So as I was 40 weeks plus 6 days, my new bundle of joy arrived.
With all the pain and suffering that is going on around the world, especially what children and mothers go through, it is incredible, how the birth of a new one can bring so much happiness, joy and most importantly hope for the future. It really does. I just hope and pray that all the suffering that the children and mothers go through come to an abrupt end sooner than soon.
When I was about 40 weeks plus 4 days, I finally started feeling a bit different; some tightening in my belly though not painful. I even slept through those contractions without a problem even though in my dreams I continued having them. At about 1:30 AM on the plus 6th day, I woke up with contractions, through which I could not sleep through.
I went downstairs to the kitchen and got into a comfortable position with the exercise ball and started observing the frequency of the contractions, which were already three 1 minute lasting ones every 10 minutes. They were painful but not to a degree to which I could not bare. Nevertheless, I called the hospital at 3 AM and was told to wait another couple of hours. So I drew myself a warm bath all the while my husband and first one were sleeping through the entire episode. I sat in the bath for an hour, which really helped me cope with the pain.
By 4:30 AM contractions were stronger and I felt the urge to moan during them. By this time, I had dressed myself, put on some make up, took my hospital suitcase out. I called the hospital again and was told to come over at 6 AM. However, I knew that I could not wait that long. I really wish I could because I didn't want to wake up my husband and daughter, who was due to go to nursery at 7:30 AM anyway. I tried everything in my power to delay things, so we could just drop her off at the nursery and then go to the hospital. At that time of the night, I thought it was unnecessary to wake up our friends who were waiting on stand by to mind our first one. I thought that if she didn't see me or her father in the morning, she would panic and cry and it would be too difficult for our friends to handle her. So I decided to call a cab and leave for the hospital very quietly. I thought that as I would get epidural, labour would slow down and that my husband would still make it to birth after dropping her at the nursery.
The cab arrived in 5 minutes and I was at the hospital by 5:30 AM. Making to the labour ward wasn't easy. I had to make a few stops as I was contracting. It turned out that I was dilating very fast and the baby's head was already visible. By that time, although I was on gas and air (entonox), I was begging for epidural. However, I was told that it was too late for it. The baby was already ready to come.
He came in three pushes by 7:03 AM. I couldn't believe it. All the while, I was trying to dial my husband whose phone was still off because he was still sleeping. Nevertheless, he made it to the hospital an hour later in complete shock of what I had done.
I must say that whoever invented gas and air should be awarded the Nobel Prize!
Also, it was quite funny how emotional I was and making promises to the midwife that I would pray for her for the rest of my life and uttering expressions such as "God bless you", "God be with you." The hormones turned me religious! Nevertheless, I will try to keep my promise...
I couldn't believe the birth of my son. I couldn't and still cannot believe how different the birth of my daughter and my second one were so different. In the first one, I had felt like a failure. In the second one, although I screamed as if there was murder due to pain, I felt empowered as I wasn't drugged, he came out so easily and I actually felt him come out. The entire process made me respect the wonder of female body even more.
Even more amazing, as there were no complications this time, I was discharged from the hospital the same evening. Today, my son is one week old already and I feel almost recovered. Again, so different than the first experience... And the baby seems to be more content than my first one too. Having a maternity nurse this time helped tremendously with me resting and making sure that the baby is fed adequately. Tomorrow, she will be leaving us, so let's see how we will cope on our own.
My daughter loves her baby brother. She is so cute wanting to play with him, stroke him and cuddle him. She does get disappointed not being able to play with him yet, which breaks my heart. I try to get as much cuddles as possible from my new baby and enjoy his "babyness" as much as possible because I know that these times don't last long. It is such as blessing.
With all the pain and suffering that is going on around the world, especially what children and mothers go through, it is incredible, how the birth of a new one can bring so much happiness, joy and most importantly hope for the future. It really does. I just hope and pray that all the suffering that the children and mothers go through come to an abrupt end sooner than soon.
When I was about 40 weeks plus 4 days, I finally started feeling a bit different; some tightening in my belly though not painful. I even slept through those contractions without a problem even though in my dreams I continued having them. At about 1:30 AM on the plus 6th day, I woke up with contractions, through which I could not sleep through.
I went downstairs to the kitchen and got into a comfortable position with the exercise ball and started observing the frequency of the contractions, which were already three 1 minute lasting ones every 10 minutes. They were painful but not to a degree to which I could not bare. Nevertheless, I called the hospital at 3 AM and was told to wait another couple of hours. So I drew myself a warm bath all the while my husband and first one were sleeping through the entire episode. I sat in the bath for an hour, which really helped me cope with the pain.
By 4:30 AM contractions were stronger and I felt the urge to moan during them. By this time, I had dressed myself, put on some make up, took my hospital suitcase out. I called the hospital again and was told to come over at 6 AM. However, I knew that I could not wait that long. I really wish I could because I didn't want to wake up my husband and daughter, who was due to go to nursery at 7:30 AM anyway. I tried everything in my power to delay things, so we could just drop her off at the nursery and then go to the hospital. At that time of the night, I thought it was unnecessary to wake up our friends who were waiting on stand by to mind our first one. I thought that if she didn't see me or her father in the morning, she would panic and cry and it would be too difficult for our friends to handle her. So I decided to call a cab and leave for the hospital very quietly. I thought that as I would get epidural, labour would slow down and that my husband would still make it to birth after dropping her at the nursery.
The cab arrived in 5 minutes and I was at the hospital by 5:30 AM. Making to the labour ward wasn't easy. I had to make a few stops as I was contracting. It turned out that I was dilating very fast and the baby's head was already visible. By that time, although I was on gas and air (entonox), I was begging for epidural. However, I was told that it was too late for it. The baby was already ready to come.
He came in three pushes by 7:03 AM. I couldn't believe it. All the while, I was trying to dial my husband whose phone was still off because he was still sleeping. Nevertheless, he made it to the hospital an hour later in complete shock of what I had done.
I must say that whoever invented gas and air should be awarded the Nobel Prize!
Also, it was quite funny how emotional I was and making promises to the midwife that I would pray for her for the rest of my life and uttering expressions such as "God bless you", "God be with you." The hormones turned me religious! Nevertheless, I will try to keep my promise...
I couldn't believe the birth of my son. I couldn't and still cannot believe how different the birth of my daughter and my second one were so different. In the first one, I had felt like a failure. In the second one, although I screamed as if there was murder due to pain, I felt empowered as I wasn't drugged, he came out so easily and I actually felt him come out. The entire process made me respect the wonder of female body even more.
Even more amazing, as there were no complications this time, I was discharged from the hospital the same evening. Today, my son is one week old already and I feel almost recovered. Again, so different than the first experience... And the baby seems to be more content than my first one too. Having a maternity nurse this time helped tremendously with me resting and making sure that the baby is fed adequately. Tomorrow, she will be leaving us, so let's see how we will cope on our own.
My daughter loves her baby brother. She is so cute wanting to play with him, stroke him and cuddle him. She does get disappointed not being able to play with him yet, which breaks my heart. I try to get as much cuddles as possible from my new baby and enjoy his "babyness" as much as possible because I know that these times don't last long. It is such as blessing.
