After a very straight forward pregnancy I approached my due date with a mix of excitement and trepidation but above all I felt very well prepared and supported by my midwifes and in the best possible state to have a positive birth experience.... read more.
The pregnancy was not too bad - I was quite sick to start with but kept up with swimming and cycling the whole way through and apart from feeling terribly tired until the last trimester, really enjoyed it. The last bit was wonderful, especially after I stopped work. I felt really well and enjoyed pottering at home. I tried not to wish away the time til the birth and Keith and I had a lovely time - meals together with this fabulous sense of anticipation.... read more.
I kept waking up during the night (Tuesday April 13) as I had a terrible cough. At around 1:45am, my son Ethan woke up and Ian looked after him. About 10 minutes later I started having contractions. They were mildly uncomfortable. I was a bit in denial as it was ten days early and I have had this horrible cough for four days. I thought that the contractions would just go away and I would fall back to sleep. About ten minutes later I called out for Ian and told him that this is it. I had a pile of pillows on the bed and I was leaning over them on all fours. I also tried leaning over a birth ball, but I found it too cold and uncomfortable. I went to the toilet with Ian and had diarrhea.... read more.
17 days late. I cannot believe it. My daughter was 10 days late and I had wrongly assumed that this baby would not keep me waiting as long. Over the course of those 17 days I tried to keep it together and not to get hung up on it starting but ever day someone asked when I was due and when they got an answer that was more than 10 days there was a look of a shock and the question ‘do they let you go that long'... read more
