Is anybody expecting a Christmas baby? That truly would be the ultimate Christmas present wouldn’t it. To hold your little bundle in your arms, look into their eyes and finally meet them.
My second born Joseph entered the world during the early hours of Tuesday morning, at 3:05am to be precise, weighing a healthy 7lbs 5 1/2 ounces and looking every bit as gorgeous and perfect as we’d dreamed.
My labour story began on Monday afternoon after a home visit from the Midwife where she performed a rather vigorous stretch and sweep. Apparently the saying goes if it doesn’t make you wince it won’t be successful. Which was certainly the case for me.
Later that evening I felt my first contraction. You’d think as it was my second labour I’d know exactly what to look out for, but you really do forget and I genuinely wasn’t sure if it was a contraction or not. Especially as I didn’t feel anything for another hour. After the second contraction I turned to my husband Rob and said we should go to bed and get some sleep, just in case tonight was the night!
We popped our first born Elliott to bed giving him extra hugs and kisses and feeling really nostalgic that this could potentially be our last night together as a family of three, but also excited to meet our new little one.
Considering what might happen I was surprised at how quickly I fell asleep. It was a relatively restful sleep (as restful as it can be with a 40+ week pregnant belly), which I woke from suddenly around 1am with another contraction. I lay there still trying to get back to sleep when I felt another. Surely this was actually happening now, so I looked at the clock and started to time my contractions. Forgive me, but I can not for the life of me remember how far apart the contractions were, but they must have been close-ish as I felt the need to wake up Rob from his slumber, who bless him really struggled to bring himself round. I rang the labour ward and my mum to come around to look after Elliott. For some reason I said to her there’s no rush, so she didn’t arrive until after 2:30am. When she did arrive I was still running up and down the stairs popping things into my hospital bag. I was just about to get changed when my mum stopped me and said you need to go to hospital now. I was so intent on keeping active to help progress labour naturally, I wasn’t taking any note of how far apart my contractions were.
Our hospital is at least a 20 minute drive away from our house so there was lots of time to actually sit still and concentrate on my contractions. To my surprise they were only a minute apart and lasting a minute too so I knew I was close. Half way into the journey I got that overwhelming urge to push and thought, cr*p. I resisted the urge and kept quiet trying not to panic Rob whilst he was driving. We arrived at the hospital at 3am, parking in the emergency drop off spaces outside the maternity unit and I began walking down the long corridor to the labour ward. When I eventually reached the reception desk I couldn’t contain myself anymore and shouted “I need to push”. Poor Robs face was a picture as all the midwives rushed around, ushering me into a delivery suite. They asked me to remove my trousers and jump on the bed, but before I could my waters broke, soaking my trousers and the floor. As soon as I was on the bed, the midwife quickly checked me and confirmed I was 10 cm dilated and said push when you’re ready. So with the next contraction I pushed and he crowned, then the following contraction I pushed again and he was born!
Rob was still picking his jaw up from the floor that I needed to push, let alone hearing his newborn son crying. We both looked at each other, neither of us saying a word, but speaking a thousand and kissed before being handed our baby boy. I know without a shadow of a doubt if we would have left the house five minutes later or we’d been stuck in traffic I would have delivered him in the passenger footwell.
After an induced labour with my first born Elliott it was truly lovely to go into labour spontaneously. What I wasn’t expecting was how quickly things would progress and after over an hour of pushing the first time I certainly wasn’t prepared for Joseph to arrive after two pushes.
Has anybody else just made it to the hospital? Or given birth in an unexpected place? As always we’d love to hear your comments and stories below.
Image by Little Beanies
Wow! We aren’t due until the beginning of April but I hope the labour goes as quickly as that! Massive congratulations, have a wonderful Christmas x
It was super quick. I was certainly very lucky. Good luck to you too Anna, I hope all goes well in April xxx
These are the kind of labour stories I love to hear!! Huge congratulations to you! Hope you have the lovelies Christmas with your gorgeous new arrival xx
Ah thanks Kate. Joseph is 10 now. I actually can’t believe where the time has gone. xxx
You did so well not panicking Rob – I’m not sure I’d have been so calm. It’s nice to hear your second labour was much more straight forward xx
I honestly don’t know how I kept so quiet Kat, I think I still thought had ages to go again. It wasn’t until I saw those Midwives I knew I could let it all out xxx
My contractions started on Friday afternoon but were fairly far apart until Saturday afternoon when they got quite close. We went in to be told it was still only early labour and they slowed down.
After a sleepless night and Sunday spent obsessively timing contractions, they were still no closer than 5 minutes and some up to 25 minutes apart.
I wasn’t sure if my waters had broken so I called to and asked if I could come in for a check despite the midwife assuring me that it sounded like I was still early stage.
On arrival at the hospital, the midwife did a quick check and informed me I was in fact fully dilated and ready to push!! My little boy arrived 2 hours later (still with contractions 5 minutes apart).
Wow Sarah, so lucky you went in to be checked again. Just goes to prove every labour and lady is different. xxx
My daughter was actually born in the footwell of my car in the hospital car park! Luckily my husband had managed to get the midwives out to the car park before she arrived. Like you, second labour and wasn’t sure I was having contractions until they became unbearable! Definitely a story to keep reminding her of when she’s older ?
Wow Laura what a fabulous story to share with her. Its so funny isn’t it, you’d think with it being our second we’d know what we’re doing, but you just don’t know how your body is going to respond do you. Glad your husband managed to get the Midwives to you before you delivered. xxx
That’s a bit hairy! We didn’t cut it quite as fine but Mr H did have to chivvy me out of the bath to get me to go to hospital (I kept on telling him that I was fine where I was, which didn’t really help) and by the time we got there it was a case of in the pool, start to push, have a baby. My active labour was recorded as about 2 hours in the end which was very manageable!
