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Well I had only been finished work one day and thinking great got 5 weeks to relax and do nothing before the fun starts. We decided to celebrate my going on maternity leave with a BBQ with all our friends who lived in our block of flats. However I wasn't feeling too great, didn't eat much and every time I tried to have a drink just felt sick and had to keep giving my drink away, which was good for my next door neighbour as she was drinking Bacardi Breezers (the same as me). My DH kept telling me it was indigestion and by 10 o'clock I had had enough and went to bed with some Rennie.
Well I was having a lovely sleep till my DH came to bed at 1 in the morning and woke me up, all of a sudden I had this almighty pain in my stomach and back. I didn't say anything to my DH but just kept an eye on the clock on my bedside table in case it happened again. 5 mins later another one and the same 5 mins later again. I woke up my DH (who was a bit worse for wear) and said to him I think I might be in labour. He told me not to be so stupid and to go back to sleep which he proceeded to do. Now who reckons they could back to sleep when they are having labour pains every 5 minutes but not knowing what they are.
The next 4 hours were spent roaming round the flat doubled up with pain every 5 minutes and in the end I went back into our bedroom and yelled at my comatose husband to get out of his pit and phone the midwife cos these pains weren't going away. The Duty Midwife he spoke to was the mw who took our antenatal classes so she knew us. (think I should take a second to explain that the community MW we have over here are English and work in the Army Med Centres, however they are not insured to deliver babies so we go to a German Hospital and our babies are delivered by the German MW) Well the Duty MW told my husband that she doubted very much that I was in labour as I was only 35 weeks and that I probably had a urine infection but to go to the hospital in Hannover (which was an hour away) and they would check me over and give me something for the pain.
Well now I was frantic as I had no bag packed (was planning on doing that the 5 weeks I had left before baby was born). I had no idea what to pack so my DH helpfully suggested packing as if I was going to have the baby. Well I had planned on taking bottles of water and everything to the hospital which went out of the window lol. All the while I was still having contractions so had to pack in between the 5 minute apart pains.
Once I'd packed we went to the car to go to the hospital. Luckily we had been on a hospital visit the week before so we knew roughly where we were going.However my DH was worried and was driving like the clappers and he had me yelling in his ear to slow down cos the bumps in the road were unbearable. Well we got to the hospital and suddenly the contractions upped their intensity. We went into hospital and up to the delivery suite where I had a MW assigned to me. She told me to lie on bed where she examined me and read my notes. I was 3 cms dilated so she sent me down for a scan so they could get an idea of how big the baby was as he was going to be 5 weeks early. when we came back I was stuck on the monitor for half an hour to see how intense my contractions were.
Meanwhile my DH had deposited himself in a comfy chair in the Relaxation room and gone back to sleep.
We were in the Relaxation room for 4 hours where I coped with my contractions by hanging out the window. Good job it was a sunday and there were no workmen about lol as they would have had a lovely sight of a preg woman in labour lol.
After 4 hours the MW came back in and examined me and I was 6 cms so she said I go into the delivery suite where I spent the next 3 hours. I had Buscopan (German equivalent of Pethidine) and homeopathic liquid for pain relief. It really helped with the pain as did sitting on a birthing ball.
When the MW examined me and I was finally 10 cms, she didn't tell me that I had to push or how to do it. I had to ask her if I could push to, not that I got the urge. I had nothing. My contractions completely stopped. But when I asked MW if I could push, she said Yes and went to put the stirrups up. Well I had a complete look of horror on my face and I said I'm not going in them. I scrabbled about trying to turn and get on my hands and knees at the same time. When the MW finally realised that I was serious and I wanted to give birth on my knees she put the back of the bed up so I had something to lean on.
Even though I had no urge to push, once I started I couldn't stop and pushed my little boy out into the world in 45 mins with no contractions at 1342 on 1st July 2001 13 hours after my first contraction. And I am proud to say at no point during my labour did I swear. In fact the worst thing I said was OW, this really hurts lol.
After Robbie was born , I had a cuddle of him sat in a pool of blood lol while I was stitched up.I had 3 stitches. My DH was crying his eyes out and taking loads of photos. The MW and doctor then left us alone after he had had all his checks and everything was fine. Then all of a sudden I had this overwhelming flood of emotions and I burst into tears. My DH rushed over all worried asking me what was wrong, and all I could say was I've got a baby, he's mine.
After we'd spent a bit of time with Robbie the MW came back in and said it was time for me to go up to my room now but I was like I need a shower which she wasn't very keen on but I insisted , so she said I could as long as my DH came in the shower room with me. Well I had my shower and put a clean nightshirt on, then the MW asked me if I wanted to go on the bed up to my room and I said no I'll walk. but then all of a sudden I got this whooshing noise in my ears and everything sounded really distant. I must have looked ill cos they suddenly grabbed and threw me on the bed to be taken up to my room.
I got into bed and had a sleep for about 5 hours .My Dh went home to clean up our flat which was a complete mess and Robbie was looked after in the nursery while I slept.
I'm sure I forgotten thing is this story.In fact I know I have like the MW coming and telling me not to forget to breathe during my contractions cos I was holding my breathe. Oh and the funniest bit when Robbie was born, I asked my DH what it was (we didn't know the sex) and he said a baby pmpl. Oh and the MW asked me Robbies name to put on his wrist band. We'd decided on Robbie William John which we told her and she put Robbie Wiiliams John. I was totally unimpressed with that and made her rewrite it lol.
well there is not much else to tell apart from I spent one night in the hospital and after a long day the next day trying to get discharged we finally went home at 9.30 the following evening, stopping off at Burger King on the way home lol.