a birth story

I will write her birth story. Any one expecting a lengthy multiple part story like I did for our beautiful boy's birth story and again for our beautiful girl will possibly be disappointed. Because this littlest lady of ours didn't hang around making her entrance.

But there is a version of the story that I want to share...

I said to Rich when we first got pregnant with our little Flump, that I really wanted to commit to memory every second of this pregnancy. I know all to well how hazy the memories can get with time, and while I remember how I felt at the birth of my babies, the intensity of those emotions feel as fresh as if it was yesterday, but the details grow a little blurred as the years pass by.

I talked about wanting a birth photographer, or at least teaching Rich to use my camera properly so that he could capture some more photos in the hospital. In all honesty though, he isn't the biggest fan of taking photos, but over the past year he has grown more confident using my camera to video. So I had simply said to him to capture bits and pieces of what happened as and when it seemed like a good moment; not with any particular intentions of making a little video out of it, but just so that we had it for the future. No pressure, just whatever he fancied doing. I didn't want him to be detached from the moment, but at the same time I know that at the previous two births he felt a bit lost at times and didn't know what to do with himself and I thought capturing it might give him a sense of purpose.

When I uploaded what was on the camera I cried.

Because he more than did me proud.

As he worried about whether he'd got it all in focus enough for me, I just felt speechless at the snapshots of time that he had caught that I didn't know about. The moments and emotions that are captured so that I won't ever forget them. Simple shots of me and my baby girl. And some of the earliest daddy and daughter moments that I grabbed too. All the details of how rapidly our beautiful little newborn changed in the hours from when she was very first born to the time we took her home. Those precious moments when she met her older siblings (and her fluffy siblings too).

I'm not sure I'll ever be able to thank him enough for the memories, or for the beautiful family we've made together.

45

birthing baggage

I think I'm pretty realistic about my birthing experience with the beautiful boy.

It was scary, it was painful and not at all what I thought I wanted or expected.

But it was his birth

and it gave me him

and for that I will be eternally grateful.

6

a birth story - part fifteen

In my birth story so far;

32 hours after my water first broke,

and after hours of pain and fear and drama,

my baby has finally entered the world

with a little help from doctor and her ventouse

and a lot of pushing from me.

13

a birth story - part fourteen

In my birth story so far;

I've some how endured 31 hours

from when my waters broke and contractions started.

It all fell apart at the birthing unit

so I've been transferred to the big maternity unit at the main hospital.

After an epidural

things seemed to be looking up,

but there were suddenly lots of worried looking midwives and doctors

and my baby was in distress.

6

a birth story - part thirteen

In my birth story so far...

more than 24 hours after it all started

I've given up being brave

and given up on my natural labour with limited pain relief.

I've been transferred from the smaller maternity hospital

to the big maternity unit at the main hospital in the next town.

I've had an epidural

and I've regained myself

after hours of being lost in pain and panic.

7

a birth story - part twelve

Things in my birth story so far

had travelled so far from my ideal plan

that it was crazy.

More than 24 hours after my water broke

things aren't progressing as they should.

I've been having to fight the urge to push for eight whole hours.

Exhasuted, drained and in agony,

I've made the decision to transfer to the main hospital 

instead of continuing at the the smaller labour unit.

And at this point my contractions have all but stopped.

4

a birth story - part eleven

In my birth story so far:

I've had 24 hours of contractions 

no more than three minutes apart

but things are going slowly.

And after feeling lost and scared in the birthing centre

I've finally found the courage

to ask to be moved to the local hospital.

3

a birth story - part ten

In my birth story so far:

my waters broke at 6am,

then my contractions started,

after three trips to the hospital,

they finally let me stay,

but 22 hours after it started,

I was starting to feel very alone, scared and unsupported.

7

a birth story - part nine

In my birth story so far:

my waters broke at 6am,

then my contractions started,

after three trips to the hospital,

they finally let me stay,

but 22 hours after it started,

my dreams of a happy, calm, natural labour

seemed to be going wrong.

3

a birth story - part eight

In a birth story so far:

it all kicked off at six in the morning when my water broke,

now it's nearly midnight

and having been to hospital and back twice already,

I'm at home and suddenly have the urge to push.

4

a birth story - part seven

In my birth story so far:

my waters have broken,

my contractions are three minutes apart,

I've been to hospital,

I've been sent home,

my contractions have got worse,

I've gone back to hospital,

but things aren't progressing very fast

so they want me to go home again.

3

a birth story - part six

You can read the rest of my birth story

but to summarize:

My waters broke.

My contractions started at 3 minutes apart.

I went to hospital,

They sent me home because I'd only dilated 2 cm.

Twelve hours later,

I'm in a lot of pain

so we're heading back to hospital.

4

a birth story - part five

In a birth story so far;

My waters have broken,

my contractions have started.

I've been to hospital with contractions that are three minutes apart,

to discover I'm only 2cm dilated.

And I've been sent home again

while things progress.

3

a birth story - part four

So far in the birth story

my waters have broken

some contractions have started

and we are off to the birthing unit.

2

a birth story - part three

To read part one and part two of my story, click on the links.

Expecting to go way past my due date and still be pregnant

I was a little bit surprised when my waters broke three days early. . .

3

a birth story - part two

You can read Part One of my story here.

I was practically positive that my little Dollop was going to arrive late.

So four days before my due date

we had only just finalised the names we liked. . .

4

a birth story - part one

This is a post that I never really thought I would write.

For the sake of my darling son's sanity,

I just wasn't sure that all the personal and disgusting details

should really ever be written down,

let alone published for all the world to see.

But this is the reality of his coming into the world

and is therefore an important part of his story,

which is,

after all,

the whole point of Dear Beautiful.

....... But feel free to look away if you want.

7