Remembering With Joy, Birth At Forty

I will start off by saying that it was such a joy to remember

In his bassinet

About one month

One Girl thought it would be a nice idea to share our birth stories, and I agree.

My husband and I had been married thirteen years when our first child came along. I had just turned forty in the same month I had our son. We had not tried to have children before, he was my first pregnancy and he is our only child.

At three weeks I knew I was pregnant. when you've lived with your body that long, you just know. So I took a pregnancy kit test. I went to my local GP and he said,
"Women your age imagine they're pregnant, but if you are I want you to go to a high risk obstetrician."

So I took his advice and went to a woman doctor, who specialized. She said I don't consider you a high risk, I have patients who are have higher risks i.e. twins, diabetics, etc.

They wanted to send me for genetic testing, but we considered this after the fact, because we would not consider on abortion.

On the first ultra sound at three months they found out that I only had a two vessel umbilical cord, you are meant to have three. One vessel, the blood flows to the baby, the other two, flow back to the mother. This factor was upsetting. I did a lot of research, and his progress was followed by monthly ultra sounds, all looked good.

I'll mention an interesting thought on two vessel umbilical cords. My friend who also had a baby, her fourth child at age 41, also had a two vessel umbilical cord, but this was not found out until after the baby was delivered and they looked at the cord. Just a passing thought but I did wonder if any studies have been done on older mothers, and if this is a more frequent occurrence among them.

My pregnancy went well, with a truly happy 2nd trimester. I felt well and was very happy. I gave up coffee and tea, cold turkey. Coffee OK, but everyone knows how I love tea, but it wasn't hard. What you will do for love.

He was already a week late and the doctor said she would give me a few more days, but being an older mum, they don't like to leave it too long. I decided to have him induced. In hind site I would have left it a few more days.

They started me off with a gel, well unknown to me I went into a continuous contraction fortunately he was on a heart monitor, the resident doctor and others came rushing into the room, my doctor had just seen me and left. I was turned over on all fours, to relieve pressure on the baby. Things happened very quickly, they made me sniff something that smelled like glue, and eventually got the contraction under control. His heart beat came up and I was saved from a Cesarean. Consequently for the next four hours they just let everything calm down.

Before all the doctors came in, my husband said you're acting as if your having contractions and I said no, I couldn't tell anything was wrong, at least not that wrong, how could things change so quickly, because the doctor had just left, after giving me the gel. Bo was right, thinking back to our birthing classes. The doctor said it was a negative reaction to the gel.

Contractions are an amazing thing and totally amazingly painful. But they last long enough to start the baby moving on it's passage out, then release, giving the babe a little rest and then again and again. But when you have a continuous contraction that does not let up, the baby is under continuous stress and this adversely affected his heart rate.

At about 6:00 pm, they started me on a drip to induce him which went fine until they broke my water then I was in complete pain, this was at 9:00pm. I did have an epidural and it helped. I was tired, exhausted from pushing and he was almost there, when the doctor helped with a suction cup. He was delivered, just after midnight. My doctor Christine was convinced he would be delivered before and had to make out all new paperwork.

My husband was there all throughout the delivery. Also taking photos.

We were delivered of a perfect baby boy. He was just beautiful, all was well. He was put on my chest, then cleaned up, footprints taken, then given back and he was ready to nurse, which he did.

I was in hospital two days because of some bleeding.

The stairs were hard to negotiate at home, so I just stayed upstairs for one week. Friends bought meals for a week and Bo changed every nappy/diaper for one week, I never changed any. I must say it was a happy peaceful time nursing him and recouping. Friends visiting.

My dear Bo set up a little table with teas and the electric teakettle, beside my bed. And bought me the most exquisite rose flower arrangement, where the petals of the roses were turned back. Just lovely, I will never forget it.

This is my birth story.

Now in reference to being a forty year old mum. It was great. But just remember he'll be graduating college when I'm sixty.