July/August 07 Toddlers

Happy birthday Jett, it freaks me out that they will be at school this time next year!

Ok ladies, Archie Donald arrived last Thursday....here is his birth story.

So, trying to remember it all.

It was a niggly pregnancy with niggles starting on and off from 35 weeks. I was trying not to get too excited as I have always gone over wtih my previous pregnancies so was expecting at least 41 weekst his time to.

Monday 12th...nothing happening but saw MW for a routine check.   She did a stretch and sweep and told me I was 1cm dilated, still with a thick cervix but that it was very soft. Had a very crampy day that day.
Tuesday 13th...woke after a rough night with contractions. They werent too intense but some of them I did have to breathe through. Really thought things were about to start and was absolutely gutted when we woke in the morning and NOTHING was happening. In fact I felt pretty good. Best in a while.
Wednesday 14th...another night of contractions...., another morning with nothing. Later that day (after whinging that nothing was happening) I started to lose my plug...this got me very excited as I had never lost a plug before and I was quite fascinated. Was all crampy and spent a fair bit of time bouncing on a swiss ball. Texted Shane in the afternoon telling him not to be late, I felt things were about to kick off.....of course they DIDNT!

Thurs 15th Wed night I had the most contractions and some of them took some concentrating through. They carried on through most of the night but stopped in the wee hours of the morning. I was gutted and highly pissed off....getting very tired now. DH decided to stay home that day and made me call my MW.   We were going to catch up the next day for a CTG to see if anything was happening but decided to do it that morning instead. I met her over in Alex at 10.30. She put me on the CTG which didnt show any of my contractions even though I was getting them whilst there...they were about 12 min apart. She did an internal and said my cervix was still 1cm but thin now and she stretched me to 2cm..ouch!!!That day I slept, bounced, walked hoping to get baby to drop down. He ( I can say that now) had turned his head from a sideways position to straight on which impressed the MW. He was still only at -2. As the afternoon went on I started getting really strong contractions. They stopped me in my tracks but I could breathe through them. I withdrew to our bedroom as I ddint want to labour in front of my mother in law and I didnt want the boys to see me. At about 5pm I phoned my MW to say they were getting more regular (9min apart lasting about a min) and that I would get the boys off to bed and then we would come over. They STOPPED!!!! At this point I had had it!! I was bawling my eyes out in our room. MW had commented that there was no way I could be in labour as I sounded too calm but she did agree that its hard to tell over the phone. DH came up to find me. I was telling him that I can make them all go away by concentrating so the contractions were all in my head. I also told him I had had enough and was not going to have this baby EVER! I was so over it.We had a good "discussion" and finally he rang MW who was starting to worry that we hadnt come over. She agreed to see us again so Shane made me get in the car with our bags packed and head over to Alex once more. The conttractions started up in the car and were about 5 min apart..and getting a little more intense. MW did an internal at 8.30 and said still 2cm, membranes tight against babies head and CTG showed irregular mild contractions...even though I felt I was going through the roof with one of them). I burst into tears as I just couldnt take this on off thing anymore. She advised me that it was still pre labour and to go home and have a hot bath to slow things down so I could have a sleep. We got back out to the car and I completlely broke down. Then on the way home (its a 30km,20min drive) the contractions took themselves up a notch..or two!! I was struggling to get through them.
We turned into Cromwell and I made DH pull over for one as I couldnt tolerate the driving whilst contracting. I was getting into a right state at this stage wondering how I was going to manage REAL labour if I couldnt handle "pre labour". We turned into our street and I got one in the driveway, one in the garage, one 2 steps into the hall way etc etc. DH asked if I thought I might be in transition. I replied with "how can I be, I am only 2cm" .He ran me a bath, I got in and had one there...I couldnt get comfy, I couldnt move, they were so intense. At this stage DH rings MW back...she can hear me in the background and commented that I sounded like I was 7-8cm...until I said "I bloody well wont be". She told him that I needed to come back to Alex but maybe to time them for another half hour and see what was happening. I knew in my heart that she needed to come to me but I just couldnt talk at that stage. DH diligently started timing my contractions...that pissed me off..LOL

This was them
9.47pm     51sec
9.49pm 29sec
9.51pm 1min
9.53pm     42 sec
9.56pm 1min
9.59pm     40sec
10pm     47sec
10.02pm     11sec
10.04pm     33sec
about this stage I think I was screaming at him to stop timing the bloody things and he was on the phone to MW saying I cant be moved she needs to come to us. I was starting to need to push.

