Charlotte's Speedy Arrival!
Sorry it's taken me so long to get on here but a newborn baby who is constantly feeding and a very active 4 year old is taking up all my time! In the early hours of Sunday 12th October my waters started leaking - only a trickle here and there but certainly noticeable. As I was booked for a homebirth I phoned the Community Midwife who advised that I would need to go to the hospital's day assessment unit to be assessed. That evening the hospital confirmed that my waters had ruptured. The bad news was that I would need to go into labour naturally that evening otherwise I would have to have a hospital birth due to the risk of infection and I would need to be administered with antibiotics during labour. I was very disappointed and even more so when they booked me for an induction at 8am on Tuesday 14th, again due to the risk of infection, the baby needed to be out no later than so many hours from the time my waters first started leaking (can't remember how many hours exactly now!). Late Sunday evening I started having contractions, not particularly painful but regular. Telephoned the hospital (with the risk of infection playing on my mind that they had constantly been going on about) who said they wanted me in again to monitor. So off we went to hospital, hooked up onto monitor and contractions stopped! So off we went home. I had to go back into the hopsital the following day (Monday) for further monitoring - all OK and off we went home. Also had what MW assumed was a show at this point. Monday evening we got home and I made sure all bags were packed ready to head off for induction the following morning. Made a fish pie for my Mum and DD to eat the following evening knowing that DH and I were likely to be at hospital. Started having contractions but didn't really think that much of them because they were rather irregular. By about 11pm the contractions were more painful but still irregular and I actually managed to doze off through some of them. Just before midnight I had to get out of bed and breathe through them whilst swinging my lower half around whilst holding onto anything I could lean against! They were now taking my breath away so managed to wake DH and tell him we needed to go. He rang my Mum who got to our house to look after DD within minutes. We left home about 12.15am and I was whaling through the contractions. I knew we weren't going to make it to the hospital and warned DH. He told me to 'huff and puff' and we'd get there. The hospital was 40-45 mins away! 10 minutes into the journey I warned DH that I needed to push. He was driving like a lunatic! Another 5 mins later I told him that I REALLY did need to push and that I could feel the baby coming. He rang the hospital to tell them what was happening and they told him to ring 999 so he pulled over in a layby and made the call at 12.45am. It seemed like an absolute age before the ambulance arrived whilst DH was having a conversation with the 999 operator who was asking if he could see the baby's head! I was fully clothed and we were in a dark layby - he couldn't see anything! My waters gushed (twice) and I knew the baby wasn't far away. Ambulance arrived about 10 mins later, hooked me up to some gas and air headed to the hospital - still 10-15 mins away . The gas and air was a godsend though! DH followed in our car. A few minutes away from the hospital, the paramedics asked if I wanted to give birth in the ambulance or inside the hospital - inside please!! We were greeted by midwives who rushed me into a delivery suite with the paramedics. One of the midwives took a quick look to see what was happening and said "Oh crikey - the baby's here - one last push!" and no sooner had she said that than Charlotte Mia made her appearance! We literally had just arrived via stretcher into the delivery suite and the midwives didn't have time to put gloves on or anything and I was still sucking away on the paramedics gas and air! It was very quick and all the time I was so worried about having these antiobiotics that I had been told that I must have during labour - pah fat chance! I was petrified of giving birth in the car though - it was filthy with nothing but shopping bags in the boot to keep baby warm if she had appeared a few minutes earlier with the risk of infection constantly going round in my mind! Anyway, it all turned out well. It was all a bit too quick really but better that way than a long drawn out labour I suppose! Fortuntely, even though we didn't get the antibiotics, Charlotte was a healthy baby girl, weighing 6lbs 12ozs, born at 1.15am. We were home the same evening. DH was fab throughout the whole episode - surprisingly calm really. The only thing which panicked him was when the 999 operator told him that if I needed to push, he must tell me to push because there could a risk of harm to the baby if I didn't. I was still fully clothed at this point and huddle over in the front seat of the car! 999 operator told DH to recline my seat and to remove my clothing!! BACK OFF!!! Luckily, ambulance arrived few minutes later. Charlotte is gorgeous little girl and settling in well but I'd forgotten just how much hard work newborns are! I'm breastfeeding at the moment and that itself is a huge shock to the system with it's own set of problems!! x

Wow thats a story to tell her when she grows up, gald you made it to the hospital in time

Wow! What a story! How impressive. Hope you've recovered from all the excitement Really glad Charlotte is doing well. CONGRATULATIONS!! xx

:congratulations: on the speedy birth of Charlotte. Elaine.

fab story hun, glad you are all well xx

Fab story - thanks for sharing. Glad u are all well.xx

ah wow brought tears to my eye! huge huge congrats xxx

Blumin heck that's a labour story and a half. Well done hun!! What a story to tell her when she's older. Huge congratulations and enjoy your little baby girl :-)

What a great birth story! Well done you!!! xxx

What a fantastic birth! Amazing - well done you and DH!! Welcome Charlotte Mia xx

What a great birth story well done to you and your Dh !!

Wow...what an entrance into our world Charlotte made! Congratulations Sarah and glad to hear all is well xx

What an amazing story Sarah!! Glad you made it to the hospital in time... and welcome baby Charlotte!

Wow! What an amazing birth story. Sorry you didn't get to have the calm home birth you had hoped for but so fantastic that little Charlotte was fine without the antibiotics. Congratulations! I hope the breast feeding gets easier and that you are soon able to get a bit more sleep too. Hugs, Rosi & Liam

That is an amazing story! Glad she's healthy and happy! x