I woke up on the Sunday morning (11 days over due) at lunch time. What a lovely sleep in! I was due to be induced the next day but as I rolled over and felt a trickle between my legs I realised that would not be necessary! I woke my husband as I stood leaking water, getting more excited by the second.
We hung around at home for an hour or so and when I felt sure it was definately happening we headed to hospital for a check over. Midwife confirmed waters had gone and we said we would prefer to go home and wait for labour to progress on its own.
I was eating my tea that evening when contractions started. I never had one strike me down contraction to start with. It was more of a dull pain with some sharp pains interspersed. There was no way I could time the contractions, they were all over the place! My plan had been to labour at home for as long as possible but the way my contractions were I decided to go straight in. I felt pretty confused, scared and out if control. I couldn't use breathing or the tens machine properly as the pain was so irregular and not what I expected.
When we arrived the midwife examined me and said I was 3cm dilated, the birthing pool wasn't ready and I wasn't in established labour so I wasn't allowed to go onto labour ward. She asked me to wait in a waiting room and gave me a birthing ball to help things along.
2 hours had passed and I was climbing the walls. Waiting rooms are annoying at the best of times but they're unbearable when you're having contractions! We told the midwife I was uncomfortable so she offered us a bed on the ward where 3 other women were also in labour. One woman was very noisey and annoying. I focused on my breathing and finally began coping better with contractions and lay there quietly in the dark whilst my husband tried to snooze in the chair. When contractions seemed more frequent and regular I requested to be examined. Yay I was 6cm and could now be moved on to labour ward. Sadly the birthing pool was now taken so I had a regular room.
I continued to breath through contractions for another couple of hours but finally I asked to use the gas and air to help me through the pain. I liked the gas and air, it really helped but as morning arrived and I had only progressed another 2cm I began to struggle with the pain. Luckily the birthing pool was ready.
I hopped in the pool at half 9 and I continued using gas and air. I loved it and felt like I was doing really well. I stayed in for 3 hours and but still had no urge to push so the midwife asked me to get out to be reexamined.
Half past 12, that's 24 hours awake now. She checked me and I was devastated to find I had not dilated anymore! I began to cry and panic. All that pain for nothing. She said she wanted to put me on a drip to make contractions stronger which made me cry even more! No more birth pool and the pain might be getting even worse. I was already tired. As I got myself more worked up my contractions practically stopped, think it was the adrenalin.
It was at this point when I started demanding an epidural. Another dr examined me and said I was 9cm and wanted me to push! He was basically horrible and kept delaying the epidural. The next couple of hours were ridiculous. I got my epidural but examined by a number of different doctors who all disagreed on what should be done forceps, natural birth, c-section were all discussed. I then spent 45 minutes pushing even though the midwife felt that I was still not fully dilated!
Anyway eventually it was decided that a c-section would be best. He was born at 3:08. 9lbs 11 and very healthy.
A wonderful and eventful experience which I look back on very fondly.
We hung around at home for an hour or so and when I felt sure it was definately happening we headed to hospital for a check over. Midwife confirmed waters had gone and we said we would prefer to go home and wait for labour to progress on its own.
I was eating my tea that evening when contractions started. I never had one strike me down contraction to start with. It was more of a dull pain with some sharp pains interspersed. There was no way I could time the contractions, they were all over the place! My plan had been to labour at home for as long as possible but the way my contractions were I decided to go straight in. I felt pretty confused, scared and out if control. I couldn't use breathing or the tens machine properly as the pain was so irregular and not what I expected.
When we arrived the midwife examined me and said I was 3cm dilated, the birthing pool wasn't ready and I wasn't in established labour so I wasn't allowed to go onto labour ward. She asked me to wait in a waiting room and gave me a birthing ball to help things along.
2 hours had passed and I was climbing the walls. Waiting rooms are annoying at the best of times but they're unbearable when you're having contractions! We told the midwife I was uncomfortable so she offered us a bed on the ward where 3 other women were also in labour. One woman was very noisey and annoying. I focused on my breathing and finally began coping better with contractions and lay there quietly in the dark whilst my husband tried to snooze in the chair. When contractions seemed more frequent and regular I requested to be examined. Yay I was 6cm and could now be moved on to labour ward. Sadly the birthing pool was now taken so I had a regular room.
I continued to breath through contractions for another couple of hours but finally I asked to use the gas and air to help me through the pain. I liked the gas and air, it really helped but as morning arrived and I had only progressed another 2cm I began to struggle with the pain. Luckily the birthing pool was ready.
I hopped in the pool at half 9 and I continued using gas and air. I loved it and felt like I was doing really well. I stayed in for 3 hours and but still had no urge to push so the midwife asked me to get out to be reexamined.
Half past 12, that's 24 hours awake now. She checked me and I was devastated to find I had not dilated anymore! I began to cry and panic. All that pain for nothing. She said she wanted to put me on a drip to make contractions stronger which made me cry even more! No more birth pool and the pain might be getting even worse. I was already tired. As I got myself more worked up my contractions practically stopped, think it was the adrenalin.
It was at this point when I started demanding an epidural. Another dr examined me and said I was 9cm and wanted me to push! He was basically horrible and kept delaying the epidural. The next couple of hours were ridiculous. I got my epidural but examined by a number of different doctors who all disagreed on what should be done forceps, natural birth, c-section were all discussed. I then spent 45 minutes pushing even though the midwife felt that I was still not fully dilated!
Anyway eventually it was decided that a c-section would be best. He was born at 3:08. 9lbs 11 and very healthy.
A wonderful and eventful experience which I look back on very fondly.
xxx
