"Because you don't notice the light without a bit of shadow. Everything has both dark and light. You have to play with it until you get it exactly right."
Hey guys n gals. We got home yesterday with baby. She had a touch of jaundice and i had a touch of 'scrape-me-off-the-floor-coz-i'm-melting-down' because it seemed everything was going wrong. There's a lot of time to think in hospital. The jaundice was more than likely caused by the toruble we had establishing feeds. we have switched over to formula so we could flush out her system. We had to stay overnight in a room with a phototherapy unit, chloe had to be nakey (including her nappy) apart from a pair of goggles (which slipped every time she moved) and we weren't allowed to get her out until she needed feeding. She seemingly recovered and we got sent home. This morning she is yellow again... we'll see what the midwife says when she visits. So yah, very tired, very worried and hoping i don't have to go back to hospital with her.
The Labour:
I got out of a bath at 3:30am on saturday morning, lifted one leg onto the side of the bath to dry between my toes and my waters broke. We went down to the hospital to get checked fully expecting to be sent home again. I was on a contraction monitor for an hour and there were little to no contractions. I only had a slighty period pain (except period pain is MUCH worse!!). The midwife was about to send me home but decided to examine me - 'just in case'. I was 4cm dialted! I was given some gas and air and it made me feel very drunk/light headed but i think the mix was wrong, too much laughing gas because I was giggly between contractions!
I got sent to main delivery, where a post-natal midwife was borrowed to look after me (very busy!). The procedure is generally to re-examine after 4hours to see what progress has been made. The dr arrived after 3hours so they decided to bring the exam forward and make a birthplan there and then. I was still only 4cm and on gas and air for the pain. The gas and air in main delivery tasted different, and the woozy feeling had worn off. It was a struggle between breathing deeply on the mix and catching my breath between (not enough oxygen in the mix).
I was put on a syntocin drip which they increase every hour. 1ml/hour, then 2ml/hour, then 4ml, 8ml, 12ml and then the measurements change. I only got as far as 2ml an hour when I had a 10min contraction (realistically was probably a few contractions close together). I was being sick with not able to catch my breath. The midwife warned that I would be pushing for at least an hour. I decided I wouldn't have the strength to do that with the contractions being so hard. I had an epidural. The midwife palpated my stomach and decided since the baby wasn't engaged I would have plenty of time for the epiduaral to take effect and for the contractions to come back (having an epidural makes contractions stop or at least weaken and they have a policy of not letting you push for an hour after having the epidural so you don't get stuck halfway through the delivery). The epidural takes about 30mins to kick in completley and just as the anaesthetist left I told my midwife 'I want to push'. She quickly examined me and realised that despite baby being completley un-engaged 10mins ago, I was not fully effacted, fully dialated and ready to give birth.
I had to wait an hour to start pushing - but I was having a whale of a time. No pain, just funny fluttery feelings when the contractions took hold. Matt and I had a rest and a cuddle for a bit. When the contractions picked up strength the midwife told me how to push.. 3 pushes to 1 contraction.
within 15mins the head was seen - i was told it would be at least 50mins before the head would be there!
The next contraction saw the baby's head halfway out and the midwife panicking saying 'pant mand - I haven't got the delivery kit open yet - let alone got my gloves on!' So I panted and she explained the head would come with the next contraction, then I needed to pant through the next one - no pushing allowed - to allow her to manouver the shoulders out then the next would see her being born. THe next contraction came, I didn't push but the baby slid out effortlessly. I got a 2nd degree tear but I couldn't feel it due to the epidural.
So i was in labout for a total of 9 hours 30mins (from waters breaking) and only 5hours from being 4cm (an hour of that was spent waiting for the contractions to pick up after the epidural). It took 10mins to deliver the placenta.
I would happily give birth again. But not so sure I would want the pregnancy again. So hehe all you mother's get jealous - I had an easy delivery! Did all the hard work (dialating) on my own (gas and air) and had none of the pain whilst I pushed. was a dream come true. Baby is so content. And everyone says she's a beauty. will post more pics in a min.
Mand, South Wales, Full-time working, single mother to 2 scarily independent girls.
I AM A PROUD PLUMERIA SISTER
Hurrah, congrats Mandy, she has your cheeks.
I don't think I've ever seen anyone look as pale as you do in those pictures though, did you get a pool of Daz?
Also:
Am I the only one who noticed the nurse in the background, she's HOOOOOOT!
Congratulations both of you, she is absolutely gorgeous.
Mand I hope you're a bit more comfortable now!
Hope things go ok with the feeding and everything, take care both of you and try not to worry and remember no matter how scary it is others have done it before you so professionals know what they are doing, even if they don't look like it sometimes.
And she really is something to be proud of! She's gorgeous.
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Congratulations!!! 
The pics actually bought tears to my eyes...she's gorgeous 
