The appearance

Some things people told me about second babies that didn't apply to me:

Second babies always come early (er, no...!)Second babies just 'fall out' (er, also, no!)It's easy second time round

Things that did people told me that did apply;

Second babies come quick (there is a story here, but still, er, yeah!)Second babies are bigger then first babies.You will love the second one just as much as the first.

Long story short, this baby came at the same point in my pregnancy as the first (40+3), waters broke - long wait (about 31 hours after waters braking the induction gel was put in) from then on in, it was about 4 hours to delivery. I went from 2cm dilated to 10cm in 15 mins. Phew! 

This delivery was different from last time. Like last time I was induced, but it was with the gel this time and not the drip, and although this is considered a 'gentler' form of induction, things escalated from there rather more quickly then the medical professionals expected. I remember telling them that I needed to push, and the midwives saying 'no you don't, not yet, you're only 2cm...' a few mins later, due to my 'overreaction' someone checked, and then pressed the panic button (baby appeared a few seconds later). I didn't even make it to the labour ward. I remember saying to a doctor 'you're very nice, but I have no idea what you are saying' and moments later to my husband 'Please tell me what is going on?' all hell had broken lose and the only thing I could make any sense of was his voice through the haze. I can't tell you relief I felt when he said 'this is happening now, it will all be over soon.' I had no idea what was going on - my body had removed my brain from the equation. Up until that point, I felt a bit like I was being silly claiming to be in so much pain, and I thought I had ages yet to go. I didn't know how I was going to cope. It had only been about 15 mins prior to that that someone had thought to ask if I wanted any gas and air. 

The ward we were on at the time was not prepared for delivery. The placenta was placed in a cardboard sick bowl and placed on top of my flip flops. The baby was put on top of me and we were left for nearly an hour before he was taken and weighed and cleaned up etc. I was still in my outdoor clothes, no hospital gown. A midwife came and said to me 'we are going to take you to the labour ward' which we both laughed at. By the time we got down there baby had managed to do an enormous sticky new baby poo all over me. Then I was taken into surgery again (I was expecting this, the speed that I deliver babies at and the size they come out at is not friendly to my anatomy!) I had to apologise to the other ladies on the ward for scaring them, most of whom were probably ready to pack up and go home after my performance. 

All of that said, I have no complaint about nearly all of the medical professional involved. Caught on the hop, they did the best they could under the circumstances, and the home delivery team, who I was case-loaded with, (I haven't yet managed to give birth at hime, despite trying to do so both times) were also great. They were really supportive, and visited me on the day in hospital (both times) and afterwards on the ward as well as later at home to carry out follow up checks etc. The NHS is not perfect, no, but I wouldn't swap it.

I don't want to go into great detail here about everything involved - there is loads more I could say but some of it deserves it's own post. Meanwhile I need to get used to having two children, a beautiful little girl and, now, a not-so-tiny baby boy. Plus the dog.

Wish me luck.