Sam and I finally got home on Tuesday afternoon
- I keep looking at this small child and really can't believe it has all finally happened. Everything has seemed so surreal and the constant to-ing and fro-ing to the hospital was beginning to take it's toll, but here we are at last - it's amazing to think he's over 3 weeks old already and he should still be in my tummy for another 4 weeks!!! Well Nik - let's see what I can do for you with details (although everything was so fast it was a bit of a blur). Sorry for those who don't want to know - ignore this bit!
I woke up about 4am to go to the loo as normal and when I got back to bed, I thought he'd just moved onto my bladder as I felt a little 'damp'. It happened another 3 times, but wasn't too concerned (and me the natural panicker) so waited until 8am to phone Triage as I'd also had a little spotting. By 9 we were at the hospial but a trace showed Sam was fine and I was having no contractions. However, when they scanned me, it showed my waters had partly gone and the levels were lower than they wanted then. They gave me an injection to mature his lungs (just in case...), kept me in overnight and wanted to issue the 2nd injection the next day. At midday I had a couple of pains, but again nothing out of the ordinary, and again at 5. Feeling fine, and refusing to think that could be it, I was quite relaxed - after all - I'd been told in antenatal there were 3 clear stages and I was prepared (hahahahah) Around 9 (and gearing up to watch 'Red Caps' I started getting 'twinges' - and realised they were every 4 minutes, so asked them to trace me again. By about 9.40, the contractions were on top of each other - 40 minutes not quite fitting in with the 10 hours or so first stage I was prepared for! - and it as a struggle to get onto the wheelchair to get to labour and Steve said they had to practically throw me onto the bed when there and prize my legs open to examine me because I apparently kept saying - 'I'm not having him yet, he's too early!!!' LOL. There were masses of people about steve said, trying to get oxygen etc sorted out as it was all a rush and the woman with the diamorphine was sent back away, saying there was no point. All I remember was being asked did I need to push, saying 'no' then about 3 big pushed later he was there, screaming and kicking...My notes say the 2nd stage took 6 mins, but the placenta then refused to budge, so I had to be taken to theatre to have it manually removed - bummer, that took longed than everything else! 
Anyway, Sam suprised us as he was 4lb 7 (one nurse even asked me if my dates were right as for 7 weeks early that was a good weight - I assured him my dates were correct!) and he had to have no oxygen. He was taken to neonatal and progressed brilliantly from there... I have to admit, I felt a bit robbed intially as after all the problems we've had, I had only begun to let myself feel pregnant and suddenly, the bump was gone, everything had been so fast, and I had remembered virtually nothing as a result, so Steve had to fill me in. The shock was worth it though and the next panic was we had NOTHING for this child - (thanks Shell for nagging me a couple of days before about my bag!!!)
Anyway, before I put you all to sleep completely, Sam was weighed yesterday, and he is now the 'heavy weight' of 5lb, so he's progressing well and long may it continue...
Thanks for all the support I've had from you all over the last few months - I hope I can be off help to others and return the favour...
Hope you are all well, and those bumps are growing nicely!!!
Zoe, Steve and Sam xx
Well done!! I'm so pleased for you and your hubby that although Sam arrived early, he's perfectly healthy - that's all that matters.