 "Oh!
My God, my waters have broken!"
Emma was shocked when a pregnancy test revealed she was expecting baby
No 5 just after she's made the decision to be sterilised! She prepared for
a post-Christmas home birth but baby had other ideas….
A positive shock
I never planned this pregnancy, in fact I had just decided that I would
like to be sterilized! After we took the test and it came up positive
our initial reaction was shock and what affect another child would have
on the four children we already had. The decision we were about to make
was the hardest we have ever had to do, we didn't really want another
baby but at the same time a termination was a last resort. So we knew
we had made the right choice by keeping this baby, although it wasn't
until I started to bleed at 10 weeks I realised that I really did want
this baby even if it wasn't planned!
The look on David's face said it all
All progressed well and we had decided that I would have a home birth
as the baby was due on the 9th January, we would be all cleared up after
Christmas and be prepared for this baby to arrive. I was so excited about
Christmas, and to be honest I didn't think much about having the baby
soon, I only had Christmas on my mind! Christmas eve we prepared everything
as we do every other year, but for some reason I felt like I had so much
energy, I cleaned the kitchen, mopped the floor and prepared our buffet
tea while my husband David had a bath. When David came down we filled
our plates with goodies, I went in the lounge to sit down and then it
happened at 6.30pm my waters broke with a gush, I went to our downstairs
loo with my trouser round my ankles and stood in the doorway screaming,
"OH MY GOD, my waters have broke"! The look on David's face said it all,
he sat on the stairs in front of me and said, you can't have the baby,
its Christmas! The first thing I did was phone my mum as she wanted to
be at the birth, I suppose you could say I was in a state of panic at
this point as I really wasn't prepared. I though it might be a good idea
that I phone my midwife and I couldn't believe my luck when I found out
it was Jane, as she had been looking after me at most of my antenatal
appointments.
Getting ready for Santa's delivery!
My mum arrived at 7pm and Jane was on her way all I had to do know was
get my very excited children into bed and get "Santa" to do his delivery
before I had mine! Jane arrived at 7.30pm and examined me and I was only
3cm dilated, but this was nothing interesting as I still had no contractions
and I had already had 4 children. So, out came the birthing ball and off
to bed for the kids, all I needed to do was get the room ready for the
delivery and get the bed covered in plastic. Jane left and told me to
phone when I needed her so I continued to bounce on my ball until about
10pm when the contractions started. By 11.30pm the contractions had got
a lot stronger so I phoned Jane. When she arrived about 11.50pm I felt
that using gas and air would be a good idea, I managed to get into a position
where I was leaning over the sofa on my knees and I stayed like that until
about 12.40am when my instinct told me it was time to move upstairs to
the bedroom, Jane examined me on the bed and said I was only 7 cm, at
this point I was a little disappointed but I knew it wasn't going to be
long!
A speedy arrival
At 1.10am the contractions were coming a lot closer. I knew it wouldn't
be long now and as the contractions started to run into each other I realised
the gas and air was a little bit thin, so as I started to panic Jane was
trying to put the valve on the new canister but it just would go so she
ran down stairs to get one from the car and phone for the second midwife,
as Jane arrived upstairs David had managed to fix it on just in time!
At 1.45am I needed to push and after just one push her head was born and
Jane was unprepared for her speedy arrival, I have never seen anyone get
gloves on so quick! And after just one more push, Talia was born at 1.50am
and weighed 5lb 130z. She was the best Christmas present ever and when
the children woke in the morning to a baby the presents weren't really
that important anymore. And the look on the faces of other family members
arriving in the morning was amazing, as we hadn't told anyone else about
it!
Where to next?
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