Thank you for all your well wishes – I’ve been stunned at how many people have popped by to say congratulations – it’s been quite overwhelming! Really very much appreciated.

Akra Jr has been taken out to Parents & Toddlers with daddy. L’il Bhaji is in a rare moment of sleep after a marathon feeding session last night. I thought I’d take a quick opportunity to post while my eyes are still open.

But first a gratuitous piccie:

Now I appreciate that not everyone wants to hear all the gory details so it’s all going into the extended entry. If you read past this point then on your head be it *grin*.

I can’t claim to have had a particularly great induction experience, but overall the birth was a positive one and erased a lot of demons from Akra Jr’s birth for me. The difference in the staff this time around was fantastic – so helpful and genuinely interested in me and the babe – a very pleasant surprise. This made the crucial difference I think.

I was due for induction at 8am Monday morning, but due to a sudden rush in babies being born there were no beds anywhere (not in the delivery suite, antenatal ward or postnatal ward) so we were left hanging around the hospital until 5pm that evening. That in itself was pretty stressful, sitting around in a side room listening to people screaming in neighbouring rooms! How to relax the mother-to-be… not!

I was told at 5pm that as the pessary had been given I couldn’t have anything to eat as the labour process had been started. An instruction that was later contradicted (thank goodness) as I would have run out of energy pretty quickly otherwise. Six hours later I was having steady bearable contractions so it was decided not to do anything else and just see how I got on. Not long after the contractions became much more painful however, and I got to make full use of the TENS machine, clary sage and birth ball.

At this point, it was the early hours of the morning and I was pretty exhausted and the pain was becoming unbearable. An internal exam showed that I hadn’t dilated at all, which was extremely demoralising… I begged for an epidural, but apparently I wouldn’t be able to have one until labour was properly established. I had been very anti-pethadine (due to side-effects on mum and baby) but the midwife persuaded me to take a half-dose to see how I got on and I’m so glad I did! It took the edge off the pain, relaxed me and enabled me to get some fitful sleep. I had another half-dose three hours later.

Tuesday morning dawned. Still not much progress, still in a lot of pain. Consultant was called and he agreed I could have an epidural if I agreed to have my waters broken – seemed like a fair deal to me. Waters broken, contractions got even worse, was finally moved to a proper delivery suite. YAY, gas and air! Got very high on that while waiting for the anaesthetist.

Anaesthetist arrived promptly – lovely bloke called Tim. If I hadn’t already sworn I am NEVER doing this again then I would marry him and have his babies… gave me the best textbook epidural ever. I didn’t like the epidural much last time, I had bad side effects and I was numb for ages afterwards. This was a “new” mobile epidural – a bit of a misnomer because you still have to lie down, but the dose is continuous – you still keep feeling in your legs. It was the best thing EVER! Akra took the opportunity to grab a bite of breakfast in the canteen while I closed my eyes for a doze.

Five minutes later, I woke up with pressure down below, midwife checked – fully dilated and ready to go! Someone was sent to find Akra (poor man, never did ask if he managed to get something to eat in the end) and not long afterwards at 12.41pm L’il Bhaji was born – completely pushed out by myself, no ventouse or forceps required, and only a superficial tear. He was put to my breast and started suckling straight away … the midwives were great at just leaving us alone to get aquainted with the little guy.

Then desperate for my own bed, all we had to do was hang around for six hours before we could get discharged!

And they all lived happily ever after…