Maria Madison Peskett - Welcome to the World!

On Sunday 2nd July at approximately 11am whilst making bacon sandwiches and applying brown sauce to them my waters broke. No it wasn't a gush - more like incontinence!

I called up to Matt who was thrilled as waiting around for 'something to happen' was proving to be quite boring for us both. I telephoned the hospital who surprisingly asked me to visit the hospital for a check up. I was surprised by this as I know that normally they just tell you to stay at home and wait for the contractions to start but they said as they weren't busy to come to the day unit for a check up.

When we arrived at the day unit it was confirmed that my waters had broken and they also told me that my baby's head was not engaged. Doh. I had been aware of this previously but had been hoping this was quite normal and would change once my waters broke. No such luck. I was told I had to stay in for observation which was not good news... it didn't fit with my 'vision' that I had unintentionally started to create.

The following two days was spent on Burstow ward waiting for a spot on the delivery suite to become free so I could be induced. It was a tiring two days as it was spent in a noisy ward with crying babies, slamming doors and emergency buzzers. Additionally I had been experiencing tightenings throughout both nights which I had hoped was labour... lol - I now know those tightenings were nothing compared to the real thing which is a shame as I was thinking I was well hard and had a really high pain threshold... as if!

Finally on the third day I was found a bed in the delivery suite and told I was to be induced. Baby's head still wasn't engaged and I had been informed that this normally resulted in a cesarean section. Great, after all my fears it looked like my worse nightmare could again be a reality. I cried. I was knackered after not sleeping for two nights and now I was to face labour with only two pieces of dried toast in my tummy! Eak - I was told I couldn't eat because of the possibility of Cesarean. Great. I had packed tonnes of my favourite sweets and chocolate to see me through labour and now I had to watch Matt eating it all! GGGRRRRRRR!!!

As I recollect the events leading up to the birth of Maria I realise that I have started to 'bury' a lot of what happened that day as it was not the experience I had wanted. I think child birth is such a lottery... it can go easy as pie or as difficult as dog sh8t (is there such a term!?). I was a bit unlucky.

You may have read my husbands blog entry of the birth (www.firetop.co.uk) so I will just summarise and say that it was a difficult birth and one that had no relation to my birthing plan that you are told to write (a stupid idea if you ask me). The midwife actually laughed at my Fairy-Tale-Birthing-Plan... the only part I was able to keep to was bouncing on the birthing ball!

As my labour was 'managed' (I was being induced with a drip) I was offered an epidural from the start to which I declined. I laboured for 6 hours with just the gas and air as pain relief. Gas and air is a bit like getting drunk or stoned... it's OK and I felt it helped me through the contractions (it could even be described as a bit of a distraction from the pain).

After six hours it was discovered that I had not dilated at all and my waters actually hadn't brocken (yay to the NHS!). At this point they were brocken and I was labouring again but was told it was looking like a C-section. The contractions were becoming very strong so I accepted the offer of an epidural mainly so that I could be concious should I need an emergency cesearean. I am glad I did as that is what I ended up having.

The epidural was FANTASTIC! As in it completely kills the pain of the contractions, for me the pain was it being administered. The pain was excruciating and I screamed out for the first time since being in labour! Looking back we think that the needle had been inserted in my spine before the anesthetic had kicked in (yay to the NHS!).

After another three hours labouring a new doctor came into the suite and decided to up my syntoxin levels stupidly high which resulted in my womb hyper-stimulating (through having to many contractions). This starved oxygen to my baby therefore her heart beat being lost.

The next half hour was probably the worst of my life. Alarm bells rang, people ran around me madly doing all sorts of stuff to me (all of which I couldn't feel as the epidural numbs you) all in preparation for my emergency c-section. Matt and I looked at each other both with tears in our eyes as the midwives and doctors gathered around me frantically searching for my baby's heartbeat. Luckily it came back and the rest is history!

Being a mum is time consuming and darn hard work hence it's taken me nearly a month to write this posting! I could go into loads more detail but I wouldn't want to put anyone off! Just make sure if you want children you are prepared to loose your life for a while! It will be worth it though...

:-)

One Week To Go... How I Spend My Time

Over the past week I have mainly been filling my time with social engagements involving eating. What I try and do is plan one activity/arrangement a day (no more, no less). This enables me to have the enthusiasm to get out of bed and dressed. Sad hey!?

So last Wednesday I went to Bumps 'n' Babes. This is another NCT arranged event which, you guessed it, involves eating. What happens, as the title hints to, is a group of NCT'ers gather with their baby or bump and eat, drink and talk about parenthood. When I arrived at 2.00pm on Wednesday afternoon in Viva in Dorking I was the only one there! Luckily I spotted a friend who happened to be there and before long a few of the members of my NCT group luckily turned up as arranged. It was strange to see the 'before and after' of it all... little babies being fed and us fatties staring in disbelief at the future to come. I did enjoy it though - especially the banoffee pie ;-)

Later on in the week I saw my boss for lunch (see, food again). It was nice to hear about my work place but I naturally feel quite distanced from that life at the moment. I can't really say I am missing it yet, but I know I will.

Something else I like to do a lot more of these days is sssssss......sleep (ah-ha, bet you were wondering what 'S' word I was going to say there!). I am being told to rest as much as possible at the moment as A) you won't get much time to rest once 'Bob' arrives and B) I have read that a well rested mum has an easier labour than a tired one. Makes sense really.

