Finally, week eight! This has been the slowest five weeks ever, waiting to finally be able to make an appointment with the midwife. A few days after finding out I was pregnant with Ebony, I had some spotting so ended up at the doctor’s surgery. So I’d already had that initial contact by the time my first midwife appointment crawled round.
This time, the wait has felt unbearable. The midwife rang me back and we had a quick chat about the important things (folic acid, vitamin d, home birth) whilst I made my appointment. I recognised the midwife’s name and was pretty sure she was one of the midwives who attended Ebony’s birth.
The next day, me and Laurie headed to London for a 30th birthday/New Year’s Eve party. This was truly the most exhausting thing ever and has convinced me that hibernation is key to a happy pregnancy. I don’t think I have the energy to trek to London at the moment, I just want to be in bed at all times.
A few days later, it was time for my first midwife appointment. I had the following the conversation with Ebony about it:
Me: I am going to the midwife tomorrow. It’s going to be a long appointment so it might be a bit boring, but you can come if you like?
Ebony: ...Will the head be coming out?
Me: Sorry?
Ebony: Will the baby’s head be coming out of your vagina?
Me: Er, no. Not tomorrow.
Ebony: Oh, I’m alright then. But I want to see the head come out, ok?
So she decided to stay home with my parents while I went to my appointment. As soon as I walked into the door, the midwife shouted: “I remember you! I did your stitches. Do you remember?”
I doubt many people forget the face of the woman who stitched up their bits, so of course I remembered her. She wasn’t my main midwife (who I am still so in love with that I would marry her if asked) from Ebony’s birth, but she was one of the two who arrived later. My main midwife arrived at 4am and stayed until Ebony was born at 9:14am, after her shift had finished. Two other midwives arrived at about 8am, I think, or it might have been later than that. The midwife I saw at my appointment was one of these extra midwives, and she’s lovely.
There was a student midwife in the appointment too (I love when there are student midwives or doctors in my appointments) and the midwife told her all about Ebony’s birth. She remembered the candles, the hot tub (I ordered a birth pool, it turned out to be a hot tub) and the fact I’d done hypnobirthing. I hadn’t done hypnobirthing, but I reckon this is the greatest compliment I’ve ever received. Also, I was considered spending a few hundred pounds on hypnobirthing classes this time and now I feel like maybe I don’t need to. It was really lovely that she remembered the birth, and made me feel even more excited about the prospect of giving birth again.