Well here it is at last, would have been sooner but laptop has been broken.  It’s a bit war and peace like, but enjoy!!

It all started on the 29th November, during the morning I had had some uncomfortable tightenings, was hoping this was the start of things but wasn’t holding my breath! Midwife came about 1pm to give me my second sweep and after that tightenings were getting a bit more uncomfy. I had a sleep in the afternoon and woke up about 5:30 to regular contractions, still not too painful, but coming pretty regulary.

At about 7, I told Rich we should check everything needed for the pool, luckily we did, as we found out the hose wasn’t quite long enough, so at 7:30 we went to Wickes to buy another hose to join onto the end. Had to stop outside for a second whislt having a contraction, was pretty funny. I called my Mum and said this was probably it and said I would speak to her in an hour or so to tell her whether she should come over or not.

An hour later contraction were still very regular so said she should probably come over anyway, as if it turned out to be nothing she could go to work from ours in the morning anyway.

At about 8:30 put Maddy to bed, hoping that when she woke up in the morning she’d have a baby sister!! COntractions we about every 8-9 mins lasting around 40 secs by then, still pretty bearable though. My mum turned up about 9pm, she didn’t really like seeing me having contractions, but kept telling her to chill, and joked about what it would be like when they really started to hurt!

About 9:15 I phoned delivery suite, just to warn them things were happening, they asked some questions and said to call back if anything got worse, but about 10 mins later the on call midwife phoned me and said she would pop round anyway, so that we could chat before things got too painful and she knew where I lived etc. She arrived about 10pm with a student, went through all the equipment and paperwork etc did another sweep, only 3cm though, which I wasn’t too suprised about as contractions weren’t very strong still. The midwives left and we settled down to wait!

About 12pm I suggested we start putting up the pool ready, so Rich got on the case and got filling the pool, by then contractions coming about every 3-5 mins still only lasting 40 secs and bearable. We phoned Rich’s Mum to let her know what was going on, and said if she wanted to be there for the birth to come up, she got here about 1:15

At about 1:30, the contractions are really regular, getting a bit more painful and lasting almost a minute each, so phoned the midwife back to let her know, she said she would come round.

About 2pm she turned up with the student again, and about 20 mins later another midwife came. Still managing to breath through contractions, but the seniour midwife suggested I get in the pool (first mistake I think, getting in too early) was doing ok floating about in the water, then felt a pop, and thought my waters had gone, midwives weren’t sure though as there seemed to be nothing in the water, but contractions were getting more painful so I was quite sure they had gone. Started on the gas and air shortly after that (second mistake, but the senior midwife again was the one that suggested it) and things were doing fine. As the canister started getting empty, the midwife went off to the hospital to pick up some more gas and air, and mine ran out while she was out!! but shortly after she got back I was on it again.

Things were very painful by now, but I was managing just fine…then disaster struck! first of the new canisters of gas and air ran out, and as she went to change the hose to a new one, she couldn’t get the hose out!! So she kept fiddling, and I kept struggling on, Rich had a go, and so did the other midwives, I was begging Rich by this stage to fix it!! Poor thing, he tried his hardest, but was not to be. I’d spent about an hour with no pain relief and was really starting to struggle. The asked me to get out to be examined, and to my horror I was only 5cm, the baby was back to back, and head wasn’t in a good position, and then they explained I’d have no gas and air for the rest of the labour! So they suggested I went into hospital and I agreed.

Ambulance was called and I got dressed (with difficulty) and packed a hospital bag. Got to hospital about 7:30, Rich and Mum came with me, and Jill stayed to look after Maddy.

I was in a bit of a state by now, and was pretty much begging for an epidural, but got fobbed off for 2 hours, because of firstly midwife change over, then doctor change over etc etc. They monitored baby, and heart rate was dropping after each contraction, same as what happened with Maddy.

About 9:30 I got the epidural, was heaven! Then me, Rich and Mum all had a sleep, was lovely! Especially as Rich had been puking the whole time we had been at the hospital, he really doesn’t like to see me in pain! Bless him The next few hours were a bit of a daze, at one point there was about 8 people in the room, midwives, doctors etc, a bit worried about the heart rate, so they attached something to bub’s head to check she wasn’t in distress and thankfully she was ok.

About 12:30 they examined me and said I was fully dialeted and could start to push, woke Rich up and movd me to a more upright position. Pushed for what seemed like ages, with the midwife telling me when contractions were coming. after about 30 mins, head was starting to show, Mum and Rich were amazed, she had tonnes of hair, and they said I should have a feel of her head, and I did, was very weird. Head didn’t really wanna come out though, so they got the doctor in to use a ventose, but when she saw how far out she was she said it wasnt worth it. So with some more effort from me I pushed her out! Cord was wrapped around her neck, which explained when she had a struggle coming out, but she was given straight to me, and was amazing! Also no tears! just a couple of grazes, hooray!

Jessica Jill Green, born at 13:10 on the 30th November, 7lb 11oz.

So we all just looked at her for ages, they cleaned her up a bit and I started feeding her straight away. Not the birth I had planned at all, but she is here and she is lovely. I think if the gas and air hadn’t of broken, I could have managed at home and I’m very dissapointed they didn’t go and get another hose, but there’s always next time to try and get it right