lunch, I’d got a top up for my mobile and we’d had a look at the Continental Farmers Market in town! Good job there was nothing wrong! I got strapped to the monitor & forgotten about then got one of those horrible sweep things. Both heartbeats were fine and by the time they said it was OK for me to go home it was after midnight so DH demanded I be kept in overnight.
I had a scan & monitoring the following Thursday (July 11th) and, guess what? I got forgotten about because I was so quiet. A first for me being quiet!
I was asked to return on the Sunday night (July 14th) to be induced on the Monday morning. (15th) I duly returned on the Sunday, after spending most of the afternoon in Tesco’s buying a baby monitor, nappy wrapper and other “essential” baby things that never got used. We went out for dinner, down to our local Wetherspoons, and both had Surf N Turf, which was yummy yummy yummy. I was naughty and had two glasses of red wine, mind you dh had a pint and he NEVER drinks pints! We waddled ( I waddled, dh walked) home and watched Ground Force. I watch this in the vain hope that when we get a house with a garden I’ll pretend that I know what I’m doing.
Got admitted to the ward, was sharing with 4 other women. Got settled in and everything then I went for a bath, had to do something. One of the other women had a birthing ball so we all spent a while bouncing about with that (think 1970’s space hopper without the ears!) It was so comfy I could have easily fallen asleep on it. Little did I know that the other four women all snored! I spent the night in the dayroom but failed to get any sleep.
Monday 15th July. Today’s the day. I was going to get induced at 8.00am but another woman pleaded with me to let her go first cos she was in so much pain. Off she went so I had a huge bubbly bath and waited for dh to appear. I got whisked down to the delivery room and given one of those pills that stops nausea while everyone else was discussing their lunch! I was on the double monitor so couldn’t move. I was induced at 1.55pm and felt my first contraction at 3.35pm. Before this Gillian, my midwife had said that my contractions were going off the monitor. I certainly never felt them. The gas & air was more a hindrance than a help, I thought.
In between all this I ended up with a synticin (sp?) drip in my arm and the midwife scraped the needle along the bone, boy that hurt!
Two HUGE PAINFUL contractions later Caitlin was born at 3.39pm, weighing 7lb 5oz, 11 minutes after her Lauren slid out at 3.50pm, weighing 6lb 5oz.
Neither needed to go down to SCBU. Even if they did I knew they’d be in good hands.
65 AGONISING stitches later I was wheeled down to a room of my own with my two gorgeous little girls beside me. I was so overwhelmed I cried for ages afterwards. We got to go home 3 days later, Thursday 18th July and I was so glad to get to my own comfortable bed.
I want more children, but got to work on DH first, oh and get a bigger house too.
Carol, mum to Caitlin & Lauren 15/07/02