It's 7:37am and I am actually waiting for bubba to wake up so I hope this makes sense and forgive any spelling mistakes 😩

Zuri was due on the 27/03/17, but decided she couldn't wait and began to make her journey into the world on the 03/03/17 (my birthday). Me and hubby just chilled for the whole day as I was super tired and achey. (36w4d) I got up to make some beans on toast (😂😂) and felt like I wet myself a little. I had to call him as I just stood there with bread in my hand and looking in between my legs like that would help 😂 He also had no clue, so I went to pee. Bladder empty, I still kept trickling!! Straight on the phone to triage!! The midwife then informed me that she's "pretty sure that if it were my waters, it would be a big gush. Put a pad on and if you soak it in an hour, come in as you're preterm. " 🙄 I was thinking, " Glow already told me it can be a trickle lady 😡" but at this point, I wasn't in any pain. I put on a pad and hurried around with hubby to pack my hospital bag 😂😂 we were so unprepared. None of her clothes were washed! (Bless babes mittens running back and forth from hosp doing washing loads) 

One hour later, the contractions started. The pad was soaked. Every 5 minutes they came, I felt more discomfort than pain. This is it!! We hurried into the car and made our way to the hospital as I texted myself each time we had a contraction. (Should have got a clicker🤔) The pain intensified!! 

Got to the hospital, was waiting around in triage for 2 1/2 hours, sitting on a towel whilst other mamas were waiting. I remember feeling a bit embarrassed but totes went out the window when the pain just kept coming. Mind you, I suffer from Pelvic Congestion Syndrome, Mild Endometriosis, IBS, Pelvic Inflammatory Disease and Polycystic  Ovary Syndrome, which all leave me In chronic pain daily (pregnancy helped a lot in a way and I'm aware how incredibly lucky I am that I conceived naturally) but once I was admitted to the Labour ward I was seriously uncomfortable. 

Unless you're past 4cm, you're only allowed to take dihydrocodeine for contractions. Guess what? I take dihydrocodeine for my chronic pain and it just controls it. I wouldn't dialate past 1cm for hours. Then I got to 3cm but I just would not dialate any further. We scaled the halls of the hospital even walking over to the sister hospital across the road, In agony lol, but nothing. It was about 1am  (Saturday night) when they decided that I needed to be induced. My waters broke at 5pm on Friday evening. There was a huge waiting list to be induced so I didn't get down to the delivery suite until about 3/4am. By this point they shoved the gas and air in my mouth and just could not wait to get my pain settled!  Three hours in, one of the midwives kindly suggested an epidural. I was still at 3cm and I hadn't been induced yet and she made a good point of that when I do begin to dialate, I probably wouldn't be able to handle it given how long I've gone. 

So about an hour after that, in goes the needle and relief!!! I cannot believe the way my body just relaxed. It was pump controlled also so I stopped pumping when I could just about feel the pressure of my contractions. Her heart rate started to drop so I had to change sides but one leg was dead,so I remember both midwives hauling me up and my leg dropping like a ragdoll. It is now Sunday, 8:17pm. My midwife checks me one last time and tells us Zuri has loads of hair! 😂 Then explains I can start practice pushing. It's so crazy because I remember not trying to poo, but just trying to expel everything somehow 😂 

"I can feel her head! She's coming now, come on Michaela you're doing great, push!"

12 minutes of grunts and long strains, and she finally made her entrance! She only took 51 hours!! She was rushed down to Neonatal to be observed for infection and was treated for infection through a cannula 😔 (as was I) due to my waters being broken for longer than 24 hours. We then went up to the ward together and stayed until Thursday. In that time she got jaundice but recovered quickly on the light up mattress. 

Zuri Neptune Waithe - 4lbs10oz is now 10 weeks old today and is thriving and meeting all of her milestones!!!