Welcome to the world Blossom Iris Edie!
I can't believe she is finally here!
As you can imagine life has been one big whirlwind. It is only now Blossom has reached the ripe old age of 3 weeks that I feel I can pause to catch my breath.
I need to apologise though.Sorry.
I have been a crap blogger. But my excuse is valid. I can only describe what I have been doing as this, living the moment instead of blogging about it, due to no time because of the previously mentioned, ahem, living thing.
But now I shall get my blogging mojo back. Starting with Blossoms birth story, So here goes!
As you all know I had been working my little( ok not so little) tushy off in the lead up to Blossoms birth to get my childcare course completed 7 months early. My gorgeous Husband had also been working pretty damn hard studying for hios Sargeants exam. There had also been some serious house decorating and nesting organistaion going on aswell as evil SPD and carpul tunnel syndrome (crappy side effects of my pregnancy) this is added to the usual tiredness that goes with pregnancy and the daily exhaustion of looking after my headstrong toddler Monty.
I look back and think phew!
So my labour twinges started on the 9th March, late afternoon, I sneakily kept completely schtum about this fact as I knew if I went to college that evening I could complete the course, as I had handed my last unit in the week before and wanted to work on any feedback I had. I remember feeling odd back ache and like I was slowly wetting myself. I knew it was starting as I had the exact same feeling with Monty when my labour was starting.
I commented to J that I thought our little girl would be here by the end of the week(it was Tuesday) and we both breathed a sigh of relief that she had waited till he had taken his exam (which he had earlier that day!) I didn't let on it would be sooner rather than later. I went to college. Completed and came home. Mild contractions started in the car on the way back. Within minutes of me getting home I had my pyjamas on and got into bed. I knew I needed to be resting before things really got going. I told James. He hoovered and ironed like a nesting female!!!
I started tweeting to take my mind off it and watched, ironically, One born every minute!!! I called my Mum to prepare her as she was going to be at the birth, and also needed to let my Nan and Grandad know as they would be having Monty.
By 10pm I had had a 'show' and contractions were getting more 'real.'
I went to sleep listening to my TUMS2MUMS hypnobirthing mp3s. I had been listening to these for a few months. Little did I know what an amazing effect they would have on my labour.
By early hours of the next morning I was in pain, and the contractions were regular. Mum, Nan and Grandad came over and J ,Mum and I made our way to hospital.
This is the worst part of labour I think as you arrive at hospital and all you can hear echoing round the corridors is women screaming in agony. I went into my nice cosy room, changed into my labour 'outfit!' and was examined. Not even dilated. For fucks sake!
Back home we all try to rest! Hah!
Dany Griffiths (of Tums2Mums) voice is on a loop on my ipod, the house snores. I have very irregular contractions and generally feel like crap. The tens is annoying me and my hair looks crap. I fume at not having painted my toenails.
By the next morning it feels like it's all stopped. I needed the contractions to get as close as 3mins apart befre it would be a serious option for me to go back into hospital. I was having maybe 1 or 2 every half hour. J even went into work (to be sent home again)
By 4pm J and I order pizza and I have had a bath and got my tens back on as things were starting again, slowly, the contractions starting to intensify.
Then all of sudden at around 5pm the contractions suddenly get so sharp, and literally coming every 2 minutes.
I am screaming at the top of my voice, wailing :
''HELP ME ...HEEEEEEEELPPPP MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!''
I distinctly remember being on my upstairs landing holding the banister for dear life.
We call the hospital and agree to come in although they ''are very busy!''
We leave the house just after 6pm, and as I get in the car I feel pressure in my pelvis, I tell J to ''just DRIVE!'' and secretly thank my lucky stars he is a police driver and knows how to get from a to b, lets say.... efficiently!
This is where it all gets a bit surreal. We arrive at the hospital, I stagger to the labour ward and get seen by the lovliest midwife. I am plopped on a birthing ball which feels fabulous as it takes all the pressure away and start my gas and air. Amazing stuff.
Suddenly the contactions are coming so quick and fast I can hardly feel a gap and I start to panic and mumble about an epidural, then I bark
'' get my shoulders down, calm me down, I am panicking, it's making it hurt more...hand me my ipod''
bless, as if I am going to listen to my ipod now, but I guess in my mind I was trying to gain control of the situation and at the time I thought listening to my hypno was a sensible option. My midwife , who knew best at the time whispers to J that this baby is coming quickly and asks to examine me. I thought hah! I know her game, she is trying to make me think the baby is coming but it is ages yet. I tell her to hurry up so she can examine between contractions, and plead with her to please tell me I am dilated.
I will never forget that moment as she said
''dilated?? you need to start pushing!''
So I am thrust onto my knees, clinging onto the back of the bed, sucking the gas and air and floating around as high as a kite. It all became intensly surreal, I could hear her voice guiding me through it, but my body completely took over, I could hear J encouraging me, and in the back of my mind I had the hypnotherapy whirring round in my head. I felt like I was on the ceiling looking down on myself and I remember saying
''I get it, I understand''
as I was pushing, and the midwife laughed as she agreed, as at this point I had nearly pushed out Blossoms head, one last push and then the panting to let the body come out and whoosh! Blossom is passed between my legs to me. She sounded like a seagull, was covered in yuck but was and is immensely beautiful.
So there we have it. Blossom Iris Edie was born at 6.49pm, no more than half an hour after entering the hospital. She weighed 6llb 7oz.
The whole experience was amazing enough to give me goose bumps even as I write this. Ireally want to thank Dany for introducing me to hypnobirthing, I may have been a bit sceptical in the beginning but oh my, it is fantastic!
I look at her and I look at Monty and I never knew how much love a human heart can hold. A whole lot apparently.
xxxxx
