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Due in March 2020 - Your labour and birth story thread - share your birth announcement here!

Hello everyone!

We thought it was time to kick off your very own labour and birth story thread for those of you in the Due in March 2020 birth club. 

Please use this thread to tell us all about your labour and birth, and your first moments with your newborn and we will come and shower you with congratulations! 

Plus, we also have two lovely gifts to give away, to two randomly selected members who share their labour and birth stories on this thread. We'll randomly pick two of you, once all the Due in March babies have arrived. 

Up for grabs is this Kura Wrap, worth £50 and Silent Night Blanket worth £14. 

Good luck everyone! We can't wait to hear all about your baby's first few moments!


Replies

  • Hello everyone! I might as well kick start this thread with my birth story which had been quite ok considering how much I’ve been through this pregnancy.... I was about to turn 39 weeks of pregnancy on Friday the 28th of February and started feeling a bit dizzy and had a constant headache so I thought I might as well use the blood pressure checking machine thingy and see how that’s going and I realised that it was on the high side... didn’t think much of it, as women’s blood pressure when pregnant is quite high anw so I thought to myself I’ll go to bed and it will all be ok in the morning. Well it wasn’t!! Woke up around 1am with an even banging head ache and when I checked my bp again it had went even higher! So I rang the triage number at the maternity unit I belong to and see if there is any reason to be worried... of course they asked me to come straight in to be checked... my bp was over the roof when I got there as I was anxious about what I’m going to be told... 
    they took the normal urine sample and put me on a monitor to see how baby was doing.. they checked my bp again and it had gone down considerably so they told me to go home and they’ll get in touch soon if there’s any problems. 
    On Sunday the 1st of March at 9:30 pm I got a phone call from a no ID number which I didn’t get to in time so I was left with a voicemail. It was the hospital asking me to go in for another round of check ups and monitor... to be told in the end that I have developed preeclampsia and I need to stay in for further monitoring and blood tests. In the end they suggested that since I’m 39 weeks pregnant to be induced which was exactly what I was trying to avoid because I was afraid of a long and painful process but in the end I had no choice but to go for it... They suggested a few methods but not all of them were suitable seeing the baby was quite high up and not engaged at all.. in the end they went for a tampon looking thing that released labour inducing hormones into my cervix. They put that in on Monday night at 9:30 pm and I went to sleep seeing I had a long day ahead of me. I didn’t feel much till next day on Tuesday at about 11:30 am when I had cramps but quite manageable.. at about 2 pm I felt a big painful kick in my tummy that made me get up and that’s when I felt a huuge gush of water coming through down my thighs. I was on the induction ward at the time, they checked me and said I’m 4-5 cm dilated and they called labour ward for transfer. I was already arranging epidurals with them and all that in between super strong and painful contractions when all of a sudden I felt the urge to push! I was shocked! Wasn’t ready for that! I panicked and went to the toilet as it was more private than the room I was in with 4 other women and their partners/friends/ whatever! One of the midwifes on the ward came and literally dragged me into the room where everyone was respectfully asked to leave and wait on the hallway while I was being dealt with!! I didn’t want to push! I was soooo scared and in sooo much pain and all my plans have been ruined 😂😂😂 
    obviously not wanting to push doesn’t work in labour as your body and urges make you do the opposite!! When I had my first son I had an epidural and of course felt nothing and giving birth was bliss! This time round it hit me hard and the realisation that a tiny human is coming out of me without any kind of pain relief made me freak out soo much! Obviously everyone on the ward knew a crazy woman is giving birth as I was shouting I’m not doing this please make it stop! Noooo I cannot do this! I think it took about 3 big pushes and a lot of blowing to get this little angel out! He was freaking out even more than I was bless him! Came out all purple and shocked because it happened so fast! It went from not engaged at all with a long hard cervix to pushing him out in only 40 minutes! 
    So Alexis Martyn Bell was born on Tuesday the 3rd of March at 2:39 pm weighing 8.6lb. Very traumatic experience for the both of us but sooo happy and satisfying in the end! We’re both still in hospital being monitored due to my preeclampsia but very well and healthy and can’t wait to go home and be reunited to the rest of our small family! 
    Sending all of you our love and hope you have the best experience giving birth to your little bundles of joy! 🥰🥰


