So it all began with me waking at 2am on a Tuesday morning the 23rd February.. about 2 weeks early with contractions…. they were lasting about 1.5mins and coming every 10mins for about 2hrs when I escalated the concern as was needing to breath through them. I phoned the maternity unit just prior to having a “show” which Geoff phoned them back 5mins later telling them of this progress. We had to push on and go to hospital when 5mins apart..
Geoff phoned mum and dad sometime after 0300hrs and they were on their way about 0415hrs with the idea that bubs was on the way!!
Mum and dad arrived just after 0600hrs and they had slowed and were inconsistent and irregular.
For the next day and a half I had intermittent contractions and lots of pressure and stretching down below..
Wednesday evening at about 7pm I went to the toilet following dinner and Geoff was showering ready to head out to the pub with Troy when I had a big bloody “show”. After speaking with the midwives I needed to go and get checked out..
So off we went never to return home without our third baby!!
The doctor checked me out, I was 4cm and she could feel the bag of waters so decided to keep us overnight doing a stretch and sweep.
By 11pm I had moved into full blown labour with regular contractions requiring my breathing and attention. They moved me into the birthing suite and checked my measurements once again as bubs HR was dipping off during contractions.. I was 6cm so Karen broke my waters and immediately I progressed to 7 and 8 cm.. this was the stage I had just stated using the gas.
I got into my rhythm and off I went moving through the process with some primal moans as he was advancing down the birth canal needing all my strength and determination to birth him ASAP.
In my mind I kept telling myself, come on you are nearly there and then this is all over! So he came pretty quickly with some big pushes we were welcomed with our third little boy! 0225am Thursday 25th January 2018…
The environment was peaceful, calm, dimly lit, Karen the midwife was calm and relaxed, saying “you are going to have a baby soon”! This was hard to believe as the contractions were very different to previous with induction, they were all very low in my tummy moving down to my pelvis and concentrated downwards.. They were not pleasant but much more pleasant than previous…
When I delivered him the cord was very long and around his neck 3 times though Geoff reports the midwives were very well able to manage this and unwound it with nil concerns.. Geoff cut the cord and remembers it very hard to get through! Haha…
Next came the placenta and retraction of my uterus which hurts but is quick thankfully…
Our little boy was absolutely beautiful and feed so well straight away attaching like a champion!
I had approx 1hr skin to skin and then they took his BGL 1.4 so he was given glucose gel and a small bottle feed though he wasn’t able to maintain his sugar so he went to special care nursery and did end up having a dextrose IV for a while though within 2 days was going well and we were discharged home Sunday morning!
This birth journey tops my three and I am forever thankful to Manly midwives as they were excellent, the service outstanding and I walk away with a gorgeous third son with a nice memory of birth..
I’m one happy and blessed Mumma 💙💙💙