Friday 23 September 2011

A treat...

At last, after just over a week, the ordeal of childbirth has finally sunk in.
I know I am not the first and last to ever give birth, but one always feels as if it's the first time EVER that this miracle has happened.
To recap on this journey, here goes...
Monday the 12th September my waters broke at 5am (just a little). My contractions kicked off around 3pm and progressively got stronger and stronger. We were planning a home birth, so we stuck it out at home until I said to Alex "I think it's time to call the Midwife". She popped round about 8pm, and my contractions ground to a halt! Stopped! Finito!!!
I went to bed thinking that if I relaxed, they'd start up again, but no... I actually had a good nights' sleep (still contracting mildly throughout the night, but nothing serious).
The next day, nothing happened... a whole day, without any action. Just a bruised Uterus.
Then Wednesday came, and as my waters had been broken rather a long time by now, they were itching to get me to hospital and start things off again.
As I was already tired from another night of mild contractions, I felt that if I waited any longer I would be wiped out before any actual labour really kicked in.
So off we toddled to the Conquest hospital at about 2pm.
Luca was at school and in the safe hands and care of aunty J. who was all set to pick him up and explain what was going on.
At 3pm - in hospital - my contractions kicked off again. Naturally. The midwife who was with me (Helen) seemed to think that there was no need to any Oxitocin (not sure how you spell it????), as I was now on my way to "proper" labour.
Off we went on the journey to birth. Nina, Alex and I, working together to try and convince my "concrete" cervix that it was time to open up and make way... possibly a high-way.
By 12.30pm I had dilated 6cm - not enough, and I was shattered. 
This is when, once again (it happened with my first born Luca) having gone on contracting for over 9hours solid (not counting the previous days of on/off labour) I was shattered!!!
Alex wisely suggested an Epidural, to help me sleep and gain some strength before the big PUSH.
Now, I wanted and "natural birth", for both my children, but I have since come to understand that my body is slow to react to wopping great big contraction pains. I was shaking like a leaf. Uncontrollably. Going in and out of sleep - in between contractions. Loosing my confidence that this was EVER possible and that this baby was destined to remain inside me FOR EVER, that I welcomed the idea of an Epidural.
It was magic.
Again, as with Luca, it felt like someone had sprinkled magic dust over me, and I was "pain free" for a couple of hours.
Then, as I was able to regulate the pain killer myself, I started feeling the contractions again, and got the energy to carry on to the finish line, which came at 5.25am.
It was AMAZING. She came out of me (sorry to be so graphic), and I watched it all happen.
They put her little calm body on my tummy, left the umbilical cord to finish doing what it had been doing for 9 months, and as she latched on and started to feed, I delivered the Placenta.
Alex burst into tears (sorry to embarrass you honey), and I knew that he was going to be in trouble, from that day on, having a daughter to look after.
Hand over your credit card right now!!!
So...
In view of all that, I thought I'd treat myself so something "special".
Damn it! Because we are worth it.
I love the clothing/home accessories website called 
(if you don't know about it, check it out) and purchased this:
And these fabulous Clogs. I'm a sucker for Clogs...

What's a girl to do?

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