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39 weeks and all is well.

So, I meant to write this last week. I’ve meant to write sooo many times since Sweets turned two.

Anyway, lazy me, here is something I posted to FB a couple of weeks ago:

” Not long to go for me with current pregnancy and Beau has been remarking how strange it is that I’m not “ready” to give birth yet. Last time I was so over it at this stage (38+5). I am just really enjoying this time! SPD (Symphysis pubis disorder) has for no apparent reason lessened in the past few weeks, so actually in less pain/discomfort than earlier in pregnancy. I don’t have all the oedema I did with Sweets. Beau is on leave and I’m finding Sweets (25months) such a delight. I am just really enjoying this time! I know that soon it will be newborn madness! Also, last time I was thinking I’d have baby early (my Mum had all 4 of us early) and had even had a day of painful braxton hicks at 37weeks and then Sweets was 8 days late! Feeling much more zen about baby arriving this time. “

Anyway, that night, I got my “show”! The next morning started to have irregular painful Braxton Hicks. Super happy to stay pregnant and then things step up a notch. Started wondering if things were going to happen and had a very chillaxed day at home. No change and managed to nap and then even had a good sleep over night. The next day, I continued to get the contractions, but only every 20-30min at most. Since I knew it could go on for days, decided it was business as usual and as a family we went out and about all day. Ordered Sweets a nice new bed, went to the vege market, visited Beau’s parents and walked to the local park where a wee festival was going down and then had dinner at my parents! Busy and just a really good day.

Of course I stayed up too late that night and woke at 2.30am with regular contractions. Beau has been saying that I’d wait too long to tell people and end up having a home birth (which I *do not want*), so after a manageable hour I called my midwife and she said to call my parents (Sweets minders), wake Beau and have a shower. Ayai and Da (my Mum and Dad) arrived and hung out watching me for a bit before the midwife arrived. I DO NOT LIKE just being watched in labour. Would rather be on my own! Anyway, she observed me and did an exam and told me I was *not* in actual labour. Still latent labour. Baby well down, but no dilation. Call her when it got more intense, nothing would probably happen until midmorning and at least I’d be able to have breakfast with my parents. Le sigh.

Mum and Dad were already asleep in our bed, so Beau curled up on the bigger couch and I mooched around distracting myself from contractions until I decided to try down and have a sleep too. It must have slowed down or something, I think I did manage to doze between some anyway. Eventually, I just couldn’t stay lying down through them anymore. I had to get up. Was feeling a bit nauseous and that I needed the loo too. Headed to toilet and Sweets woke up. She’d obviously had a good nights sleep and was pleased to see me up and about. I could *not* deal with her. Shuffled her into the master bedroom (where my parents were) and then did *not* make it to toilet to vomit. Hid in bathroom for a while being sick while I heard Mum take Sweets to the loo and then into bedroom. I then went into bathroom and had 3 strong contractions. Noticed that bearing down made it feel better. Past time to call the midwife and go to hospital.

Bleargh. Sitting still in a car while in active labour is *not* fun. At least there isn’t much traffic at 7.15am on a Sunday. Got into the delivery suite about 7.35 and ordered Beau to start filling the bath asap. I wanted the water to help with the pain relief. It seemed much more intense than when I laboured with Sweets! When there were contractions I found taking small swift steps and lightly rubbing my lower back helped. I didn’t want solid counter pressure at all. This wasn’t conducive to exams, but midwife did manage to check my and babies pulse (all fine) and did an exam. 5-6cm dilated.

Into the bath I went. MW wanted to put a line into my wrist (just in case). This had been vaguely discussed before, but I really didn’t want it. I found the line one of the most annoying things with Sweets, although in that case it was attached to a drip. It meant I couldn’t move as freely and after the birth, as it was right on the bend of my wrist, I struggled to pick Sweets up! Anyway, I’d talked to Beau a few nights before about how he was my support person and I was counting on him to ask about the necessity of interventions etc when they came up. He could see that I didn’t want it, but that I’d go along with it and when he asked if it was really necessary I immediately put my hands back into the water. No line!

I soon started to push. Yikes, it was all so much faster and more intense than my labour with Sweets! MW struggled to get me to change positions so that she could check heartbeats etc. She then reminded me that I didn’t want a water birth, so I needed to get out. No Dice. I wasn’t moving anywhere. My waters broke and I started to feel “the Ring of Fire”. I said such inane remarks as “My waters just broke!” and “I didn’t feel this last time!!” (after over 2 hours of pushing Sweets hadn’t crowned, so I ended up with a spinal epidural, a trial by forceps and a big healthy girl). I thought of how I’d read that waterbirths had better outcomes for the perineum and since I was feeling that stretch really quickly, I didn’t want to risk it by getting out. Plus, there was no time and it hurt. MW then said I just had to do one good big push and the head would come out. What??!! Surely not this quickly and it hurt. I held my breath and pushed 3 times, once for the head, once for the shoulders and once for the rest of her. Then I heard the cry and felt them put my baby on me. Suddenly changing positions was a great idea so that I could hold and see my little girl. 8.05am. Quick, huh!

After some skin to skin in the bath, Beau cut the cord, they injected me with syntocinin, we got out and went to the bed. She soon latched on and began a mammoth feeding session. Meanwhile, third stage of labour occurred (again a new experience for me, last time I felt nothing due to the epidural, this time… it was like giving birth to a jellyfish. Or at least I imagine that’s similar). It turned out I had a 2nd degree tear, so stitches were required. *Now* I wanted pain relief. Tried out the gas. Not sure that it made too much difference, but it made my voice humourously deep and while I could still feel a stinging as the needle went in and out (they’d given me a local too, but apparently it can be hard to anesthetise the skin), I didn’t feel the need to flinch or move or do anything except idly complain.

Mowgli was still feeding btw. She fed for about an hour! Which meant that we called our parents and told them she was a she, but couldn’t tell them how much she weighed as they were waiting until she’d finished feeding. Born a week early (which is still term), she weighed in over 600g less than her big sister. No wonder the birth was faster! She is a little blonde sweetie and her big sister adores her. Milk came in on Day 2. I have yet to suffer from baby blues and 8 days after birth she is bigger than her birth weight. I suspect that by the time she reaches what would have been the same gestational age as Sweets was, she will be a big as Sweets.

Next post will hopefully be about Sweets reaction to her.

Current Obsession: My two gorgeous girls
Point of Fashion: BF friendly funeral attire

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