The Paterson Family: The birth story...

Well I wanted to do this sooner so itvwas fresh but there hasn't been a minute. I hope I don't miss anything out!

So, I was due on Tuesday 31st march. That day came and quickly went. In fairness we were both suprised as is been carrying so low and big!

The week after brought about niggles and cramps every day. Especially in the evenings. But alas, nothing in the mornings. Until the morning of Tuesday 7th April. By this point I'd given up thinking anything was ever going to amount to anything productive now. I lay in bed in the morning feeling the twinges come and go and dreaded moving in case it all stopped again. I decided a bath might help me decide whether something was happening. It so happens That I only had a couple of tightenings the whole time I was bathing.

I had a midwife appointment at 11am and figured I would go to that as planned and see what the morning brought. By the time 11am came I was confident I was in labour. The short five minute walk to the surgery consisted of three major contractions making me stop randomly in the street. As I sat in the waiting room they came more regularly and by the time I was in with the midwife, they were every five minutes or so but not lasting very long. The midwife noticed I was flushed with each one and she agreed labour was happening. I told her the baby would be born that afternoon which suprised her as she thought longer.

I decided I was going to stay upright because ibreallybdodbt want things to slow down. So we took the boys to the local field to play swords and football at 1pm. To be honest, I could still walk around pretty fast andanage the pain fine. We came home after half hour or so (Joshy needed a poo) and from that point it got worse quicker. I wasn't timing anything because bidding want to know to be honest. But David told me I probably should and when I did I was 4 minutes apart and my toes were starting to curl. At 2pm we called our friends and asked them to come over and we headed to the hospital. On the way there I thought everything was stopping. Other than a few contractions I was fine. Then when we arrived at the hospital and we were walking down the long corridor they started to speed up both with time and intensity.

We got to Cheltenham labour suite at 3.00pm. (For the record it's an amazing place for birth) from that point I contracted pretty much the whole time. I was very fortunate to feel like I was in control. So I could manage the pain pretty well. But that pain.... It's just awful. I felt sick, like I was going to pass out and my blood pressure was a little too high apparently.

I really wanted a water birth but they wouldn't let me in unless my blood pressure went down. They put some fragrance stuff on (lavender) that apparently helps lower blood pressure and I could hearvdavid talking a lot about the amazing fan in the room... A dyson bladeless in case your interested. Other than that I was in my own world with James blunt playing in the background.

I was then kneeling on a sofa and I could feel my waters so close to popping and I got the urge to push which suprised me. It was 4.40pm and the midwife decided I could get in the pool, which she had ran without me really noticing. I was happy... Although I probably didn't show it at that point.

(The birthing pool)

As soon as I got in the water, which was remarkably hot I found ... And nice... My waters broke and I was pushing!!

I'm not going to lie... It was horrid! There's no pain like it. I could feel the head moving down me and I was convinced I was going to die! I'd had no pain relief and at this point I regretted it a little. Even though I knewcshecwas close it still felt so far away. I remember thinking to myself that I was so excited to see my daughter but then wondering if it would ever happen. Then I heard David tell me he had to let go of my hand to take his ring off... Apparently I was breaking his fingers! When he let go of my hand I slipped and my face went under the water which funnily enough, made me giggle at the time.

And then I heard 'breathe, pant, slowly' and I thought to myself 'nope.... This is it I'm not stopping' and I pushed so hard!!

And then this happened:

In fairness, we have earlier photos that we took but they were in the pool and it's pretty gross. But she came out thank goodness. And although it felt like it took forever, from me getting into the pool and her being born, it all took 14 minutes! Crazy!! And then I got to just sit and cuddle our new addition for as long as I wanted. Well until I had to push out a gross looking placenta but that's to be forgotten ewwwww!!

I had to have one stitch which was so degrading ha! But other than that all was well!! As painful as it was, and out of three children evie was for sure, no doubt, the most painful of them all, it was a good, healthy labour and is am very grateful I got to have a water birth and a wonderful healthy baby girl!!