Birth Blog - Introducing Oliver James Waters!

At 1.50am on Monday the 27th of March, 2017, Josh and I were introduced to a little squirming body that was a lot louder than his sister, but so similar in every other way. He looked just like her, he weight 7lb 11oz, just like her, and at 49cm, he was only 1cm longer than she was. It was one of the fastest but most painful and exhausting experiences of my life, but looking back on it now, it was so worth it (that's not saying I'll be going back for another any time soon though). I must warn you now, that the following blog may go into some details of labour that may be too much information for some people so if you don't want to hear some gory details maybe skip this blog :-)

Earlier that night, I was sitting at home on my yoga ball eating dinner with Josh and my sister, watching some 'Walking Dead', when I thought to myself  'I haven't felt baby move for a while....' and usually he is so active (especially at food time). I cast my mind back through my day, which had been like any other day: we had taken Sienna to the park, gone out for lunch, played at home, but throughout all of that Blueberry had stayed very still. In fact, I don't think I felt him much at all. I decided, after some persuasion from my sister, Josh and the mums from my mums group via messenger, to call the hospital, just to be sure everything was okay. When I was told that I should come in to be monitored, just in case, my mind went crazy with thoughts; 'What if I need to be induced?', 'I don't want to be induced', 'I don't want a long labour', 'What do I do with Sienna who is asleep upstairs?', 'What do we do about Josh and work tomorrow?', 'Should he come out with us or should he stay here with sleeping Sienna because I am only being monitored that doesn't mean I'm going to go into labour... does it?', 'Is this it? Is labour beginning now?'. I was just a bundle of stress and nerves. Then I started feeling pains and a lot of pressure in my lower abdomen, which shot through to my back. I knew that something was happening.

We all jumped in my sisters car and left for the hospital at about 9.30pm. Poor Sienna was a little confused by the whole situation. The whole car trip in I was experiencing contractions, but they weren't too bad, I could breathe my way through them and I could still smile (in my labour with Sienna, I can vividly remember the midwives saying 'you can still smile, you're not really in labour yet.'). We met my parents at the emergency room and were taken through to maternity where I was strapped up to machines that monitor my heart beat and contractions and babys heart beat, and I was given an internal examination to see how far into labour I was. We found out that I was having contraction pains, but I wasn't dilated at all, so I was still in very early labour. My midwife gave me the option of staying the night in the hospital because I lived so far away or to go home and come in again when things progressed further. Since my parents were there with us I decided to go back to their place, as it was close by and I could get some rest and come back in quickly if need be. So I was given some pain relief (in the form of Panadine Forte) and sleeping tablets, in the hope of getting some form of rest, and sent on my way.

We got to my parents place at about 12.15am and by that time the contractions were getting stronger but I could still breathe through them and could still smile :-) We went inside and Sienna was put to bed. My memories from this point on are a little blurry, probably because the sleeping tablets were starting to take effect, so from this point on I can only give you the details as I remember them, Josh and my family members may have a very different account of the way things went. I remember lying on the lounge, thinking to myself that I should have my supper snack as I hadn't eaten anything since dinner and had given myself my insulin shot at the hospital, when I felt the pressure of another contraction, then felt a pop and the spread of water which I couldn't hold in and pain spread through my whole body. My water had broken... as I was lying on my parent leather lounge..... they say no damage was done, but I haven't been able to look at that lounge the same way again.
My mum called the hospital and I was told to go back in right away. I remember being in so much pain that I couldn't move and Josh had to help me/carry me out to the car. I don't physically remember the car trip back in at all. But I do remember that as soon as my water broke at home, I felt the need to push with every contraction and I thought I wasn't going to make it to the hospital. I remember making bargains with myself in my mind that I just needed to make it to the hospital and then I could get pain relief as my reward.

I was dropped off at the emergency room at about 1.00am, where Josh ran in and got me a wheelchair and I was taken back through to maternity. We were put in the same delivery room where I gave birth to Sienna and I was put on the bed. Pain was coursing through me with every contraction. I heard the word 'gas' offered and was like 'yes, yes, yes', so I had a few puffs on that in the hope it would take the edge off the pain, but was told they couldn't give me anything else in the way of pain relief, until the had checked again to see how far into labour I was. Another internal examination was done to discover that Blueberry was right there ready to come out and all I needed to do was push. So I was put into position and within about 5 contractions he was out and up on my chest.

He was so tiny (you forget how small they are) and so wobbly. I just remember looking up at Josh and the look of happiness on his face made it all worthwhile. We had a new addition to our little family... a beautiful healthy boy... here in my arms!! It was an amazing feeing! He was then taken to be weighed and measured and the given back to be fed straight away to check his blood sugar levels were all good, since I had gestational diabetes. Then finally Josh got to hold him too. Proud Daddy Moment... first time seeing Father and Son together... the thought still brings tears to my eyes.

I suffered from a lot of self-doubt through this labour. I don't know if it was the fact that I had just experienced a full day with Sienna and Josh, so I was already pretty tired by the end of the day or if it was the sleeping tablets or just general exhaustion, but I remember the whole way through thinking to myself... 'I can't do this'. Either I felt like I didn't have the energy, or the ability to do what it was that I had to do, whether it was getting up to walk to the car or actually push Oliver out, I just remember repeating over and over again 'I can't do this'. Which makes me so glad that I had such a supportive person in Josh there with me throughout this whole thing. Keeping me calm at home, helping me to the car, telling me that I could do it because he believed in me. He was my rock the whole way through and I am so thankful for him. I am also really thankful for the other members of my family for being there. My beautiful daughter, Sienna, for being such a good girl thoughout everything! I cannot wait to see all the adventures you are going to have with your little brother. My sister for driving us in when it all started. My mum for watching Sienna throughout the whole thing. My dad for taking control of the situation and telling us all to come out straight away and for driving us to the hospital with me passed out in the front seat in pain and keeping a level head. Couldn't have done it without you all.

