Friday, August 12, 2005

Baby's home

For those of you who may have been taking bets on the birth...

the little darling, born at just after 3am on 11 August, is a gorgeous wee girl weighing 3.66 kgs. The midwife, the boy and my mum all reckon she looks just like her father.

If you don't want to read all the gory details, it's best to skip the rest of this post...

Wednesday
After a night of period-like cramps and waking up wondering about little plot inconsistencies in the Buffy episodes I'd been watching the previous evening, my waters broke. It was about 7 in the morning, and I rushed off to the toilet to make sure I hadn't simply done an accidental wee. Nope, definitely amniotic fluid.

We only live up the road from the hospital, but took the car anyway - I almost regretted it because it took ages to find a car park there (how ridiculous, that a hospital patient can't get a park at the hospital car park!). Anyway, after 20 minutes hooked up to the monitor, the midwife sent us home for the afternoon. I was to return at 6pm for an overnight stay, and I'd be induced the next morning if necessary.

Four hours of Buffy episodes and many lower back pains later, we were at the antenatal ward and I was 3 cm dilated. I was pretty damned keen to get an epidural as soon as it was practical to, but every time the midwife checked my stats she told me I wasn't yet in established labour and it was too early for drugs.

Thursday, in the wee hours
My god, but those later contractions hurt. It felt exactly as though my pelvic bones and lower spine were being pushed apart by a malevolent life force (which was in fact the case except for the malevolent bit). Truly, it seemed apalling to me that any woman would have to suffer this much before getting any pain medication. I swear, if I'd known just how much it was gonna hurt I would have opted for getting a puppy.

At 2am the midwife hooked me up to the monitor again. For some reason, those contractions which were massive enough to leave my shaking uncontrollably, were hardly registering on the little graph. She examined me anyway, and found that I was fully dilated. I thought it meant that at last I could get that epidural.

The midwife told me it was too late for that; it was time to push the baby out.

So I was wheeled off to the delivery room. With every contraction, I pushed as though I meant to force out the biggest poo of my life. So I did. And I did.

Unfortunately, Baby didn't come out as easily as a poo. Baby's heart rate fell enough to worry the midwife, who called the obstetrician, who decided Baby really had to come out right now. Apparently Baby was getting a bit tired (but surely not as tired as I was).

What happened next was:

a decision to use the ventouse cup to suck Baby out while I pushed - when he put it inside me it felt like some kind of reverse birth;

orders to push with my mouth closed, which was impossible to follow because I was far too busy screaming loudly and in agony;

sudden relief as Baby slipped out and gave a mighty cry;

and several stitches in my perineum.

Friday
Thank the gods that the labour and childbirth are all over. Unfortunately I still have to contend with: the period-like contractions for my uterus shrinking back to its normal size and place; loads of bleeding; and the surprisingly painful stitches, leading to very careful sitting and a dread of my next poo. Baby has had a few goes at being breastfed, tried out her new cot and her bouncy hammock, and produced quite a large amount of black tarry poo. She's a real sleeper.

23 comments:

darth said...

congratulations, violet!!! (and the boy too! ;) )

so happy to hear things went well...take care!

Ali-Belly said...

...and no epidural! Way to go.. I'm in awe. :)
Congratulations to you and the boy and welcome to your daughter.

Jon said...

I read your comment on my blog about me being a nanny and I knew that you had given birth! Congratulations!! I'm so happy for you :)

Kazzer said...

Brilliant - congratulations Violet and The Boy. Do we have a name for the little darling yet? When are the her photos going to appear on your blog?
When can we visit?

Rebecca said...

Congrats on the new wee one!

Geekery said...

Oh hell, enough of the congratulations, after reading the mission that was child birth, I'm just happy I'm a man.

But seriously, congrats.

But where's the first baby pics? huh? C'mon. The boy should have had the cell phone taking pics and posting them live..... ;-)

Anonymous said...

Congratulations! It seems I found your blog at a very opportune time :)

Unknown said...

YAY! Congratulations! That didn't sound like a whole lot of fun, but you're right, it's over now and baby's home and you don't have to do it again if you don't want to!

I'm a bit worried about her looking just like her father... without the facial hair and tattoos I hope!

Onanymous said...

Congratulations Violet!

I'm so glad everything went well.

Anonymous said...

I send you Congratulations with little cherries on top and confetti all around. how wonderful and exciting for you and the boy!

TimT said...

Congratulations to the mother and baby Jonquil! (You DID call her Jonquil, didn't you?)

Frally said...

Congratulations on your baby!

And be happy you had no epidural. When I had one with DD, I didn't relise it meant I'd have to have a catheter for the next 24 hours as the drugs stopped me from weeing naturally. (Way TMI)

Well done!

Ms Mac said...

Hurrah, hurrah, hurrah!

Congratulations!

Watson Woodworth said...

Great big Mozel Tov!!!!
Hope you really enjoy mum-and-dad-hood!
Now I want a bouncy hammock. Although, bouncy plus wiggly cats could cause a problem.

Frances said...

Congratulations! You did bloody well! (pardon the pun)

Anonymous said...

Yay, and well done all around to you, the boy and baby. When I told my fella tonight he was ecstatic - he said it was the best news he'd heard all week!

Mwa, mwa from us!

Unknown said...

amazing! it sounds exhausting and painful, I'm glad you and the baby got through it so well. Take care of yourself, I imagine it will be hard with a new baby to care for, but it sounds like you need some nurturing yourself! Congratulations!

Rainypete said...

Yaaay! Glad to hear that eveyone's well and back home.

After our first was bonr, my wife said, that if she had a choice, she'd go through labour 100 times before getting sutured up again.

And aren't those first few poos scary looking?!

Casyn said...

So many happy wishes for you and the new bub!

Congrats! :-)

flying kiwi said...

CONGRATULATIONS. Can't wait to meet her. How's early November looking for you (I'll be in your neck of the woods for a few days)?

Draic said...

Congrats all round, Violet :) And a shiny medal for the ordeal you went through.
Never before has poo been so interesting!

Martha Craig said...

Well done, and what a fab honest account. I still have the "fear" from my first two labours. I don't seem to be able to forget like you're supposed to.

And well done for mentioning the poo. I still can't admit it...

glomgold said...

Congratulations Violet to you and your husband on the successful delivery of your baby! Gory details was right. I'm sorry my funky week caused me to miss the immediate news of your baby. :(