My Labour And Birth Story.

When you have a baby, and go through labour and birth, it's like you can't stop talking about it.. no matter how horrific or painful, it becomes on of the best moments of your life because it's the moment your child is born.

Ever since my labour i haven't been able to stop talking about it, i love listening to other people's stories and experiences, No labour is the same and it's just amazing how your body works, so here is my labour story.

My due date was the 12th of November (12/11/12), and like most women i didn't go into labour, and was convinced that Ethan wasn't going to come any time soon, as every first mum i had spoke to have told me then went 2 weeks over and had to be induced, So on the morning of my due date i had a midwife appointment, which was basic antenatal check ups, and to have a sweep. I was literally crapping myself for the sweep, i didn't know what to expect and having some woman perform one on me was pretty embarrassing!  But i gritted my teeth, and thought 'I can do this now, and have 70% chance of the baby come soon, or wait another two weeks', So i had one. Not the most pleasant of things, and it was slightly painful, but it wasn't too bad. 

The midwife said that my cervix was far forward which is uncommon in first time pregnancies, that it was soft and stretchy, and already 2cm dilated  She said that i might experience a show, but if not then i could still go into labour. 

So as i believe i have no good luck, i thought to myself.. 'Nope, this wont make me go into labour, so bugger it' and me and Kyle went into a cafe for some din dins, i had a cheese and onion toasty.. Yum yum. Luckily i didn't go into labour :P haha.. would have been VERY embarrassing. 

Few hours pass..  I experience nothing.. Not even a few cramps. 

So me and Kyle settle down to watch an episode of walking dead, while eating dinner, Tuna, Pasta and sweetcorn. I felt like i needed a wee, so i popped to the toliet, and just as i sat down my waters broke.. Instant panic! i shouted for kyle.. and sounded like a babbling idiot 'i...i...i..th..think..mmmmyy...wat..ers..brroo...broke' so i got up expecting that to be all my waters.. Boy was i wrong.. I walked into the living room and all of a sudden a gush of water and my floor and trousers were soaked! So i literally sat on the toliet so that my floor would stay dry haha.  This was about half 6 - 7 o'clock. So i told kyle to pass me the phone so i could ring the emergency midwife number. Annoyingly, i had to go into labour when one of my midwifes weren't on call (i had 4).. and had some random one from a town an hour away. 

I told her that my waters had broke but i was experiencing no contractions. She told me to eat, and try get as much sleep as possible, and if my contractions hadn't come by 9 o'clock tomorrow, she will send someone out to look at me, and get me induced.  They do that because  there is a chance of infection if the waters are broke for more than 12 hours. 

So we sat back down and i forced myself to eat my pasta, rung my mum and text my best friend, aspen, as she had gone through labour a few months before. 

I was feeling excited, and scared  I had never been through this before so i didn't know what to expect. Will it be like a painful period or will it be like stomach pain? Neither.. It was worse. aha

My contractions started about an hour after, they weren't to uncomfortable and thought that maybe i should put the immersion on so i can have a bath. After an hour, i jumped into the bath, at this point my contractions were VERY painful, and already very close together. I stayed in the bath for an hour, while trying to be brave. Kyle was very supportive at this point, and i couldn't fault him. He was calm, and that was what i needed. He collected all the bags, put food and drink into a plastic bag, and sat next to the bath to comfort me. 

My contractions were coming very strong, with only 30 seconds - 1 minute gaps, so kyle rung the midwife back and said that they have become regular and painful. As she was an hour away, she said she would make her way to my birth center, and would ring me when she was there. I then tried to get out of the bath, Yes tried. It's hard enough when pregnant.. but while having contractions.. wow.. it's near enough impossible. 

I rung my mum and demanded that she come down, as we needed her car to get us to the birth center.. walking there would not have been fun. 

So an painfully long hour passed, and Caris (the midwife) rung me to say she was there, kyle and mum packed all the things in the car as i attempted to walk down two flights of stairs across the street and into her car.. this took about half an hour as i have the worse contraction ever on the top of my external stair case right outside my neighbours door, luckily they didn't come outside. 