It is impossible for me to sleep right through the night now (it is true what they say that your body gets you ready for sleepless nights!). I usually attempt to get to sleep at 11.30 ish but this is normally not the case as I have to have at least three journeys to the toilet to empty my bladder before I can even attempt sleep. This means I lay there wide awake and listen to my X-box addicted husband playing 'Lost Planet' until I get moody and go downstairs and just have a random moan at him for no real reason apart from I can't sleep. Yeah, I know, it's mean! He is used to it! At this early hour of the morning (normally 1.30ish) he usually decides to come to bed too and that strangely helps me to sleep. Then it's interrupted sleep all night long until about 10.00 when my belly grumbles and 'Bob' must get the fright of his life as I bet it's a lot louder in there! So due to the very interrupted sleep pattern I have another 1-2 hours sleep at some point during the day.

Today I wandered around Waitrose in a little bubble of contentment as everyone around me seemed in such a rush. It is a nice thing to experience... not having a time limit, not really having much of a shopping list (not one that requires a trolley anyway!), not worrying about how fattening everything is that is being put in my trolley. My only real concern was not to get anything too heavy as I can't carry it. Then I got home, ate and slept.

So there you have it, just in case you were wondering what I am up to... ;-)

All Twelve Of Us

Here is a photo of my NCT group, I am the one in orange. I wonder who pops first!!??

From left to right there is Amy, Paula, Robyn-Anne (who kindly took this photo), Me, Louise and Nicola.

By the way those white socks I am wearing... they were purely to keep my feet warm...

The Nursery

On Sunday (yeah, I know, late posting) Matt and I went to Ikea to get the last few bits for the nursery.

I was quite impressed with myself for getting round the whole place stopping only once for chocolate! Whilst there we bought the red armchair (shown in the pic) and some chest of drawers for all of Bobs clothes.

Not much more to say on this posting really. I just wanted to show off the curtains my mum made and the nice decorating my dad did!

37 Weeks, Fat Foot-itus

Today is a momentous day! If 'Bob' was to come today he wouldn't be classed as premature. The 37 to 40 week slot of pregnancy is considered a safe time as Bob is fully developed and his/her lungs are strong now.

To mark this momentous day I have now become a member of the fat foot-itus club. That is to say that I have one right fat foot most days now. Apparently it is quite common to swell at this stage of pregnancy (I am carrying nearly 3 stone more than usual) and this is called Edima. Also my fingers feel like sausages in the morning and ache. Nice.

Sleeping is getting worse these days. I have to swap the side I am sleeping on about once every two hours now (and normally coincide this with a toilet break). This is because my circulation seems to be shot to pieces and I get a dead leg, arm, hand (or other body part). Poor Matt, it doesn't result in the best nights sleep...

On the plus side it won't be long now until Matt and I are parents, poor child...

;-)

NCT Nearly New Sale, North Holmwood

Early Saturday morning my husband (or should I say hung over husband) and I went to North Holmwood Village Hall for a Nearly New Sale of everything baby related.

We arrived early (9.45... early enough I say), as recommended to do so by friends, and stood in a queue of about 20 mothers, mothers to be, miserable husbands and eager grandmothers. Matt and I marvelled (or was that moaned!?) at how much our life had changed in the last year! Here we were in a baby sale queue on a Sat morning when ordinarily we would of both been sleeping off our hangovers in bed, only to be woken by our grumbling bellies or the cats running a riot. Which I prefer I can not say ;-)

I was a little apprehensive about the sale. I imagined a jumble sale-esque scenario with rude (sometimes smelly) people shoving you aside to get to a not so attractive cheap item before you do. My mum would often drag me to jumble sales when I was a kid and to say I have been mentally scared by the experiences is an understatement.

This sale, I am pleased to say, did not resemble the jumble sales of my past.

As the doors opened on my old first school hall (yeah, ironic hey!?) and the mothers poured in, the scene greeting me was most appealing. Orderly tables, nice people and best of all... NO SMELL!!!!

I managed to find lots of really good stuff. I got a Baby Bjorn carrier (usually about £50, bought for £10), chair gate (£4), activity centre (£3... Net, will talk to you about this!), unused bottles and a steriliser (£5) to mention a few. All of which saved me a bomb. I have all the practical equipment I essentially need now so note to people who may want to buy Bob an arrival present, clothes or toys would be appreciated please. Cheeky? Me?!

Stoolball Watching...

Today I went to my Stoolball (www.stoolball.co.uk for those of you who don't know what it is) teams annual tournament that I would usually be playing in. It was quite bizarre being on the sidelines basking in the sun watching. I wouldn't say it was all that unpleasant either! Of course I missed the team camaraderie, the buzz of getting a catch or hitting a four but not having any pressure, just sitting watching was a welcome change.

My team didn't win this year (which is unusual - honestly!) but I look forward to getting back into it next year... maybe bizarrely with Matt at the sidelines and Bob waddling around next to him!? I remember watching my mum playing stoolball when I was a little girl... I wonder if my child will play too!? Or if the game will still be going then. It seems to be struggling a little these days.

Whilst at the tournament I knew of three other pregnant women there, all due in July! I seem to be quite small comparatively in size but then I am quite small anyway. I don't feel small! I have to say I am looking forward to being able to move quickly and sleep on my front again.

Bob must be getting frustrated these days with the lack of space as I am feeling a lot of movement. I realise Bob likes moving the position of his/her bum from the right side to left. I know this because my bump bulges slightly more on the side where the bum is located. I also know that today Bob's head was breech (i.e. head under my chest rather than head down towards my cervix) because I could feel hiccups high up. These really energetic movements are quite painful, I get the urge to go to the toilet (as s/he pushes on my bladder) then breathlessness (as s/he squashes my lungs) and ultimately discomfort as the arms and legs move with the torso. Very strange.

Thank God for food that's what I say... now where is that left over chocolate cake...

:-)