MemmaJ
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Friday 6th November at 37+2 gestation, I headed into hospital with my first ever episode of reduced movements (having been cleaning/nesting all morning and then realising I hadn't really felt him move much).
Everything was fine and the CTG was picking up some strong tightenings (which had been ongoing/on and off for around a week, so nothing new). The doctor thought it looked like things were trying to get going, so she offered me a sweep which I accepted - I was 1.5cm dilated and 50% effaced.
The tightenings got a bit stronger throughout the evening and then stopped at around midnight (which is what they'd done every day - very fristrating!). The next morning, the tightenings were back and then all stopped around lunchtime again, despite having been walking around and bouncing on the birthing ball all morning. I got quite upset and laid down for a little nap on the sofa - at which time, OH put some Clary Sage essential oil into our oil burner and put in next to me while I slept.
I have no idea if it's just coincidence, but at around 4/4.30pm they suddenly came back stronger - so we went for a walk to try and encourage them to keep going and they continued on into the evening.
I knew I wasn't in labour yet but I sensed it was different this time, so we had my twin boys picked up at about 6.30pm to go to OH's mums, as I had a feeling it was going to happen this time and I didn't want a middle-of-the-night panic/rush to get them sorted.
Bounced on the ball and walked around the lounge while watching X Factor as they continued to get stronger - but they were still irregular so despite OH's protests, I didn't want to go into hospital just yet.
At around 8pm, I felt a trickle down below and thought maybe it was a heavy show or my waters, but when I looked, it was pure red blood (almost covering my panty liner). I knew I still wasn't in established labour but obviously rang the hospital straight away and was told to come straight in (good job my twin boys had already gone and we could leave straight away!).
Baby was fine when we got there, CTG was normal and contractions remained irregular - but the doctor wasn't happy with the amount of blood I'd lost; so I had to have a canulla put in my hand incase I bled again and emergency delivery was needed, and I had to stay in. The plan was to watch and wait, but if there was any more bleeding, she was going to break my waters and 'get on with it'.
She gave me another sweep (I was 3cm by then, still only 50% effaced) and I went to the antenatal ward at around 10pm to await established labour/watch for more bleeding.
I was examined again around 3.15am and was still 3cm, and the contractions still wouldn't get into a regular pattern - infact they started to fizzle out and and at around 3.45, they actually stopped all together, so I got into bed feeling very disheartened, to finally try and get some sleep. Soon as I got into bed - things changed completely, Suddenly the contractions came back really strong, with no build up, and were every few minutes.
The pain was so different, I knew something was happening. They offered to examine me again but I was terrified I'd still be 3cm as it had been less than an hour since my last examination, and I didn't want the disappointment, but I was finding it hard to cope with the pain so I agreed on the basis that I really thought I was in established labour now and that it was going to happen quick.
So at 4.15 I was found to be the magic 4cm and was told I could still have my waterbirth if I wanted as there had been no more bleeding. I was really struggling with the pain by then, so I said I think I wanted an epidural because it was getting too painful too quickly (the pain had made me vomit by then!).
In amongst all this, I just kept thinking how much I'd wanted a nice normal waterbirth and how much I might regret it if I didn't even try (my twins were born at 27 weeks so it was all out of my hands and nothing like what I'd wanted, with an epidural and drips etc, I had always said wanted it to be different this time) .
So on the way to labour ward, I decided to try the pool first and if I couldn't cope, THEN I'd have an epidural.
Got into the pool at 4.45pm with the gas and air. To be honest, the water didn't really do much for the actual contraction pain - but it was lovely and relaxing in between contractions. I still kind-of wanted an epidural because the pain was so bad - but in the back of my mind, I could tell things were happening quickly and I just kept telling myself it would be over soon.
Around 7.15am, I had a slight urge to push. A few contractions later, I asked the midwife to check if it was time because I didn't want to be pushing if it was too early - she checked and I just had a small lip/rim of cervix left on one side so she told me not to push just yet.
However after that, I just couldn't stop. I kept being told not to push and to just 'breathe it through' - but after a few more contractions I just couldn't breathe through at all... I knew it was time anyway as I could feel him moving if I pushed hard enough, so I just ignored everyone carried on - and before I knew it, she said she could see the top of his head.
He was born in the water at 07.49 - I 'caught' him myself and lifted him out of the water up onto my chest and it was amazing (sooooo painful - especially when the contraction ended while his head was half out, so I had to wait 2 minutes with his head half out for the next contraction to push the rest out); but it was amazing and I was so pleased that I'd trusted my instincts and got the birth I had wanted (including no stitches, yay!). So despite me taking seemingly forever to get into established labour (to 4cm), it was quite quick once I finally got there and it all worked out really well.
So baby Benjamin was born at 37+4, a small but perfectly formed 5lbs 14oz, delivered by me, cord cut by Daddy (who was amazing), breastfed like a dream within half an hour of birth - and so we all went home 4 hours later!
