Sunday 5 December 2010

Snow baby

Our baby Phoebe finally arrived on Tuesday 30th November :) 


Our St Andrew's Day baby certainly timed her arrival to make things interesting!  This is a long wordy post, the Baby Post, enjoy...!

This was my car on the morning I went into labour...


Baby Phoebe decided the day to arrive would be the day a massive snow blizzard hit Kent.  It had started snowing overnight and when we woke up we'd already had a couple of feet, and the snow just kept coming, it didn't stop.  The schools were closed so hubby set off to get Lillia to her Granny's whilst I stayed at home to handle the contractions.  Two hours later hubby had to turn back as he just couldn't get there - the roads were gridlocked.

By this time things were getting quite painful and the weather situation was looking a bit worrying, the snow just kept falling.  Luckily the traffic coming the other way from my mum's was ok and she managed to get to us in the end, making the usual ten minute drive in forty-five.  We set off for the hospital as soon as she arrived, me wired up to my tens machine and clutching a bowl in case I was sick! 

The hospital is usually a ten minute drive away - it took us just over two hours.  The roads were gridlocked so we had to resort to the motorway in the hope it would be clearer, but there were several lorries stuck unable to move and we couldn't get past.  At one point I thought I would end up giving birth on the motorway, I could almost see the local paper headlines! 

When we finally got past and off the motorway, negotiated a couple of gridlocked roundabouts and turned the corner on to the final stretch of road we were confronted with a long queue of cars stuck behind a lorry stuck in a snow drift.  There was nothing left to do but to start driving madly: hubby put on the hazard lights and we started our way up as far as we could on the opposite side of the road.  Then we pulled in, hubby got out and ran up the the policeman who was helping dig the lorry out, he explained his wife was in labour and we needed to get to the hospital fast!  The policeman initially offered us a lift in the police 4x4, but all we needed was to get up the hill and round the corner so in the end he stopped all the on-coming traffic to let us through.  One of the memories that will always stay with me is driving past that policeman, clutching my tens machine and breathing through a contraction, with him shouting "good luck!" and giving us the thumbs up.

In the end we made it in plenty of time.  Phoebe was born just before 11pm, with the snow still continually falling outside, much to our joy and relief!

We made it home the next day - the roads being snowy but no longer gridlocked - but the whole country had come to a halt and all we four could do was pull up plenty of blankets and hunker down.  No visitors, no post, no midwife visits, no getting out and about, no school!  We have been completely snowed in.


The thaw started on Saturday and visitors have started to trickle through, though the roads are now icy and dangerous.  We are hoping school will be back tomorrow so poor Lillia can escape the cabin fever.

It has been quite a week to say the least!  I will be back very soon, but for now I will be mostly crying, breastfeeding and feeling tired but happy :)

10 comments:

  1. Ali and Co - many, many congratulations, but what an eventfual and stressful arrival for Phoebe! I am sure you will enjoy it when you can look back on it and laugh and tell her about that day. I wish you all the very best of health and happiness

    I had my own snow adventure this week when I was in Scotland for a few days and meant to leave on Sunday last weekend to come back to Manchester. Well, that just couldn't happen. Ended up stuck until yesterday! But I was at my sisters and had a lof of fun with the kids all week. SNow still blocking their road but my bro in law and thier neighbours got car out of street in the end - thankfully I wasnt in labour!!

    Stay warm and happy!

    Fiona xx

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  2. Congratulations!
    I'm so pleased to hear that all is well.
    What a story, what an adventure, not that you would have needed the extra excitement and worry at the time.
    Definitely a story to tell the grand-kids one day.
    Keep warm, take care and can't wait to see a photo of little Phoebe.
    Jenny x

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  3. Huge congratulations Ali! What an eventful week! Hope you and little Phoebe are putting your beautiful blankets to good use! Keep warm and take care. Ele x

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  4. Hi Ali, Congratulations! That was quite an adventure! So happy to hear all's well. Enjoy and stay warm :)

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  5. So happy to read about how this all turned out - I was following your tweets with rising excitement/panic! What an incredible adventure, and a beautiful ending!

    Wishing you all the best, stay snug and cosy,

    Claire x

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  6. Warmest congratulations on the safe arrival of baby Phoebe! You,and the family ,won't forget the winter of 2010. LOVE those cute little dimples on her hand! :0)

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  7. Oh my, what an arrival. Huuuge congratulations to all of you.

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  8. Oh flipping 'eck you've gone and made me cry.

    Congratulations to you all and welcome, welcome, welcome little baby Pheobe - oh gosh I need a tissue....phew!

    take care and much, much love,

    Nina xxx

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  9. What a great story! Glad all is well, and I hope you're feeling more yourself soon. Enjoy all that snuggling! :)

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  10. Many many congratulations Ali, i'm so pleased Baby Phoebe had a safe arrival. Sorry to hear the snow hasn't helped. Enjoy your new addition xx

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