Birth, babies and the bizarre...

My first successful pregnancy was incredible, nothing could get me down, I was so happy!  I had morning sickness for almost half the time and not just in the mornings either.  It seemed like when I was not vomiting, I was sleeping.  From being a habitual insomniac, I needed to take naps during the day and usually still fell asleep around nine!  My emotions were all over the place and poor Haydn bore the brunt of that.  

I clearly remember all the excitement of my sonar scans, not even minding that I had to pee in a cup and jump on the scale at every visit!  Watching that little life grow inside of me was amazing and wonderful.  However, as always nothing is ever easy with me.  I developed “PUPPP” this usually begins in the third trimester and is more common among women carrying twins and those having their first baby. The eruptions usually show up first on the abdomen around or in stretch marks (if you have any) and may spread to your thighs, buttocks, and arms. PUPPP is harmless for you and your baby, but it can itch like crazy!  What they don’t say in the articles is that you scratch so hard that you make stretch marks look like red bumpy flames.  After your baby is born it all goes away, except the stretch marks – they are there to stay.  

(http://www.babycenter.com/0_itchy-skin-during-pregnancy_9450.bc)

Naturally being a young mother (25), I was very unhappy with how my body looked and once expressed my dismay to my dear husband.  (If any men are reading – you may want to take special note of this - for serious brownie points!)  He said the most wonderful thing and from that moment on, I wore my stretch marks like badges of honour.  He said, “Don’t ever look at those” referring to my unsightly stretch marks, “without looking at her” referring to my baby.  Ok, back to the birth...

My back surgery enabled me to “plan” my deliveries more than most people, I had to have a c-section and so had some say on the date.  On the 21^st of September we got up early and prepared to go to the hospital.  I was so excited!  It was incredible to discover that I was actually in labour when they put the foetal monitor on my belly, she was as ready as we were!