OK so I've finally got the wrap out and can type two handed again.
My membranes were swept on Friday and so I started feeling crampy but Saturday that started to wear off. Not one to give up we went to buy a Christmas tree and came back up a dirt track to get things moving. I also finally got the nerve to wash some baby clothes. Sods law says if you suddenly put the clothes in the washing machine you will go into labor instantly. Unfortunatly that didn't work!
Sunday afternoon I started to get that, 'I really think this is it' feeling. I didn't tell my OH and carried on as normal so that I didn't get my hopes up too much. Late afternoon early evening I admitted it was happening and it was time to get the TENS pads on. Pressure waves were increasing in intensity and regularity. So TENS on and I parked myself on my birth ball. Eventually I realised it was time to get the MP3 player on and listen to the easy first stage hypnobabies track, oh and check I had everything in my bag. My OH even had a shave so he wouldn't look quite so scruffy in the photos.
I was starting to really feel the pressure and having to really lie down during pressure waves. OH started to ask when we should go to hospital so I decided it was about time to time the pressure waves. They were coming at 5 mins appart so time to get in the shower and get ready to go. Things were intense in the shower as I had to take the TENS and mp3 player off.
We live 10 mins from the hospital and got there just before 1am on 14 December. Typically this little guys due date so I guess he'll be a punctual little guy. At L&D I got asked the most random question, why are you here. I checked I had a big belly, and then realised maybe they wanted me to say I'm at term and having pressure waves 5 mins appart for 1 min and have been doing for an hour.
I got put on the monitor so that meant no electrical appliances. MP3 and TENS off. Naturally the top band wasn't tight enough and registered the pressure waves as only being minor little blips. The band was tightened and I was given a glass of pineapple juice (non of this silly nil by mouth lark in Spain). Now things looked better, the pressure waves were peaking high and had the long plateau bit in the middle. So I got an internal and was supprisingly at 5cm. Considering my last birth was on pit for pre labor ROM I was suprised how easy a natural 5 was. Suddenly I realised this would be a walk in the park. I was given a gown and told I could put that on, or stay in my own clothes, or the gown plus my trousers, whatever I felt comfortable in. They're so lovely and mother friendly in Spain.
So I went back to my room and just sat on my birth ball. We got a last belly photo. I am amazed I could stand upright, my OH was right I went from looking like I was smuggling a beach ball to smuggling a birth ball.
We just sort of hung out a bit I turned the TENS up now and then and just got on with things. I started to get that, it's time to lie down on the bed feeling. Standing up really kicked the pressure off so I decided to quickly get on the bed and not start wandering around. As things were getting intense I started vocalising during pressure waves and sort of started feeling gentle pushy feelings. Naturally this was the next time to go on the monitor so again off with the electrical appliances. That was not fun at all. Once they were taken off I got everything turned on again very quickly. The doctor commented on how well I was coping and she wished everyone coped as well as me, and that her birth had been as calm. I told her the pushy feelings were really intensifying so I got checked and was at 9cm.
She walked in with documents to get my ID number and address and had a baby records book in her hand. I almost cried at that point as it just dawned on me I was soon going to be filling that ache for a baby in my arms.
The doctor told me I could push when I wanted but had to wait for her to come back. Next pressure wave I really did try not to push initially, but to be honest I decided if she wasn't quick with all the stuff that's her fault, I wanted to push. Oh that felt good, and I realised that a natural birth really is easy compared to pit. Last time I went natural with only gas and air and hypnobabies but it was intense. After a bit of pushing my waters exploded, I'm so glad they stayed intact until then and I will always take vit C during pregnancy in future.
Everyone started getting excited that his head was coming out, it took a bit to crown and he did have the cord round his neck so they had to get me to move my legs and really open my pelvis up. His head was out and I was nearly in tears, then the body slithered out. That feeling was amazing and I just felt amazing that there was a baby, a live baby, and it was outside. He was put straight on my chest and they started cleaning him to pink him up a bit. I didn't look at his face to begin with because I had to keep kissing the top of his head. I held onto him so tight and that feeling of having a little one in my arms was amazing.
Then it came to pushing out the placenta. I've always wondered how people could say they don't know how to push, but suddenly I forgot what to do. Had to experiment with a few muscles before I got the right ones! After the placenta was out they reminded me to start breastfeeding and just left us alone. I think we were along for an hour or more and he fed like a champ. I was even glad to be pooed on a bit because that must mean his digestion was kicking off and he'd had a good feed.
When they eventually took him for a bath I had a shower, naturally forgetting to use a pad to walk to the loo so it looked like a horror film. When he was back we had more photos and videos, I kept kissing his head just incase he didn't know how much I loved him. Then I wandered up to the ward. I felt so good I didn't even want a wheelchair.
Leo was born at 4.30am on Monday 14th Dec weighting in at 8.2lb, 3.73kg was 52cm 20.4" long and had a 36cm 14" head. He got a 9 on the Apgar. We stayed in hospital until Tuesday. The hospital is very breastfeeding friendly and there's no nursery at all. He didn't feed much more till late on Monday afternoon, but he was passing a fair bit of the meconium. After that was gone he never looked back. He feeds really well and is giving a good number of nappys.
I now feel fantastic and cannot believe how amazing it feels to finally be holding a baby again. His facial features and expresions remind us of Isabel a lot which can be hard at times. He's getting better at nighttime sleeping now, a couple of night he only wanted to sleep nuzzled up to my boob or on my chest. Hey I guess the guy knows what's important. Now he's sleeping with us but in a sleep positioner to stop him rolling.
Basically another successful natural birth in a Spanish hospital. The care here is amazing, the food is healthy and tasty, double rooms with en suite, breast feeding friendly and co-sleeping is not an issue.
