Birth Stories continued.....
Read Lucy and Col's story about Jack............
My name is Lucy I am married to Col and we have a son Jack. As I write this I am sat in our living room surrounded by nappies and burping cloths. My baby is asleep next to me he is happy and content and most importantly he is healthy. Although I would love to take the credit for this; I know it has a lot to do with the care and support given by my midwife Vicky throughout my pregnancy & the birth of our son.
Deciding to hire an independent midwife wasn't a decision we made lightly. We are not Posh n Becks' we are not rich we are normal people living in a semi detached house with our 3 cats. We just wanted to give our baby the best start we could.
We were half way through the pregnancy when I contacted Liverpool Independent Midwives. Vicky came out to see us the following Friday. She told us about herself, her role, her experience and answered all the questions we had. After she had left we decided very quickly that we wanted her to be our midwife.
After a few antenatal visits in the comfort of my own home and reassured by the fact that I was in very safe hands I decided that I would try for a home birth. Unfortunately this was not to be! At 26 weeks I was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes immediately Vicky was round with lots of information about why it happens and what it meant for me and the baby and what we could do. Understanding it made us much happier and as the pregnancy continued we were able to control the diabetes with diet alone removing the need for insulin. Not long after this my son decided that he was much happier sat up with his head under my ribs in the breech position. There's plenty of time for him to move' everyone told me! Vicky palpated me each visit and showed me how to work out what I could feel. Unfortunately he was consistently in the same position. Due to the diabetes I received growth scans every 2 weeks; at 30 weeks it was discovered that the liquor around the baby was low I would now have weekly scans!
Each time I encountered a problem Vicky was on hand to reassure me and give me the information I needed. Even when we weren't due an appointment she was only ever a phone call away.
Throughout my pregnancy I felt in control because there was someone to turn to when we were unsure and someone to listen when we were worried. Vicky has been there at every step advising us along the way So when my home birth turned into a Caesarean Section I was in shock then panic until my antenatal. Vicky told us what would happen from the moment we walked into the hospital to coming home.
So the date was booked for 39 weeks Monday 17 th September would be our babies' birthday. But with nearly 2 weeks to go the obstetrician decided that this would be brought forward by 10 days and that I would go to hospital the following night to receive steroids for 48 hours before the birth. Vicky came to the hospital to see me and shared the excitement with us that our son would be here by Friday! On the morning of the op Vicky arrived to be with us and escort us down to surgery. In theatre I didn't feel scared as I knew what was going on and I could remember what I had been told. Then in recovery, Vicky ensured I received the skin to skin contact I wanted with my baby. After settling us back on the ward she left us alone to bond with our son coming back later to check we were well. When I was hungry she got me some food and when my son was hungry she helped me to breastfeed him successfully.
Since the birth Vicky has been on hand at all times offering words of encouragement and advice. Our first week at home would have been a lot more daunting without the knowledge that there would be someone round soon to check we were all ok.
Jack is 5 ½ weeks old and he is thriving. Becoming a parent is hard work Vicky has made it much easier. Our whole experience has been great - even with all the problems we have encountered. My confidence as a new mum has soared thanks to the guidance given. My only regret is that we didn't hire Vicky the day I found out I was pregnant. I only hope that she isn't booked up if' we decide to do it all again!