Thursday February 7th 2008

At 1.30am I woke up. I think it was the awful cramping back pain I had that woke me but I was so groggy and exhausted I couldnt quite work out if I had woken because I was uncomfortable or because I needed the toilet. I pressed my buzzer and Anne, the wonderful midwife that was on shift that night came to see me. I asked her for the bedpan as I felt I needed to relieve pressure and then I would feel better. she turned on the taps for me and left the room.

After she left, I had an extremely painful contraction. I was lifting off the bed and hanging on for dear life. It was very intense. She came back in to see if I was 'done' and I could barely speak to her. I was still too spaced out to really articulate what was happening, but she could see I was in pain. I reassured her I just needed to wee and then I would be fine!! Funny looking back.

After two more times of this she said she would get me some pethidine. We removed the bedpan, thankfully as I think that was making it worse. I passed some blood and we realised that Niamh was coming now and that there was nothing we could do about it. There was no time for drugs, Anne went and got the Paediatric team and had them at the ready.

Within 20 minutes or so Niamh Annabelle arrived at exactly 2am February 7th 2008.

She was born feet first, in the caul which apparently is lucky. We were told she had had the best possible start she could have given the circumstances. The caul would have protected her skin from being bruised and helped make it a little less traumatic for her.

It was still not an easy birth despite her size. Her head circumference was 19.6cm, she weighed 570g and is 27cm long. It was very painful and very sudden and there was no time for pain relief.


I lost nearly a litre of blood after delivering, for a while I was very woozy and feint and its only really today I feel better. Tony was called after the birth and he grabbed Bailey out of bed and arrived at about 3.30am. Poor Bailey didnt know what was going on but was a very good little boy. I was wheeled round to intensive care and we went to see our daughter.

It was not how we expected our little girl to come into the world.