Initial:
F
Your age:
40
What number baby is this for you?
2
How long (ish) did it take to you to conceive?
I was very lucky. It was first time (I used ovulation sticks to keep an eye on the dates).
Was it a natural conception or did you need fertility treatment?
Natural
Did you have any medical conditions prior to pregnancy?
No
Did you have any conditions that developed during your pregnancy (e.g.Pre-eclampsia, Gestational diabetes)?
No
Did you write birth plan?
I had said that I would have liked a water birth if possible but there were no rooms available. By the time it came to getting to the hospital, I couldn’t cope with sitting up due to the pressure so I was more than happy to lie on a bed instead!
What birth did you have?
Normal vaginal birth. I needed two stitches afterwards.
How was your recovery from birth?
Recovery was fine. I gave birth just after midnight and took her home about 3.30 the following afternoon. My stitches healed nicely.
Do you have any advice or helpful hints or tips that we can share with parents to be?
- Try and stay at home as long as possible and enjoy your home comforts! There’s just no point going in too early. With my first, I went in too early and got sent home. I knew better with the second! It really is all about having a warm bath.
- There’s no shame in asking for drugs to help with the pain. With my first baby, I started with initial contractions on the Wednesday morning and she was born on the Saturday morning. I didn’t sleep in all that time and every time I had a contraction I either felt sick or WAS sick so I struggled to keep food and water down. Because she was back to back, labour was particularly painful and I was exhausted because I couldn’t lie down. I had every drug they could give me and in the end I had an epidural - best thing I could have done. It gave me chance to get a little bit of rest before I delivered. If I hadn’t, I would have really struggled with a new born baby and no food or sleep.
- Listen to your body. With my second, the midwife told me that she would be back to check me in a couple of hours. Minutes after she left the room, I just knew I needed to push. My husband didn’t believe me (🙈🤣) but I told him he HAD to shout for help. Good job he did because she was born about ten minutes later!
- Enjoy the tea and toast you get after giving birth. It’s genuinely the best tea and toast in the world!
If you would like to share your own unique delivery diary please click to this page and complete the form.