  • So my labour pains started at 5am on Saturday 21st. I couldn't sleep. This went on till Monday 23rd by which time I had managed to doze for only a few minutes at a, time and in the process of using a hot water bottle to minimise pain burnt my belly. Tuesday 24th I went to assessment unit and got sent home till later that day when I was to turn up at 6 to be induced. When I got there I was observed and at 11.10pm they broke my waters. They ended up having to turn drip level down as my contractions were too regular. I used gas and air at this point. Later I had 1 shot of diamophine which ran out a couple of hours before I delivered. My husband thought I was amazing delivering with just gas and air. I needed medical assistance as baby and myself were in distress. I ended up with a episiotomy, forceps being used and hemoraging. I didn't find out till later the cord was wrapped around his little neck and he was all purple. My baby also ended up on special baby unit as his temperature was very low. I tried to go with him and proceeded to collapse. The staff were pumping blood out of me as a lay on the floor. I'm now OK and at  home but we had to stay in for a few days and I nearly ended up with a blood transfusion. Baby and I both love to cuddle in and I can't believe my little miricle is here and is now over a week old. 
  • I woke at about 5am on Saturday 22th with pains and pressure. This was the start of no sleep. I lay down to try to go to sleep and every time I would start to nod off I'd be awoken by this pain. At first I wasn't sure what they were. My husband went off to work his usual 12 hour shift and as they got closer together at lunch time I decided to use an app I'd downloaded and time them. I figured the pain was there for about 30 seconds. Turned out it was over a minute spaced less than 5 minutes apart. I got In touch with maternity unit who told me to come in. My hubby raced home and went in. As soon as we got there the contractions had slowed down and we were sent home and told to take paracetamol and use a hot water bottle. This resulted in no sleep for me and a burnt belly from one time I managed to drop off. By Monday 24th I was losing the will and was knackered. My husband and I went back in and we told to come back at 6pm for me to be induced. At 11.10 that night they broke my waters. I was determined to only use gas and air but opted for diamophine when the contractions started to get too regular. At which point they had to turn down the level of the drop. My diamophine ran out a couple of hours before I started to push. My baby started to become distressed so I ended up with a sensor on his head and a doctor and team being rushed in to help deliver my baby with forceps and I was given an episitomy. I was so scared to push but when I knew my baby was in distress I used all my might and 5 minutes later on Tuesday 25th February (pancake day) my little boy John Alan Smeaton Sinclair was born weighing 7llbs 15 ozs. I didn't knowuuntil a few days later he came out purple with the cord wrapped round his neck. He didn't cry just whimpered. I got to have skin to skin and feed him then he was taken away when they couldn't get a temperature reading. My little boy had hyperthermia. I wasn't doing much better as I had lost alot of blood and when I tried to go with him to special baby unit I collapsed and had staff pumping my belly to get rid of the build up of blood, we ended up having to stay in until baby boy got the all clear and finished his course of antibiotics. Luckily I didn't have to get a blood transfusion. We are all home now and having constant cuddles. My nipples are also thankful as my baby boy won't suck unless he is latched on correctly. After 15 years of trying my hubby and I now have our little family. 
  • So while I have a spare 15 minutes I thought I would write my birth story. It was a positive experience so wanted to share it help other mums who have had thoughts on how they want to give birth. Ps very long story. 

