I have said it once and I will say it again, Leo is turning 2 next month! It has been nearly 24 months since my little man entered this world and I still remember every little detail of that day. I often struggle to remember what I did yesterday and yet memories from the 15th of August 2013 feel so unbelievably fresh and vivid.
I really think these memories will be as clear to me when Leo’s 21st birthday is approaching as they are now but just incase they’re not, or I tragically loose my memory, I am writing this post now.
50 things that happened the day Leo was born…
1. Oli went to work at 8 and I had a lie in.
2. When I woke up something crunched in my pelvis (nice!).
3. I sat on my bouncy ball and ate a bowl of cereal with blueberries while watching Hollyoaks
4. Darren and Nancy had a car crash in Hollyoaks and I nearly cried.
5. I thought I needed to use the loo but I soon realised I was having contractions.
6. I stood staring out the window for ages holding the phone, debating whether to call Oli or not.
7. The contractions were just hurting my back at the start.
8. I phoned Oli and got in the bath.
9. Oli came home, put Mumford&Sons album on and ate last night’s left over spaghetti while sat on the bathroom floor.
10. I spoke to the midwife on the phone and she said the contractions were like walking up and down stairs.
11. She also, truthfully, told me they were going to get ‘a hell of a lot worse’.
12. Oli had to help me out the bath.
13. I spent a lot of time sitting on my bouncy ball and I also hugged it quite a lot.
14. My Dad drove me to the hospital and his crazy driving hurt more than the contractions.
15. When we got to the hospital mum made me sit in a wheelchair, I was so angry about this.
16. There was no room on the labour ward so I had to sit in my wheelchair having contractions in a hallway while my parents fussed and grumbled about the state of the NHS.
17. When I finally got on the ward I was lying on a bed next to a woman having her baby’s heart monitored.
18. The midwife and student midwife arrived and I was sick within minutes of saying hello.
19. The sick was purple because of my blueberry breakfast (too much information?).
20. I got moved to the midwife led birthing centre downstairs where they made tea and toast and got me a pack of Welsh cakes.
21. Oli ate the food and had the tea, I was not in the mood for eating.
22. Oli put Countdown on the TV but changed it to Radio 1 as neither us could concentrate.
23. The woman in the birthing pool next door sounded like she was being murdered.
24. My gas and air made a weird noise.
25. I sat on another bouncy ball but it was much bigger than mine and it wasn’t pink.
26. I did not like their bouncy ball.
27. Lying flat on the bed was like torture.
28. I was sick all over the floor and Oli had to clean it up as the midwife was nowhere to be seen.
29. After about 2 hours the gas and air seemed to loose it’s pain numbing abilities.
30. At around 5pm I was told the birthing pool was free, I wasn’t keen on the idea but by this point gas and air was no longer enough.
31. I had not prepared for a water birth so for the rest of my labour I was just wearing a bra.
32. Oli was texting family a lot.
33. The student midwife nearly dropped her phone in the water.
34. Once my waters broke, contractions were a million times more painful.
35. I got emotional when the student midwife had the leave, she was amazing.
36. I didn’t like the new midwife, for no logical reason other than the fact she wasn’t the lovely student Polly.
37. When I was taken out the pool to be examined the contractions hurt so much I actually entertained the idea that I might be dying.
38. They put me back in the pool and I was happy (ish) again.
39. 25 minutes of pushing felt like an eternity.
40. Oli looked when Leo’s head came out, gross!
41. I told the midwife I wasn’t going to push again until I was ready, I obviously knew better than her.
42. I didn’t realise Leo had been born until the midwife told me to pick him out of the water.
43. Leo turned and stared up at me from the pool, his eyes were massive.
44. I struggled to see past the umbilical cord to check if he was a boy or a girl.
45. Oli cut the cord.
46. Me and Leo spent ages looking at each other.
47. Leo pooed on the midwife when she went to weigh him.
48. My parents came in to the delivery room to meet their new grandson.
49. Oli had to leave at 11, he had a celebratory cigar on his walk home.
50. Leo only woke twice that first night but I didn’t close my eyes once. I just gazed at my beautiful boy all night.
Do you remember all the little things that happened on the day your baby was born? I really hope I never forget.
