miss ani
22-05-2007, 03:12 PM
I’ve been reading everyone else’s birth stories for the last few months… wondering what mine would be like and if it would be as inspirational as some of the ones on here have been to me!! So here goes:
Cast
The Preggers One – Anita
DP – Peter
The Doula – my mum
The OB – Dr Karen Chandler
Midwife – Julia
…and introducing Lily Grace as The Baby.
Thursday 10/05/07
I trundled along to my weekly OB appointment, trying to think calm, positive thoughts. For the last 6-7 weeks my blood pressure had been high and of some concern. However I had no traces of protein in my urine, no visual disturbances, no headaches, two blood tests had come back clean, 3 x CTGs had been perfect… there was nothing to indicate a real problem!! I suspected it was a touch of ‘white coat syndrome’, as my BP had only really climbed when a new midwife at The OB’s rooms started to check my BP – it just seemed a little coincidental. (Plus my mum, who is an RN and middie was taking my BP weekly as well, and it was normal!) Anyway, The OB was happy with my last round of CTG monitoring and an ultrasound I’d had that Tuesday – although there were indications of some calcification of the placenta. Armed with this knowledge, The OB decided she would do an internal… and found me to be 2cm dilated!! Doing an S&S she stretched me to a good 3-4cm. She made a tentative appointment for me the following Monday, but seemed fairly confident she’d see me before then.
I waddled off with a few cramps, some bleeding and a giddy feeling that I’d probably be seeing The Baby very soon!! I rang DP and The Doula and told them, then freaked when I realised I still didn’t have enough nighties for hospital. I made a quick trip to K-Mart and stocked up. Also bought a big block of peppermint Aero chocolate, telling myself that it was my reward for a cervix well thinned. :P
Thursday night… contractions off and on, but no dice. However, I was unplugged by the time I went to bed… so knew things were about to kick off.
Friday 11/05/07
Woke up with no real contractions to speak of, which disappointed me. DP and I talked about going for a walk in the Botanic Gardens on Saturday if things didn’t move along, seeing as it was forecast to be a lovely day. Drove DP to work, went home and mooched around.
Nothing all day, save a few cramps.
Picked DP up from work, and received a phone call from The Doula, saying she’d come around for dinner as she wanted to give us a quilt she had just finished for The Baby. DP and I made a sumptuous meal of sausages and mash with peas and corn… with apple crumble for afters. Nice comfort food! We sat around in the dining room until about 10pm when The Doula decided she should go home and get to bed early… just in case!! I found it difficult to settle that evening, feeling weirdly angsty. DP went to bed at about midnight.
Saturday 12/05/07
I finally headed off to bed at 1am but could hear water gushing away in the street. I decided I had to investigate, and grabbed the Maglight. Imagine a big fat preggers lady in the dark, at 1am, on the phone to SA Water demanding they send someone to fix a burst water main in our street… not pretty!
So I finally got to sleep, woke up 2 hours later at 3am and thought ‘something’s not right’! I felt a slight trickle and made a mad waddle for the loo!! There, my own water main burst!! I whacked a fresh pad on and went to break the news to DP. After he gave me a goofy, excited grin he got up and showered. I rang The Doula, and she decided to do the same thing then head over to our place. Rang the hospital and reported contractions 8-9 minutes apart which started up in the half hour after my waters broke. They told me if I was comfortable to stay put until I felt ready. SMS’ed the_original_duchess who rang me quite excited about the fact that it was all happening! I also received an SMS out of the blue from friend who is holidaying in the USA quoting Wayne’s World “Hi, I’m in Delaware”. To which I replied “Hi, I’m in labour”.
After DP showered, he started on the dishes from the night before. I felt a bit lost and unsure what to do next, so I wandered down to the lounge, sprawled over my fitball and watched Anitques Roadshow. The contractions were starting to come closer together and were getting stronger. They felt very much like strong period pain, which is what The Doula had forewarned me about. They were a little erratic; one would be 7 mins… then 5 mins… then 3 mins… then back to 7. The Baby was kicking up a storm still, so that was good news. The Doula arrived just before 5.30am, checked my blood pressure and found it to be normal. Just when I wondered if things might settle down, as my contractions felt too mild, things REALLY started happen!!
Within less than 15 mins, they started to hit me 5 mins apart! And I mean HIT! I had to get off of my fitball and walk around. I rang the hospital, and told them I didn’t think I could hang on too much longer at home and we’d be in shortly.
DP drove us to the hospital with The Doula following close behind. I had 2 contractions in the car on the way to the hospital (about a 10 min drive), and if there was any doubt before that things were slowing or stopping they definitely put those doubts to rest!! In between the contractions I concentrated on the Everything But The Girl CD we had playing in the car which helped me really focus. We walked into the hospital just after 6am and had to stop halfway to the maternity ward to ride out a contraction against a wall.
