rmsh1
Mum
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I went into labour on Tuesday March 19th (39+3). I had a busy day that day, I had been out with my mum and a friend, to look at some baby shops, and have a nice lunch. It was a busy day and my pelvis had been quite sore all day. My mum commented that I really was waddling now. Mum left about 4pm, and I think around 5pm i started to notice I was having some mild period type cramps. I did not pay much attention to them. I helped out making dinner, and ate a full sized meal, even though I was starting to become more aware of these cramps.
My OH came home around 7pm, and I mentioned to him that I was having some cramps, and it could be something, or it could be false labour. I was quite happy at this point, and was bouncing away on a swiss ball. By 9.30pm the cramps were getting stronger and at this point have to call them contractions. I told OH to get some sleep. I laid down to try to sleep but that was just not going to happen. OH and I even tried to have sex, but it did not really work. After we tried though, I went to the bathroom and had lost some pink tinged plug. I also tried to empty my bowels, as the contractions were making me feel the need, and I managed that, but it was hard, with contractions coming,
At 11pm I was replying to an email to my grandparents and mentioned to them I might be in labour. At midnight I texted my mum and told her it might be starting. I tried laying down again, dont know why I bothered, I ended up waking OH with my moans. i could not help them. My contractions were getting closer and closer together.
At 1am I rang the hospital midwife, told her my contractions were 2-3 minutes apart and lasting around 45 seconds. She said I did not sound distressed enough to be in active labour, and she would like the contractions to be longer. She said I am welcome to come in, but I should maybe stay at home a bit longer. I lasted 20 more minutes, then told OH I had to go.
Even as we went out to the car, I wondered if it was all real, and went for a little walk around to see if that eased up the contractions - nope! So in the car I got. This was a really hard part, it was a 15-20 minute drive to the hospital, and it is a blur now, as the contractions were sooooo painful. Luckily we got a labour park at the hospital (they let you park there for an hour for free if you are labouring when you come in) and we were there finally! Security let us in (one look at me was enough I think!) and we went up to the labour ward. While waiting for someone to examine me, I had two contractions and the poor receptionist just kept looking at me. I don't know if I was moaning, but I would have been breathing funny at least. Maybe she was worried my waters were going to go...
Finally I was taken in to be examined (probably a 5 minute wait) and I had just felt a gush of something come out. I told her I was not sure if it was waters or what, took my underwear off and it was just blood. She said it was fine, just a bloody show. She got me on the bed and apologised if this was uncomfortable (I was way beyond uncomfortable by this point, and what she did I barely felt) I guess she just felt around my cervix, and then told me I was 8cm. I had laboured at home til 8cm!! And with my first child. She seemed very impressed with me, I was just so bloody grateful I was not going to have to get back in the car! They took me to the delivery ward pretty quick after that, and things get blurry here for timing. I was asking for gas right away, that was the one kind of pain relief I was adamant I was getting, perfectly safe for baby.
I know I tried to have a shower, to see if that helped with pain, it did nothing so I got out pretty quick. I met the midwife I had spoken to on the phone, the one that said I did not sound like I was in active labour. She apologised to me, was amazed I was 8cm dilated. I was using the gas with every contraction, but I swear it did nothing at all for pain relief. What it did do though was make me aware of my breathing and kept me breathing the way I should. I was not letting go of that gas. At some point I was discussing pethidine, I told the midwife I wanted just the smallest dose to take the edge off. She said fine, but I would need an IV, so she would have to put that in. I thought I could keep going a bit longer, and then my waters broke. Wow they went everywhere, sooooo glad that did not happen at home. After that I put pain relief to the back of my mind, thinking this had to go pretty fast now surely. And it did go fast, but it was so damn painful. I was shaking uncontrollably during each contraction, they hurt so bad, and they came so fast. The midwife did say to me at one point "You poor thing, they are really coming hard and fast now aren't they?". I remember I tried to wee twice, as the contractions were making me think I needed to, but I could not pee.
Once my waters broke, the contractions changed completely. I was grateful the midwife warned me that I would be wanting to push now, but that I couldn't just yet. The urge to push was overwhelming. The sounds I made completely changed too. I did not know what to do with myself, i was walking around, i tried sitting on the swiss ball, but I was way beyond that, and at one point they tried to get me leaning over the bed edge. That caused my reflux to start up and I could not cope with that on top of labour, so I ended up labouring in the worst position - on my back. I knew this was not the best position, but I could not stay in any other position.
They told me I could not push til I felt pressure in my bowels - well I never felt that pressure and they were really surprised. I kept asking when I could push as it was getting unbearable, and I wanted them to check to see if I was 10cm yet and could push. For some reason they did not want to check that? I cant remember why, they just thought I would feel pressure in my bowel, which would tell me when to push.