I have a couple of friends who have had extremely fast first labours too though – one had her baby on their bathroom floor and another was still in her maxi dress in triage when the baby was crowning. At least second time around you know the process a bit more!
When you’re comfy you don’t want to move do you. Good job he managed to get you out of the bath otherwise you could have been having your baby on the bathroom floor like your friend xxx
With my second I was expecting another loooong labour like the first. I was five days over due and felt like he was never going to make an appearance. Then at around 11:30am on a Sunday my contractions started suddenly with no warning, lasting a minute and 2 minutes apart! We live in the middle of no where and it’s around an hours drive to the birthing centre, so we quickly called parents to collect our boy and naively got in the car.
It was then I thought we’re not going to make it, so back to the house we went. A poor first responder came whilst we waited for the midwives to arrive, he looked positively panicked!
With 40 minutes to spare the midwives arrived and Noah was born on the bedroom floor at 2:18pm. Completely unexpected, but so lovely to be at home in my own bed afterwards. That bed has never felt so comfortable!
Ah Steph that sounds hairy and amazing. I always toyed with the idea of having a home birth and you got one without really planning it. Just perfect xxx
I had my first baby in June. Had thigh ache on the Tuesday evening from about 8pm. Didn’t think anything of it seeming I was 36 weeks. Started getting a bit of very mild belly ache about 10pm. Phoned triage who wanted me to go in. Half hour journey to hospital. Midwife checked me, wasn’t dilated but felt like I was about to start. Popped me on monitor. This was midnight. At 1am took me off monitor, said I was having tightenings. But she checked me again and I was 2cm dilated! Decided to keep me in. I was in no pain at all, just thigh ache! At 1.50am my waters broke spectacularly after another midwife uttered the words “I don’t know why they’ve kept you in you’ll be ages yet”. Instant crippling pains. At 2am I was in the delivery suite and I’d gone to 5cm dilated. They last checked me at 8cm at 2.45am as I was progressing so quickly. At 2.55am I needed to push and 3 pushes later my baby was born at 3.01am. No painkillers, no gas and air. Just awful language and screaming!
I wonder what was causing the thigh ache? Thank god the first midwife decided to keep you in. xxx
There’s no actual explanation, but some women never feel the contractions in their belly. Some say they only have thigh ache, other’s backache and that’s it!
My labour wasn’t very quick but had terrible thigh ache too. I’d say it was worse than the contractions themselves. Nobody tells you about your legs aching when in labour but I’d since found it’s not that uncommon. No idea what causes it though.
Ohh not heard of this before Kat. Perhaps it’s baby pressing on a particular nerve? Sounds excruciating if it was worse than contractions. You poor thing xxx
Great birth story! I had a long Labour with my first son and I’m a couple of months into my second pregnancy and praying for a quicker ride this time. My mum went from 24 hours with me down to 40 mins with my little sister- she was born on the sofa with the midwife only just making it in time and me asleep upstairs!
Ooh Anna, you definitely need to be cautious then. Fingers crossed you get a quicker ride. Although not to quick… Good luck xxx
How wonderful. This gives me hope for Two’s arrival in March after having a miserable induced labour after waters going and nothing happening with S. I don’t really know what to look for contraction wise though- only ever had twinges or hypercontractions from the drugs last time around. Family friend had her second in her leggings at the end of their road after waiting for her Mum to arrive to help with their older one!!
Feel free not to answer, but with such a fast second stage did you tear?
Thanks so much for sharing ?
I did have to have stitches the second time around Lucy. Which is strange as I didn’t the first. It was my own fault though, I wasn’t patient enough with the second push and should have really waited for a third contraction. Good luck for a much pleasanter second experience. xxx
Our parking ticket for the hospital car park has 18.36 printed on it and George was born at 18.46!
He is my first so was fairly surprised by his quick arrival!
Wow Jane that was close. Can’t believe you parked and paid for you car parking before going in to the labour ward. xxx
Oh Lorna I totally relate to the worry of not knowing if I was actually in labour with both of my pregnancies. Everyone said I would know but I actually started having period like pains but as I was only 36 weeks was sure it was braxton hicks. After seeing a bit of blood I phoned the midwife who checked me out to say I was 4cm! Due to where I live I needed to be helicoptered off to Truro to give birth because it was before 37weeks. Seemingly my little one was enjoying to drama and was born on board the Seaking Helicopter on route (above the river Fal to be precise) ? He’s been keeping our lives full of adventure ever since! Needless to say second time around I was petrified but managed to make it to our lovely little community hospital on the islands where my little girl was born in much calmer circumstances!
The strangest thing is that me and one of my closest friends were due one day apart but both babies arrived four weeks early! The same friend is now imminently expecting her second little one and I have a feeling it may be a Christmas baby. Clearly they like to make an entrance! xx
This is incredible! So much respect for the Scilly Isle mamas from East Devon- I thought 45 minutes to Exeter was bad ? Xxx
Mine wasn’t as quick as your but had a similar ending!! First baby, started at 7.30 in the morning, went in to the hospital at 7pm and was told I was 2cm, went home, contractions got a lot more intense and close together over the next two hours but never regular. Had the urge to push at home but being my first time I thought “this can’t be the REAL urge to push….
Waters suddenly broke (I had to go straight in for that because I was GBS +) and when I got back in I was 9.5cm and ready to push. The car journey was a bit ropey and I was soooo glad when they told me how far along I was. Don’t know what I would have done if they had said I had only progressed a couple more cms!!