Birth Story - Noah Donald Kew

This is a very late birth story! I love reading these and hope you do as much as I do!

It was an ordinary Monday (or so I thought) and I had a dozen things I needed to go out and do – boring things, like nails, eyebrows and a few bits of shopping but I had this over whelming feeling to stay at home. To which I did! I was 36+6 weeks pregnant and giving birth was the last thing I thought I would be doing over the next day. Around 5.00pm I lost the tiniest bit of my plug (approx. An inch) but this seemed to be the most exciting thing in the world! Sam arrived home from work at usual time of 6.30 we had dinner and I then decided I was going to clear out two cupboards that we had wanted to do for months! We joked that I was nesting and after I had finished I went to bed. I watched TV and started dosing about 11pm to then at 00.30am I woke to the sound of a pop and my waters had gone! 

I couldn’t believe it! I shot out of bed shouting ‘Sam! I think my waters have gone’ we both jumped around not knowing what to do whilst my waters gushed everywhere! I ran to the bathroom so not to make a mess and my entire plug fell to the ground like a jelly fish! And that was it I knew we were going to have a baby! I was 30mins in to being 37 weeks so felt very anxious about that. We rang the maternity ward and because babies movements were reduced they suggested we came in on our own time to monitor baby and that I would be allowed home to hopefully go in to labour naturally. We were both so excited! I jumped in the shower and we made our way to the hospital we live about 30mins from the hospital and it felt like the longest journey in the world! I was experiencing mild contractions but didn’t want to say anything to Sam in case I jinxed it! We had done Hypnobirthing throughout our whole pregnancy and we were making ourselves familiar with what we were going to do. We arrived at the hospital about 2.00am and we went through to the Assessment unit to which baby was put on to monitors and he was fine! The midwife said we’ll monitor him for a further 30mins then you can go home and see how you get on. Sam and I were discussing making our relaxing area with candles and music.

Then out of nowhere I experienced a huge contraction, and just like that I was in labour. They were coming every 4 minutes and lasting a minute or so and was told I should not go home. I kept on needing the toilet and she kept on saying to me ‘you don’t you are having a baby’! There was no room in midwife or doctor led unit so I was left to labour in the assessment unit which was very off putting and I found very stressful. It got to the point I heard the midwife ring the unit and whisper ‘she is going to have her baby on my floor if you do not find her a room’ I was very stressed by this but Sam was my rock and spoke very nicely and firmly with the midwife that something had to be done! And within a few minutes we were on our way to the delivery unit I desperately wanted a water birth or midwife lead but it was obvious baby had other plans! I was examined and was 6cm we made the room as relaxing as possible. I could handle the pain by using our breathing techniques we had learnt at HypnoBirthing and it was the most amazing and empowering feeling of my life. I was using gas and air on and off mainly because I found it enjoyable (lol) the midwife left us as we were coping so well. She then came in with the fantastic news that I was allowed to use an old water birth pool! My contractions were very close and we were all convinced baby was coming soon. This was about 6am. This time was a blur to me as I was so ‘in the zone’ birthing our baby. She ran the pool for me and getting in to the water was amazing my pain was lifted. It got to the point where I was ready for our baby to come (or so we thought) I had asked for minimal examinations so the midwife said if you have the urge you push. I did – and I really, really did, but nothing was happening. My poor baby was stuck. I got out the water and was told my little baby was stuck on an anterior lip on my cervix, but I was 10cm. The more he tried to birth and the more I pushed we were making it worse resulting in babies head swelling. I was told to resist the urge to push which is impossible! I was advised to have an epidural but we refused and this was ok. The experience of fighting the urge to push was excruciating, I felt helpless. I remember shouting ‘I can’t do this, please help me’ But they couldn't. I was rushed to Delivery and suddenly surrounded by doctors, midwives and anesthetists – baby’s heartbeat was dropping. I can hear it now in my head. Beat, Beat, Beat …….. Nothing. The emergency button was pressed and even more medical staff entered the room.  I was briefed for a c – section. Baby’s heartbeat was back to normal – but we could not wait any longer. I was pushed on to my back and legs put up in stirrups. I was told my baby was coming by Ventouse and if he couldn't come I would be having an emergency C-section. I was given an episiotomy with NO anesthetic due to it not working and only gas and air. A small cup was put on babies head. I felt so scared there we’re approx. 6 medical staff in the room with anesthetists waiting in the doorway to whisk me away. I just wanted my baby. We had reached 10.55am and time had flown by but only 10 hours after my waters broke. The doctor pulled with all her strength to get my baby out and it failed the cup popped of babies head. She did it again and told me with my next contraction and push our baby would be here. Here it came. I pushed harder than I could ever think possible and that’s it our baby was here he was put immediately on my chest but I was in total shock he was taken off me for checks and I had my stitches. He cried and it was the most beautiful cry I had ever heard.  The doctors gradually went out one by one and finally it was just me, Sam our midwife Kate and our little perfect baby and for the first time I cried I looked at him took him in and he was just perfect. He was fast asleep just snuggled and it suddenly hit me the love for him, I don’t know why it was delayed I was in such shock everything happened so quickly. I said to Sam ‘please can we call him Noah’ and we did (it was his favourite of many) we spent the whole day in our delivery room as a three! As the Kew family and it was the most amazing day of my life just staring at him. We then moved to the ward at about 6.00pm unfortunately I had an infection and wasn't very well but that was insignificant our boy was here!

