Wednesday night I started to feel pains. They were coming every 10 mins but I wasn't getting my hopes up. Had them all night but managed to sleep. Was a sick as a dog in the morning so thought that this was the real deal. They were still coming 10 mins apart and I had a bath which then slowed them right down.Me and my sister Lynds decided to go to town for a walk with Seren for some lunch and retail therapy (it was embarrassing having a contraction in the shops but I wanted to keep being active). After we got back I had a sleep and woke up to them coming every 6 mins. OH couldn't believe that it was happening when he got in from work. At about 6.30pm we decided to call the delivary ward to let them know, they said they would send the midwife out to check me. I went back downstairs to sit on the sofa only for my waters to break (I never had this with Seren and thought I had weed myself until it gushed out). The midwife arrived and checked me to find I was 3cm dilated but Cally was lying with her head tranverse position so she was still turning into the right position. Just after the midwife arrived a student midwife arrived too, and so did my friend.
I was struggling with the pain at this time (had my TENs on but it wasn't doing much) so they decided to start the gas and air. However there was a right struggle to get it sorted,they couldn't get it to work for ages. I was not coping with the contractions so it was suggested I went into the bath. It had lavender oil in which helped calm me down and this really helped for a bit, Pete was splashing water on my back during contractions whilst I was putting it on my bump.
The gas and air was brought into me but it just wasn't doing anything (found out after that the tank was still on full after the birth, I wasn't breathing hard enough to take it in, thanks to my chest infection). However it gave me something to concentrate on but the pains were getting too much and I started begging everyone to let me go to the hospital. The midwife wanted to check me again at 10.30pm and I was 4cm, but my cervix had thinned out and Cally's head was in the right position. I felt that I wasn't progressing and reverted into toddler mode, begging Pete, Lynds and my friend to take me to hospital but they kept telling me I didn't want to go. I went back into the bath for a bit but started to make a lot of noise so the midwife asked to listen to the baby's heartbeat. It was really hurting me to stand up so I got out the bath again, and onto the bed. I really felt like I needed to poo but no-one seemed to be listening to me, I was hitting the bed and OH saying "I need a poo" and "you're not listening to me", "I need to poo, I want to go to hospital"and ended up going into the bathroom in a sulk. Have been told that all they could hear from the bedroom was a little voice saying "why won't anyone listen to me". The midwife told me I needed to get active but it was really hurting to stand up. I had another contraction and my friend noticed I was bleeding and that this was a sign that baby was coming. It was discovered I was fully dilated but there was a lip of cervix(???) so I wasn't to push. HoweverI couldn't stop it, I felt this overwhelming urge to push. I was on my hands and knees hanging on to my friend.The midwives were not ready as I had gone from 4 cm to 10cm in half an hour. They had to quickly phone for the second midwife and were rushing round getting stuff ready out of the home birth box (Lynds had to rush out to their car to get the delivary kit). I couldn't stop though and was pushing Cally out, the student midwife was holding her in but I remember Lynds saying "the head is out" and I then pushed Cally out. In total the second stage lasted 12 mins (Seren took 2 hours to push out). I was just in shock, Cally was wrapped up in the cord (just round her body) and it was a few mins before I saw her and saw we had another girl. I couldn't take it in, just didn't seem real. I picked her up, and cut the cord myself. Lynds and OH are telling me that I was sat on the bed with a stupified expression on my face whilst everyone was holding Cally and I was being looked after. The second midwife arrived then, had missed the whole thing lol. I decided to have the injection to pass the placenta but my membranes snapped so it was a few mins before I got to hold Cally to feed her. Pete's mum was told she had another grand-daughter and came round to meet her.
I had a quick shower then back into a clean bed with my newborn. OH brought up a glass of champagne for everyone, and Lynds made me some honey on toast and a cup of coffee. The midwives cleaned everything up and said goodbye, my friend put on the washing and tidied up. At 3.30am I decided I was hungry and nicked the rest of Pete's chinese that he had earlier on that night.
It was an amazing experience and being at home really helped me. Seren had stayed at her nan's as I wasn't coping with her being there, and she came round in the morning to meet her baby sister. The homeopathic kit was a godsend, Lynds had great fun prescribing and dosing me but I really do think it helped, especially the arnica as my recovery was very fast and I wasn't anywhere near as bruised as I was after Seren. I also used Caulophyllum and Pulsatilla whoich I felt really helped with my labour and with Cally being back to back.I can't believe the gas and air didn't work, the midwives have left me the mouthpiece as a souvenir.
I have some pics but will remove them soon as some of them are personal and I olook like I have just given birth
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Brand new baby
Me cutting the cord
cleaned up and ready for bed
baby strawberry bum
meeting big sis (had just wal;ked from her nanny's so had rosey chheks)
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