Update on Caitlin from Toni !

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   Just got an email from Toni, unfortunately she is one of the few who can't get on at all, so I said I'd sort this out for her - and knew you ladies would be hanging out for photos etc ! 

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Caitlin Lilly was born 3 days after her expected due date on Tuesday 18th July at 12.57pm.

My waters broke in the mall car park at 12pm on Monday 17th July (thank goodness for the bin bags in the car!).  Contractions started at about 9pm where I ended up stuck on the laundry toilet for 5 hours!  I was expecting labour pains to be a lot more unbearable than they actually were, more of a really intense period pain ache than a sharp stretching pain - I found I could control the pain exhaling and as long as I didn't move around, the pain stayed at the same level.  

We went to hospital at 3am after I announced I needed to push (Mum and Hubby had only signed up to be my labour partners NOT DELIVER!).  When we arrived my midwife announced I was 9 1/2cm dialated!!!! woo hoo!

Got in the birthing pool which was BLISS and I started on the gas as I knew that only worked when you breathe it in and I was controlling the rest with breathing out (beware it makes you feel REALLY out of it, but it's soooooo good!)  After 3 hours of no progress bubs started to pass meconium so we had to go back to the birthing room where I had a few pushes but it was obvious that bubs wasn't coming out as the cervical lip wasn't budging and I had no energy left (even after 4 packs of saline). 

 We then decided to try an epidural and boost the contractions back up, but again this didn't work.  The obstitrian was called in and we went down to theatre to try a ventrouse delivery and if that didn't work (which it didn't after 3 attempts) we were to have a c-section.

After a 17 hour labour, her head on an angle, cord had a knot and was wrapped around her neck - our beautiful girl arrived by emergency c-section weighing a very healthy 9lb 7.5oz (4285g & 52cm long).  Her 1 minute APGAR score was 9 and at 5 minutes it was 10  :-)

Even after a "not so perfect" birthing experience Caitlin is a very placid baby (during the day! Grrrr).  We have both picked up breast feeding well and she has had her 1 week check up (birth weight was 4285g she is now 4150g)

We have spent last week demand feeding and are now trying to get her into a 2 1/2 hour feeding routine so that hopfully she will start to sleep better at night time - 12.30 to 2am is NOT playtime Missy!  lol

Here are some piccies of our girl.

Hope all of the other July Mummys are well.