Name
Emma Piggott
Age: 36
3rd Pregnancy
Pain relief used: None
Due Date: 17th August
Arrival Date: 10th August
Seven days before my due date, I had a day at home with the boys going in and out at various points with the grandparents. I had spent the day doing mostly the ironing, on a pledge to catch up with it. I sent a text to Simon at 4.38pm stating 'What time will you be home. No sign of baby today so you need to give him a talking to when you get home!'
Benjamin returned home from his swimming lesson at 4.45pm and my mum brought Oliver home at 5pm.
I then sent another text to Simon 'It's raining, do you want me to get you?' He didn't so I pressed on with dinner... which happened to be curry but don't think it was a factor!
Si got home and we had dinner at 6pm. I mentioned to him that my tummy kept going really hard like baby was arching his back, or something. I commented a couple of times through dinner and made him feel it - meanwhile, he had been clock watching and said that happens every 4 minutes or so. But I declared that they are not painful so must be Braxton Hicks. As we cleared dinner away, I noticed that the tightenings were finishing off around my back.
At 6.51pm I post to Facebook 'did not get a chance to browse the Ikea catalogue but once the boys are in bed, Eastenders, Holby then bed with the lovely catalogue... pure bliss!' I should've know something was amiss as it was Monday and not Tuesday... so Holby was not on!!
So 7pm - we take the boys up to bed and whilst Simon is reading them a story I retreat to our bedroom to see if I can time the tightenings.... the are not regular at all being between 4 - 7 minutes apart, so I dismiss them and join my boys.
We head down stairs at 7.30 and, as I go to sit down, I have a very painful contraction... one that took my breath away. So Simon grabbed the clock, a pen and some paper and I have three more that are precisely 4 minutes apart. To be on the safe side, I called my mum to come and get the boys just in case anything happened over night. Whilst Simon gets the boys up and their bags out (I already had the bags packed and ready in my ultra organised way!), I go and run a bath. Each contraction that comes is getting increasingly painful.
I got into the bath and the contractions slow to 6 - 7 minutes and I knew I was in trouble. When I was in labour with Benjamin, the same thing happened, but when I got out of the bath, they returned fast and furious - so I decide to call the hospital. It is about 8pm by now.
I get through to a student midwife , asI have another contraction. I inform her I am on the homebirth list but, as the community midwives had been called into the hospital, there is no chance for a homebirth. I was secretly relieved. I knew we could be at hospital in 20 minutes or so. Then I feel the whopper of a contraction approaching. I manage my way through it pleading with myself not to push... when I return to the 'phone I had a new midwife who is the Senior Midwife and he tells me that he has been listening to me through it and would like me to call an ambulance as it sounds like the baby is imminent. Turn on the tears... I came off the 'phone and cried. I have to admit to being a little scared and it all feels a little bit too dramatic - do I really need an ambulance?
Simon helped me out the bath and then called for an ambulance. It was 8.25pm now. The 999 control centre wanted to stay on the line until the ambulance arrived, so went onto speaker phone. I managed to get dressed and downstairs into the kitchen where it was comfortable to rest against the worktop. Each contraction made me want to push and I was holding my stomach up in the hope to defy gravity! Telling Simon, I needed to push and my body was trying to. He remained calm, walking around the house getting our bits together... reassuring me all was OK, the ambulance would be here soon.
The most joyous sound was the sirens approaching. Arriving at 8.45pm, they had come all the way from Burgess Hill and I told them I needed to push. I gave into my body and allowed it to push and I felt the baby descend. Si grabbed some towels and put them underneath me as my waters went and they were nice and meconium green! I only just managed to get on my knees as the paramedics were worried about the baby falling.
Then the doorbell went.....!!! Luckily it was my sister in law, Linda, who drove past and saw the ambulance and came to check that all was OK and see if we needed help with the boys. As Simon turned back towards me from the front door, he was just in time to see Oscar slide into the world at 8.50pm!
I think we were all in shock at how quickly it had happened and Simon just kept saying 'look at him, just look at him'. The paramedic, Nick, turned Oscar onto his side as he was bringing up the lovely green liquid. Once he was all wrapped up daddy was able to pick him up and show me our new son. He was perfect. Auntie Linda is manning the front door and describes it as a 'Seven Brides for Seven Brothers' moment (a family favourite) where she hears the hearty cry of a baby which Simon then brings to show her!
The paramedics asked if we had a name and we said Oscar but were not sure until we saw him and Sue, the other paramedic said that his birth was an Oscar-winning performance so it is very fitting.
Due to the meconium and no midwives able to come out I had to be transferred into East Surrey Hospital. Both midwives that I had spoken to on the 'phone were waiting for me and were brilliant. The third stage was done in hospital without the injection as it was about an hour later by the time we arrived. It was uncomfortable but over quickly.
Oscar was checked and weighed - he weighed 8lbs 11oz and perfect. We stayed in hospital for 2 nights as with meconium babies are observed for 24 hours and as the paediatrics are not there late in the evening, we had to wait until the second morning to be seen. But that was no hardship. I got my homebirth - though not quite as I planned. I didn't even get to light my lavendar candle!
The ambulance crew were just fantastic. And my husband was the best - cool, calm and collected and was ready to deliver Oscar himself! On leaving the hospital we were told if we go for number 4 (I say when ;)), Simon must do a midwifery course beforehand!
Oscar has fitted into family life well. His big brothers, Benjamin & Oliver love him to bits. And everything has got back to normal quite quickly - family life and my body!
Would I do it again..... never say never! Simon..... come back.....!!
