Our Last Baby | Peanut's Birth Story
Squidgy's birth fast, Pickle's was an unplanned induction and Munchkin's birth surprised us all, happening two weeks before his due date! Bringing a baby into the world is such a magical experience, and after 9 months of being extremely unwell it was so wonderful to finally have Peanut in my arms. Here's how our fourth baby made her way into the world.
When was she born?
Peanut was the earliest of all our children; arriving almost three weeks before her due date… ensuring she was a July baby rather than an August baby like we were expecting.
Our gorgeous baby girl was born at the Cumberland Infirmary just before the most glorious golden sunrise on Friday 23rd July 2020. Quite fitting for a golden baby.
How was my experience of Covid restrictions?
The hospital was really well set up for trying to keep things as calm, easy and panic free as possible. They had gorgeous drawings and quotes on the walls, and for the most part things felt pretty normal. It was a bit strange to have a Covid test taken, as well as seeing people wearing masks and obviously having to leave John behind. Having three births in more normal times - including one at the same hospital - it felt bizarre to have to deal with the changes.
My birth story
Did I have pain relief?
Yes! I had morphine alongside gas and air. Neither really cut it though. The labour and bird ended up being so quick I couldn't have anything stronger and I'm not going to lie the pain was absolutely blinding at times. I couldn't concentrate, in fact I couldn't do anything except beg for relief but none came until she was born. I've never been more grateful to be told my baby was safely earthside than that morning.
How did it compare to my other births?
Squidgy's birth was fast, and extremely traumatic. Pickle's induction took forever and almost didn't work. Munchkin's birth was the best by far. He was born 2 weeks early, and the labour was easy. I had an epidural and the whole experience was calm, and perfect in every way. Sadly, Peanut's was most like Squidgy's - fast but quite traumatic.
The pain threw me, I felt like I wasn't listened to and having to do most of it on my own due to covid restrictions was extremely difficult. I had lots of monitoring, but they were short stagfed so I was often left on my own (until the short time before her birth) which made it a very lonely experience. It makes me sad to think that Peanut is likely our last and that birth will be the way I say goodbye to having children.
Meeting our daughter
And taking our first photos together
After she was born, they had to take Peanut away to the resuscitation trolley; I'd had a dose of morphene just moments before pushing her out (the student midwife noticed her head just as the midwife was administering the medicine). This meant she wasn't doing so great when she arrived in the world and they had to reverse the effects using. Eventually she was brought back to me, breathing, full of life, wrapped in a towel and totally perfect.
Heading home
Meeting her siblings
Obviously with Covid restrictions still in place (for obvious reasons!) the children were not allowed to come to the hospital to meet their new baby sister. Instead, my uncle came to pick us up from the hospital while my aunt waited at home with them. When we got back, they all rushed to the door to see Peanut for the first time.
Pickle cried with joy, so totally enamoured with her new baby sister. Squidgy was unsurprisingly amazing. Munchkin surprised us all by totally falling head-over-heels in love and being so sweet and gentle from the moment he met Peanut.
With that, I conclude the story of our fourth - and likely final - baby's birth. It will never ceases to amaze me how different each of the stories of our four children arriving earthside are. However they arrive, I’m just glad when they are home safe and healthy.
Seeing our four beautiful children together really does make me feel like our family is complete and I am so glad that Peanut is here safe and sound, albeit earlier than we expected. Here's to all the adventures we'll have as a family of six.
For more blog posts about new babies from photos to must have products, check out the category here. How was your birth? Let me know in the comments below.
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I wasn't ready for Munchkin's early arrival, but got amazing newborn photos. Check them out here!