I was praying to god that the midwife wouldn't send me home, as i don't think i would have been able to make it up the stairs!

When we got the center at about 9 o'clock, she gave me some gas and air just so that she could see how far long dilated i was, I was already 7cm.

Gas and air really didn't suit me to begin with as i threw up all of my pasta that i had earlier forced myself to eat, but after a few more breaths i got used to it. 

As caris started filling up the birthing pool, i sat and watched im a celebrity on the big plasma television which i had all to myself.. Not that i actually watched it.. i was in way to much pain. Finally the pool, was full and i could get in.

And ohmygod... it was divine. It was soo warm and it was very deep.. combined with gas and air, i felt hardly any pain. About half an hour later i had urges to push, i had no clue what was going on.. My midwife had disappeared looking for some keys, and was no where to seen, so i, like most women, became very emotional and started to cry.. haha!

at about half 11 caris told me that is i didn't get out of the pool now, i wouldn't be getting out at all.. I refused obviously :P After 40 minutes of pushing, My little sunshine was born. 

He was born on the 13th of November, at 00:16, weighing 7.5lbs

Throughout my labour, i was munching on bourbon buscuits, and drinking orange juice. I had bought energy drink, Doritos and all sorts,, but because my labour was only 5 hours long, i didn't really have time. haha! 

I can't remember the first night, i had with him because i was soo tired, and out of it.. but i don't think he woke up till 6.

The weird thing about labour, is as soon as the contractions had stopped i had completely forgotten the pain. It was all worth it though. 

This little bundle is now my whole life.

Young mums group..Urgh

What the hell did my health visitor convince me to go too..  URGH. 

"it's a group for young parents under 25, everyone is really nice, and it's alot of fun"

Oh really? you liar!

I recently found out that in my nearest town there is a young parents group, which my health visitor convinced me was going to be a good idea to pop along to so i could meet mums + dad my age. After ALOT of thinking i finally convinced myself yeah, maybe it would be a good idea to make some friends with babies who i can talk to... i don't know what i expected but, that group was a nightmare!

I got there about half one (which is what my health visitor said it started at which was a lie.. it started at one) and couldnt get into the building! After looking like a kn*b for ages trying to open a door, i finally got into the building, and was greeted by no one so i had no idea where to go.. just literally walked down a corridor until i saw someone who looked young. 

When i got into the room, there were 5 girls, and one guy. Two girls were stereotypical teenage mums.. i was embarrassed to be associated with them to be honest! i know it sounds bad.. but it's people like them that put a bad name to young mums! they both smoked, were mean, + looked rough! After talking to both for ONLY 5 minutes i found out they both smoked, drank + took drugs while pregnant. INSTANT DISLIKE!  So i walked away from them and sat by myself with ethan for a while waiting for 3 o'clock.  

I then noticed that two girls across the room looked decent, and nice and was determined to start talking to them,  so i did.. wow.. they were really dumb,  i could barely talk to them! im not trying to be stuck up or something, but im not stupid, i've got two a's and on b at a level (before you think wow.. her english skills are crap how did she get them.. English isn't my strong point ;)  )  so i like to have some intellectual conversation.. nope, it just wasn't going to happen. 

So i only have two people left to impress me so that i come to the group more often, and they were a couple with a month and a half old baby.. and actually the girl wasn't too bad, but they just weren't my sort of people tbh.

Another failed attempted at a baby group, BUT atleast im making friends in my normal baby group :D

YAY. :) x

Ethan on the way to the group :)

Prams, Prams, and More Prams.

I am one of these mums that get bored of prams very easily, I've had 3 already, and my baby is only 3 months old! D: i am Terrrible. 
Each pram i have bought is second hand because i feel it is pointless to buy them new when as soon as you use them, their value just goes.. Similar to cars i suppose :) 

The hardest part is picking a pram when you are first pregnant expecting your first baby, because to be honest you don't have a clue what to get, a light pram? a travel system? a 3 wheeler? You have to keep a few things in mind before going out and purchasing the nicest looking one, because thats what i did. 