Cast
The Preggers One – Anita
DP – Peter
The Doula – my mum
The OB – Dr Karen Chandler
Midwife – Julia
…and introducing Lily Grace as The Baby.
Thursday 10/05/07
I trundled along to my weekly OB appointment, trying to think calm, positive thoughts. For the last 6-7 weeks my blood pressure had been high and of some concern. However I had no traces of protein in my urine, no visual disturbances, no headaches, two blood tests had come back clean, 3 x CTGs had been perfect… there was nothing to indicate a real problem!! I suspected it was a touch of ‘white coat syndrome’, as my BP had only really climbed when a new midwife at The OB’s rooms started to check my BP – it just seemed a little coincidental. (Plus my mum, who is an RN and middie was taking my BP weekly as well, and it was normal!) Anyway, The OB was happy with my last round of CTG monitoring and an ultrasound I’d had that Tuesday – although there were indications of some calcification of the placenta. Armed with this knowledge, The OB decided she would do an internal… and found me to be 2cm dilated!! Doing an S&S she stretched me to a good 3-4cm. She made a tentative appointment for me the following Monday, but seemed fairly confident she’d see me before then.
I waddled off with a few cramps, some bleeding and a giddy feeling that I’d probably be seeing The Baby very soon!! I rang DP and The Doula and told them, then freaked when I realised I still didn’t have enough nighties for hospital. I made a quick trip to K-Mart and stocked up. Also bought a big block of peppermint Aero chocolate, telling myself that it was my reward for a cervix well thinned. :P
Thursday night… contractions off and on, but no dice. However, I was unplugged by the time I went to bed… so knew things were about to kick off.
Friday 11/05/07
Woke up with no real contractions to speak of, which disappointed me. DP and I talked about going for a walk in the Botanic Gardens on Saturday if things didn’t move along, seeing as it was forecast to be a lovely day. Drove DP to work, went home and mooched around.
Nothing all day, save a few cramps.
Picked DP up from work, and received a phone call from The Doula, saying she’d come around for dinner as she wanted to give us a quilt she had just finished for The Baby. DP and I made a sumptuous meal of sausages and mash with peas and corn… with apple crumble for afters. Nice comfort food! We sat around in the dining room until about 10pm when The Doula decided she should go home and get to bed early… just in case!! I found it difficult to settle that evening, feeling weirdly angsty. DP went to bed at about midnight.
Saturday 12/05/07
I finally headed off to bed at 1am but could hear water gushing away in the street. I decided I had to investigate, and grabbed the Maglight. Imagine a big fat preggers lady in the dark, at 1am, on the phone to SA Water demanding they send someone to fix a burst water main in our street… not pretty!
So I finally got to sleep, woke up 2 hours later at 3am and thought ‘something’s not right’! I felt a slight trickle and made a mad waddle for the loo!! There, my own water main burst!! I whacked a fresh pad on and went to break the news to DP. After he gave me a goofy, excited grin he got up and showered. I rang The Doula, and she decided to do the same thing then head over to our place. Rang the hospital and reported contractions 8-9 minutes apart which started up in the half hour after my waters broke. They told me if I was comfortable to stay put until I felt ready. SMS’ed the_original_duchess who rang me quite excited about the fact that it was all happening! I also received an SMS out of the blue from friend who is holidaying in the USA quoting Wayne’s World “Hi, I’m in Delaware”. To which I replied “Hi, I’m in labour”.
After DP showered, he started on the dishes from the night before. I felt a bit lost and unsure what to do next, so I wandered down to the lounge, sprawled over my fitball and watched Anitques Roadshow. The contractions were starting to come closer together and were getting stronger. They felt very much like strong period pain, which is what The Doula had forewarned me about. They were a little erratic; one would be 7 mins… then 5 mins… then 3 mins… then back to 7. The Baby was kicking up a storm still, so that was good news. The Doula arrived just before 5.30am, checked my blood pressure and found it to be normal. Just when I wondered if things might settle down, as my contractions felt too mild, things REALLY started happen!!
Within less than 15 mins, they started to hit me 5 mins apart! And I mean HIT! I had to get off of my fitball and walk around. I rang the hospital, and told them I didn’t think I could hang on too much longer at home and we’d be in shortly.
DP drove us to the hospital with The Doula following close behind. I had 2 contractions in the car on the way to the hospital (about a 10 min drive), and if there was any doubt before that things were slowing or stopping they definitely put those doubts to rest!! In between the contractions I concentrated on the Everything But The Girl CD we had playing in the car which helped me really focus. We walked into the hospital just after 6am and had to stop halfway to the maternity ward to ride out a contraction against a wall.