It is the day of your due date and everybody simply can't wait for you to make your appearance! So, to speed up the process, your Nonna Mariapia suggests that we go for a long power walk. One and a half hours later we've walked at quite a brisk pace to Tooting Bec Common and back, but apart from aching feet...nothing!
The rest of the day goes by uneventfully, and later that night your mom and Nonna even make plans to visit the British Museum the next morning! That however, is not going to happen! Early on the morning of the 2 January 2011 Alessandra starts to experience a sharp pain in her lower abdomen. At first she thinks that it is just a tummy ache as she can't feel any contracting sensations, but that morning your grandma confirms that it is indeed the first contractions!
As they are far apart, we are all still relatively relaxed and even go shopping at the Tesco's in Clapham. Alessandra copes with the pain by simply walking around as much as she can. Towards the evening the contractions get a bit closer and we make the first phone call to the hospital to forewarn them that we might have to come in overnight.
As can be expected it is not a very restful night for us as Alessandra has to wake up every hour or so to do her walk in order to cope with the pain. During the morning Heino and Mariapia start to time and note down the contractions, but they are still far from the prescribed 4-in-10 minutes which would signal for us to go to the hospital!
After a late, light lunch the contractions start to get a little bit closer to each other and around 4pm we phone the hospital again. They advise us to wait another two hours and then to assess the situation before we give them another call. They also ensure us that they have enough space, which was a major worry for us as the last thing you want to happen is to be turned away to a hospital that you don't know at all!
At around 6pm the situation is definitely speeding up and Alessandra, together with her mom decides that it is time to go to the hospital, even if Heino still thinks that we will be send back! A quick phone call to the hospital later and we are waiting for the taxi to arrive. As we settle Alessandra in the back seat, Heino warns the driver that he might hear a scream or two from the back seat. And with that we are on the way to St. Thomas' Hospital!
If everything goes according to plan, next time we all arrive at home will be with you!
No comments:
Post a Comment