Eventually they checked my cervix and agreed I could push. I swear I was roaring like a lion when I pushed. They told me I might want to save that roaring energy for pushing, and to try to hold my breath while pushing. OH was wiping my face constantly with a wet flannel, my mum was giving me water after each contraction. They said I was pushing down with my feet while pushing, and I needed to stop that, so they had me grip the back of my thighs during contractions instead. I also had the gas taken off me at this point. Pushing was harder than I thought, they just kept asking me to push harder, harder, harder. I already thought I was giving it everything I had. I know I kept telling them I could not push anymore, I was tired, why is it (baby) not coming down? I knew I would be like this, saying I could not do it. The midwives just said they were sure I could do it and did not want to get anyone else in to help etc.
And with each contraction, I did keep pushing, though i was getting soooo tired. Finally I started to feel baby's head moving down, but as soon as I stopped pushing, it would go back up, I was getting so frustrated, asking why it was going back after all that pushing. But finally I got to the point where the head did not go back up, it stayed and I just had to keep pushing. OH says the bones in my neck were standing right out with all the strain I was causing trying to push.
Finally they told me the head was right there, and I just had to give little pushes now, as they told me to, and the head would be out. During these little pushes, I felt myself tearing very clearly. It was agonising. I had to keep pushing, knowing I was tearing and nothing I could do about it. I felt the strain lift as the head came free, and they told me the next contraction would bring baby's shoulders out and I would have my baby. Sure enough, out popped Emma Nicole, and she was right away placed on my stomach. She did not cry much, but she got 9/9 for her 1 minute and 5 minute APGAR scores. She was perfect. She was healthy. And for the whole hour of skin-to-skin, she suckled at my breast. She knew exactly what to do. I was in labour for just under 12 hours in total, and on the delivery ward for less than two and a half hours. Emma was born at 4.37am.
I had wanted the placenta to come away naturally but after 35 minutes it still had not come away so i was given syntocin to make it come away. Pushing the placenta out was surprisingly hard, I think because i could not really feel myself pushing anymore. My placenta was examine and all was fine there. My cord was quite thin, but obviously did the job correctly. I also think the cord must have been quite long as I was able to breast feed Emma with the cord intact.
During the hour of skin-to-skin, I was examined first by the midwives. I had some nasty rips. At first the midwife thought I could be stitched with a local anaesthetic, but then she saw something and asked a surgeon to come look. He said it looked like I had ripped my anal sphincter, which is a 3rd degree tear and would need to go to theatre. He said he would not look properly until I had had a spinal to numb me. So after all that pushing, I was getting a spinal anyway.
I agreed to everything they said, I just put my complete trust in them. Everyone stopped prodding me, which I was so grateful for as I hurt so bad. Emma was taken from me and weighed (just under 8 pounds, 52cm long, head circumference of 35cm). She was left with OH and my mum, I was taken to theatre, where I had the spinal put in. I was terrified of an epidural, and here I was getting something very similar, but at this point I did not care cos Emma was out. It did not really hurt, the IV was worse, lots of wriggling to get that in, but the spinal just went in fine. And very quickly I was numb and felt nothing any more. It took them 45 minutes to stitch me up, and thank goodness they found my sphincter did not rip, but I was very, very close. So was downgraded to a 2nd degree tear. My labia was also repaired, that was the very clear ripping i felt while gently pushing Emma's head out.
I was in recovery for a little longer than expected, apparently my blood pressure was a little off. I was dying of thirst and asked for water, which I had not been allowed while waiting for the spinal. I got given water and a lemonade ice block, it was bliss! OH says I was away for three hours. I was so tired, but had not slept since I got up at 7am on Tuesday morning, and it was now something like 10am Wednesday morning.
I was taken to my room, and Emma was fast asleep. She had apparently slept most the time I was away. She was perfect, so healthy and happy.
I had a catheter in for the spinal, and they said I could not have that out for 24 hours so they would be sure I could walk again. So I was trapped in my bed for the next 24 hours. I could not wear underwear due to the catheter, but I could walk around after the spinal wore off. They did tell me they put some good pain relief in with the spinal, so I would not feel much pain for 24 hours.
Emma fed so well in those first few days, she was cluster feeding from the start. So clever. I was able to walk around the bed with the catheter in, so could change her nappies and get her out of the bassinet fine.
Next day out came the catheter, and they said I could go to a birthing unit once I proved I could pee on my own. That was scarey but I managed, and I was free to leave!
We stayed just one night in a birthing centre, it was too noisy sharing a room etc, so we went home when Emma was just 2 days old.
