My baby is here....a little......................................

GIRL!!!  Sorry it's taken me so long to post but I just haven't wanted to leave her side for a moment. She is a week old already, Katie Patricia Louise Doyle, made her entrance on 15/02/04 at 16.30, she weighed 7lbs 6ozs, has bright blue eyes and very little mousey brown hair.
I was admitted to hospital at 6pm on Monday the 14th to be induced, the first pessary was put in, then the midwife said go and get a good nights sleep as we don't expect anything to happen with a first pessary with a first time mum.
At 8pm I had slight back ache but put it down to being in my head, at 10pm I settled down to try and sleep but felt uncomfortable, by midnight I was having bad period pains, and at 1am I was taking a bath to try and relieve the pain, at 2am I couldn't hack it anymore and was walking up and down the corridor in the hospital, so I headed down to the midwives office and at 2.30am was admitted to the labour suite, I was having contractions regularly but was only 2cm dilated so could not be given any more pessaries incase it affected the baby.
I had a foreign nurse come in at about 3am to monitor me and until that point I had not needed pain relief as I had been allowed to walk about, but she insisted I get on the bed and monitor the baby, which the previous midwife had just finished doing. Then I started taking the gas and air, she examined me, but carried on while I was contracting, boy did she hurt me I was crying and my bp shot up from the distress. By this time it was about 6am, I wasd shattered and she offered me an epidural.

[snagglepuss1]

I looked at my husband and he said if you want one have one but don't feel pressured. I said yes go ahead, so she went off to sort the anesthetist out.  I lay there crying then because I so didn't want one and felt like a failure.
Her shift changed at 8am and 2 English nurses one a trainee took over, I could not fault them,, they were both fantastic and so encouraging. Just as the anesthetist walked into the delivery room I sat bolt up right (according to my husband) and said loudly, I do not want an epidural!
The anesthetist inserted a line anyway just incase and took some blood, then said you have an hour before you could have one anyway, see how you feel then.
I had a shot of pethidint then, as the gas and air no longer worked, I was encouraged to get up and move about after that.
I don't remember what time but I first felt the urge to push when I went to the loo for a wee just as I finished i screamed oh god I need to push now, the midwife helped me back to the room but said I wasn't ready, to hold off pushing, I've never known something be so difficult, your body saying push but trying to tell your brain, no not yet.
I ended up lay on the bed pusing as standing had left me shattered, by 3pm I started pushing, I was pushing with all my might, the pethidint had worn off and I had given up on gas and air, I was waiting for here's the head pant, but it never came, the baby was in the wrong position for delivery and washaving troble getting under the pelvis. Eventually another lady came in and was also egging me on to deliver, I had been pushing for an hour solid and was shattered, I was put in stirrups and a ventouse was put on baby's head, I had to have an episiotomy in the end, the next thing I knew a baby was lying on my chest, I was trying to look between the legs to see the sex, then the midwife took the baby away, then she shouted it's ok she's fine, my husband was sobbing into my arms, I was drugged to hell and shattered, but extremely happy that I had my little girl. All the past problems faded into the background and suddenly all the pain we had been through over the last 3 years made sense, this was what we had been waiting for.
I can only say to anyone who has experienced loss, don't give up because the end result is more than worth it!

Claire

[qw]

Congrats on the arrival of your little girl!

[Angel4JohnnyB]

Congratulations to you and your dh........wow, what an exciting story......glad it ended so great........
You would not have been a failure to have gotten the epidural....I do which women wouldn't think that....you wouldn't have been as tired in the end and although you were able to enjoy your dd (for the time that they let you see her) you may have enjoyed her even more (if at all possible...lol)...there is just no reason for a woman to be completely spent after giving birth in todays medical world......
nough said.....
Congrats again, I'm sooooooooo happy for you.

[tresmathews]

Congrats on your little girl! Sounds like you had a very exciting time but it was all worht it in the end.

[blondie72]

Congrats on your little girl.  Enjoy her.  Hey don't beat yourself up over the epidural.  I did NOT have one with my first and felt like superwoman and told my sisters what wimps they were for having it and with my second I did get it just so they could break my water and you know what I never felt like a failure or a wimp and IF I happen to get pg again I will probably get it again.  I loved it.  I was so happy throughout the whole thing  NO PAIN!!!!! and labor went much more quickly.  I did have an embarrasing moment on the table though and I wonder if it was the epidural.  O well it is over and done with now.  Congrats again.

[Wisegirl]

Congrats !!  I'm so happy to hear mommy and baby are doing well !!

[nanakay]

congratulations!!  wow lots of girls in the new year
~nanci

[Debra_Maine]

Congratulations!! The last few lines of your story brought tears to my eyes. I'm so happy for you! I can't wait to have that feeling of it all being worth it! Best Wishes to you.
Debra

[firsttimearound]

congratulations...what a story! I can't wait for my little girl to get here-but I'm starting to wish I could skip the whole labor part...yikes.

[lovinmom]

I am so excited for you Claire that your baby has arrived.  I bet your baby is quite a bundle.  We would love to see a picture of your little one at the site.  Cleveland mom already posted a picture of hers.  She is a real doll!  I bet yours is as well.  You take care as you heal from labor (ugh).  Thank God for the little blessing that comes after the labor.  That makes it all worth it.  I love pregnancy and after the baby comes, but I just loathe labor.  Take care!

http://www.misdiagnosedmiscarriage.com/forums/