Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Just the Girls


Kev has been back at work for three days now, things are going well, Maddie is very settled and we are getting into a routine. The past four nights or so she has only woken once in the night and she has had her feed and gone straight back down again.
The health visitor came today and Maddie has gained 5 oz since Sunday, she now weighs 8lb 7oz. She still has her cord, its just hanging there, the health visitor tried twisting a bit to get it off but that didn't work, she thinks maybe another day or so.

Sunday, January 28, 2007

A few walks and First Outing


We registered Madeleine’s birth on Friday, and then went supermarket shopping, she slept the whole way through, she loves the baby carrier, and she has also been for a few walks to the river as well.

The midwife came today and she has regained her birth weight and a bit more, she now weighs 8lb 2oz, she thinks she is a very long baby. So maybe that means she won’t be a shorty like her mum

She has found her fingers and loves sucking them.

Thursday, January 25, 2007

1 Week Old



Little Maddie is one week old today.


She was a bit unsettled early this morning, possibly becaus she overdosed at feeding time. She suddenly increased her feeding time by about ten minutes on each feed yesterday and I don't think her little tummy was used to it. Kev did a good job in calming her down while I caught up on my sleep.

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Maddie (yes we keep on changing out minds about how we should spell it, I guess it doesn't really matter that much as its not her proper name) went for a walk today, we only walked to the shop, Kev had her in the baby carrier and she slept the whole way. It was nice for me to get outside again after being inside for a whole week, although I'm walking like a "Scouser" according to Kev.

Snow



It snowed over night, its the first time that it has snowed since we have been at our new house, this is the view from our bathroom window and a few photos Kev took when he went for a run this morning

A Well Deserved Nap



Tuesday, January 23, 2007

First Plaster

Madeleine had her heel prick test today, she was also weighed and has only lost 2 oz since birth which is really good.
She is becoming much more settled and sleeping and feeding for a lot longer. Shes still not happy with nappy changes though.



Monday, January 22, 2007

Thank you to everyone for the emails, phone calls and text messages
Both me and Madie are doing great, according to her Dad she is the most beautiful baby in the world.
We are undecided really on who she looks like, sometimes I think its Kev and then other times I think my youngest brother Sam, she’s not a red head yet, there’s time though as my hair was really dark when I was born.
I’m trying to take things easy, but it can be frustrating, Kev has to do his major abdominal surgery and imagine rupturing your wound speech to stop me from doing stupid things. To be honest I am feeling quite fragile and I’m still on 10 painkillers a day.
Madie is definitely becoming more settled and we have both almost mastered the art of breast feeding. Kev is the nappy changing King, I have to ask to change her nappies!
The midwives are coming tomorrow to weigh her again and do the heel prick test.











Here are my labour/birth details minus some of the messy yucky parts.
On Wednesday the 17th when I called the hospital to arrange a time for my induction that day they told me they were behind schedule and had a back log of inductions and that it would have to be tomorrow but I was to come in for then to assess and monitor the baby. Little Madie’s heart rate did a few strange dips and because of this they said they would admit me and push me up the list. Luckily I had my suitcase in the car.
They induced at 5pm and said it probably wouldn’t work and we would give me another dose early the next morning, but by the time Kev left at 9.30pm I was getting some mild contractions. At 11pm my waters broke and I was already 3cm dilated, they moved me in to a Delivery Suite and Kev was called in. By 6am the gas and air wasn’t working as my contractions were so close together and it was making me sick, so I had an epidural and I was 7cm. We were all thinking she would be coming before lunch but over the next few hours I just didn’t progress and after a number of examinations they still couldn’t work out which way she was facing. At 1pm they started mentioning c-section, I was so determined not to have one so despite just having a top up of my epidural and marched up and down on the spot for 1 hour trying to get her to descend further. Then when they examined me I was fully dilated but they realised she was back to back, her spine was against mine and her head was in the wrong position, there was a lot of meconium too which meant Madie was getting distressed so a c-section was the only possibility. After that things happened really quickly and within 20 minutes or so she was delivered. I lost almost a litre of blood and have quite a few bruises on my lower abdomen as well as my incision. But they did a blood test and I didn’t need to have a transfusion which was good. I stayed in the hospital for two nights and came home early Saturday afternoon, which I’m really pleased about. Its far more relaxing being in your own home and the midwives have been to see me twice already. Tomorrow I’m having my stitches out, its actually beaded they are held in place by two small beads either side, they take one of and just pull from the other side.

