Birth Story:
carolyn goss
Having had a very late baby and a slightly early one I resigned myself to the fact that number three would come as and when he was ready – but I couldn’t help but hope people were right when they said he would “be early” and “fall out”
During my first pregnancy I developed preeclampsia at 41 weeks and as a result had consultant care for number 2. As we had no issues and I had no concerns I was happy to be left under midwife care and hopefully get to use the new birthing unit at St Peters.
5 days after my due date and feeling rather irritable I lost my mucous plug (something that had never happened with the others so was slightly strange) having known people who had lost it a week before baby arrived I didn’t want to get too excited but when I started getting mild twinges on the school run I started to hope that this could be it.
I spent the kid’s tea and bath time tracking the cramps on my app but by 8pm everything had stopped so we ordered a rather large take away to cheer myself up!
The next morning I woke up at 5am and something just wasn’t right – I decided to go and get some ironing done so that Emily had her school uniform ready for Monday just incase!
I didn’t mention anything to my husband as I knew he would get overexcited again and my mum was due to have her hair coloured and didn’t want her to miss it for no reason.
Whilst Kevin was taking Emily to Stagecoach I lost the rest of my plug and this time it was blood streaked and I knew this was really happening.
Panic then set in as Emily would be off for 90 minutes – my mum was now having her hair coloured and I was home alone with a 2 year old.
Fortunately everything worked out well – I called the birthing center and they said I could go in whenever I was ready so after sorting the kids their lunch my mum arrived and we left for the hospital.
We arrived at the birthing unit and I couldn’t believe how relaxed everything was – we were taken to the assessment room but the midwives didn’t even check how dilated I was – they were happy that I was in active labour and that we could go along to a room.
The room itself was beautiful and Kevin settled down watching tv whilst I was walking around trying to keep things moving.
Before long we decided to run the birthing pool – typical as having had 2 labours on monitors and not being able to go in the pool I hadn’t bothered to pack a bikini! We all sat around and had a lovely chat and it wasn’t like being in labour at all! Before long my body started to push by itself and for the first time my waters burst by themselves (they had been broken for me both times before) – but still it was very relaxed and calm and the midwives and Kevin were placing bets on what time baby would arrive.
After an hour of pushing they asked me to get out of the pool to be examined as they couldn’t even see his head and really with a third – baby should have been here by now.
It turned out that he was infact back to back with his head tited and attempting to come out with the side of his head and in doing so got stuck!
I was quickly dressed – popped into a wheelchair and taken up to the labour ward.
A doctor arrived and popped me in stirrups before heading out to get a suction kiwi.
I was then told that on my next contraction I had to push as hard as I could whilst he would pull and twist as hard as he could.
In one push his head was out – the look on my husbands face was totally priceless as I’m not sure he could quite believe what he witnesses but I was glad it was finally over.
Nathan Lee Goss was born at 17:29 on 23rd April weighing 8lb 8oz.
As my midwife from the birthing unit had stayed with me she quickly popped me back in the wheelchair and took me back downstairs to recover.
We stayed in overnight to monitor him as he had a blister on his head due to the build up of pressure when he was stuck but went home the next morning.
So for me my third labour was the only one that needed medical intervention – they certainly don’t “fall out” but little Nathan has certainly filled our hearts and our home.