I use public transport alot, live in a second floor flat, have little storage space, yet i thought it was a clever idea to buy a bit bulky travel system.. why?! i have no idea.. i was naive, and silly.. if i could go back to when i was pregnant, knowing what i do now.. then i would have saved that money + got a more compact, light weight buggy, + a seperate car seat. 

Snug as a bug in a rug

Like, it is a very sexy travel system, and if i had more room in my flat, i would have used it and not bought two more prams, but alas i don't have room. 

Review of my Mamas and Papas Travel System (bought second hand for £100).
        The frame itself is very light, and i like that about this pram. It folds down easily, and becomes quite thin, but not very compact. It stands alone when folded which i also like, as i don't have to place it on the floor when getting stuff out of my car. The shopping basket is HUGE! and i can fit a lot in there! It's nice to push, and very sturdy. As my baby was born in winter, i thought it would be a good idea to get a carry cot for when i go out and about to shelter him from wind + the cold. With this travel system i had a stand which all the units connect to, so i used the carry cot in my living room as a second moses basket when Ethan was a newborn so that i could keep an eye on him while doing chores, or watching tele. The only thing i dislike about travel systems is that you can't fold them down together as one piece, which means i have to leave the frame downstairs, while i run the unit to my flat, then go back downstairs for the frame, THEN i have to go back downstairs to get shopping in, and the baby from out of the car. I also dislike that it took up a lot of boot space, which meant i have no room for shopping, or anything else. 

The second pram i purchased was the Mamas and Papas Luna, Which i loveee! 

Alot more roomy for him to snoozee

Review of my Mamas and Papas Luna Pushchair (bought second hand for £40)

    I love this pushchair very much, it's a delight to push, it's very sturdy, it's roomy for Ethan when he sleeps, and when he wants to stretch, It lies down flat so is handy if im going on a long day out, i know that it wont affect his spine like a car seat can. It's so easy to put down and up, and it folds into one piece! although, it isn't the lightest of pushchairs, so it takes me a while to get up the stairs, but that doesn't bother me. I like the fact it has a bumper bar, i find it reassuring for some reason, and it's one quality i look for in a pram. I decided to change prams for a few reasons, and they are..

• It's not parent facing, and with Ethan only being 12 weeks old, i like to look at him.
• It's not the lightest of prams, and i have to rely on my partner to take it up and down the stairs
• It's not very heavy at the front which means that tipping backwards can be quite common when stuff is placed on the handle bars, but when again, this is a handy feature because it makes getting up curbs + bumps easier. 
• The rain cover looks stupid as hell, as it has to have room for a car seat to fit in as it is kind of a travel system, so it has a weird flappy bit. 

If this pram could change to parent facing as well as forward facing, i would be very happy.. but what can you do, :)

My most recent purchase was a quinny zapp xtra, i've only used it twice so i haven't go annoyed with it yet..

Well i started writting this a couple days ago, and now i've managed to use my quinny zapp xtra a few times. 

Review of my quinny Zapp Xtra (not with a folding seat) (bought second hand for £90)
    Well this pushchair is a delight! it is soo nice to push, and to maneuver. It's very sturdy like the mamas and papas luna, but it's not as light weight on the front which makes rearward tipping harder. It's quite short, but for me being only 5ft4 it is perfect, as for my partner who is 6ft+ it is a bit uncomfortable, but as i am the main pusher of the pram then my needs come before his.. haha! I like the fact that it is easy to attach toys to this pram, haven't been able to with the other two, and i like that you can purchase a bumper bar, but i don't think i am going too.   I love the fact this pram is parent facing! as it lightweight! it took me a few weeks to find a pram which has both these features, But finally! i have done it :D There is one thing i dislike about this pram, and that is that the footmuffs and cosytoes are really expensive! but i brought a cheap universal one, it does the job ey? :P 

I don't think i will be changing prams for a while, But who knows.. I am a pramaholic! :D

haha. 

thanks for reading,  byeezz 

Kirsty, and Ethan xx