I'm supposed to be having a baby, not kittens!!!

So I didn't get the best nights sleep, you would have thought that being in my own bed rather than a horrible, uncomfortable hospital bed would make a difference and it did! That wasn't the problem...Alan was working nights so my usual routine is watch tv, maybe a bit of facebook then to bed and sleep. All these were normal...that is until I was woken up around 3am by noises outside. It took me a couple of minutes to come round from having my sleep disturbed but it took me no time at all to know what those noises were. Someone was trying to break in. Furiously shoving the front door handle down and trying to get something in to break it open. I was terrified.

The noise went off for a couple of minutes and then I heard the back gate go. We are joined onto our neighbours so they got through the main road, through our neighbours garden and into ours. We were the only ones with no car on the drive, as Alan was at work so I'm guessing they thought our house was empty. I heard a huge, almighty bang and I froze. I couldn't call the police because I thought they were down stairs in my house and I didnt want them to hear me. Terrified is not the word.

I text Alan, praying that he wasn't too busy to respond. Beads of sweat covered my phone screen as I text him. He text me back almost immediately and told me he was on his way home. I was still laid terrified because every little noise frightened me. The gate was banging in the wind which didn't help matters.

I don't know about having a baby, I was having kittens by the time Alan arrived home. He checked everything out and assured me everything was OK, no one was there and there was no damage or forced entry that he could see. The loud bang was a neighbours fence falling in the wind and it must have scared them off. He climed onto the bed where I just crumbled in his arms and cried, still hot and sweaty from the fear. We got up and watched some TV until I calmed down and at 6AM we went back to bed. I had never been so scared in my life.

I'm just so glad Alan is on his toes when it comes to answering his texts knowing I wouldn't text him at that time of a night unless it was an emergency. I still feel a little insecure now, knowing he is going back to working nights tonight.

Baby Lewis has been shook up by this too I think, the contractions are becomming painful again. Well, the select few are. Until they are constant, I'm not calling the labour ward just to be brought in to stay another night. The midwives and doctors on the maternity ward are over stretched and understaffed as it is.

I have an old work colleague coming to visit me at 5pm which I'm looking forward to. I haven't seen her since me and Alan got married in November. I just hope my little monkey lets me enjoy an hour "off"

I ought to sign off now though, she's coming at just after 5 and the house is a tip - a concequence of staying in hospital when your hubby works shifts! Going to do a bit of cleaning and prepare dinner for me and Alan before he goes back to work tonight. We're having curry...wish me luck!!!

The story so far...

I'm Amy or sometimes Mrs Lewis if it's the doctors talking to me. I married my husband Alan 20th November 2010. We have been together almost four years. We are expecting our first baby after a long time TTC (trying to conceive) - we found out in September and the pregnancy ride hasn't been an easy one. No serious complications just lots of bad days, hospital stays and a toilet seat neckless.


Baby Lewis is a boy (name undecided), my EDD (estimated due date) is 21/05/2011 - two months away. This date makes me, 32weeks + 4 days today. We both wanted a boy so when we found out at our 20 week scan we were overjoyed and immediately started buying all things blue.


Today, I have just been released from hospital for the third in just over a month. I was admitted at 28weeks with pains which turned out to be contractions which turned out to be early labour (yes you read correctly). I was given a drug to help stop to contractions and steroids to strengthen babys lungs. I was allowed home after 4 days in hospital and was told the next time this happened, they wouldn't be able to stop labour.


I was re admitted on 22nd March (30wk +3) after my midwife struggled to palpate (feel babys position) at a routine antenatal check up. My tummy was tender and hard. I got to the labour ward for checking only to have it confirmed that I was back in labour and 1.5cm dilated. The midwife called the SCBU (special care baby unit) to let them know to expect my baby in the near future. Surely this was it, right? Wrong. The contractions slowed down after 2 days and I was again allowed home.


At a followup appointment yesterday (32wk + 3), the consultant tried to palpate and guess what??? She felt contractions! I was sent up for monitoring and after an hour the midwife admitted me with regular, strong contractions. Third time lucky I hear you say? Depends which way you look at it...I didn't have my baby. The contractions slowed down...AGAIN.


I decided to track my progress from here on in, so when he finally does come my baby boy can read (obviously not straight away...give him a few weeks before he can read!!) how much he put me through before he was even here. I'm not panicking over him coming early anymore, the hospital have assured me baby will be OK if born now he isn't tiny or ill...just really impatient!


Just arrived home this afternoon around 3ish, the hubby is in bed as he's working nights tonight and needs to sleep before his shift. The plan is to relax for now...until the contractions start again and trust me...they will!