    So on Tuesday I was 3 days overdue. I had a sweep at the midwife appointment and booked in for a second one on the Friday. It was uncomfortable but not painful, cervix was soft but thick and 1cm dilated. The next day I lost some bloody mucus plug but no other signs. On the Thursday I started loosing lots more and was getting on off pains again nothing any stronger or closer together so by the time Friday hit I was fed up and desperate for the midwife to tell me I had made progress. She did the sweep which I didn’t feel a thing at all and she told me I was much the same apart from my cervix was slightly softer and central which was good. Later on in the day at 7 I started to get stronger twinges that actually felt a lot stronger whilst still loosing more plug, it got to the point I felt like I was definitely labouring but slowly, I couldn’t sleep at all that night, pains were every 10 minutes and getting stronger but no closer together. By 4am I called the birth center to ask advice as I’m gbs positive and knew I had to get into hospital in time but they told me to take some painkillers and try and go to sleep as they were very busy as it was and they thought I would be ages yet. I managed to go to sleep by 5am but was up 2 hours later with stronger pains but again no closer together. Tried to rest and sleep but couldn’t sleep so spent the morning in bed feeling fed up. By 2 the pains were just getting stronger and the contractions were starting to get closer to 6 minutes apart and I felt I needed my tens machine on. Got hubby to help me then called them again and explained, they decided to let me come in so they could check me. Decided not to call mother-in-law to make the long journey just yet to watch the kids until I was checked so we knew this was it. Got to the hospital just after 3pm and the midwife unit was dead, no one there, hubby dropped me off so I could be checked and went for a walk round the hospital with the kids. Was finally checked and with fingers crossed I was told I was 3cm and they agreed to let me stay and gave me my first lot of anti biotics through the drip. The midwives were amazing and said my kids could come in the room and stay there with hubby if they wished as there was no one else in. My kids had a blast looking around the room and were so good looking after mummy rubbing my back when the pains came and went whilst I started using gas and air by 4pm. By 5:30pm the pains were getting so intense and I was starting to find her dropping really low and was struggling to stay so calm in front of the kids, luckily by 5:45 mother in-law was half hour away so hubby took the kids to meet her at the house. Midwife then came in to keep me company and started listening to me labour to see if she thought I was in established labour and agreed after the first contraction I 100% was without needing to check me and said they would start running the pool for my first chance at a water birth Iv had since my first baby 9 years ago. Was led to the pool room at 6:30 and got into the water which was beyond amazing. I felt so much better immediately and so weightless. Hubby arrived just after 7:15 and probably at a good time as contractions were almost back to back and I could feel her head coming down to the point I knew I was close to pushing. The midwives were amazing at coaching me through the contractions and getting me to slow my breathing to help me relax. At 7:45 my body started pushing her out. I tried not to push too much and let my body do the pushing, at 7:55 with a huge pop my waters went, never experienced anything like it. The shear force of the pop really shocked me but at the same time felt so much better. Another two pushes her head was born with me just breathing her head out and finally the rest of her followed and she was born at 7:59pm with being in established labour for just under 2 hours. My quickest and best labour by far. My hubby was also amazed how much more positive The whole labour was compared to my last two. He’s squeamish but was amazed how clean the pool was, hardly any blood loss, cord was left to finish pulsating before cutting and I was asked to get out to deliver the placenta which took a little longer than the last two. Was examined and I knew they would confirm but I didn’t get away with it and had a third 2nd degree tear, they said it was very minor but was probably best I had stitches to make me heal faster. Baby took straight to the breast and fed like a pro straight away, we were left for 15 minutes to have some family time before being moved to my first room I was in to wait to be stitched. Was just as uncomfortable as I remember but I managed it. Had a quick shower and freshen up before having the most amazing toast and tea in our quiet room before being moved to the ward. Where we stayed for 24 hours for obs on baby due to gbs and all was fine and we were let home by 9pm on Sunday. First night has been hard work, she is cluster feeding something I never experienced with my first two at newborn age and oh my word I’m a human dummy and she does not sleep on her back at all at home, hoping things do get easier. I’m so glad she is here safe and sound and I’m pleased to say it’s my last one I’m never going through all that again. 

    I hope everyone else gets the birth they want especially if you want a water birth. By far the most amazing, I only wish I had had the chance with my last two. 

    Middle names subject to change as not sure on the order yet but here is: 

    Matilda Avery Marcia Carol Spear. 6lbs 13oz. 7th March (sharing the same birthday as mum who turned 60 on the same day, 60 years and 30 minutes between them both) 




  • I was a lucky girl I had no problems throughout my whole pregnancy until I hit 38weeks but I can’t complain I only got heart burn 💞 on Friday 6th (due date) I went for a midwife appointment where I had a sweep I then lost some of my mucus plug Saturday morning but had no other signs. Had a bath and got in bed to watch Saturday night take away and thought I had wet myself!! Took me all the way until the end of SNTA to decide if it was my waters breaking or not as it was nothing like I was expecting and everyone I asked only lost their waters when I Labour. Went to the hospital to get checked and it certainly was my waters. So 24hrs later I had to go back to be induced
    (my worst nightmare 😔 because I really wanted a Water birth) so off I go to the hospital on Sunday 8th at 6.30pm to start my induction. I had to be monitored on the bed for 2hrs so this was perfect timing for me as i really didn’t want to miss dancing on ice the final! So payed for the tv and put everything to the back of my mind to watch dancing on ice. Around 10.30 I start getting pains so put my tens machine on (worked a treat) and bounced around on the ball watching tv with my mum and partner. Keep telling mum to go to sleep but she wouldn’t 😂 by 12.30 pain was getting really intense and I wanted gas and air but they couldn’t give it to me until they had checked me over. So got hooked back up to the machine to tell me I was in active labour. My partner then asked if it is ever possible for a water birth with inductions and they said yes as long as you don’t have anything in your cannula then you can get in the pool! I was so excited my dream of a water birth was back on the cards! So we change room to the birthing room and I get hooked up to the wireless machine ( 3rd time lucky as the machines were new and wasn’t playing ball) I jump in the wall and get given gas and air at last!! I had my eyes closed from this moment onwards! I was in my own little zone I forgot about everyone else! My partner sat behind me and my mum was giving me encouraging words. Apparently every contraction made me go like a frog and I was getting everyone wet 😂 the whole time I was in the pool the machine was playing up and they wasn’t happy about my baby’s heart beat because it wasn’t getting picked up enough so the worst news come to me telling me I had to get out the pool at about 3am. I knew it was all for good reasons so everything my midwife was telling me I just did. So out I get and all I remember saying is I refuse to get on the bed as I watched my sister go through an awful birth because she was stuck on the bed. So I get on my knees and roll back and forward over a ball! It was actually really nice. Typically as my midwife was going to go on her break the pushing started to happen so the lady that come to cover her ended up helping out instead. In the end I had 3 midwifes all helping me out as the new machine still wasn’t picking up my baby’s heart rate on the machine but I wasn’t worried because you could still hear it loud and clear. I remember saying something funny to my partner and everyone thought I was just out of it from gas and air but I still remember 😂😂 eventually after just over an hour of pushing my baby girl was out!! Tilly Rose Long was born at 4.38am on the 9th March! And on that same day my partner asked me to become his wife 🥰 it was all so overwhelming and beautiful and to be honest I’m so proud of myself and can say I have a positive induction story to tell, so don’t listen to everyone else’s story’s of an induction being a bad thing and listen to your body because you can do it!! 
    GIRLPOWER!! 

