All Change for the next heaven knows how many years!

On 20th June at 17.44 our son arrived! Michael Andrew Zerfahs weighed in at 7lbs 12 oz or 3510g.

The induction on the 19th worked very well, when it was done I was told they may have to repeat it on Sunday morning, but at 3am (it had to be!!!) my waters broke just as I got out of bed to go to the loo. Apparently this is quite rare as it was a real 'film moment' as I stood there leaking! I was fairly nice and waited until 4am before phoning Andy to tell him that things were underway and he might want to head into the hospital. I was very aware that it wasn't going to happen too quickly but being a coward I really was not enjoying the start of contractions and I wanted someone else there with me as I went through them!

I survived the contractions until just before lunch when I started demanding an epidural... I got gas and air which I really didn't like and was told they would sort out better pain relief once the bloke had finished in theatre. Pregnant women are not a priority and seeing as it was a Sunday I can only assume there must have been a real emergency!

Labour is a strange thing,  was very aware of time passing but not how much really! People kept rying to give me food but I really was not interested in the slightest, Andy was encouraged to help me drink (as if he needs to be told to do that!) and Mel and Angela produced a straw to help him pour liquid into me! One thing I do remember is trying to get off the bed plus I tried to lock myself in a toilet for some reason... I did tell Angela I wouldn't give birth in there but the idea did start to appeal to me! I also had an overwhelming desire to lie on my right side - a big no no as the baby apparently doesn't like it, I think that was the point I just wanted to stop the whole thing and go back to bed for a nap and some peace and quiet!

Luckily I've managed to read the labour notes as I can't remember most of what happened in the afternoon...I vaguely remember being told about STAN which is some sort of computer which measures the baby through a clip placed on their head. A little easier to cope with when compared to the monitor I'd been attached to all day which as I wriggled kept losing the baby heartbeat etc.

Actually having the baby was tough...it turned out his head was a little on the large side and STAN kept warning of a few problems/issues. It was decided to use the Dyson to suck him out in the end - I had been moaning for a while that I was too tired to do the pushing thing anymore...At this point the room gained a Dr and another midwife which meant it felt decidedly crowded in there! Andy did vanish for a minute and returned waving a bar of Galaxy at the end of the bed. Much as I love him it was going to take a much bigger bar than that to make me keep pushing! I would think Star Trek technology shoul be worked on...transporting babies out of the womb would make the whole thing much easier/less painful and a whole lot less messy!

Once Michael had been sucked out I really have no idea what happened next!!!! I think I got injected to help the placenta to be delivered - and I did get a glimpse of it, not sure about Andy though! But once I'd had a baby placed in my arms I really didn't care what happened so long as nobody tried to take him away!