We are Mark and Alicia and we are parents to James, our first son. We took the Happy Parents Happy Baby antenatal classes in Portsmouth.
I had a rough pregnancy as I had morning sickness for 20 weeks and then I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes at week 28. It was very tiring and I felt like I couldn’t eat properly the whole pregnancy.
Hospital due to gestational diabetes.
For me latent labour was quite long and challenging, it lasted around a week with contractions on and off. The Tens machine helped a lot during this time. My waters broke in the end so they needed to induce me with an oxytocin drip to get me into active labour.
Active labour went much better than I expected. I used a Tens machine and gas and air for pain relief. I was expecting to need the epidural but by the time I wanted it, I was fully dilated. My active labour was very quick, just 3.5 h and the pushing phase was only 20 minutes, which for a first baby was amazing. James was born with no complications and with a weight of 6 pounds, 2 ounces. HPHB classes helped a lot, thanks to them I had hired the Tens machine, which was a lifesaver for me during latent labour. I also learned how to use my breath to try to remain calm during the whole process.
We used Tens machine, gas and air, breathing techniques.
It was amazing and it felt surreal that he was already there with us.
They were quite hard and challenging, it is tricky to adapt to a new baby and the sleepless nights. What I would say is accept the help that’s offered by family and take it easy, if the house is a mess it doesn’t matter. Just do what you can and don’t pressure yourself.
I would also say try not to get upset if your baby cries and you cannot calm them down. It’s not your fault and you are doing the best you can.
Getting James to sleep in his cot, it was very tricky to get him to sleep anywhere that wasn’t in our arms during the first month.
The witching hour was definitely a thing with James, the evenings were really challenging and he used to cry a lot from 19:00 ish to 22:00 or so. That has been getting better slowly.
One of the most amazing moments for me was when James began smiling at me.
The amount of space they take in your house and car boot even if they are so small.
Trying to do too much at first and not realising that I needed time to recover from pregnancy and birth. Not giving myself enough credit for the things I achieved each day, more than focusing on what I hadn’t achieved.
It has been great having the other mums from the HPHB course, having other people going through similar things is great. It makes you realise that you are not alone.
Tens machine and a massage ball.
Homemade pizza the first night back as I hadn’t been able to have any for 3 months due to gestational diabetes.
Microwave steriliser.
My carrier wrap has made James relax in moments in which he was very unsettled.
Just take it one day at a time and don’t feel guilty for not doing stuff. Take it easy and take care of yourself, make sure you have time for yourself too.
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