Life is a Rollercoaster

On the 21^st May, I started preparing to write a blog entitled Life is a Rollercoaster.  Seven weeks later, I am finally writing it.  I had planned to discuss the ups and downs of managing kids behaviour during lockdown.  Poppi had been doing amazingly well and then it was as if a switch had been turned and she suddenly was totally fed-up, wanted to see her friends and her attitude towards her mum/teacher noticeably changed.  I was managing pregnancy tiredness (which is a rollercoaster in itself) and so tensions escalated and answering back soared.

However, on May 21^st a series of events happened which could not have been more ‘rollercoaster-like’ if they tried.  Instead of grabbing an hour to blog, I found myself in hospital being told it was likely I would go into labour in the next 7-14 days.  In the middle of lockdown, that is not what I wanted to hear.  I managed to gather myself by reflecting on a wonderful verse that had got me through most of the latter part of my pregnancy.  I believe in a loving and caring God who despite world pandemic’s has plans to prosper me and not to harm me and that included the life of the little one inside me.  I phoned Daf and told him the news and asked him to bring me an overnight bag.  Due to Poppi’s early arrival, the doctors wanted to monitor me for 48 hours.  I spent the rest of the day in a hospital bed becoming increasingly more uncomfortable.  I figured this was because I was sitting in bed all day, which is not something I regularly do, and therefore just getting achy.  In hindsight, not so sure that was the case!  I couldn’t concentrate on anything so was thankful for some colouring to act as a non-brain-engaging distraction. 

Later that evening I spoke to Daf to encourage him to pack a bag for himself and Poppi…just in case!  He was mid setting up the tent.  Daf and Poppi planned to camp in the garden overnight.  Little I could say would persuade him that, maybe that wasn’t such a good idea.  However, I did convince him to make sure his phone was on loud and fully charged (he’s very often winging it on 4% battery or something)!

And then that was that.  I was hooked up to a monitor as they wanted to regulate baby’s heart rate.  This also tracked any contraction-like movements.  The midwife read the movements and looked confused.  They were quite regular by now (every 5 minutes) and looking at them she said they should be more painful than I was making out.  I do have a high pain threshold but I think more than that I was determined to stay calm and peaceful.  What will be will be.  There was literally zilch I could do to change the course of nature.  After an examination, I was told that nothing was happening.  My body felt it was telling me otherwise.  Another reason to try and stay calm – I didn’t know what to believe!

It was decided that I was to go up to consultant-led and have a series of tablets to slow/stop the contractions.  I did as I was told!  But, the little monkey inside had other ideas.  She’d had enough.  Twenty minutes after the final dose at 02.20 my waters literally popped and exploded.  Awena Rose was on her way!  I managed to get hold of Daf and he dropped Poppi at her friend’s house.  When he arrived at 03.10 I was able to tell him I was 3cm.  Daf was offered a cup of coffee which he accepted, but after one sip and four pushes, Awena flew into the world by 03.31.  Daf returned to his hot cup of coffee.

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So at 33 weeks and 2 days, our second bundle of joy joined us.  She was whisked off to the neonatal unit to be settled.  That was the next rollercoaster (and the next blog). 

I’m not a fan of actual rollercoasters and theme parks have never really appealed to me so it’s hard to make a comparison on the height, length, or scariness of rollercoasters.  Her arrival I would describe as a warm-up; high-speed and fairly gruelling, but the one that followed her arrival was definitely dizzying, catapulting, corkscrewing, swooping, plummeting and ascending; a true rollercoaster.

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