Noah Donald Kew 03 June 2014 11.03am 6lb 11.5oz.

I think about this day every day since he has been born and would do anything to do it all over it again. It is the most amazing thing a woman can do in her entire life. Mummy’s everywhere should be so proud!

Love,

My high flying mummy and Me x

The 'S' word...

Oh sleep, sleep, sleep… Sleep! Sleep? What is sleep? Why aren’t you happening sleep? Why didn’t I sleep all my life? Can sleep be a job? I’d be amazing at that… Why won’t our baby sleep? Does your baby sleep? Is he a good sleeper? My baby sleeps why doesn’t yours? Have you tried this?

Just a few of the questions us mummy’s ask ourselves at 3am in the morning and get asked about our little darlings and do you know what I am thinking inside, just itching to shout out? NO! My baby does not sleep, he has not slept for 6 months and I even tried to sleep in the shower the other day. But I reply with an exhausted ‘Oh sometimes…’ and they return with a pitied smile and that’s the end of the conversation about the ‘S’ word.

But now at 7 months old our baby does sleep through and oddly I miss getting up. I don’t miss thinking I am the only person up in the world wrestling a baby to sleep with a singing sheep, swaddle blankets, and made up lullabies about a baby called Noah. I miss the cuddles and snuggles and the special bond of breast feeding my baby and the feeling of him only needing me.

Now the biggest question of them all – How did we do it? Well it has not been easy but I can reassure you in saying how we have gone from a short napping, waking several times through the night to only falling asleep on the boob or on me with lots of cuddling and rocking till he would sleep for 3 hours top at night. 20 minutes max in the day to now go to a baby who self-settles, sleeps 12 hours in a row and naps 3 times a day for 1-2 hours. As I write this I still can’t imagine that I am actually talking about the same baby a few months on. A lot had changed in month 6-7 for Noah.

1. Stopping Breast Feeding – Now this isn’t something I ever wanted to do and I am not suggesting that you do it. I intended to until he was at least 1 year old but he was just not interested anymore he preferred the bottle, was fussy on the boob bobbing on and off up to 10 times a day. Mainly for comfort – but I didn’t actually mind that.

2. Starting 3 meals a day - We have been so lucky with Noah’s weaning journey so far he loves food and I mean loves it! He will eat anything and enjoys 3 varied meals a day. Therefore when he goes to bed at 6.30-7.00pm I know he has a lovely full tummy and has had everything he needs through the day. With 21oz of formula and his 3 meals. This leads on to my next step: Controlled crying.

3. Controlled crying you ask? Torture, un-ethical, bad parenting, you name it - I’ve thought it. I never would have imagined doing such a thing to my child, But through extreme lack of sleep and me and my partner Sam at breaking point. He put his foot down. He is the most supporting partner and father and would do anything for either of us. After going up to Noah 3-4 times in only an hour Sam trawled the internet for solutions we had not tried. And there it was - ‘Controlled crying’. We read many articles and it sounded so simple. But letting my baby cry? Oh hell no! Just come and poke my eyes out now for me! But Sam made a plan of putting Noah down ‘drowsy but awake’ and to leave him for 2,5,10,10... Minutes to cry before we went in to let him know we were there, rub his back but not taking him out which went against anything we had ever done before but we were willing to try it and we did! I cannot write in to words how well this went for us we had about 3 wake ups of no more than three sets of crying at a time and our little babe stayed in his own bed from 7-7.30. We put him down for his naps in his cot and it took us just 3 nights to crack it and just like that he slept through! He desperately needed this sleep training and we are all reaping the benefits now. I can now remember my own name – wahoo! It certainly wasn’t easy listening to him cry for me, in fact I cried more than Noah did but we told ourselves it was for the best. I am sharing this because I cannot believe how simple it was for us. I know everyone is different but it’s certainly nice to know we are not alone! I would love to hear your thoughts on your babies sleep, controlled crying and what has worked for you!

Love,

My high flying Mummy and Me x

Nappies, flights and sleepless nights!

Hello…

And welcome to my brand new blog! I have been toying with the idea of starting a blog for a while but being a new mummy finding the time to have a shower comes way before starting a Blog, but we’re finally finding our feet 7 months in... So better late than never! I plan to blog about my baby Noah and our life as a family with my partner Sam, celebrating Noah’s milestones and learning to be first time parents, throwbacks to blogs I would have loved to have written - my pregnancy and Noah’s birth, my love for shopping and beauty, my journey to become my pre baby weight and finally my return to work as a working Cabin Crew mummy! 

A little introduction...

I'm Melissa and live in Bristol, with my boyfriend Sam and our baby Noah born 3rd June 2014. I am currently on maternity leave from my career as Cabin crew and plan to go back after 1 year at home, but only part time. I love shopping, holidaying and beauty (who doesn't).

I hope you enjoy and can bear with a technophobe, sleep deprived mummy like myself! 

Love,

My high flying mummy and me x