Number Four

Welcome!!

Let's go back a few days to the 23rd November 2006 .......

Arrived at Christchurch Womens Hospital at 8.00am. Went to labour ward and went on monitor to see how bubs was doing. At 8.50am Prostin was inserted and I waited on monitor for another half hour or so. Bubs was active and tightenings were happening but nothing worth mentioning. Blair and I went for a walk through the part of the Botanic Gardens that is adjacent to the hospital. I was getting plenty of tightenings and crampings but no contractions. We went back to the birthing suite and yarned and relaxed and then had some lunch. At around 2pm my midwife came back after doing a few errands and decided to see if things were favourable for breaking the waters. I was only dilated 3cms but when I was having a tightening the head was down low enough to break waters without cord getting in the way. So next tightening I had Anne (midwife) broke the waters at 2.24pm. The waters were absolutely flooding out and there was a big mop up job needed. I relaxed for about 5 mins before I got my first contraction. Had two more in the next 10 mins and then decided it was time to get into gown so that I was preparing for the labour process. Blair was doing up my gown at the back when I got hit with a whopper of a contraction that made my knees buckle. I then felt the desperate need to go to the loo. Went and did wee wees and as soon as I stood up from toilet I got another cracker of a contraction that had me buckling again and groaning like a sumo wrestler. Anne came into the toilet and said it was time to get me on the bed and onto the gas. So at this count I had totalled 4 contractions. Just as I tried to get on bed had the 5th. Made it onto the bed for the next one with a little gas to help. Anne started getting the trolley ready and had asked someone to look for a bassinett as the room was missing it's one. 7th contraction hit and I felt like I was going to poo all over the place. Anne and I both knew that things were progressing exceedingly fast. She started loudly instructing me to not push. "Don't you dare push until I get these gloves on!!" I was panting away but we both knew that this was not gonna last for long. Gloves on - right push. 8th contraction - and our 6 pd 4 oz (2.84kg)baby girl shot out at 3.02pm - a 38 minute labour!! I was joking about beating your 39 minute labour Chris, but looks like the sub concious mind took it seriously. Blair actually took photos of the big digital clock in the room at the start of labour (waters being broken) and at 3.02pm when she was born so we have proof!!

So, baby Sian Anna Nathan arrived at 3.02pm on 23rd November 2006. I transferred to St Georges Maternity Hospital at 5.00pm and was discharged today (26th November) at 11am. Our wee girl is a darling and I will have photos up soon.