This week, our birth and labour story is from Natalie! you can find her HERE.
Here is her amazing story.
How it all began….
Our story starts 13 years ago.
After suffering from a miscarriage 18 months previous I was told that I wasn’t ovulating and wouldn’t be able to conceive naturally. This came as a shock and I was naturally very upset. I was reassured by the doctors that they would start me on some medication to boost ovulation and then take it from there. I couldn’t start the medication until a specific time in my cycle so I felt all I could do was wait for that and then get started. The wait seemed like forever and during that time I began to feel unwell, I couldn’t put my finger on it but decided to visit the doctor as it wouldn’t pass. I was feeling nauseas and tired/dizzy, the night before I was due to see the doctor I brought a cheap pregnancy test, because I felt that even in my situation the doctor would want to rule it out.
Imagine my surprise when it was positive.
There were no words to express the elation and surprise that day. After seeing the doctor and taking several more tests it was confirmed yes I was pregnant. I had an early scan at 7 weeks which helped put my mind at ease but I still felt anxious that something could go wrong. Fortunately my pregnancy progressed well bit it wasn’t without its hitches!
I suffered very bad sickness all the way through,all day everyday and at 15weeks I was in hospital scared because of a bleed( which was strain from the sickness) and dehydrated, fortunately the medication they gave me helped although the sickness was never far away if certainly eased. I had constant cravings for anything dairy and would drink pint after pint of milk, chocolate also featured highly and I recall coming home from work and crying because the bar I had left in the fridge had been eaten and even a replacement wasn’t the same! At 21weeks I fainted whilst doing the shopping in Tesco, I had never fainted before in my life and when I came round on the floor I wondered why everyone was looking at me! I had no idea of what had happened and as I was helped to a seat, I was embarrassed and concerned about the baby. Whilst waiting to be collected they checked me over and asked if I had hurt myself I mentioned my foot was a little sore but just wanted to get the baby checked. When it was time to go I realised I couldn’t weight bear on my right food and had to be practically carried to the car. An X-ray later confirmed that I had broken my foot, I wasn’t concerned at all I just wanted the scan they promised me. My foot was plastered and whilst doing that I almost fainted again. Finally I was given crutches and wheeled up for a scan. All was fine no problem at all with the baby and I was sent home. Home at the time was a second floor flat with two flights of stairs which I had to navigate with crutches and a bump, after a tricky start I managed just fine. Time was passing quickly and my foot had healed well, I was managing the sickness better and feeling reasonably okay. At 36 weeks I had a urine infection which gave me an irritable uterus, I was in hospital for a few nights and given steroids just in case. Luckily that settled and once home, I had another infection and it was decided that I would have a sweep on my due date. The day before my due date I went out for lunch with my sister and my nieces, I felt uncomfortable all day but put it down to tiredness. I went home and fell asleep, when I woke up I had what I assumed was a show, a quick phone call to my Mum confirmed that indeed it was. I had some period like pains and just pottered around keeping busy. After several baths and the pain getting worse I phoned the hospital and at 5am we went in. So far so good, I was advised to keep active so we had lots of walks up and down the hospital corridors. Upon examination the midwife said she could burst my waters as they were about to go, I agreed and then the pains really started! I wanted as natural a birth as possible and the midwife suggested a water birth, I hadn’t considered this but decided yes I would like to try it, on my way to the pool I was feeling concerned about being naked in front of everyone, by the time it was ready I didn’t care, I literally stripped off and if I could of I would of jumped in!
It was lovely, very soothing like a nice warm bath, music was playing, to me it seemed very loud, some kind of classical tune. I was adamant it needed to be turned off and once it was I felt calm again. I remained calm and had gas and air and breathing to get me through, I laboured with back pain and didn’t feel contractions in my front.
When I got to the point of saying I wanted to go home and could the midwife just help me get the baby out, obviously the arrival was imminent. After feeling that indescribable feeling of the head coming out, it was soon apparent the baby was coming and out she popped into the water a beautiful, healthy baby girl. As I lay in the water holding her I couldn’t believe she was here and ours. After a quick cuddle, they took her off to be weighed and it was time for the placenta delivery. The midwife gave me an injection and helped me into a standing position, as soon as I stood the placenta came away and the midwifes words to me were’ well done you’re a natural’ my response to this was to pass out once again. As I came to on the bottom of the birthing pool, again I had no idea what had happened, I even thought it had all been a dream, and that I was yet to give birth!
