My Second Pregnancy: E's Birth Story

If you're a regular reader, you'll know that every Monday I post a Bump Update but you may have noticed a lack of post yesterday. Sorry, I was busy having cuddles with my 4 day old. Yep, she's arrived!

On Thursday 4th September (at 39+3), I went to the hospital for my routine weekly check up at the Antenatal Clinic. My appointment was at 3.45pm and Chris was due to start work at 6pm so I just went by myself so he could stay at home with C and I could just take over when I got back and he could go off to work. I was called in and all the usual checks were done. My blood pressure was the highest that it had ever been this pregnancy at 140/105 and there was 1+ protein in my urine. I felt fine in myself but as the preeclampsia symptoms were beginning to rear their ugly head again, I had a cervix check to see if I was favourable for induction. My cervix was long but I was already 3cm so they decided that induction was the way to go. The delivery suite didn't have a bed ready so I was able to go home, get my bags and see C before heading back in. 

Waiting to go to delivery suite

We arrived at the hospital just after 6pm and after lots of bloods and being on the CTG machine, the doctor broke my waters for me at around 7.20pm. I needed to wait for an hour so at 8.20pm I was given an IV hormone drip to bring on my contractions. This took a while to get going. I felt more comfortable sat upright in a chair at this point and I used the TENS machine and gas & air to get through these early contractions. I didn't use the gas & air a lot at this point. I didn't like the woozy feeling that it gave me. The midwife explained other methods of pain relief but I didn't want diamorphine as I didn't want the baby to be really sleepy after the birth and because I wanted to labour as naturally as possible after my Caesarean section with C, I didn't really want an epidural either. 

My contractions kept coming and were getting more painful and closer together so I wanted to move to the bed to get more comfortable. A short while after, I felt like I couldn't handle the pain and asked for an epidural. I told Chris that I felt like a bit of a failure but I really couldn't handle it. This was at around 12.30am and I was only 5cm but my cervix was now paper-thin. I couldn't believe that I had only dilated 2cm in 4 hours. I was given the epidural and then my contractions started coming really quickly. I was told that the epidural wouldn't make me lose all sense of feeling, it would just take the edge off the contractions. If I'm completely honest, it didn't work very well for me. I felt everything. 

At this stage, everything seemed to happen very quickly and I was using the gas & air more and more so I felt completely out of it and I didn't enjoy that feeling at all but it was the only thing helping me. I always said that I didn't want to be one of those ladies who didn't know what was going on and made a complete fool of themselves during labour and I always thought I'd revert into myself and not be very loud. I was wrong. I remember saying to the midwife that it felt like I was trying to stop myself from pooing. She left to speak to another midwife briefly and I shouted to Chris that I felt like I needed to push. He obviously panicked as he was there with me by himself so he told me to breathe the gas & air and breathe until the midwife came back in. 

The midwife came back and told me to go with what my body told me to do so I pushed. Holy dear God, the ring of fire is a real thing. I was using the gas & air like my life depended on it and I could feel myself wailing like a banshee but I knew I had to get through it. I even looked at Chris once she was here and said "oh my god, I did it!" He just laughed haha. After only pushing for ten minutes, our baby girl, Erin, was born at 01.50am on the 5th September 2014 weighing 7lbs 2oz. Her head circumference was 34.5cm and she is 49cm long. 

Unfortunately, I had a retained placenta so my epidural was topped up and I was taken to theatre to have it manually removed. I think they said that it was stuck to my previous Caesarean section scar. I also had a second degree tear which needed stitching. We had a two day hospital stay but now we are happily at home as a family of four :)

What I've Won - August 2014

This month I don't think I've entered as much as usual with being heavily pregnant and my iron levels being so low. I've been really tired and can barely concentrate on the laptop screen. 

I did, however, have a couple of wins so I can't complain too much!

1) Creepy Zombunny (RRP £10.00) from Creepies

2) TOMY Winnie the Pooh Teether Rattle (RRP £6.95) from TOMY

I got this as a 'thank you' gift for completing a survey. I'll be keeping it for the new baby!

3) Bravado Sublime Nursing Bra (RRP £36.00) from Bravado

I love this! It doesn't look like a nursing bra at all - much more sexier! I'm looking forward to wearing it when feeding the little lady!

4) OXO Tot 4 Piece Feeding Set (RRP £17.87) from Redhead Babyled

I'm really looking forward to receiving this. C doesn't have a wide variety of dishes/cutlery so it will be a lovely treat for him!

5) Rubicon Commonwealth Games Backpack

I won this in an instant win and I'm not entirely sure what's inside as I've yet to receive it.

6) Relentless Sunglasses from Cimandis

C just had to be the one to model these!

7) 5 BabyTV DVDs (RRP £49) from A Baby on Board

I can't wait to get these in the post. I'm sure they will be invaluable when it comes to both kids!

Do you enter a lot of competitions? How have you done this month?

Haberman Toddler Cups - Review

Haberman are a range of baby products that are designed to market innovative baby and toddler feeding products to help build confidence and independence. 

C was lucky enough to be sent two of their toddler cups to test out. He usually uses straw cups but we really worry about the effect that they are having on his teeth and gums. 

Firstly, we tried out the anywayup Cow Beaker (£4.99). 

I love the little design on this one. At the beginning, I did think he'd struggle as he isn't used to tipping a cup up to get his juice out but he surprised me. The only times he'd get really frustrated was when he'd almost finished his juice and was trying to get the last remnants out but we've perserved. The shape of the beaker makes it really easy for him to hold and it's very easy to wash. As you can probably tell by the name "anywayup", the clever spout doesn't spill any juice out when it is left tipped over or held upside down. 

