Leah was a surprise baby, a calculated risk that we miscalculated!
I moved to Bristol and started work on Ward 31 of the children's hospital on the 26th October 1996 just 5mths after mine and Steve's wedding.At the time of Leah's conception I was still living in nursing accommodation in Redland, working on a temporary contract and with Steve still living in London in our rented house.
When my period was a week late I wasn't concerned I had pains to indicate it was on it's way. However on reading a magazine article in a womans mag on the way to Cardiff by train I got concerned. On arriving in Cardiff I went to Boots and bought a test which I did in the loo straight away. Imagine the shock when it came up positive OMG. Tried to phone Steve and didn't actually speak to him for a couple of days......he needed brandy for the shock. I was so upset but knew we would be ok having a baby a little earlier than we planned!
The house hunting had to begin double quick, we had fallen in love with the Redland, Cotham, and Clifton area. We eventually bought a spacious 2 double bedroomed flat in Cotham Lawn Rd and I moved in with no furniture of carpets in April. Imagine pregnant walking on just underlay and sleeping on a blow up bed! I eventuallt told my manager at work which went really well and I still got a permanent contract another hurdle dealt with.
Steve carried on working and living in London for some time so I was alone all week and attended my antenatal, appointments, classes and scans alone. I met Sarah at these classes and we have been friends ever since.Leah and Robert are in the same class at school and do Judo together.
Thankfully my pregnancy was an easy one and I worked up to 36 weeks. Sadly this is when things started to go wrong and I was in and out of hospital with pre eclampsia. In the end I was induced on the 16th October 1997 the day I was meant to be seeing West side story at the theatre.
My induction initially went well I was given a pessary at 11am and at 3pm my waters broke and the contractions came thick and fast. Off to the delivery suite by 6pm I was fully dilated, totally knackered and fed up I kept on pushing but nothing was happening. I eventually got a spinal; block which wasn't very sucessful but helped a little. Eventually a Dr was called to examine me he said Leah was stuck side ways on so I needed to go to theatre for an assisted delivery.So off I was wheeled leaving Steve behind reading his book ! After failed forceps, plastic cup ventouse and metal ventouse a c-section was needed as an emergency procedure. As my spinal wasn't working I had a general anaesthetic and Leah Grace was born at 10pm weighing 8lb 11oz.
I was so drugged up when I did wake up I told the nurse to take her away as she was ugly! I was taken to the post natal ward where I remained a prisoner for a further 4 days.I soon recovered and the next day I was up and about independantly. Breast feeding however was another matter I was useless at it, couldn't express one drop. I tried but it got harder when poor battered and bruised Leah required photo therapy for jaundice.
On arriving home I tried breast feeding for a couple of days before giving in and putting her on bottles of Aptamil. After 2-3 wks the colic set in and we needed shares in infacol and gripe water, Leah was the most unsettled baby ever with such a high pitched scream. I don't know how we survived her baby days she was such a miserable baby who wouldn't settle this was made harder by living in a flat as you didn't want to upset the neighbours!
Eventually I took her for several sessions on cranial oesteopathy which helped quite a lot she was less tense afterwards and fed better.
Thank god she grew out of it!
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