As I’m always early for everything it never occurred to me that my son would not arrive by his due date at the very latest. As soon as my due date came and went I should have known that he was going to take after his Dad in EVERY way!
On D-Day + 8 days I was getting ready for bed when my contractions started (my waters never did break in the middle of the supermarket or in bed, thank god!) – great timing. By the early hours, they were getting very uncomfortable, I can’t remember how far apart they were (all a blur these days) but I rang the hospital and they said to get some sleep and ring again when closer together. Were they joking! Sleep? There was absolutely no chance of me sleeping. It wasn’t boded will for a totally ‘natural’ birth, was it? My birth plan was clearly out of the window before I’d even got to the hospital. I was clinging to the dressing table for dear life.
Anyway, by 6.30 am I’d had enough, was knackered and the contractions were as close as they needed to be, to go to the hospital. I can still remember that 25-minute car journey – I obviously have NO pain threshold whatsoever. We arrived, I was booked in and we were taken to our delivery room. After a few hours it became clear that a) I was not going to ‘do this’ without drugs b) Bump was in discomfort, c) Mummy was blooming knackered.
So after having gas and air and an epidural and being linked up to a fetal monitor for HOURS, we were told that the baby was in a lot of distress, I was to be wheeled into the operating theatre, would be given two more attempts to push and if Bump had not been delivered, they would do an emergency C-section. This was all rather daunting for someone who had never been in hospital for anything, never broken any bones etc and obviously very stressful.
In the end, I was given three chances to push and Bump finally became Monkey (my son) with a little help with some forceps at 4.05 pm. Bless him, his umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck, hence all the problems trying to deliver him and why he was in so much distress. He was having problems breathing, so I had the briefest of cuddles (poor Daddy P didn’t get a chance) and he was whisked off to SCBU.
I’d torn so I was stitched up and wheeled back to the original delivery room, and there we stayed for the next five hours. It’s the weirdest thing ever to have given birth and not be with your baby. At some point in that time, a nurse came in with a picture that they had taken in SCBU of my son, a nice gesture, but not quite the same as seeing him for real.
We were told that he was doing well but would be in SCBU for at least twenty-four hours. I was finally taken up to the Post-Natal ward at around 9.30 pm and they wheeled my son out so we could see him for a couple of minutes – that was the most magical moment ever 🙂 until the next day when we got our first proper cuddles, but that’s another story …..
Sounds similar to my experiences, I remember every bump in the road from home to hospital I can even say at which points I had contractions. I crawled into labour ward, water birth forget it! give me pain relief and after about 6 hours I remember them screaming to push as the boy was in distress, I opted for vontose, as had seen a forceps baby, cord wrapped round his neck. Me battered and torn we were left for 4 hours to get to know him, but that night he was taken to SKBU as not feeding and very jaundiced. I remember wandering the halls with no baby to cuddle for a week, and screaming to be let out! then the fun started… Thanks you for your frank account, and your treasured little Monkey!
Not the best start is it. I can remember being very upset that first night/morning when the other 3 Mum’s in my room had their babies I still hadn’t got to hold mine properly. Seems like a lifetime ago now thankfully.
Sounds like a pretty horrendous birth 🙁 I feel so sorry for people that haven’t had a good experience and also so lucky to have had two good births. I bet that moment you first got to be with him properly was sooooo special 🙂 x
I’ve known people to have far worse, but it certainly wasn’t ideal and not what I’d imagined. He was such a strong little thing, he was off the oxygen pretty quickly so we were lucky. I did feel lost without him x
When it comes to having babies, nothing ever goes to plan! Thankfully you avoided the emergency section. Poor little Monkey and poor you though – sounds exhausting! I’m sure you have made up for those missing first hours with plenty of cuddles! xx
Too true, yes we got there in the end. He was fine and back with us 27 hours after birth, so compared to a lot of people we were very lucky
That’s lovely, but quite scary! Glad he was back with you fairly quickly, but it must have felt like forever.
It did at the time, but seems like a lifetime ago now
These babies really are unpredictable creatures aren’t they. This is a beautiful magic moment and I bet the next day was even more magical x
It sure was 🙂
Well done, he looks adorable. I like your comment about the SCBU photo. Great thought, but not the same. Burst into tears when the nurse handed me mine! Hope you got lots of cuddles the next day.
I definately did 🙂
awww this sounds so much like the start of Bethany’s birth story although i ended up with a section. i am so so glad Monkey came eventually! bless him.
Thanks for linking up with #magicmoments x
Oh not nice for you either then!
sounds like a very stressful birth, he looks so cute bless him xx
Seems like a lifetime ago now – nearly 3 and half and full of beans 🙂
Just seen this post Mary, he did put you through it, didn’t he? Both of my births were very mixed, it was the aftermath with mine that was the problem.
He was ok in the end, I think the time apart really didn’t help with breast feeding but he was very lucky really. Bless you, a few of my friends suffered afterwards with various issues. Not great x