It took a few days to decide on the name. But we always knew that 'James' was going to be his middle name because it is both Josh's middle name and my dads middle name, so it has ties to both sides. Oliver has always been a name that both Josh and I have liked, and was actually going to be Siennas name if she turned out to be a boy. Now that he's here I can't imagine him with any other name.

So, little Oliver James Waters, welcome to the world and its many wonders. Thank you for coming out so quickly and without complication and most of all, my beautiful little man, thank you for choosing me to be your mummy! I can't wait to teach you and show you everything I can. I am already so proud of you. xx

38 Week Pregnancy Update - No More Midwife Appointments!!!

Two weeks till full term! This is absolutely crazy! This week I am feeling a little overwhelmed... I don't think there is a reason for it, I think its just the fact that this baby is coming up so fast and it's all really hitting home now. It's not that I'm overly nervous or anything like that, it's just all a little overwhelming as a whole. My body is hurting, my brain is tired and I am just altogether exhausted. But I am 38 weeks pregnant, so I guess they are the type of things you have to expect.

This week my App says that Blueberry is the size of a Spaghetti Squash?? I don't really know what that is, all I know is that to me, it feels like a baby that wants to come out. Basically, at this point now I am no longer waiting to see what pregnancy symptoms I feel, but instead what signs of labour I am experiencing instead. He could be roughly 3.2kg now and anywhere up to 49.5cm! Crazy!  They say that boy babies are generally born larger than girl babies and because I have Gestational Diabetes it could again be measuring larger than the average baby. But again these are just estimates, Blueberry could be a little baby for all I know (I am hoping he isn't too big, so my labour is a little easier).

So, this week hasn't been quite as intense as the previous week. Thank goodness! Before I left the hospital last week, I had a meeting with my diabetes nurse. She instructed me on how to use the needles that were being sent home with me. I have for the past week, I have needed to give myself a small shot of insulin right before I eat dinner, and a larger shot at 10pm each night. I will admit, I struggle with it. I hate needles, as I have mentioned before. Even now, I have a mini freak out before the initial piercing of the skin, even though I know it doesn't hurt too much. I think its more in my mind than anything.
I had a midwife appointment this week also. I have been getting a lot of mixed messages about the induction.... I am now being told that there is no reason to induce me early, because my blood pressure is fine, my body is taking the insulin fine and my sugar levels are back down to where they should be, I have put on 1.5kg in the past fortnight and baby is moving just fine. They will not let me go over the 40 week mark, but will not be inducing me early. She also said that because there were no problems or worries, I didn't need to come in again for a fortnight (inside I am slightly freaking out because that means my next appointment is 3 days before Blueberries due date!!!), and I will not be seeing the midwives any more but having appointments with my Doctor so that he can have an active role in my labour plans, as they will have to watch my sugar levels and things like that more carefully. My midwife was also under the impression that I may not even make it until that appointment because Blueberry was head down and engaged when she felt. But it is possible, especially for a second time labour for the bub to come in and out of the pelvis and not properly engage until hours or minutes before the birth.
I went to see the Diabetes nurse on that day too, so she could check that I wasn't having any problems and everything was going alright with my injections. She informed me that my sugar levels were perfect and that the timing of my blood testing were pretty much on point. So she was impressed. Which made me feel really good. I have become really serious about my meals and snacks recently, because after being informed about how to help myself if my sugar levels get too low and I go into a hypo, it has really freaked me out, so I am making sure that I am definitely eating enough to keep my sugar levels up (especially at dinner and super times when I am injecting myself), and that I am not leaving my meal and snack times too far apart. It has really helped me put myself in a routine which has been kind of helpful (even if it has meant that Sienna has a later bedtime for the next few weeks).

This week there have been lots of moments that have me thinking "Is this is? Is it starting now?". I have been experiencing so much lower pressure and sharp pains, especially at night. One night in particular I was feeling these pains and thought my contractions were starting and almost woke Josh up. Luckily I didn't though, as it turned out to be just pains.
I have been having achy but sharp pains in my lower back all this week as well, which my mum swears is a sign of labour. Last night I was having the lower sharp pains that spread through to my back also, which I remember having during contractions with Sienna, but these were nowhere near as painful. So maybe it is possible that these are baby/practice contractions, and my body is getting prepared for what is coming?
I have still been experiencing super tightenings of the stomach area and a real downwards pull of the stomach skin, especially across the top it feels like it's stretching downwards. And I am finding it now impossible to do everyday things like putting on shoes and sock because I just can't reach over the huge beachball called my belly, which is getting in the way of everything these days.
There have been days when I wake up and every single muscle in my body just aches and I can barely move, even just sitting takes it out of me sometimes, and the only thing that can ease my muscle pain is multiple showers throughout the day. These days have been tough, especially with Josh being at work and me being alone and having to entertain Sienna. I have been really lucky and have had my mum out with me 2 days this week and have been able to call on my sister to help outside of her work hours.

Here is a belly shot of how huge I feel.....

Beware!!! If the thought of seeing an actually pregnant belly grosses you out (and I know there are some people out there that it does) then don't look any further down, because I am about to share a skin belly shot so you can see how stretchy my skin feels and take note of my great insulin injecting (as there is not much bruising on my spare tyre area).