My membranes were swept on Friday and so I started feeling crampy but Saturday that started to wear off. Not one to give up we went to buy a Christmas tree and came back up a dirt track to get things moving. I also finally got the nerve to wash some baby clothes. Sods law says if you suddenly put the clothes in the washing machine you will go into labor instantly. Unfortunatly that didn't work!
Sunday afternoon I started to get that, 'I really think this is it' feeling. I didn't tell my OH and carried on as normal so that I didn't get my hopes up too much. Late afternoon early evening I admitted it was happening and it was time to get the TENS pads on. Pressure waves were increasing in intensity and regularity. So TENS on and I parked myself on my birth ball. Eventually I realised it was time to get the MP3 player on and listen to the easy first stage hypnobabies track, oh and check I had everything in my bag. My OH even had a shave so he wouldn't look quite so scruffy in the photos.
I was starting to really feel the pressure and having to really lie down during pressure waves. OH started to ask when we should go to hospital so I decided it was about time to time the pressure waves. They were coming at 5 mins appart so time to get in the shower and get ready to go. Things were intense in the shower as I had to take the TENS and mp3 player off.
We live 10 mins from the hospital and got there just before 1am on 14 December. Typically this little guys due date so I guess he'll be a punctual little guy. At L&D I got asked the most random question, why are you here. I checked I had a big belly, and then realised maybe they wanted me to say I'm at term and having pressure waves 5 mins appart for 1 min and have been doing for an hour.
I got put on the monitor so that meant no electrical appliances. MP3 and TENS off. Naturally the top band wasn't tight enough and registered the pressure waves as only being minor little blips. The band was tightened and I was given a glass of pineapple juice (non of this silly nil by mouth lark in Spain). Now things looked better, the pressure waves were peaking high and had the long plateau bit in the middle. So I got an internal and was supprisingly at 5cm. Considering my last birth was on pit for pre labor ROM I was suprised how easy a natural 5 was. Suddenly I realised this would be a walk in the park. I was given a gown and told I could put that on, or stay in my own clothes, or the gown plus my trousers, whatever I felt comfortable in. They're so lovely and mother friendly in Spain.
So I went back to my room and just sat on my birth ball. We got a last belly photo. I am amazed I could stand upright, my OH was right I went from looking like I was smuggling a beach ball to smuggling a birth ball.
We just sort of hung out a bit I turned the TENS up now and then and just got on with things. I started to get that, it's time to lie down on the bed feeling. Standing up really kicked the pressure off so I decided to quickly get on the bed and not start wandering around. As things were getting intense I started vocalising during pressure waves and sort of started feeling gentle pushy feelings. Naturally this was the next time to go on the monitor so again off with the electrical appliances. That was not fun at all. Once they were taken off I got everything turned on again very quickly. The doctor commented on how well I was coping and she wished everyone coped as well as me, and that her birth had been as calm. I told her the pushy feelings were really intensifying so I got checked and was at 9cm.
She walked in with documents to get my ID number and address and had a baby records book in her hand. I almost cried at that point as it just dawned on me I was soon going to be filling that ache for a baby in my arms.
The doctor told me I could push when I wanted but had to wait for her to come back. Next pressure wave I really did try not to push initially, but to be honest I decided if she wasn't quick with all the stuff that's her fault, I wanted to push. Oh that felt good, and I realised that a natural birth really is easy compared to pit. Last time I went natural with only gas and air and hypnobabies but it was intense. After a bit of pushing my waters exploded, I'm so glad they stayed intact until then and I will always take vit C during pregnancy in future.
Everyone started getting excited that his head was coming out, it took a bit to crown and he did have the cord round his neck so they had to get me to move my legs and really open my pelvis up. His head was out and I was nearly in tears, then the body slithered out. That feeling was amazing and I just felt amazing that there was a baby, a live baby, and it was outside. He was put straight on my chest and they started cleaning him to pink him up a bit. I didn't look at his face to begin with because I had to keep kissing the top of his head. I held onto him so tight and that feeling of having a little one in my arms was amazing.
Then it came to pushing out the placenta. I've always wondered how people could say they don't know how to push, but suddenly I forgot what to do. Had to experiment with a few muscles before I got the right ones! After the placenta was out they reminded me to start breastfeeding and just left us alone. I think we were along for an hour or more and he fed like a champ. I was even glad to be pooed on a bit because that must mean his digestion was kicking off and he'd had a good feed.
When they eventually took him for a bath I had a shower, naturally forgetting to use a pad to walk to the loo so it looked like a horror film. When he was back we had more photos and videos, I kept kissing his head just incase he didn't know how much I loved him. Then I wandered up to the ward. I felt so good I didn't even want a wheelchair.
Leo was born at 4.30am on Monday 14th Dec weighting in at 8.2lb, 3.73kg was 52cm 20.4" long and had a 36cm 14" head. He got a 9 on the Apgar. We stayed in hospital until Tuesday. The hospital is very breastfeeding friendly and there's no nursery at all. He didn't feed much more till late on Monday afternoon, but he was passing a fair bit of the meconium. After that was gone he never looked back. He feeds really well and is giving a good number of nappys.
I now feel fantastic and cannot believe how amazing it feels to finally be holding a baby again. His facial features and expresions remind us of Isabel a lot which can be hard at times. He's getting better at nighttime sleeping now, a couple of night he only wanted to sleep nuzzled up to my boob or on my chest. Hey I guess the guy knows what's important. Now he's sleeping with us but in a sleep positioner to stop him rolling.
Basically another successful natural birth in a Spanish hospital. The care here is amazing, the food is healthy and tasty, double rooms with en suite, breast feeding friendly and co-sleeping is not an issue.
thank you for sharing