As I saw my baby in her Daddy’s arms I was so happy and still wondering why there was a room full of people. Next for me was to be lifted out of the pool completely naked, I had to have a little giggle about that. I was on the bed and stitched up, high as a kite on gas and air, I kept asking what the time was, and were was the baby? We were taken round to the ward, I kept looking at my girl with an overwhelming feeling, I simply couldn’t believe she was mine. Once settled on the ward and in my arms she began to make some very strange noises, as the midwife was called, I noticed she was going purple around her lips. She was whisked off to special care and put under a heat lamp, they dressed her in a tiny yellow cardigan and wooly hat as she had got cold in the process of my fainting.
Family arrived to see us all which was lovely. I was then sick as a dog but so relieved she was ok, after a few hours we were back on the ward again. And happy to be starting life as a family of three.
Here we go again….
23 months later we we were blessed with a baby boy. Leading up to his arrival couldn’t of been any different. I fell pregnant quickly and just had a feeling so brought a pregnancy test and it was positive. I had little sickness and what I did have passed quickly. We were still living in the flat so the stairs where quite exhausting being pregnant and having a 14 month old to get up and down them too. Fortunately I kept in good health, I worried about fainting again so always kept an emergency mars bar in my bag,I can’t tell you how many of those I brought as I would eat them and need to replace them almost daily! This time I was 5 days late and was concerned that I would have to be induced. The weather was extremely hot and he showed no signs of making an appearance. One very hot day as we walked along the seafront I felt that overwhelming tiredness and the feeling that my trousers were being tightened all the time. I came home and got in the bath, which made me feel better after having tea with my girl and putting her to bed, I sat down with my feet up. The uncomfortable feeling started to turn to strong period pain type pains and I wondered if this could be the start. As with my previous pregnancy I had craved dairy,dairy and more dairy. So I as I sat in my favourite arm chair I decided I simply had to have a can of cherry coke, a kit Kat chunky (peanut butter flavour) and a dairlylea dunker(which I cannot stand now!). I also refused to even think about going into hospital until I had these things. I was that determined that I nearly went to the shop myself! I was going to have another bath and whilst deliberating running one I decided that maybe I should time my contractions and although they weren’t too painful they were becoming pretty regular. They were in fact approx 2.5mins apart so I phoned the hospital they wanted me to go in as it was my second. Reluctantly I agreed and as I waited for the grandparents to arrive to babysit I peeked in at my sleeping girl I felt very emotional knowing that she would wake up to a surprise in the morning. When we arrived at the hospital it was 10.30pm and as I waited for an examination from the midwife I still wasn’t convinced this was labour I hadn’t had a show and was coping with the pain. She confirmed that I was 5-6cms dilated. I had decided from the start that I definitely wanted a water birth. The pool was busy and she didn’t know if I would have time but luckily for me he hung on. I got into the water and was struck by how quick and painful the contractions were. We had a male student doctor come in and I had a fit of giggles, too much gas and air again. Three hours and 45 mins after arriving at the hospital our lovely baby boy made his entrance into the world. It was a tense beginning as he had the cord around his neck, and I was urged to get him out as quick as possible. As he was whisked off to be checked, silence filled the air and time seemed to stop, the student doctor reassured me he was fine but until he was in my arms I couldn’t be sure. As soon I set eyes on him I couldn’t believe how much he looked like his big sister. Again I couldn’t believe he was mine, how lucky to have two healthy babies. He was born at 2.15am and at 5.30am we were given the option to go home, they didn’t have any beds available at the time and as we were both well it was up to us. I jumped at the chance and off we went. As we rang the doorbell at 6am my Mother in Law thought it had been a false alarm and that we had been sent home, my parents couldn’t believe it when I phoned them too. We sat in the kitchen having a coffee, my girl still sleeping, blissfully unaware of her baby brothers arrival. We woke her up after a while and she was totally calm about it all and took to being a big sister straight away, a role she continues now. A lot has changed in those 13years and although I am now a single Mum I know I am truly blessed to have my two beautiful, healthy babies in my life. They are growing up to be amazing little people whom I am proud of every single day.
Helena and Adam this ones for you.❤️x
http://crazylittlethingcalledlove449.wordpress.com https://m.facebook.com/heartskipsabeat21/
Thank you so much for sharing Natalie, If you would like to feature on my blog, then please get in touch.
Thanks for reading,
Becca xx