♡ Built for comfort not speed ♡ 18+

Chapter Sixteen

 We had now decided on a name for darling little boy, he was going to be called Logan Daniel Craig Wood.  The girls from work had organised a baby shower for me and had invited lots of friends and family along, they did it as a surprise for me.

They had laid on a lovely spread of food, there were sandwiches, pizza, crisps, sausage rolls, cheese straws, cupcakes with blue frosting on top mixed with edible glitter and there was a baby cake in the shape of a baby with its bottom sticking up in the air wearing little blue bloomers.  We played baby related games and we had a sweep stake to guess who would be the closest to guessing the baby's weight, we all put a pound in a jar and who ever was the closest won the money. 

 I was getting really fed up now and just wanted Logan in my arms, I was so tired and I ached from head to foot.  I had now left work and was now on maternity leave, I worked up to as far as I could but could not go on anymore so now I am just fulfilling my time with reading books on my kindle and cleaning.  Yes the nesting instinct had kicked in and I felt like I had to make the place spotless to bring our little angel home,  when I wasn't reading, cleaning or sleeping I was out visiting family and friends as I thought there may not be much time to do that when Logan is born. 

A few people had been really kind and had given me presents already; I had received outfits, rattles, cloth books, teddies, baby albums and photo frames. 

We bought the last few items like a baby bouncer, a mosses basket, rocking cradle and an electric pod sterilizer. 

 My due date wasn't very far away now and I had been reading on how to induce labour if you go over due, I had also picked up some tips from family and friends like drinking raspberry leaf tea, having a warm bath, eating a hot curry or pineapple and walking.

 I had heard of some crazy ones like blowing up balloons as it is suppose to increase abdominal pressure and encourage labour to start,  bouncing on a birth ball or driving your car down a bumpy road as it would seem to put the same faith in shaking things up a little and watching a weepy film and having a good cry.  Some of the best ones are nipple stimulation where you gently rub or roll your nipples to encourage the start of contractions; the idea is to stimulate the suckling of your baby, this releases oxytocin, a hormone which causes contractions to start.  

The other one is to have sex, although it can be tricky you when have a big bump. 

But it could trigger the release of oxytocin which causes contractions, being upright also can encourage your baby to move down your cervix.

One of them had to work I thought if I needed it.

 I really fancied a cup of coffee so I flicked the kettle onto boil whilst looking out the kitchen window, all of a sudden I felt like I was urinating.  I looked down and thought it could only mean one thing, my waters had broken. 

My heart started to race, I didn't know what to do.  I hadn't been through this before I called my mum and she told me not to panic, she said to call the hospital and she would be right with me.  I called the hospital and explained that my waters had broken; they said I was in early stages of labour.  They said when I start to get contractions and they are between 45-60 seconds apart and occur every five minutes to call the hospital to let them know I will be coming in, I called Jayden to let him know things had started and he asked if I needed him to come home.  I said no but would call him when the contractions started and they became stronger and more frequent, just be on your guard I said.  With that my mum came hurrying in, she helped me get changed and cleared the water up on the floor.  Sometimes we all just need our mums for reassurance; I don't know what I would do without mine.

 We made some lunch together and I eventually got that coffee I had started to make before all the hype, mum and I sat down at the table chatting about Logan and the labour.  Mum was my other birthing partner as well as Jayden; we spoke about the birth plan and went over what I wanted.  I didn't want to feel any pain and thought my best choice was to go for an epidural; I didn't want gas and air as I had heard it can make some women sick and I don't cope very well with that.  I was feeling really apprehensive about the birth having never had a baby before but I knew I would be in good hands, my mum told me to remember you will forget all the pain when you have Logan in your arms.  I kept taking deep breaths and thinking I would soon be a mummy, I got up to take the plates and cups in the kitchen when a huge pain went across my stomach.  It gripped me and I could hardly breathe, my mum held me by the shoulders to steady me and said

"Concentrate on your breathing techniques like you were shown in antenatal classes."

I slowly inhaled the air through my nose and slowly exhaled the air through my mouth, it was beginning to help and I felt a bit better.  I was dreading them coming stronger and more frequently, I was scared of the pain and the unknown.  Mum called Jayden to update him and let him know my contractions had started, he was excited to think he could be a daddy soon but was concerned and worried for me.  Work had let Jayden come home to be with me so he would be here when we needed to go to the hospital,  as time went on I was having contractions and  were now about ten minutes apart and were really strong. Jayden called the hospital and said we lived a fair distance way from the hospital and my contractions were coming thick and fast, they were fully understanding and told us to make our way there. 

 We got in the car, remembering to take my hospital bag and off we went, I concentrated on my breathing all the way there and they were now spot on every five minutes.  We got to the labour suite and I was booked in and taken to a single room where I changed into a hospital gown.  I was examined to see how far dilated I was but I still had a way to go, I did everything to try and help the pain from bouncing on a birthing ball to sitting on a chair and Jayden rubbing my back, minutes turned into hours until finally I was told I was ready and I was fully dilated. 

 I was wheeled down to theatre with mum and Jayden beside me holding my hand, I was crying as I was in so much pain, when we got down there I was given an epidural and Mum and Jayden changed into the green scrub clothing.  I was so nervous I was shaking, I had a catheter inserted and I got the urge to push.  I pushed with all my might and after about half an hour the baby's head was engaged, with a lot of encouragement and a bit more pushing, our baby boy was delivered. 

"You have a beautiful baby boy said the surgeon, Congratulations." 

They cleaned him up, checked his airways and wrapped him in a little green blanket and handed him to me on my chest, I looked down at him and I can honestly say I have never felt as much love in the world as I had anyone else.  Jayden and I looked at each other and we just cried as we were now a Mummy and Daddy. 

 They took Logan from me and placed him on the scales  he was a perfect 7lb 12oz, when they had got me sorted they took Logan and I to the maternity ward where all the other mums were, I gave Logan his first feed and Jayden and I had some bonding time with him.  He was really beautiful, he had lots of dark hair, and he had my nose and Jayden's eyes.  I had something to eat and managed to get a bit of shut eye whilst Jayden kept an eye on Logan; Logan was a good baby and loved having cuddles.  I couldn't really relax whilst in hospital; I really couldn't wait to go home so I was in my own comforts.

The baby photographer came round the next day to take photos of the babies on the ward, we could purchase packages of photos with our baby's photo on, we had Logan's photo taken with him cuddling a little teddy.  We were told we could go home after the photographs were taken so Logan had his going home outfit on which was a little white sleep suit on which was embroided with 100% Mummy, 100% Daddy, he had a little hat and scratch mittens to match.  We put Logan in his car seat and the hospital made sure he was alright, we said good bye to all the doctors and nurses and made our way out the hospital to go home.

© Copyrighted 2014 to Lorraine Barber.