    We are all incredible women for doing what we do!! 

    Here are so pictures from my story! 

  • So our birth story, had a obstetrician appointment on sunday 15th march which then decided to move the elective caesarean to the 16th as they had a slot free and I had developed papillodema and would loose my vision if left to long. So we can in on the 16th March was prepped and went down about 10:30am to theatre where I was put under general anaesthetic. The surgery went great, I couldnt have asked for a better team to do it, already being a nervous patient just from being in the hospital, they helped me to not panic. 

    At 11:11am ABIGAIL VICTORIA BLAKE-HITCH was born weighing 5lbs 7ozs. She was checked by Paeds which found no issues or problems with her at all then she was taken to my partner in recovery while I was stitched up. I came round at about 1:10pm in recovery and was then taken to our side room where we have been since, she has has upper respiratory problem which we was told were normal in csection babies it resolved itself in 48 hours, then she got jaundice and had to be put in a uv light box for 24 hours. She has just had her bloods done since coming off the uv light, if her levels are decreasing then we can go home tomorrow.
    She is perfect and the most precious thing in the world it is hard to believe that she was inside me. We are both doing well and on the way to a clean bill of health. My partner has been fantastic and has not left our side the whole time, he already totally dotes his daughter so much. I am lucky to have them both in life. 
    Thank you to everyone in this group for support over these months and good luck to all those waiting to meet their babies and congratulations to those who have had there babies. Now onto the next chapter of our lives as mummy's.
  • Hello!
    my birth story whilst the little milk monster is sucking!
    well first of all, he’s a longed for baby as we tried for 5 years, one IVF failed and found out my eggs were too old so moved to donor egg. Somehow it worked first time!
    little man was breach so we had to schedule a c section as I didn’t want them to try and move him manually as to me he was happy there and he was big!
    Turned up on the 17th of March bright an early to find out we were first on the list.
    Got taken down to the anaesthetic room to get the cannula in, think half the time this is the worst part!
    walked into the theatre and started being prepped. Everyone was lovely explaining everything and all I really felt when the spinal went in was a few pushes.
    got laid down and they checked a few times with the cold spray to make sure I couldnt feel anything.
    i could still move my legs which was slightly worrying but thought they are checking with the spray all is good...
    They didn’t check again and I opened my eyes and could see in the reflection of the lights that we were on the way. Took what seemed like ages to open me up. But oh my god, didn’t realise how much pushing down on my stomach it would take to prise him out!! Eventually after about 20 mins he was out. Screen came down so I could see him and he’d poohed everywhere due to the amount of pressure on him to get him out.
    They started to sew me up but I could feel everything, I have a high pain threshold and thought I’d be okay. But once they’d started the stitches on the outside I could feel everything! They gave me more painkillers and the next thing I know was loads of people around me and checking me. Found out afterwards that I had stopped breathing for a few seconds and probably had a reaction to the extra drugs! Scott got kicked out until they sorted me out and he thought I’d died! 
    He got brought back in to see me and I refused the general anaesthetic and told them to just get on with it.
    Got taken to recovery and once down in the ward all was good.
    Anethetist came down to apologies to me and for the pain. Seemingly this kind of thing can happen and they think it was due to the spinal not sitting correctly in my spine and didn’t disseminate properly! Thanks for that! But after an extended stay we eventually escaped after 4 days because we had a jobs worth midwife who wouldn’t let us go.
    So our little man Logan Taylor Nuttall was born at 0917, at 8lbs 7oz on the 17th of March!


