Guest Blog: The Birth of Baby Number Three- By Hannah Dohoney

3rd baby (2 days late and planned pain relief)

I'm against the clock, it's christmas in less than a week and I have 2 toddlers. Both of my other babies were early so its typical that this one is late as I need it here before christmas.

Had a sweep a couple of days before due date by community midwife... not a thing. So go for one at the hospital at 10.30 am, my word she made my eyes water but nothing looks hopeful in their words 'unfavorable' so i head out feeling v.v.low.

spd and a possible prolapse have kept me in for over a month (never mind running after a 2 yr old and 3 yr old while heavily pregnant) and i am never in i like to be out about and busy. plus to add to the pressure my aunt has come over from guernsey to meet the new arrival-oops.

Anyway my Mum, Aunt, her hubby and My other Aunt come by the house in the afternoon to cheer me up as we sit chatting i get the normal tightenings but 'know' nothing will come of them as it's the same i had the week before. 

By 5.00 pm they are quite regular but deffinatly not close enough or strong enough to be labour i text hubby, nan and mum saying to pray it is the start of something speacial but don't hold their breath. at 5.30 i text hubby 'i think this may be the start don't rush home but be ready' (as he pulled up outside) 6 pm mum called by with dad they are doing the santa charity collect round my street that evening and call for a brew 1st. 

Told mum i think she may have to be called back but doubt it. at 7 hubby rings mum to come back its deffinatly the start, i dont think it will be any time soon but can she come put the older children to bed. she is here within seconds as she was only round the corner anyway, i tell her it will probably be hours and go in the bath, on getting out the bath i sit on the sofa and tell mum i will hold out until the children have seen santa on the sleigh (which i know will be 8pm) then speak to labour ward.

2 seconds later i feel a pop and know my waters have broke, on standing it's very clear they have so we rang labour ward and were told to come in.

My goodness once the waters had gone them pains came flying in and were strong. 8.15pm got to the labour ward and had to wait in the small waiting area there, gutted as there was another lady woman who was sat there for a check of some sort and i think i may have scared her to death scrunching up my face then getting on all 4's and having hubby rub my back, we went in to a delivery room and woo hoo 8-9 cm... oh no 'can i have a epidural' i couldnt as apparently the anesthetist  had to go to emergency surgery- hubby thinks this is a 'no hun your too far gone but i don't want to be the one to break your heart'- as i couldn't have epidural i did panic a bit and asked for the diamorphine which she gave me at around 9/9.30 I had been on the entonox until then and kept it with me to bite the tube through the birth. 

At 10pm my hubby was again left to announce we had a girl 8lb8oz of gorgeous baby girl and the best birth experience of my life...... so far.

By Hannah Dohoney


Thank you to Wikipedia links and dictionary.com for definition links. Thank you to Michaela, guest blogger and author.

Guest Blog: The Birth of Isabella Faye- By Michaela

The birth of my second daughter was such a relief. When I found out I was pregnant with Isabella, it was a complete shock. I was scared and to be honest didn't really want to look like one of them mums that had a million kids and a double buggy... But here I am anyway and very proud to be one. 

We knew from our 20 week scan, that what we were convinced was a little boy, whom we decided to called Jase, had now surprised us yet again, and was in fact a princess, whom we decided to call Isabella. I was quite adamant that I wanted her middle name to be Faye as I had liked it the first time round as our second choice. 

From this moment we were told she was a pretty big baby with an unusually large abdomen. (the belly is still here now 11 months on!) so we had plenty of growth scans with Bella. 

We also thought we had Placenta praevia but was lucky enough to come out on the safer side of things at 31 weeks. 

Now Bella was growing pretty big by this point, so at my 39 week consultant appointment I was a little more than forward, when I told them I wouldn't wait another 2 weeks before an induction. 

It was so, so hard looking after a baby and being heavily pregnant, as Olivia was only 13 months old when Bella joined us. So I got my wish and my induction was given for my due date of 23rd January 2011. 

I went in with all my bags packed and organised, I'd given Olivia a kiss goodbye and sent her off to her Nanna's, before having a little cry because we weren't going to have any real time alone together for months now. Feels quite silly now but still. And I arrived at the hospital to be shown to my bed, and left. Literally. They examined me and said I was more than favourable and about 1cm dilated and they left me to it. I was told by several midwives it would be happening in an hour, every hour. 

Come Tuesday afternoon I was on the verge of tears, so Mike brought Olivia in to see me, which didn't help my emotions but it was lovely to see her. Mike came and went throughout the day as there was no point in him sitting there before induction actually took place, so I waited and got fibbed off some more. 

Then Tuesday night about 8pm (ish) I started to get some contractions. With your second baby you seem to know what's going on a little quicker, so I went from my bed in the ward to the midwife on the front desk. 

She looked at me as if I was lying and clearly thought I just wanted starting off. I got the usual... Have a paracetamol and a bath. This just made the contractions a million times worse and I was literally screaming in the bath. The midwife let herself in and said the delivery suite were waiting for me. 

What a relief. 

I called Mike half naked and sobbing in the bathroom at about 11 o'clock and asked him to come down, as she was on her way. I was taken over to my room and was ready to undertake my second labour in 13 months. 

