Oakley's Story

It's the weekend I am due; mum has come up just incase things happen (I am praying that it will, but I am leaving it in the Lords hands).

I desperately want a nursing chair, (after my post birth experience with Harri I will need a comfy chair) so Saturday morning we all go on the hunt for one, after driving back and forth to a few places we settle on one in Stork talk our local baby shop.  We bring it home and Jake puts it together. 

That afternoon Jake and I go for a little nap, incase I happen to go into Labor that night, we thought we should get some rest.  About half an hour later at 4:30pm I wake up to what I think is my waters breaking.  We get up and wait for a little bit, as it wasn't as big as when my waters broke with Harri so I wasn't 100% sure that's what had happened.  Sure enough about 15mins later I start having contractions, they start out about 15mins apart for about half an hour, then they were about 5mins apart, I rang the hospital at about 6:00pm as I had Strep B so I wasn't sure how quickly I needed to get to the hospital to have the antibiotics, plus with my waters breaking...

The midwife I spoke to said to come soon but there was no rush (I think they just wanted to finish their tea break, sorry for the interruption people!)

So we leave Harri in mums care and make our way to the hospital, contractions are still 5 mins apart.

Once at the hospital we are put into a birthing suit and introduced to the most lovely midwife named Naomi.  I am given the antibiotics and strapped to the monitor, and given juice and sandwiches as we didn't get time for dinner and I have to eat to keep my blood sugar up so I don't faint again, as I did with Harri.

Naomi runs me a bath (they have new big baths, so it was awesome), and I hop in, it feels so good, but then I feel the need to go to the toilet, so I hop out; do my thing and hop back in, after the next contraction I feel the need to go again, this happens for the next hour or so (I guess bub was just making room to come out!)

Not long after we got there Jake sent my student midwife Rhiannon a message to let her know I was in labor, the next thing we know Rhiannon turns up at the hospital to help, even though she wasn't roster'd on, she is the sweetest woman ever, I couldn't have asked for a better midwife, she was so supportive and helpful.

After a few hours I am over it, I think because it was intense right from the start, there wasn't really a build up like with Harri, by this stage I am on the fit-ball trying to relax and get comfortable, but its not working.

After my contractions slow down for a bit, then start again then slow again, I ask for the gas.  This is good to start with, but after a little while it doesn't seem to be doing anything apart from making me shake. Soon I have to get on the bed as I can't hold myself up anymore from the pain, though I vowed after Having Harri lying down I wouldn't do it again  but I don't have a choice, soon I feel the need to push, but I don't have the energy, the midwives and Jake encourage me to keep trying and soon my waters break (I only broke my hind waters at home).  I am exhausted after this, but I still have to get Oakley out, I push with every contraction, and soon his little head emerges, I muster the strength to push again and soon his little body follows and he is placed on my chest.

His big chubby face looks up at me and its love.  Its not until after he is out that they tell me he was born posterior (face up) which is probably why it was taking a while, though I didn't get any back pain which usually occurs when babies are born this way.

They send for the doctor as they inform me that I have torn again, though I must have torn while pushing his body out as there were no tears after his head.  The doctor comes in and its not good news, I have a fourth degree tear, and the only way to fix it is in surgery.  This has ruined all my plans to have skin - to - skin until he finds his own way to the breast (Harri was forced on - long story), i really wanted to get the feeding right this time, and became quite anxious that he wouldn't attach before I had to go down to theatre.

I got about an hour with him before I had to go, and although he didn't attach, the midwives assured me it would be ok; so I handed him over to Jake for skin to skin (or skin to hair as Jake puts it) while I was gone.

I went down to theatre just after 1am; and my lovely midwife Rhiannon accompanied me through the whole procedure, it was really comforting to have a familiar face there. They sat me up to put the spinal in and I began to feel faint, sure enough I passed out, I woke up and they had given me a oxygen mask, after a little while they sat me up and successfully gave me the spinal.  There was more bleeding than expected and after one bag of bloods and a few hours later I was back upstairs and able to see our little boy again, by the time I got back up there it was about 4:30am! I had a catheter in and these pressure band things put on my legs that would inflate every 15mins or so to stop my legs from clotting, but I was just glad to be back with Oakley and Jake.

Check out that mouth!

This is after his skin to skin with Jake, while I was in surgery.

Sunday morning Jake went home to get Harri, so he could meet his little brother. He was so good with him and just wanted to cuddle and kiss him all the time.

First family photo (not the nicest, but hey)

After being in hospital for a couple of days, it was nice to be home together as a family, and we are loving having another little man to love.