  • my birth story.
    i started to lose my mucus plug on the 22nd, and had contractions irregular all through the day. They start to get regular from Aron 6.30pm that day. At midnight on the 23rd phoned the hospital as they were getting mores regular and lasting longer they brought me in and did a check I found out I was 3cm at 2am they did another check at 6am to find that there was no change. They sent me home to wait to see what happens at home.
    at 12pm I phoned back up as they had got rather a lot stronger and lasting much longer.
    I got back there and they took me to a delivery room. My husband had just arrived at 1.05pm midwife had no chance to look at my records or do any checks on me as 10 mins later Oliver Declan Murphy had made his appearance at 1.17pm weighing just under 8ib 3oz. We were discharged from hospital at around 8pm that day.
    daniel is smitten with him.

  • Hi ladies hope you are all well. I thought I would update my birth story seeing as both my boys are napping.

    I was woken with some mild and irregular period pains on Saturday the 21st of March around 1am and I wasnt too sure weather it may be the start of something or not. I sent my partner to work and asked my mum to come over and help me with my toddler. The pains eased around 10am so I had a nice bath with some clary sage and soon after they picked up again. My contractions were fairly irregular and varied in strength but but by about half 9 in the evening after a few laps round the block we called the hospital as I had a delayed labour with my first and that was something my consultant wanted to avoid this time. When I got there i was examined and was 6cm. I cried with joy as I was in labour for days before I got to 6cm last time.  

    I went straight up to delivery and tried the pool as I didnt want any pain relief. I didnt like the gas and air with my first birth, i definitely didn't want the epidural again because I hated the catheter and I didn't want the side effects of the pethadine 🤦‍♀️

    At 8cm my waters were broken and soon after I was begging for the epidural haha. We went from the pool room back to the normal room so I could have the epidural but on monitoring they couldnt find the babys heartbeat so all off a sudden everyone and his wife was in the room telling me to get on my side and lift my legs up. They pushed the gas and air at me and said it's tough I need to do it because the baby was ready to be born and he had to get out quickly. So they put a probe on his head and used the vontouse to get him out. 

    It was very quick from 8cm untill he was out and the little munchkin had the cord around his neck so had a little trouble with his breathing to start with, but he was absolutely fine and a lovely 6lbs 9 just like his brother. He was born at 0410 on Mothers day. Best mothers day present ever!! Here is a pic of my little Rex ❤




  • @DanielleMFM did we ever find out who won the prizes 🥰. Hope everyone’s baby’s are doing well! Just popped on to save my birth story for myself so I don’t forget 🙈🧡
  • Amie-o3 said:
    @DanielleMFM did we ever find out who won the prizes 🥰. Hope everyone’s baby’s are doing well! Just popped on to save my birth story for myself so I don’t forget 🙈🧡
    Hi @Amie-o3 how lovely to see your name pop up! How are you guys doing? 
    We never picked a winner for posting the birth stories, as we're still not allowed back into our office, where the gifts are 😫What a sorry state of affairs! 
    But if we ever get back into the office, this will be one of the first things we do. 
  • @DanielleMFM we are doing great Thankyou! Oh no what a shame! Covid has well and truly written this year off for many people!! 

    Hope everyone is staying safe 🥰
  • MrsS35MrsS35 Regular
    edited Sep 25, 2020 5:17PM
    My little one is now 7 month old today. Back to work next Wednesday. I'm gutted. Hoping I win the lottery before then or inherit a fortune from some distant but loaded relative I never knew I had. 
  • @MrsS35 the time has gone so fast!! I’m going back the week before Christmas but have been doing my KIT days. Not looking forward to leaving my baby for 13hrs a day! 
    Hope work goes well for you xx

  • I didn't even know. My manager phoned me once for a few minutes the whole time I've been off. Luckily I can work from home but don't know if it will be more difficult hearing him but not being able to console him when he gets upset. At least I can carry on breastfeeding. 
  • Hi ladies. Hope you are well. I can't believe that babies are 6 months and over its mental how quickly it has gone. I can't believe some of you are nearly back at work. That's crazy. I'm lucky as my maternity runs out at the end of Nov but I will take annual leave through to January. That will then leave me with about 8/9 day of leave to take between Jan and the end of March. 
    Hows weaning going for everyone? My little loves his food. X

  • MrsS35MrsS35 Regular
    edited Sep 26, 2020 8:42AM
    started feeding my little man at 4 months. He loves it but I'm quite hesitant about finger food and not surd what to give him. Still no teeth but teething really bad. 
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