Baby is HERE!

This is my birth story for our 3rd baby <3

So I didn't manage to beat the induction this time. I had thought I was starting on my own late Sun / early Mon, I even spoke to Delivery and based on my regular but mild contractions they had advised I get mum over to mind the kids and prepare to come in when the contractions got closer together... But they didn't. They stopped.

So Tue morning I packed the car, kissed the kids & my mum ta-ra, and me & Mark drove up the hospital for 8.30. They were packed out! I didn't get my 1st pessary until 4.15 that evening, and then it didn't work! I had the second at 11.45pm

Around 2am I was getting contractions that I was finally wanting to get some pain relief and asked for some paracetamol. At 3am I was timing contractions while walking round the day room, they were about 1.5 - 2.5 mins apart and really hurting. This was finally it! I was given a check at 4am and told I could call hubby back in, they were taking me to delivery!

I walked down instead of riding in my wheel chair, trying to speed things up a bit for baby who had still been high at an earlier check, so hubby arrived only moments after I did (we live close by, he got a taxi, and as I walked round the hospital I was having to stop for a contraction every 90 seconds, haha).

I was straight on the bed on all fours with my gas & air and in what felt like no time at all I was hurting enough to ask for my  meptid (no way I was leaving it too late this time) and something to stop it making me sick too - which they did.

I don't know what time it happened, but I was still on all fours when my waters went. This is the first time they've ever gone on their own for me! And they went with a proper BANG! Eek! But the pressure and pain that took off me was amazing! Shortly after the midwife asked me to turn on my back, baby was going to be born soon!

Pushing wasn't too bad... I feel I progressed pretty well without any more meptid, but I was still on the gas :) BUT it was a different when baby started to crown... I was in tears, begging for it to be over, haha! So much for being tough! I did tear though, 2nd degree again, so I think I'm allowed a little moan ;) I did push baby out though without intervention. Baby was born at 6.56am. Mark got to check the sex (boy...) And cut the cord. I got first cuddles, and daddy 2nd cuddles while I got my stitches.

While Mark was having his cuddle he was talking to baby, asking which name he liked best, Stanley James or George Stanley, and baby opened his eyes for the time to George. So that was his name settled :) George chose it himself.

He latched on for his first feed within the hour, and weighed in at 9lb 8 and-a-bit oz (so my guess that he would be between Jack & Tom was right). Even so he seemed soooo tiny! But beautiful and perfect in every way. He still does!

It's not all been simple though... I was hoping to get discharged the next day, but poor George had a faint heart murmur at his baby check, and a touch of jaundice too. It was a scary time, with my new baby being carted away at 10.30pm for an ECG at neonatal, that I didn't get to go with him for. He was gone an hour and screaming his head off when he came back... I dont think I put him down for the rest of the night.

By morning the murmur had gone. I cannot express how happy that made me, but the jaundice was still there. Another night at the hospital while they ran tests to see if it needed treating. But at least I got a visit from the GD Consultant, who admitted that my the current (new) parameters I would not have been considered even borderline GD based on my GTT with Tom. A small victory! However I will still be under the GD Clinic when we choose to have our next baby. But regardless of this good news, by now I'm getting very stressed and emotional. I've not seen Jack & Tom since Wed (they came to visit new baby, but cried when they had to leave without us so we didn't bring them in again, too distressing for them). By Friday I was losing the ability to cope and after being left for the whole day being told one moment I can go, the next that I cant, and then that no one knew, I lost it a bit. I asked what would happen if I just left and then burst into tears. Funny how a doctor appeared so quickly after that! He gave us the all clear and we practically ran out of the hospital before they could change their minds!

Coming home was brilliant though. Jack & Tom where waiting and even though they were so excited they were both so gentle with their new baby brother, stroking his hair, kissing him, and coming over to give him cuddles at every opportunity.

George is 5 days old today, he's still a bit orange but feeding well and starting to have longer periods of "awake time". Our family life has settled in to this new routine without any problems. Jack is back at nursery today, and I think once the midwife has been to give George his 5 day checks I might take him and Tom in to town.