Everything was fine and the CTG was picking up some strong tightenings (which had been ongoing/on and off for around a week, so nothing new). The doctor thought it looked like things were trying to get going, so she offered me a sweep which I accepted - I was 1.5cm dilated and 50% effaced.
The tightenings got a bit stronger throughout the evening and then stopped at around midnight (which is what they'd done every day - very fristrating!). The next morning, the tightenings were back and then all stopped around lunchtime again, despite having been walking around and bouncing on the birthing ball all morning. I got quite upset and laid down for a little nap on the sofa - at which time, OH put some Clary Sage essential oil into our oil burner and put in next to me while I slept.
I have no idea if it's just coincidence, but at around 4/4.30pm they suddenly came back stronger - so we went for a walk to try and encourage them to keep going and they continued on into the evening.
I knew I wasn't in labour yet but I sensed it was different this time, so we had my twin boys picked up at about 6.30pm to go to OH's mums, as I had a feeling it was going to happen this time and I didn't want a middle-of-the-night panic/rush to get them sorted.
Bounced on the ball and walked around the lounge while watching X Factor as they continued to get stronger - but they were still irregular so despite OH's protests, I didn't want to go into hospital just yet.
At around 8pm, I felt a trickle down below and thought maybe it was a heavy show or my waters, but when I looked, it was pure red blood (almost covering my panty liner). I knew I still wasn't in established labour but obviously rang the hospital straight away and was told to come straight in (good job my twin boys had already gone and we could leave straight away!).
Baby was fine when we got there, CTG was normal and contractions remained irregular - but the doctor wasn't happy with the amount of blood I'd lost; so I had to have a canulla put in my hand incase I bled again and emergency delivery was needed, and I had to stay in. The plan was to watch and wait, but if there was any more bleeding, she was going to break my waters and 'get on with it'.
She gave me another sweep (I was 3cm by then, still only 50% effaced) and I went to the antenatal ward at around 10pm to await established labour/watch for more bleeding.
I was examined again around 3.15am and was still 3cm, and the contractions still wouldn't get into a regular pattern - infact they started to fizzle out and and at around 3.45, they actually stopped all together, so I got into bed feeling very disheartened, to finally try and get some sleep. Soon as I got into bed - things changed completely, Suddenly the contractions came back really strong, with no build up, and were every few minutes.
The pain was so different, I knew something was happening. They offered to examine me again but I was terrified I'd still be 3cm as it had been less than an hour since my last examination, and I didn't want the disappointment, but I was finding it hard to cope with the pain so I agreed on the basis that I really thought I was in established labour now and that it was going to happen quick.
So at 4.15 I was found to be the magic 4cm and was told I could still have my waterbirth if I wanted as there had been no more bleeding. I was really struggling with the pain by then, so I said I think I wanted an epidural because it was getting too painful too quickly (the pain had made me vomit by then!).
In amongst all this, I just kept thinking how much I'd wanted a nice normal waterbirth and how much I might regret it if I didn't even try (my twins were born at 27 weeks so it was all out of my hands and nothing like what I'd wanted, with an epidural and drips etc, I had always said wanted it to be different this time) .
So on the way to labour ward, I decided to try the pool first and if I couldn't cope, THEN I'd have an epidural.
Got into the pool at 4.45pm with the gas and air. To be honest, the water didn't really do much for the actual contraction pain - but it was lovely and relaxing in between contractions. I still kind-of wanted an epidural because the pain was so bad - but in the back of my mind, I could tell things were happening quickly and I just kept telling myself it would be over soon.
Around 7.15am, I had a slight urge to push. A few contractions later, I asked the midwife to check if it was time because I didn't want to be pushing if it was too early - she checked and I just had a small lip/rim of cervix left on one side so she told me not to push just yet.
However after that, I just couldn't stop. I kept being told not to push and to just 'breathe it through' - but after a few more contractions I just couldn't breathe through at all... I knew it was time anyway as I could feel him moving if I pushed hard enough, so I just ignored everyone carried on - and before I knew it, she said she could see the top of his head.
He was born in the water at 07.49 - I 'caught' him myself and lifted him out of the water up onto my chest and it was amazing (sooooo painful - especially when the contraction ended while his head was half out, so I had to wait 2 minutes with his head half out for the next contraction to push the rest out); but it was amazing and I was so pleased that I'd trusted my instincts and got the birth I had wanted (including no stitches, yay!). So despite me taking seemingly forever to get into established labour (to 4cm), it was quite quick once I finally got there and it all worked out really well.
So baby Benjamin was born at 37+4, a small but perfectly formed 5lbs 14oz, delivered by me, cord cut by Daddy (who was amazing), breastfed like a dream within half an hour of birth - and so we all went home 4 hours later!
and he is just gorgeous x
