The birth of Lilly-Mary- Part 1

The birth of

Lilly-Mary 

Elizabeth Skinner-Chapman

Date: 29/03/2013

Time: 4.22PM

Weight: 8 pounds, 11 Ounces

Height: 51.5cm

The days leading up:

Day one- 

After 11 weeks of enduring early labour, 6 hospital trips for everything from impending labour to premature rupture of the membranes (AKA my waters broke very awkwardly at the shops at 30 weeks) and being given every drug to stop my contractions/labour, infections and help Lilly-Mary's lungs grow (in case we couldn't stop my contractions) she finally decided to come!!

Ofcourse, we were nervous to get to excited as my contractions would quite regularly sit at 2-3 minutes for a minute long for days and then stall, but after a few days and relying on my instincts we went to the hospital to find out that I was indeed in labour! Being utterly excited Aaron and I opted to go home and wait out my labour in the comfort of our apartment, where a sleepy Leo the cat awaited us.

Day two-

Just over 24 hours later and my labour was slowly but surely progressing, I combated my pain with yoga, pacing, hot showers and a lot of breathing exercises and as my body began to ache from pain I began to feel reassurance come over me that my body knew exactly what to do and I really began to enjoy labour. Each painful contraction was met with an exhausted smile as I felt Lilly-Mary coming closer and closer to the outside and into Aaron and my welcoming arms.

A little over 27 hours later and my contractions were still sitting at a happy 3 minute apart for a minute long, I was seeing all the symptoms and with a huge amount of loss and mucus throughout the day and I knew things were going.... just so very slowly...

So I promptly gathered my camera, put on some form of clothing and we headed to the beach. I figured a change in environment and pushing myself to walk along the soft squishey sand would push things along a little faster... or at the very least I could enjoy the warm water and pink sunset.

Day three-

Officially one day overdue. After days of intense painful contractions met hours later with the bitter disappointment of stalling I was beginning to feel really rather useless. A year ago we had been told we would most likely never have a baby, then battling to conceive and then all the problems I faced throughout this pregnancy, I felt as if my body was trying to tell me I wasn't cut out to be a mother. That clearly I was failing as a woman. We had tried everything in my desperate attempts to keep it going, from walking, rest, ignoring it, sex and every other trick in the book but I could feel the chances of having Lilly-Mary in my arms soon slipping away into a ball of hurt. The contractions stayed; sometimes encouragingly painful, sometimes just a horrid, constant dull ache but always there. Always reminding me what my body was meant to be doing but just not.

When the midwives had told me to expect Lilly-Mary in the next 12-24 hours I was overflowing with happiness, but as the hours grew to days my excitement fell through. Every thoughtful message, call or text from friends and family felt like a jab at my ability to give birth. I felt raw with heart ache as each time I would have to explain that although I was still contracting and dilating that she wasn't near coming yet, that my body was failing to do what it's essentially meant to. And although I knew everyone meant well, I couldn't face the pressure anymore and ended up cutting off communication with the outside world earlier this morning. Aaron and I decided to continue our day as per usual; going to the beach, grocery shopping, chores and editing. I went into hours of incredibly powerful contractions that eventually subsided into a constant pain, in and out like this was how I spent my time as Lilly-Mary moved inside of me.

Aaron was truly my rock throughout this, in my hot, frustrated tears he would hold me and in my cries of pain he would encourage me. Breathing with me, pushing me but always understanding and caring for me in my fragile state, giving me the reassurance that every pregnancy was different. Every labour was unique, and that Lilly-Mary and I were strong and that eventually she would be here. Whether it was by a natural birth or an induction, I knew she would be here in the next 7 days and I could feel my patience growing.