Mike got here and by this point I looked a mess. I'd had my diamorphine and gas and air, so was feeling a little high, so my mood was lifted. I left Mike in the corner with my hospital gown half open whilst going to the loo and said "you'll never see me this attractive ever again," I returned and labour progressed. I was examined and was already 8cm's dilated. I immediately Asked for the epidural after learning that Isabella was a big baby I wasn't taking my chances before it was too late. It was the same lady as last time. Labour slowed right down as did my contractions. I was given the drip to speed things up and my waters were broken. I was given a little drink of water whilst Mike was offered food! I was starving and this did not help my mood at all. He then sat in the corner for what seemed like hours listening to his iPod and falling asleep while i apparently snored away on the bed. 

Mike went to get food and then I got a new midwife, who must have read my notes and was very interested in my mums suicide, which was not particularly appropriate and rather awkward, but I guess it took my mind off things. About 9am I was then asked to start pushing as I was fully dilated. And just like before, I went hell for leather. And got nowhere, I'm clearly not cut out for that bit! 

The midwives told me they could see her coming but I had the most almighty pain which wasn't the baby on my left side, roughly by your ovaries. And I must have told them a hundred times but they didn't bother as she was nearly here. So I gave in and asked for a ventouse. A consultant who was a large Scottish lady came in and performed the ventouse to get Bella out. This must have taken about 3 or 4 pushes and a big and very sore tear and she was here. 

She was put straight on my chest and again I cried. And again I apparently made Mike cry. Men and denial eh. Mike cut the cord as he didn't get the chance to with Olivia, as the doctors didn't let him with our little struggle towards the end. Bella was weighed and pooed so all the mess was done with thank god. 

I was then bed bathed and stitched up while Mike held the baby and I texted everyone telling them she was here. 

Bella weighed 8lb 10oz and was born at 12:57pm. 

I was then put in a private room and it was visiting times so I had every bloody relative on standby coming and leaving literally in a queue to meet her. I have some lovely memories from this time and some beautiful pictures of Olivia meeting her little sister. And I am now done with labouring for the unforeseeable future :) x

By Michaela

Thank you to Wikipedia links and dictionary.com for definition links. Thank you to Michaela, guest blogger, Mum and author.

Guest Blog: The Birth of Olivia Rose- By Michaela

From the first scan we had of our little monkey we had already got her name picked out (Olivia-Rose) and from her due date if we had gone over our two weeks for induction it would have been Christmas eve which was pretty exciting!! She was planned and conceived pretty quickly so every week was super exciting.

I am a keen x factor watcher and made a joke that it would nice to watch the final with her. So, the x factor final comes December 13th 2009, and I am now 40 weeks, 3 days and 100% desperate to have this baby and have my body back to myself! I am watching the final rubbing my belly, no unusual pains or any indication of anything happening so I went for a good old soak (and sulk) in the bath.

I must have been there about 5 mins before I had my first proper contraction. People never believe you when they say you'll know it's a real one when it happens and I bloody did! I felt like my whole body was vibrating with pain. So after a deep sigh and hoping this was it I struggled out of the bath, feeling like a ten tonne elephant when out of the water. I got dressed, dragged my hospital bag down and went downstairs eagerly awaiting the next one. At this point my hair was sopping wet and I told a rather relaxed Mike what had happened. He said let's sit down and see what happens... Before he could finish the sentence I was well into my second whopping contraction, this took me off the sofa onto my knees laughing my head off. At this point I thought what's all the fuss?! Little did I know.

So we called labour ward and traipsed off down there hitting every possible speed bump on route, which was not pleasant! So at the labour ward I'm put in the delivery suite to be examined and I was about 5cm dilated. And the pain really was kicking in by now. I had been in labour since about 10pm and it was now 1.30am. So now is the time to take advantage of the free pain relief everyone was banging on about. Diamorphine and gas and air. I love you! An injection in my leg which felt like nothing and a bit of gas and air left me feeling very strange. I then vomited all over the midwife.

This was extremely embarrassing!

But I knew with the current situation in hand they were going to see an awful lot more than a bit of sick! So from this point on with copious amounts of gas and air was pretty much a haze.

I vaguely remember sitting in the rocking chair and having to stand their naked while they put me in a different gown because I threw up all over my own nighties. I also remember crying to Mike and apologising for asking for an epidural as I'd sworn blind throughout my whole pregnancy I didn't want one.

The anaesthetist was a small lady with big black dreadlocks and a really gruff voice. After that the next few hours may as well have not happened. Until the pushing and then I became a trooper! I pushed for an hour and a half and was getting nowhere. Literally. So in came what seemed like an army of midwives and doctors, and my legs going up into stirrups- attractive! And then the dreaded ventouse! That was awful. The pressure from that thing was unbelievable. It took about another ten mins with that and a rather nasty episiotomy (which mike nearly passed out from seeing!) and she was here at 5:41pm.

My first born. I was so amazed. I cried and cried. I even made mike cry apparently...nothing to do with his first daughter being born.. Haha yeah right. She was weighed and past to Mike as I requested him to get the first hold. I'm not sure why because I knew it was a crucial bonding moment and they all end up daddy's girls anyway, but I got evens with my second daughter :)

I then held my baby girl for what seemed like forever whilst being stitched up and managing a slice of jalapeno and pepperoni pizza brought in by my Dad who missed Olivia's birth by five minutes.

It really was horrendous. Almost 20 hours of labour and worth every second.

By Michaela

Thank you to Wikipedia links and dictionary.com for definition links. Thank you to Michaela, guest blogger and author.