This beaker is recommended for children aged 12months+, it has a 250ml capacity, is BPA free and is also dishwasher and microwave safe. 

Next, we tried the 360° Junior Beaker (£5.95). 

I must be honest and say that C has been less than impressed with this beaker which is the complete opposite to how I feel about it! When I first opened it out and filled it, I ran in shrieking, "oh my goodness this is the best cup ever!" The rim is made from a rubbery material and there are little slits the entire way around so your child can drink from anywhere around it. The juice only comes out when there is pressure on it so I can hold it upside down and nothing will spill! 

C is currently finding it a bit hard to work out how to use it but as it's recommended for children aged 24months+ and C is only turning 2 at the end of September, we still have time yet. I will definitely be teaching him as much as I can because it's such a great design for a toddler cup and it will help the transition from beaker to proper cup! 

This beaker also has a 250ml capacity, is BPA free and dishwasher and microwave safe. As you can see, we received the blue cup but it is also available in green and red too. 

We have also been lucky enough to receive some breast feeding goodies from Haberman so please look out for those on the blog once this baby decides to make an appearance! 

You can find out more about Haberman at their website, Facebook and Twitter. 

(Disclaimer: We received these items free of charge in exchange for an open and honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own). 

Project-B Pregnancy Subscription Box (35-39 Weeks) - Review

I've been receiving Project-B's pregnancy subscription box from the beginning of my pregnancy and I always look forward to it coming (you can read my past reviews here). I can't believe we're almost at the end!

This month, I received month 9 (35-39 weeks) and the theme is: NEST. All pregnant women in the last few months can relate to the feeling of needing their home to look perfect for their new arrival and I am no exception!

August also sees Project-B's first birthday so they were lovely enough to send a free gift with every box (a gift for us but it's THEIR birthday?! Too nice!).

The free gift came in gorgeous Project-B wrapping paper and it turned out to be a full-sized bottle of Weleda Citrus Body Lotion worth £13.95! I rarely spend money on myself for anything let alone something to pamper myself with. This smells beautiful so I'm really looking forward to treating myself. Thank you, Project-B!

Now for what was inside my main box!

1. Spontex Washups (RRP £2.49) - This is no word of a lie, but I am obsessed with keeping the kitchen tidy. I don't know why, it's not like the baby will be spending much time in there! I have to have all of the dishes washed so these were a great addition to me. They are such great quality too and seem to last longer than supermarket own brand scourers.

2. Pampered Chef Microfiber Towel - How glam is this!? It's so soft and perfect for cleaning up any spills baby might have/make. It's pink and I'm having a girl - it must be fate! It's a lot bigger than I'd expect it to be and I'm sure we will use it quite a lot in the first few weeks of her life.

3. Eco2Life Bath & Shower Cleaning Spray & Refill (RRP £3.10) - I love this! Eco2Life are a range of eco-friendly green household cleaning products and they use a refill and reuse system. To make up the cleaner, you just fill the spray bottle halfway with ordinary tap water, add a little of the refill and top up with cold tap water. Easy!

4. NO-GERMS Instant Hand Sanitiser (RRP £5.99) - I am obsessed with keeping my hands clean, I was really bad about it when we first brought C home from the hospital. This sanitiser is 100% alcohol-free and kills 99.9% of germs for 2-4 hours (alcohol sanitisers stop working as soon as they dry). It hydrates your skin with natural lavender, chamomile and aloe vera. I've been keeping mine in the changing bag!

5. 2 x samples Phyta Oil stretch mark cream - At this stage of pregnancy, my stretchmarks seem to be increasing by the day. I love being introduced to new products but as I've said before, I'm not a huge fan of sample sachets. I don't feel like you get enough in them.

6. Yes! Nurse's Hand Formula (RRP £5.49) - This is a fast-absorbing, non-greasy hand cream which aims to hydrate your skin after constant hand-washing - something which I'm all too used to with having a newborn! 

7. Weleda Calendula Lotion (RRP £7.95) - I've heard such good things about Weleda so I can't wait to try this on the baby. They must be good with an £8 price tag per 200ml bottle.

This month's flash card topics are:

Information on how my pregnancy is developing this month, a recipe card for chicken and broccoli stir fry (how yummy does that sound!?), tips of posture for getting your baby into the right birthing position and a last minute shopping list!

In total, this month's box is worth around £25.02 then on top of that, you get the £13.95 free gift. Considering that the box only costs £14 to buy, this is a good deal. I've been really impressed by all of my Project-B boxes and I'm so sad that my next box will be my last!

You can find out more about Project-B at their website, Facebook and Twitter.

(Disclaimer: I received this box free of charge in exchange for an open and honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own).

My Second Pregnancy: 39 Week Bump Update

I was really hoping that I wouldn't be writing my 39 week update and instead I'd have a squishy newborn in my arms but, no. Not yet!

This past week has been really tough as my blood pressure does not want to co-operate. I had a blood pressure check on Tuesday which came back as borderline, an iron infusion on Wednesday as my haemoglobin levels were so low, my routine antenatal appointment on Thursday turned into an overnight hospital stay (including a rather uncomfortable cervix check) and since I've been discharged, the midwife has been coming to my house every day and my blood pressure seems to be going down (90, 86, 84). Let's hope it stays that way. 

I definitely think the baby has dropped lower. I mentioned that my cervix was high but 1cm in a post last week and yesterday and today I've had, sorry for TMI, blood streaked mucus so I'm assuming that this is my bloody show? It could however just be from the cervix check, I guess. I have had some period-y cramps since. Apparently labour usually kicks in within a few days of having your show so fingers crossed I won't have to write a 40 week update next week :P