Friday, August 5, 2011

This time last year...Our Poppet came into the World

Written this time last year...

5/8/10

You’re really coming my little one. My contractions are still random lengths apart and random times, but definite contractions – I need to stand up and breath through them – they are really quite, quite uncomfy! I’m sleepy now – so tired. I stayed up late reading last night and then the Sprocket woke early. 
I dropped the Sprocket off at his childcare this morning – my little warrior started crying as soon as the car was parked. I hate the goodbyes but I know he loves playing with the other children in the big garden.
I was cranky as at your daddy when I discovered that once again he’d used up all the petrol and the petrol light came on! Grrr! I stopped to fill up with one hand on my contracting belly.
I came home and your daddy was tidying up and then hurrying to finish his assignment on taking over computers – so I hung out washing and put stuff away and got the jelly ready and put more washing on. I want everything ready for when you come. I’m nesting. 
I love nesting for your arrival.
I’ve phoned the hospital to warn them we’ll be coming in soon, emailed your Nana and Grandpa down in Melbourne and talked to your Nana in PNG on Skype to tell them all about your imminent arrival. 
Your Grandpa is here, looking worried, poor dear. I told your great Nana that you are on the way as we put out washing together.
I think you’ll come just after midnight tonight.
I’m drinking raspberry tea (not that it did much good with the Sprocket!) and trying to rest now. I have music on, the soundtrack I made for you, and all the candles are lit. The sheets are still in the dryer though.
So soon love, so soon until we meet you – until you’re with us!
....
It’s getting increasingly hard to get through the contractions. Your daddy is out… somewhere… with the Sprocket, and he doesn’t have his phone on him… He went out an hour ago to pick up the Sprocket and there has been no sign of him since and the contractions are really getting closer together and harder to deal with. Sigh.
You’re on your way, my love, you really are.

Written Later

My contractions got stronger through the day and by about 3.30 they were roughly 3 minutes apart and I couldn't talk during them so we headed over to the hospital. Oddly, when we got to the ward there was another woman with my name who was already in the hospital so they were confused about who I was, but when the midwife checked me she said I was 6 centimeters dilated. This was a big relief after the Sprocket when I was 3cm dilated the day before when the obstetrician checked me at the appointment... and still 3cm  when I went into hospital after 8 hours labor at home! 
I went straight into the bath. I loved that there were massive baths in the birthing rooms ensuite! With the Sprocket I waddled along dripping blood and water and wearing only a gaping hospital gown as I lumbered from the pool room to the birth room. The lovely midwife kept the bathroom soothingly dark and I chewed on lollies and ice between contractions and lolled in the water and listened to music. 
The contractions soon became a lot more intense and I could just get through them by squatting and pressing down hard on my thighs, breathing in for 5 and then bellowing out for five. 
They didn’t want me to have you in the bath, my Poppet, because of all the blood I lost with the Sprocket so when it looked like you were really coming I had to reluctantly lumber out. I tried leaning over a bean-bag which was far less comfortable than the bath and being dripping wet didn’t help. I felt a bit like a monster from the deep.
They discovered there was still a cervix lip so I got back into the bath for a tiny bit, then out again, then onto the bean bag. 
The midwife said that all that was stopping you coming was my waters - so I was like - well - BREAK THEM! Because I really didn't think I could take much more - the contractions were so intense - ten times stronger than anything I had with the Sprocket. So she broke them.
I moved to a bizarre alien looking lilac plastic  birthing chair, but it definitely helped with the pushing as I began to feel a burning sensation as your head came down. 
I was really beginning to think there was no way I could get you out. I remember looking up at your daddy and saying it’s no good, she just won’t fit.  We talked to you all the time, telling you how much we loved you and how much we wanted to see our little rose. 
Then they told me not to push so I did that horse lipped thing that’s supposed to make your cervix more relaxed and tried hard not to push - then they saw there was a cord around your neck so they told me I could push, so I pushed like crazy - and it hurt soooooo much and your head came out -  they told me not to push while they unwrapped the cord -  then I pushed and your body slid out - and they handed you to me and you were beautiful.
You were a little blue at first and they were worried they'd need to give you oxygen but you quickly picked up. 
You are such a little sweetheart - a brilliant feeder and very alert and aware. You were a little puffy for the first days but you have now de-puffed. 
They had to stitch me up and the whole area was so sore and tender by then that I really didn't want more poking around and I almost begged the registrar not to as it hurt so much when she'd been trying to establish the damage under all the blood. 
I was just clutching you (trying to make sure I didn't clutch you too hard) and concentrating on my breathing, but the Registrar just sort of looked doubtful and then said it was bleeding too much not to be stitched. 
Actually, when she injected the numbing thing everything was immediately all wonderfully un-sore. (Oddly that was the only drug for the birth - this time I didn't even need gas) And now I've seen how long the tear is I sort of agree - it did need stitching.
I had another bleed - that technically just edged into the category of post-partum haemmorage, but luckily they were prepared for it - a doctor had put a cannula in as soon as I arrived, so they just hooked it up and put in a drip - uncomfortable - but better than the alternative! It definitely wasn’t the same as with the Sprocket when I had a massive blood loss at the birth and then I was swimming in milk and blood for the next week. 
Now I know what normal is I know how completely abnormal the Sprocket’s birth was with the whole blood loss. They had to change the sheets almost hourly for the first 24 hours with the Sprocket as the blood was soaking through two pads.  
They let us stay in the birth suite for nearly five hours while we rested and talked. You had your first feed my beloved and you were a brilliant little feeder and knew just what to do. 
And did I mention you were completely perfect? They did all the weighing and you were 9.11 pounds or 4.1 kilos and 52 centimetres long, so a tall little baby. 
We just sat and adored you. 
And we spent the next three blissful days just getting to know each other, my beloved. 

*P.S We think you were born to Solomon Island music. But we got a bit distracted. Possibly 10 Dola Beach... Hmmm. 



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