This weeks birth story is a bit of a special one. I asked my Mum if she would right up her birth stories with us and she's written out the first two. Today I'm sharing my Sisters. I'll be sharing the other 3 over the next few weeks.
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My first baby was due on the 1/11/82. At that time scans were quite new and you only had one if there was a problem, so I had not seen my baby or heard the heartbeat. I had an antenatal appointment at the hospital on the morning of my due date.
When I got there they took my blood pressure and refused to let me go home because it was so high. They called my Husband and told him to come and get me, take me home and wait for a phone call from the maternity hospital, which at that time shared a building with a hospital for people with mental illness.
When we got home my Mum was already there doing the ironing, that I was worried I hadn't done, good old Mum. We got a call to go in at 2pm, so off we went. My husband was not allowed to stay and was told to come back at the evening visiting time. I found some ladies already in there who I had met at antenatal classes. We laughed because at that time there was a strike in the hopital laundry department so we had to take in our own sheets. It looked very odd to see all the beds with different sheets.
My blood pressure continued to rise and there was protein in my wee. So on the 4th November my consultant said that I needed to be induced the next day, but I would be given an enema that night to see if it would kick start labour. They came and administered it during the evening visiting time and loudly told everyone to keep the toilet clear as I would need to make a dash. I did, much to everyone's amusement, so embarrassing and nothing happened. No baby.
The next day, 5th November, Guy Fawkes day my Husband arrived and we were taken to the labour ward where they immediately sent him to "the fathers room" so they could insert a pessary. They hooked me up to a machine and for the first time I heard my baby's heartbeat for the first time. My husband was allowed back, by this time I was getting a few regular pains. I remember there was a man mowing the grass and every time he passed my window I got a contraction. This is not too bad I thought, what's all the fuss about. Little did I know.
The midwife decided that labour was not progressing fast enough so she decided to break my waters. Exit Husband again. Something that resembled a crochet hook was produced and waters were broken. I went into full blown labour and was taken to the delivery room on a trolley. I can still see the lights in the ceiling flash past. It was now 5pm the midwife decided that I should have some pethidine for the pain. 20 minutes later my baby girl was born.
We decided if we had a little girl she would be called Shelly Anne. Shelly weighed 8lb 2 1/4 oz. My midwife said I had a small internal tear which needed 1 stitch, would I mind if she did it without anesthetic otherwise she would have to call out a doctor and it could take ages. I told her to go ahead and I didn't feel a thing.
I was in hospital for 3 days which was the shortest amount of time you were allowed then.
If you would like to have your birth story featured email me littlepaperswans@gmail.com for more info. I'd love to feature you.
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