How Zeph arrived and other stories

Apparently when I said 'I promise there'll be more frequent updates!' I lied!
So, to the story at hand...

On the morning of Monday 16th we had to go to the hospital for various checks to make sure that both baby and placeta were ok despite being two weeks overdue. We had a foetal heart trace done, plus an ultrasound to see the placenta and cord. Everything looked good, and the consultant advised us to go ahead with induction then on the basis that we might as well do it while there's no problems.

About 4pm I has the first dose of prostaglandin gel, which caused fairly mild contractions all night, another dose the next morning and another half-dose later that afternoon. The gel was having an effect - I was starting to dilate. By Tuesday evening, the contractions were getting very painful, especially round the left side of my back and the baby's heartbeat was worrying the doctor. I went to the delivery room where they broke my waters, and found a lot of meconium there. I also needed a drip as I'd been throwing up all day and was getting very dehydrated. I was in a lot of pain by this point, couldn't sit or lie down and was too exhausted to stand up any more, so when I was offered an epidural I decided to take it, especially since I was told that the baby had turned back-to-back which is why it was hurting so much, and that they wanted me to have a syntocinon drip. Apparently I needed to be contracting harder to get Zeph round the right way to be born, and I know I couldn't have coped with that amount of pain. I dozed for a few hours, and was ready to push by 11.30 the next morning. It was really difficult, though, because I had so little feeling, and after an hour of pushing I still couldn't get his head out. The doctor was getting really concerned about the baby and had a surgeon and anaesthetist in the room just in case. I ended up delivering him myself with the help of Chris and several midwives supporting my legs and two midwives using a kiwi (mini suction device) on his head, plus an episiotomy.
He wasn't moving much when he was born, and wasn't making any noise, so Chris got to quickly cut the cord before Zeph was rushed out to have his airways suctioned. They were concerned about him breathing the meconium but it seems to be ok.

It was so weird seeing him come out of me - he looked too big to have fitted in there! We had to stay in hospital for three nights, partly because he hadn't had a wet nappy in over two days and the staff were worried that he might have a kidney or bladder problem. The paediatricians took blood samples to check that he wasn't dehydrated and had a lot of trouble getting any blood out of him. He had needle marks all over the backs of his hands.
He eventually had a couple of wees - the first one was like Niagara Falls! We were allowed to go home on Saturday afternoon on the basis that we'd bring him back for further tests on Monday if he didn't start weeing more but he's been weeing fine ever since (in his own face twice one day... ).

You know the weirdest thing? All this hasn't put me off wanting another baby in a couple of years!

Here we are, a few minutes after he was born.

Zephram Arthur Anderson, born 18th November 2009 at 12.42pm, weighing 9lb2.



Oh, and the proudest new daddy in the world!