Mum with Mark (and her magnificent beehive!) |
Mum & Dad with Nicholas (nice turtleneck dad!) |
Nick was a long awaited baby; born three years after Mum & Dad started trying. Early in her second trimester, Mum was told that she had contracted Rubella in early pregnancy and she may not keep the baby. She had to have continual scans every couple of weeks while they checked the development of the baby until being given the all-clear around 18 weeks. Late in pregnancy Mum was given a routine internal examination by her consultant – a man with the “boniest fingers” she’d ever felt – who hurt her and made her bleed. In hospital they suspected a low-lying placenta for which she was whipped into surgery and checked, being told that she would either come out of it with a C-section or her waters broken, depending on whether the placenta was there or not. Mum was convinced it was the consultant who had done something to her and Nick was born five hours after they broke her waters.
Mum and Chris (and Sheba. And some nice flares) |
Then there was me. Mum was in hospital for the last month of pregnancy with high blood pressure. I wasn’t growing and she was on strict bed rest. She was let out just before my due date then five days later went into early labour – the only labour where she was sick in the early stages. After Chris’s dramatic entrance, they rushed into hospital and everything stopped. Dad went home, a foetal monitor was attached and she was told the baby was in distress. “Nonsense” my Mum replied, “there is nothing wrong with my baby” :) They told her she had been in labour too long and would have to go on the drip. After Dad had missed my brothers’ birth, Mum refused to move until he turned up. She was put on a drip at 2.30pm and I was born two hours later… “Have you thought of a name?” asked the midwife, “Lindsey” Mum replied, “What if it’s a boy?”…
“If it’s a boy, you can push it back”.
Mum and Me! |
First photo of Thomas :) |
I had a brilliant labour and birth with Thomas, supported by my beloved husband and my amazing mother, and it was an empowering, magical experience. I would do it again in a second. Good job too, seeing as I’ll be doing it again in December!
Hello Grandma! Where am I? I'm scared! |
It wasn’t ‘perfect’, it didn’t all go according to ‘the plan’, and this is what I have since learnt. Ditch the plan, have a list of birth preferences. If there is anything you feel really strongly about, put it in BIG LETTERS. Here are my thoughts for my next list of birth preferences:
- DO NOT EVEN CONSIDER TALKING TO ME ABOUT INDUCTION.
- DO NOT TOUCH MY VAGINA.
- DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES CUT THE CORD.
I’ll keep you posted on how well I stick to them :)
This post was written for week 68 of The Gallery, hosted by Tara at Sticky Fingers. The theme was "birth" so I couldn't resist!
What an amazing post. I was a bit confused with the picture with the dog because I have one of me looking almost the same!!
ReplyDeleteThanks! After a couple of years of trying to conceive without success, Mum & Dad bought Sheba. I think Nick was conceived a couple of months later! I love that photo of Mum with Chris with Sheba looking on protectively! x
ReplyDeleteA good start to any birth plan I think!
ReplyDeleteDo you mind if I drop you an email with some doula related questions?
Thanks! Of course you can email me :) x
ReplyDeleteGreat post, true about the pain being forgotten, although in my case the pain wasn't gone for a few weeks (I had to have an episiotomy) after so it took me a while to forget! I would do it all again now though. I think it's so hard to plan your first birth, I wanted a drug free water birth but in the end I had all drugs and an assisted delivery as the cord was round Iylas neck. Next time I would love to try and experience a more natural birth. Congratulations on your pregnancy! x
ReplyDeleteWonderful post and celebration of womanhood. Really lovely and moving. Your mum was and is lovely looking and that smile on your face is so very beautiful too.
ReplyDeletewhat a fabulous mother! (what horrible Doctors) love the old photos, but really loved that she told the birth stories every year. As I grew up - no one spoke about birth. I was really shocked when in my early 20's someone told me their story. I then decided I didn't want to hear anymore, thanks.
ReplyDeleteI found labour really empowering, I see it as something positive and I do try to share that with pregnant women, because everyone else wants to tell them horror stories - why is that?
Good luck in December! Exciting times.
Oh Lyndsey I so enjoyed reading that! What a wonderful woman your mum sounds and amazing how each of her 4 births were all so different. The gorgeous photof you holding Thomas - I can see him now in you there. You look so happy and rightly so xxx
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful post. I'm misty and covered in goosebumps now! Since having kiddies, I've considered going into midwifery for very similar reasons. Birth - every birth - is amazing in a different way. What a meaningful calling you've chosen for yourself - the very stuff of life.
ReplyDeleteMy Mum is pretty brilliant. I feel very lucky to have had such a positive upbringing around birth. It's so true that people are keen to share horror stories and while I think it is very important that people are told what *could* happen, it's also nice to know that it isn't always, or even usually, like that :)
ReplyDeleteRachel - I toy with the midwifery idea too but now I'm heading Stateside I need to figure out the different pathways, it's all a bit different over there. I love being a doula as it's solely focused on supporting the pregnant woman and there is something so amazingly magical about women carrying babies :) x
Thanks so much for sharing this insight. I'm thinking of you and Lynne especially today and want to say A hugely heartfelt thanks for making such a positive impact on my, Rowan and Rob's experience a year ago. - which like your mums birth recollections will stay with us all forever. Loving your preferences :D and wishing you enjoyable journeys in all ways x
ReplyDeleteWow, Chris! It's already a year?! Happy birthday to Rowan :) You were amazing and I'm so glad you had such a brilliant birth experience! xxxx
ReplyDelete