Well, the last 24hrs have been exciting! We now have a beautiful baby daughter Sylvia Lilian Quinsee 6lb 4oz, born on Saturday 2nd September at 8.44pm at The Elizabeth Garrett Anderson (EGA) Hospital, London.
Not the day we were planning but guess that’s the way it goes. Susie woke early on Saturday morning with some ‘leaking’ and so we just went in for a check at about 11am. After the staff had confirmed that waters had broken there was no dilation and they assured us it would still be ages so we were advised to go home, pack a bag and come back later. This was a bit of a shock as our due date was still a good 4 weeks off.
Susie decided shopping was the best therapy so did a quick round of the baby dept at John Lewis … the salesgirls were surprised to learn that Susies waters had already broken, we joked that we would have to call it Jonelle or John Lewis if we gave birth there.
Contractions were getting a bit more determined by about 3pm so we grabbed a cab home and packed a bag, Susie having to stop during each contraction. I was getting a bit worried by this time and was trying to hurry us along back to the hospital.
We walked across Bloomsbury to the hospital and arrived about 5pm, everyone still saying things like ‘Oh, you’re very early’, ‘no need to hurry’ and we were put in the ante-natal ward. Contractions were still coming and getting harder but still we were assured it would be ages yet. Susie took 2 paracetemol for the pain but nothing else. At 7.30pm I went down to chat with the midwives at the birthing centre. One of them came and had a chat with Susie and gave me some massage techniques – this was very useful, much appreciated and reassuring. We debated going to the birthing centre to deliver but because our baby was pre-37 weeks hospital policy dicates it must be born on the ward.
At 8pm the shift changed and the new midwive came and looked at us – attracted no doubt by the strange grunting going on. Surprise surprise Susie was fully dilated and getting urges to push! We wheeled her out on her bed down the lift to the ward and baby Sylvia was born within 15 minutes and three major lots of pushing.
All the midwives were brilliant and when Sylvia was born I cut her umbilical cord and then we were left with her to have a cuddle. Later the midwife came back to clean her up a bit, weigh her and give her oral vitamin K.
Susie and Sylvia were later put up on the post-natal ward and I had to go home. Boo.
(And it’s true what they say about things taking 10 times longer with a baby – this blog has taken hours to get finished!)
