Welcome To The World Our Posie Of Flowers!

After what seemed like the world’s longest pregnancy (roughly a decade I reckon) our beautiful baby Posie Pamela Honeybee Knowles burst into the world like a little rocket at 01.37am on the 3rd of February 2021. We are absolutely, well and truly, totally over the moonly smitten with our tiny baby girl who really is so tiny she’s like a little doll. 6lb 1oz and she’s an ounce smaller than Florence was making her the smallest baby in our gang – she may be tiny but she is perfect just like her siblings!

I had been to the hospital for a sweep first thing on Saturday the 30th of January in the morning but nothing happened afterwards. We waited all weekend and then on Monday morning I returned for sweep number two convinced the same would be the case and absolutely nothing would move. However, come the evening that day (1st Feb) and I was feeling a few niggles. I went to bed and slept until 3am when I woke up to mild-ish contractions which were coming every 3-5 minutes. I couldn’t sleep through them so eventually got up and made the big kids their snack and their lunch in advance just in case. At around 6.30am I got in a warm bath with lots of potions and lotions and tried to relax as the candles flickered through to day light with the sunrise. And by the time I got out the contractions had slowed right down – typical me in labour!

I carried on as normal with the contractions only coming every 20 minutes or so and was convinced that was it, that there’s be nothing now for days and then suddenly at 11am my waters burst with a loud pop which I both felt and heard. They gushed out with loads of vernix and a little bit of green meconium which did worry me so I rang the hospital who asked me to come in within 2 hours so that they could check the meconium level.

Jonny was in a live link up with his class and so I waited for him, baked biscuits with Raffie and then when he came out he went to get my mum, had some lunch and off we went. We got to hospital at about 12.45!

I got straight on the gas and air as they examined me and yet I was only 1-2cm dilated so they advised we bounce, dance, walk and keep moving! We did all of that and had a fun walk willing Posie to come. By 7.30 the lovely midwives Abbie and Lavinia had to leave their shift and Maddie came on to look after me with the lush consultant I had last time with Raffie. Bit I was not progressing and at 9pm, still only 2-3cm I agreed I would have the Oxytocin drip on a low level and made Mr Bircher promise that if I did end up with a C-Section he would go into the same scar as last time. I was well looked after, well listened to and felt very confident that whatever happened it would all be ok. They are the A Team at the N&N Maternity Department and I was very lucky!

We hhad fairly lights and music and the staff were lovely but the drip, though it ramped up the contractions, seemed to not help me dilate at all. At 1.32 am after nearly 5 hours on it, I was examined and told I was still only 3cm. At this point I begged for the epidural, I couldn’t take it anymore, all I wanted to do was push and I was being told not to but was in so much pain. The midwife cupped my face and looked me in the eye to make sure that I was sure and when I said I was she went to get one that was en route to another woman and get it for me instead. And then…

Suddenly the Docor said the baby’s heart beat had got distressed, I needed to turn over and he examined me once again only to say “You are 10cm dilated, now it’s time to push!” I pushed really hard and half her head came out. One more push and like a rocket Posie was born, her sack around her and not making a sound she worried Jonny but a second later she was all the vocals and our lives just got richer in that very moment. I didn’t know if she was a boy or a girl, I didn’t care. She was there and I’m less that 5 minutes I’d gone from 3cm to 10cm, not needed the epidural and my baby was there. What is she I finally asked and they moved to cord to show me my girl!