April 2011 – The Baby’s Coming!

So January to April I carried on researching my outdoor maternity wear idea. I knew I was on to something, but also knew it was just the wrong time to start any serious planning. I was pregnant with my first child, and didn’t really know what to expect from parenthood, and starting a business was not an option!

So baby was due on the 28th April, I’d finished work a couple of weeks earlier and the relief of not having to do a 1 ½ hour round trip 5 days a week was amazing!

I was exhausted practically throughout my pregnancy. “They say” its supposed to be the 1st and 3rd trimesters, but for me it felt like it didn’t go away. I don’t think I was awake past 9pm the majority of my pregnancy!

I remember finishing work, and it was really sunny those last 2 weeks in April. The sun was shining, and I was sat in the garden, popping to the shops with my Mum for the last few bits of my nursery, and sleeping a lot!

The Due Date

Due date came and went, no sign of the baby coming, I’m no good at waiting and was desperate to meet my new baby. I started googling ways to bring on labour, tell tale signs, examining my bump size and shape to if there was anything to give me a clue as to how imminent this little bundle of joy was going to be!

Five days after my due date it started. My partner was creosoting the fence in my Nana’s garden, and I was sunning myself, then thought I would be the dutiful girlfriend and give him a hand (also as I’d read women used to get down and scrub the floor in the ‘olden days’ which can bring on labour) and bingo, 20 minutes of painting, an hour of resting and on came the contractions!

Quick, home to call the hospital and check my hospital bag for the 10^th time! I was told to take it easy, time the contractions, maybe get a shower and give them a call in a couple of hours.

The pain was like nothing I had ever felt. I thought I was prepared, both mentally and physically, I’d read the books, been to the classes, stayed active and psyched myself up ready for this moment. I hate to say it though, but I don’t think anything can really prepare you for giving birth…