Welcome Chloe Maria Dolan – Birth Story

I can’t believe I am actually writing about this already. Today I would only be 39 weeks and 3 days but instead I have my bundle of joy sleeping in the moses basket beside me.

It all started off Friday night. I woke up with what I thought could be waters leaking. I kept going all Saturday and watched it with a panty liner to see how much more I am losing. I went for lunch with hubby and Matthew and even done the grocery shopping in the afternoon. But it all got a bit too much then and after I put all the food away I decided to ring the labour ward at 6pm just to make sure this is not something starting already.
They told me to come in and bring my bag just in case and monitor me to see whether waters are gone or not.

Arriving at the hospital around 6.30pm they put me on the trace for babies heartbeat and done a test an hour later to see if waters have gone. It was like taking another pregnancy test. 2 lines meant the waters had gone. In my case it was a faded second line which they counted. I was admitted into hospital and going to have my baby in the 24 hours.

They brought me over to the maternity ward to get a good nights sleep and hoping I get pains overnight. That didn’t happen so I was induced Sunday morning at 8.30am on a drip. I was always afraid of induction but after I’ve been through it I have to say it is so much easier than a normal labour that starts off with contractions.

My contractions got more and more and by 1pm I needed the tens machine. By 3pm I was 4-5 cm dilated. At that point I started using the gas and air. I wanted to get Pethidine around 5pm but it was too late at that stage because I was already fully dilated.

I felt the urge to push. The pushing was hard work. At the end I nearly passed out from it. I couldn’t hear everyone but just kept myself together and done the last push to have it over with. Chloe was born at 5.20pm weighing 7lbs 13 ounces and a length of 48cm.
I had to have stitches done like I did on Matthew. This time I used gas and air with it though.

I had a lovely little private room which we spent 2 nights in. I wasn’t too keen on going private at first but I don’t regret it at all now. I would recommend it. We were discharged Tuesday evening.

The first 2 nights have been tough. I am not quite sure what it is but I think it is just the fact that she likes being active during the night and sleep all day during the day. We will turn that around eventually. It all kicks off around 9.30pm and goes on until 2.30am. I remember that this was also the time she was most active in the womb so probably all related. She is such a good girl though. She already had the heal prick test done today and the PHN has been yesterday. She hasn’t lost much weight from her birth weight at all and she is a great little feeder. Matthew was a bit shocked Wednesday morning to find a baby in my room. Yesterday has been going better now. He even gave her the dodie and touched it. I think overtime he will be a great big brother helping out loads.