As part of The Big Mummy Blog Share this week I am featuring a fellow mummy blogger!
Meet Claire Cleaver from Me and Mine. She is a mummy blogger from West Yorkshire.
How many children do you have?
I have two children, Oliver, 10 (Born March 2009) and Isabelle, 2 (Born September 2017)
Did you write a birth plan?
No, I didn’t write a birth plan with either of my children – I live very much for the moment and know so much can change in short periods of time.
What type of birth did you plan/envision?
With Isabelle I was desperate for a water birth in our local midwife led unit, however, as I was consultant led, I had to give birth in the hospital where a consultant was available at all times.
Did you have a natural birth or caesarean section?
With both I was lucky enough to have a natural birth with only minimal tearing, so no stitches required (Yay!!)
Did you have any pain relief?
By the time I got to hospital with Oliver I was too far gone for any pain relief so just had to knuckle down and push… I planned to have no pain relief with Isabelle either, but I’d clearly forgotten how bad the pain was in labour, so I had paracetamol to try and take the edge off… it did nothing!
Tell us a little bit about the lead up to your birth
With Oliver I was 19 when I got pregnant and 20 when I had him so obviously being a young mum I was extremely anxious and petrified of what giving birth would be like, I don’t think anything can prepare you for the birth of your baby – with both of mine each birth was completely different. Oliver’s labour came on spontaneously and with Isabelle I was in hospital for the five days prior to having her waiting for a bed on labour ward so that they could pop my waters having being in labour for 4 days prior and Isabelle not being heavy enough to break through.
Tell us about the moment you gave birth
I don’t remember much from their birth except the relief that the labour was over and the instant love you feel for your little one – absolutely nothing compares, and that instant connection is worth the pain a million times over.
How did you find your recovery?
My friends said I was super woman because with both my children I was up and about the same day I was discharged doing the shopping, taking Oliver to his rugby practices etc. but I feel like sitting and doing nothing only makes the recovery period longer – obviously not doing too much to cause strain or injury.
The after pains from Isabelle were terribly worse than what I can remember with Oliver, at one stage I was bent over double in tears from them.
Is there anything you would do differently?
In hindsight I wish I wasn’t as stubborn as I am and accepted pain relief earlier on in my labour for Isabelle – I thought because id done it once before without pain relief it would be easy to do it again not taking into account how my body had aged and didn’t cope as well as my younger body once did.
If you would like to read more about Claire and her family then you can read her blog at: https://www.me-and-mine.co.uk
