Eli arrived at 8.29am on Sunday 21st Oct, weighing a healthy 8lb. As promised here’s my third birth story…
The Start
I was rudely, but not at all surprisingly woken up at 4am Sunday morning by pained cries from James, who was either clearly being mauled by a tiger or possessed by a demon. I hauled my aching body up off the sofa and waddled upstairs, to be faced with an empty bottle being held out at arms length like a beacon in the dark. I administered the required bottle and waddled back down to the sofa via my 59th trip to the bathroom. Nothing out of the ordinary here (sadly).
However, once back on my sofa I just couldn’t get comfy, my back was aching (a lot) and so I made myself a hot drink, popped a couple of paracetamol and sat under a blanket mindlessly scrolling through social media, as you do.
At around 5.30am my backache had stepped up a couple of notches and was now coming round to my bump in waves…okay dokey, I’d been here before and recognised a contraction when I felt one. I started timing the waves as they came and they had increased in frequency from one every 20 minutes, to one every 10 minutes.
Husband AWOL
I text Ben (now, I know this seems crazy but stay with me) as he’s been sleeping in with Stanley so that he can get up to James who is just across the landing…the plan was not entirely successful as you’ve probably just realised!
Anyway, I needed to alert Ben but I also didn’t want to wake the boys so at first I text him. I could hear Ben’s phone vibrating through the ceiling. No movement. So I concentrated on getting dressed and breathing through my contractions. At this point I was still half expecting them to slow down or stop all together, so I wasn’t too stressed. There was no sign that my waters had broken either.
I put another couple of calls and a few texts into Ben’s phone, and as time ticked on they got more and more urgent and distinctly snippy in tone.
I shouted up the stairs…nothing! My husband sleeps like the dead!
I couldn’t get up the stairs for the pains now so I rang my mum and put the call to action in. I’d called her earlier to let her know ‘something was happening‘ but wanted to wait until I was certain that it was all systems go.
The Journey
Mum arrived in record time to look after the boys who were still asleep upstairs. I was now dressed and ready to go. Still no sign of the hubby.
Hearing Stanley wake up, I knew Ben would stir and come downstairs…to find me bent over a kitchen chair breathing through contractions (that were now coming every 7 minutes). So while he got ready I spent the time secretly worrying that we wouldn’t make it to hospital in time, and cursing him and his ability to sleep.
Okay, we were ready to go. I kissed both my little boys goodbye. One very excited 4 year old waved us off. Ben double parked the car and blocked off our street as walking had become a huge task for me by this point. I remember seeing a guy having to turn his car around, but once he saw me stop and put both hands on our bonnet to see a contraction through, he seemed slightly less aggrieved and to be honest if he’d have said anything to us then he’d have been up against a whole load of raging hormones!
Off we went. It was now around 7.20am on a Sunday morning, so no traffic right? That’s correct, apart from the one car we were following that was determined to do 5mph under the speed limit for the majority of our route. I couldn’t help but laugh though, while my inner dialogue swore and mumbled things along the lines of ‘bloody typical‘. Every traffic light was a vision in red. It didn’t really do much for Ben’s stress levels, but it did provide a small distraction from my now increasingly painful and rapidly regular contractions.
We missed the turning for the hospital, honestly you couldn’t write it!! This was our third baby…we should have got our act together by now surely? What a pair of muppets!
After going the slightly longer way round we eventually pulled in to the hospital, and made our way to maternity drop off. Which of course was full, so we ended up parking further down. More walking, great!!
I did as many steps as I could before each contraction crashed over me…luckily, we were spotted by a lovely porter with a wheelchair and I was scooped up and taken in. ‘Not all heroes wear capes‘ as the saying goes!
Arriving at the Midwife Birthing Centre, we were greeted by a familiar face…my heart soared, it made such a difference and I instantly relaxed. Lovely Liz was going to be my midwife and deliver my baby, it’s funny but all my worries instantly melted away. Read how I’d previously met Liz here. Everything felt ‘right‘ a strange sensation that I can’t really explain, like everything had come full circle.
After a few questions and help getting undressed, I was on the bed and still breathing through contractions with Liz waiting to examine me between the pains. Nearly 9cm, fabulous…I felt great, I could do this…but first I needed gas & air!
The Big Bang
I asked if I could lean over the back of the bed, this is the position I’m most comfortable in and had used throughout my other two labours. I happen to think that gravity exists for a reason, and that sole reason is to help me to give birth!!
I started pushing, I can’t remember making a conscious decision to do this, my body took over and I went with it. I’m not going to say I enjoy this part of labour because well, the enormous amount of pain, BUT I do feel like I’m doing something and that I’m more in control. Pushing against the pain is what I concentrated on.
POP, my waters went with some force…and went absolutely everywhere! And yes, they really did make a loud pop as they broke, which was a first for me and something I feel strangely proud of.
On the same contraction his head came and with one more push Eli was born, Liz just about caught him. It all happened so fast and surprised everyone!
The Rush of Love
My baby boy was here, and started crying straight away. He was passed up between my legs and suddenly he was in my arms. Happy and healthy. All pain forgotten, I was holding my beautiful boy, and I turned around and sat down cradling him to my chest.
That instant feeling of love, beats anything in the world and everything else that was going on in the room seemed to fade and quieten…like when it snows. He was just perfect, and we sat in our own little bubble of love.
He then wee’d all over me, and in that moment I knew he’d fit in here just fine, he was already one of the gang!
All images are my own
I’m taking part in the Mummy Monday linky with Becca from Becca Blogs It Out
Dirt, Diggers and Dinosaurs 