I was upstairs in our bedroom kneeling on the floor over the side of the bed...I had so much pressure I was pushing with all my might to relieve it when I broke my waters...I thought I had wet myself but the relief was immense. Then shortly after I realised I was pushing a baby out....I actually felt calm as I realised what was really happening. DH had hung up from MW and was on phone to 111. I reached down to feel for myself and couldnt feel anything but noticed blood on my fingers. I made DH check and he couldnt feel either... Next push I felt the head come down...DH checked and told me it was just mucous...my arse it was. At that stage the operator told DH to get me onto the floor on my back as it was the safest way to deliver. I argued but had no choice...I guess its the safest way to "catch" baby. I pushed with alll my might..worried for a spilt second about ripping myself apart and then decided I could handle any of that but I needed to get the baby out. And next second I felt the head come out and I was about to say "check the cord and I think you need to help turn the head" when the body flew out straight after..OMG that felt SO GOOD!!!!!

DH lifted baby up and I saw he was a boy, then I quickly said , pass it between my legs and we covered him up with a towel. At that point the doctor arrived...to birth the baby. He was a colleague from the medical centre I worked at and I was actually relieved to see a familiar face. He was suprised when we showed him the baby born...so he then got to work on the placenta and a few minutes later I birthed that. Ambos turned up next and helped clamp the cord and cut it....then MWs turned up...with huge smiles ( I remember the smiles) and they helped me onto the bed, gave me the synto injection, checked baby out etc. I had a 0.5cm 1st degree tear and was going to get a suture until the MW checked again and it was already closing up! He was born about 10.20pm.

We had cuddles, fed, discussed it over and over and then I had a shower in myOWN shower..heavenly. I felt great, I had so much energy and wasnt sore in the slightest. It was magic. T had woken up during the pushing stage and had been onthe couch with Grandma and she bought him up to meet his brother...awwwwwww.We then trasnfered to the birthing unit for some recovery time.

So I think I made the birth story longer than my labour!

Brought tears to my eyes, loved that Tom could just come up the stairs and meet his brother - all very intense, so pleased it all went well. Makes me think that maybe I could do it again

Wow! Awesome birth story! Congrats on the safe arrival of Archie.

Congrats again babe!! How is that ms of yours??

Hi all!

Wow aren't the kids so grown up now!
Kylah is doing fantastically, she is such a wee tomboy! Loves batman, spiderman and anything superhero like, but then she loves dora clothes and hanbags :)

I am just finishing up my first year or bachelor of midwifery. Such a busy and rewarding year!

Look forward to seeing xmas pics :)

Jessica wrote: Brought tears to my eyes, loved that Tom could just come up the stairs and meet his brother - all very intense, so pleased it all went well. Makes me think that maybe I could do it again

Gah dammit - so do I!!! 

Oh wow Candice!!!  Such a bastard of a person/s who burgled you!  Can't believe there are lowlifes doing such things to people of chch!  Disgusting!

I can see how FB can distract you whilst studying.  Good for you with abstaining from it during the week!

Congratulations Cat!!!!  How awesome for you guys!!  Which town have you moved to?  Hope you've settled in well!

Oh wow, you've moved up there!  My FIL lives there, so we've spent a bit of time there over the holidays.  Not in town though, he lives just before you get into town on the Tga side in the new sub division.  Busy little town isn't it! 

While I'm in here, check out this montage of Jett and all his sleeping possies. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYa9us5HaO8&context=C3b80dacADOEgsToPDskLVtA0GYJQ_999NDXzqotH0