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My First Pregnancy - Labour
Labour wards in my day were very different to the birthing wards of today air-conditioning turn up to freezing white and sterile, no windows just bright glaring lights.
By 10:30 PM, everything was ready to go Barbara was sitting beside me holding my hand. My gynecologist was at the ready, as was our Paediatrician, my husband and family had been called and once again we were told to expect the worst that our baby was proberly so small that they would not survive more that a few hours if at all .
I remember the lights being blinding, but I must close my eyes and dozed off for a while because the next thing I know. It was 1:15 PM, and Barbara was asking me if I had any pain? another doctor had her hand on my stomach, do you feel like pushing? can you feel the contractions? by the stunned look on their faces when I answered NO to all their questions, I gathered it was not the right answer.
Being so young and so naïve I could not work out what all the fuss was about after all my baby was not due for another six weeks, and I had heard from others about the three stages of labour. So obviously my labour was just the beginning and going to last for hours like all the others.
With her Auntie & Grandmother at 3 Months
Then everything happened so quickly, I suddenly felt like I had wet the bed, Barbara is telling me to push. You just push when ever I tell you she says. I was still experiencing no pain whatsoever. So I didn’t mind I was happy to do what I was told and at exactly 2:05 PM on 10 April 1970. My beautiful little baby girl was born.
Whisk off by the Paediatrician, and he’s staff while the doctors and staff cleaned and stitch me up . I could hear her crying in the background, but was not aware of what was going on.
When they finally brought it back to me, about half an hour later in place her on my chest I could not believe what they were telling me my little girl weighed 5 pounds 4 1/2 ounces and there was absolutely nothing wrong with her. Even after all the weight I had lost.
But then the strangest thing of all happened about two hours after she was born Barbara and the nursing staff where having corned beef and pickled sandwiches and coffee in the nurses lounge, when she called back in only to see if I would like anything. I told her I was absolutely starving and when she mentioned corned beef and pickles I was hungry than ever.
She agreed to bring me a sandwich and a cuppa coffee on one condition that I did not tell the doctors about it. as we were all sure it would bounce back just as quickly as all the other food had done in the past.
Two hours later, I had eaten to lots of sandwiches and two coffees, and nothing had come back. None of us could believe it not even may cite natural event did to my medical report.
From that minute on I was able to eat and drink whatever I like but because the doctors was still uncertain as to what had caused by medical problem another wonderful lady who had lost her little baby agreed to breast-feed ,until I was well enough to do so.
Just five days after giving birth. I took my beautiful little daughter home, which was a 5 1/2 hour road trip, but I was glad to be out of hospital, although I only weighed 7 stone at this stage, and was very weak. They agreed to release me into the care of my wonderful Mother In-law.