Ok, so some time has passed and in it I had a baby! Toby Benjamin arrived on March 10, ironically, Labour Day! Long story short... I was trying for a VBAC but when he was 4 or 5 days overdue they discovered his head was well high and he hadn't 'dropped' or 'engaged' his head into my pelvis in the least. I was put on the C-section list but wasn't sure when I would go in so it was a bit of a funny weekend waiting for a call that 'Thunder Cats are go!' Eventually the hospital called to say I had a confirmed time at 8am on the 10th and of course, at 3am that morning I went into natural labour.
I laboured without intervention til midday and then they popped my waters. Four hours of intense, intense, relentless contractions later (my husband estimates I got about 1-2 mins rest total between 1pm and 4pm) and they checked me only to discover I was a whopping 3cm dilated. Crappy, crappy news but I think my only words at that time were "Epidural! Ceasar!" I was maxed out on pain and at least the 3cm thing gave me my clear answer that somehow this natural birth just wasn't a happening thing.
When they finally got me with that spinal block (and believe me, the last hour before the drugs came when they moved me, took my gas away, took my tens machine away and made me sit up for the injection were not pretty), I was a happy, pain free lady and VERY keen to meet my little one. The Caesar itself was actually pretty great as I was finally out of pain, into known territory and could talk to my husband. When Toby arrived he was perfect, of course, and unlike last time we were able to have a long cuddle in recovery and I breast fed him there, within the first hour of him being born. My midwife helped me attach him and my husband and midwife stayed with me until I was wheeled to my room (last time I was alone without bubs or anyone really for a bit too long for comfort, but that's another story).
So the recovery post labour and Caesar was tough but 11 weeks on from there I'm feeling heaps better and, except for my complete absence of core strength, nearly back to normal. Toby is sleeping like a champion (like 10 hours+ straight) overnight and we're finding a rhythm for our days, hence my reappearance on the blog! Hello world!
I laboured without intervention til midday and then they popped my waters. Four hours of intense, intense, relentless contractions later (my husband estimates I got about 1-2 mins rest total between 1pm and 4pm) and they checked me only to discover I was a whopping 3cm dilated. Crappy, crappy news but I think my only words at that time were "Epidural! Ceasar!" I was maxed out on pain and at least the 3cm thing gave me my clear answer that somehow this natural birth just wasn't a happening thing.
When they finally got me with that spinal block (and believe me, the last hour before the drugs came when they moved me, took my gas away, took my tens machine away and made me sit up for the injection were not pretty), I was a happy, pain free lady and VERY keen to meet my little one. The Caesar itself was actually pretty great as I was finally out of pain, into known territory and could talk to my husband. When Toby arrived he was perfect, of course, and unlike last time we were able to have a long cuddle in recovery and I breast fed him there, within the first hour of him being born. My midwife helped me attach him and my husband and midwife stayed with me until I was wheeled to my room (last time I was alone without bubs or anyone really for a bit too long for comfort, but that's another story).
So the recovery post labour and Caesar was tough but 11 weeks on from there I'm feeling heaps better and, except for my complete absence of core strength, nearly back to normal. Toby is sleeping like a champion (like 10 hours+ straight) overnight and we're finding a rhythm for our days, hence my reappearance on the blog! Hello world!