Saturday, January 20, 2007

Madeleine Georgia Still

Madeleine Georgia Still


Born 2.41pm Thursday 18th January 2007
Weighing 8 pounds exactly
Length 52 1/2 cm

We are both doing well, more details to come over the next few days, a c-section and only a few hours of sleep since Tuesday mean I'm not up for much at the moment.

Friday, January 12, 2007

40 Weeks + 7 Days

41 Weeks!!! I can't believe I have gone this far, I didn't expect to make it to my due date let alone go over it.
I'm thinking the chances of having an induction are more likely now, on Wednesday when she booked me in I thought there is no way I will go another week but I just don't think Spiros wants to come out.
I'm so sick of being pregnant now, the whole way through my pregnancy I have been reading pregnancy/birth books and magazines and any tv programme on it, but now I'm sick of it, I don't want to read about or watch other women doing it - I want to do it!!!
Another photo unfortunately. Probably not the last at the rate I'm going.

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Induction Date Next Wednesday

Well I'm 40 weeks and 5 days today I had a check up with the community midwife, the good news is that the baby is fully engaged now, it's sitting right down in my pelvis. That probably explains why its been very painful sitting down and moving around the past few days.
I have been booked in for an induction of labour next Wednesday the 17th, my hospital's policy is to let you go 12 days over before inducing. We are really hoping it won't come to that, its another week away the midwife explained exactly what they have to do and it can be a very drawn out and painful process. But she also said that only 25% of first time Mums who are overdue have to be induced.
Apparently Spiros is not a tiny baby but he's not a whopper either, but he could still be a 9 pounder (sounds like a burger) thats seems almost a normal size these days.

Sunday, January 07, 2007

No Baby Yet

No baby yet, Kev thinks I've just eaten too many pies and I'm pretending!!
We went for a huge two hour walk today as well, along the New River and then down the other Lee Valley river - maybe it could happen tonight. I've been sleeping lots, afternoon naps, going to bed early and sleeping in as I've been so tired.

Friday, January 05, 2007

D Day - 40 Weeks

It's my official due date today and there are no developments, just getting really uncomfortable and my back is aching a lot but nothing to suggest Spiros is coming soon.
I've been nesting - lots of baking and cooking, lucky Kev. We are both getting very impatient but it could still be a while.

Stripes again, but I don't care what I look like or what people think anymore, (and its one of my few pregnant tops that still fits me, I've out grown most of them)
Hopefully my last pregnant photo.

Thursday, January 04, 2007

Baby has moved down a little

I had my check up with the midwife yesterday and the baby has moved down in my pelvis slightly, still not engaged but almost. But I can still go into labour without it being engaged and hopefully the contractions will push it down. Its my official due date tomorrow.

Wednesday, January 03, 2007

Little Spiros' Room


We finally finished the baby's room on Christmas day, Kev painted the final coat on the changing table top that he made. I've just got to sort out some curtains which is not urgent as we have a blind up.














Tuesday, January 02, 2007

Still Pregnant

No developments, just me getting extremely grumpy and restless. Kev was hoping I would go into labour last night because he didn't want to go back to work today.
My due date of the 29th has passed and the hospital's scan date of 5th is only three days away so everyones theory of me having it early was wrong.
Another appointment tomorrow with the midwife, hopefully Spiros has moved into my pelvis, but I don't feel any different and we went for another walk yesterday and he still feels quite high up.