Elphaba
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After my due date of 13 September came and went with absolutely no signs that labour might be around the corner, I was convinced that I would go the full two weeks overdue and that I would need to be induced to have my baby.
On Saturday night I went to bed, still with no signs of anything happening. Then at 3:30am I woke with a mild stomach cramp. I didn't think it was neceassarily a sign of anything but it happened another three times in the following hour. I popped to the loo and discovered I had a little bit of bloody discharge which was obviously the start of my show. At 4:30am the cramps were already coming avery couple of minutes although they weren't really painful so I went back to bed - but I didn't really sleep as they were uncomfortable and frequent.
I got showered and dressed a couple of hours later and then starting timing the contractions properly on my phone. They were about 30 seconds long and varying between 2 and 7 minutes in length. I called the delivery suite and they told me to stay at home until the contractions were 3-4 mins apart and 50-60 seconds long - or until the pain got unbearable or my waters broke. I laboured at home for most of the day - on all fours for contractions and curled up on the duvet on my bedroom floor in between. By 4:30pm the contractions were only 3 mins apart and I was in a lot of pain so we made our way to the hospital. I was met there by a midwife who took me into a delivery room and examined me - I was only 2cm dilated! I could have cired; I had been in labour for 12 hours already and was in pain and exhausted. I had also thrown up everything I had eaten or drunk since the contractions started so was doing it all on an empty stomach too.
As I still had so far to go, I opted to go home again. When we got home, I had a warm bath and some paracetamol. It did help a little and once I was out of the bath I got my DH to make me a hot water bottle up to hold against my back (I had more pain in my back than tummy). The pain was really bad by this time and I really struggled to cope. But I struggled on until 10:30pm when I decided we should head back to hospital - and just after I made this decision, I felt my waters break. So back to the hospital we went - my waters were just pouring out of me on the way, so I must have looked a real state by the time I got there! - and I was examined again and found to be 8cm dilated. The midwife gave me some gas and air which I had been looking forward to making use of - and I hated it! For some reason the idea of having to put something over my mouth and breathe stuff in freaked me out. So I went on without it. My DH was a complete star though and supported me so well throughout the whole thing.
Eventually the midwife asked if I might like some pethedine. This was the one thing I had put in my birth plan that I DIDN'T want. However, now I was actually in labour, it was a different matter. I agreed and I have to say that it was a good decision. I honestly don't think it reduced the pain of the contractions in the slightest but what it did was allow me to doze off a little between contractions and regain a little of the energy I so desperately needed. I was stuck at 9.5cm dilated for ages and the midwife had to use her hand to push back my cervix the final bit in the end (ouch!).
At 3am I was finally fully dilated and ready to push - I would be meeting my baby soon! OMG the pushing was agony though and slow. I used a mixture of positions including all fours, standing and sitting. After two hours they had to call a consultant in as that's the maximum time they meant to give you before discussing whether intervention was needed. It was decided that yes it was and I was given an episiotomy. Another 20 minutes or so of pushing after that and finally the head was out and one final one and Xavier Isaac was born!
They put my son straight on my bare tummy for skin to skin and we stayed like that while the placenta was delivered and they stitched me up. After a little bit longer, they cleaned Xavier up and weighed him - just 6lb 8oz - and then I was able to go off for a bath so that I could feel human again!
My labour was long and painful but I'm really proud with how well I coped and amazed at how little pain relief I actually had in the end. Unfortunately, little Xavier did not want to latch and he ended up taking in virtually nothing but a tiny bit of formula for the first 24 hours. He was also very jaundiced. I then made the decision to formula rather than breast feed him (which had been my original plan but suddenly it all felt far too much despite the support I had). This helped a lot but my little boy was still only taking in tiny quantities so we ended up having to stay two nights. On Wednesday morning, they took some blood from him to test his jaundice levels as they thought he might need phototherapy. Luckily that came back below the level where that is needed (though it could still rise) and, as he had been feeding a lot better the previous night, we were allowed to go home that afternoon.
