Finally! My BA!

Hello ladies!

Long time no chat, it's ages since I've been on here! Hope you and all your little ones are well.

I gave birth to a little boy called Arthur Joseph 10 days ago. He was 17 days overdue and a bit too comfy. I didn't get the homebirth I wanted as I had to be induced, I'd tried everything from castor oil to a 5 mile walk to start labour off but nothing was happening (despite me being 3cm dilated with a Bishops score of 8 at my second sweep - I was even having painless contractions every 4 mins at that point!).

After 10 hours of labour using TENS and gas and air with a couple of hours in the bath I pushed for an hour but then had to rest for 20 mins as there was an anterior lip still in the way. I then pushed for a while longer (all a bit of a blur so don't know how long) before the consultant said the baby's head was at a funny angle and we should try forceps. So I was wheeled into theatre with hubby in scrubs and my mum left behind crying, bless her, where they tried forceps but this just resulted in Arthur getting a nice big bruise on his face so then it we had to go for a C-section. It wasn't quite the birth I envisaged but I really didn't care when we heard that first mewling sound, how wonderful! He wasn't in distress at any point and had an AGPAR score of 9 so perhaps the hypnobirthing techniques did something as he was certainly getting enough oxygen.

He was 8lb11 with a pretty big head and looked rather battered when he first appeared but we think he is the more gorgeous creature ever! He's been really good so far, in fact we took him to a family party last night and he was passed round everyone without making a fuss, then went 7 hours between feeds!! We've had loads of visitors since he was born, hence the delay in me getting on here. I thought I'd be laid up and knackered but have felt great apart from sore nipples!

Hope to be chatting to you all a lot more again now since I'll be at home on my own from tomorrow!

xxxxx