Xavier is still jaundiced but is now taking his bottle lots better - feeding like a little champ! He is beautiful and I am, of course, completely in love with him.
On Saturday night I went to bed, still with no signs of anything happening. Then at 3:30am I woke with a mild stomach cramp. I didn't think it was neceassarily a sign of anything but it happened another three times in the following hour. I popped to the loo and discovered I had a little bit of bloody discharge which was obviously the start of my show. At 4:30am the cramps were already coming avery couple of minutes although they weren't really painful so I went back to bed - but I didn't really sleep as they were uncomfortable and frequent.
I got showered and dressed a couple of hours later and then starting timing the contractions properly on my phone. They were about 30 seconds long and varying between 2 and 7 minutes in length. I called the delivery suite and they told me to stay at home until the contractions were 3-4 mins apart and 50-60 seconds long - or until the pain got unbearable or my waters broke. I laboured at home for most of the day - on all fours for contractions and curled up on the duvet on my bedroom floor in between. By 4:30pm the contractions were only 3 mins apart and I was in a lot of pain so we made our way to the hospital. I was met there by a midwife who took me into a delivery room and examined me - I was only 2cm dilated! I could have cired; I had been in labour for 12 hours already and was in pain and exhausted. I had also thrown up everything I had eaten or drunk since the contractions started so was doing it all on an empty stomach too.
As I still had so far to go, I opted to go home again. When we got home, I had a warm bath and some paracetamol. It did help a little and once I was out of the bath I got my DH to make me a hot water bottle up to hold against my back (I had more pain in my back than tummy). The pain was really bad by this time and I really struggled to cope. But I struggled on until 10:30pm when I decided we should head back to hospital - and just after I made this decision, I felt my waters break. So back to the hospital we went - my waters were just pouring out of me on the way, so I must have looked a real state by the time I got there! - and I was examined again and found to be 8cm dilated. The midwife gave me some gas and air which I had been looking forward to making use of - and I hated it! For some reason the idea of having to put something over my mouth and breathe stuff in freaked me out. So I went on without it. My DH was a complete star though and supported me so well throughout the whole thing.
Eventually the midwife asked if I might like some pethedine. This was the one thing I had put in my birth plan that I DIDN'T want. However, now I was actually in labour, it was a different matter. I agreed and I have to say that it was a good decision. I honestly don't think it reduced the pain of the contractions in the slightest but what it did was allow me to doze off a little between contractions and regain a little of the energy I so desperately needed. I was stuck at 9.5cm dilated for ages and the midwife had to use her hand to push back my cervix the final bit in the end (ouch!).
At 3am I was finally fully dilated and ready to push - I would be meeting my baby soon! OMG the pushing was agony though and slow. I used a mixture of positions including all fours, standing and sitting. After two hours they had to call a consultant in as that's the maximum time they meant to give you before discussing whether intervention was needed. It was decided that yes it was and I was given an episiotomy. Another 20 minutes or so of pushing after that and finally the head was out and one final one and Xavier Isaac was born!
They put my son straight on my bare tummy for skin to skin and we stayed like that while the placenta was delivered and they stitched me up. After a little bit longer, they cleaned Xavier up and weighed him - just 6lb 8oz - and then I was able to go off for a bath so that I could feel human again!
My labour was long and painful but I'm really proud with how well I coped and amazed at how little pain relief I actually had in the end. Unfortunately, little Xavier did not want to latch and he ended up taking in virtually nothing but a tiny bit of formula for the first 24 hours. He was also very jaundiced. I then made the decision to formula rather than breast feed him (which had been my original plan but suddenly it all felt far too much despite the support I had). This helped a lot but my little boy was still only taking in tiny quantities so we ended up having to stay two nights. On Wednesday morning, they took some blood from him to test his jaundice levels as they thought he might need phototherapy. Luckily that came back below the level where that is needed (though it could still rise) and, as he had been feeding a lot better the previous night, we were allowed to go home that afternoon.
Xavier is still jaundiced but is now taking his bottle lots better - feeding like a little champ! He is beautiful and I am, of course, completely in love with him.
! x