My recovery is going to be slow and they said I may need physio to help the repairs made to me. I am in a bit of pain, and still on antibiotics and pain relief, but I am coping, and Emma makes it all worthwhile
My OH came home around 7pm, and I mentioned to him that I was having some cramps, and it could be something, or it could be false labour. I was quite happy at this point, and was bouncing away on a swiss ball. By 9.30pm the cramps were getting stronger and at this point have to call them contractions. I told OH to get some sleep. I laid down to try to sleep but that was just not going to happen. OH and I even tried to have sex, but it did not really work. After we tried though, I went to the bathroom and had lost some pink tinged plug. I also tried to empty my bowels, as the contractions were making me feel the need, and I managed that, but it was hard, with contractions coming,
At 11pm I was replying to an email to my grandparents and mentioned to them I might be in labour. At midnight I texted my mum and told her it might be starting. I tried laying down again, dont know why I bothered, I ended up waking OH with my moans. i could not help them. My contractions were getting closer and closer together.
At 1am I rang the hospital midwife, told her my contractions were 2-3 minutes apart and lasting around 45 seconds. She said I did not sound distressed enough to be in active labour, and she would like the contractions to be longer. She said I am welcome to come in, but I should maybe stay at home a bit longer. I lasted 20 more minutes, then told OH I had to go.
Even as we went out to the car, I wondered if it was all real, and went for a little walk around to see if that eased up the contractions - nope! So in the car I got. This was a really hard part, it was a 15-20 minute drive to the hospital, and it is a blur now, as the contractions were sooooo painful. Luckily we got a labour park at the hospital (they let you park there for an hour for free if you are labouring when you come in) and we were there finally! Security let us in (one look at me was enough I think!) and we went up to the labour ward. While waiting for someone to examine me, I had two contractions and the poor receptionist just kept looking at me. I don't know if I was moaning, but I would have been breathing funny at least. Maybe she was worried my waters were going to go...
Finally I was taken in to be examined (probably a 5 minute wait) and I had just felt a gush of something come out. I told her I was not sure if it was waters or what, took my underwear off and it was just blood. She said it was fine, just a bloody show. She got me on the bed and apologised if this was uncomfortable (I was way beyond uncomfortable by this point, and what she did I barely felt) I guess she just felt around my cervix, and then told me I was 8cm. I had laboured at home til 8cm!! And with my first child. She seemed very impressed with me, I was just so bloody grateful I was not going to have to get back in the car! They took me to the delivery ward pretty quick after that, and things get blurry here for timing. I was asking for gas right away, that was the one kind of pain relief I was adamant I was getting, perfectly safe for baby.
I know I tried to have a shower, to see if that helped with pain, it did nothing so I got out pretty quick. I met the midwife I had spoken to on the phone, the one that said I did not sound like I was in active labour. She apologised to me, was amazed I was 8cm dilated. I was using the gas with every contraction, but I swear it did nothing at all for pain relief. What it did do though was make me aware of my breathing and kept me breathing the way I should. I was not letting go of that gas. At some point I was discussing pethidine, I told the midwife I wanted just the smallest dose to take the edge off. She said fine, but I would need an IV, so she would have to put that in. I thought I could keep going a bit longer, and then my waters broke. Wow they went everywhere, sooooo glad that did not happen at home. After that I put pain relief to the back of my mind, thinking this had to go pretty fast now surely. And it did go fast, but it was so damn painful. I was shaking uncontrollably during each contraction, they hurt so bad, and they came so fast. The midwife did say to me at one point "You poor thing, they are really coming hard and fast now aren't they?". I remember I tried to wee twice, as the contractions were making me think I needed to, but I could not pee.
Once my waters broke, the contractions changed completely. I was grateful the midwife warned me that I would be wanting to push now, but that I couldn't just yet. The urge to push was overwhelming. The sounds I made completely changed too. I did not know what to do with myself, i was walking around, i tried sitting on the swiss ball, but I was way beyond that, and at one point they tried to get me leaning over the bed edge. That caused my reflux to start up and I could not cope with that on top of labour, so I ended up labouring in the worst position - on my back. I knew this was not the best position, but I could not stay in any other position.
They told me I could not push til I felt pressure in my bowels - well I never felt that pressure and they were really surprised. I kept asking when I could push as it was getting unbearable, and I wanted them to check to see if I was 10cm yet and could push. For some reason they did not want to check that? I cant remember why, they just thought I would feel pressure in my bowel, which would tell me when to push.
Eventually they checked my cervix and agreed I could push. I swear I was roaring like a lion when I pushed. They told me I might want to save that roaring energy for pushing, and to try to hold my breath while pushing. OH was wiping my face constantly with a wet flannel, my mum was giving me water after each contraction. They said I was pushing down with my feet while pushing, and I needed to stop that, so they had me grip the back of my thighs during contractions instead. I also had the gas taken off me at this point. Pushing was harder than I thought, they just kept asking me to push harder, harder, harder. I already thought I was giving it everything I had. I know I kept telling them I could not push anymore, I was tired, why is it (baby) not coming down? I knew I would be like this, saying I could not do it. The midwives just said they were sure I could do it and did not want to get anyone else in to help etc.
And with each contraction, I did keep pushing, though i was getting soooo tired. Finally I started to feel baby's head moving down, but as soon as I stopped pushing, it would go back up, I was getting so frustrated, asking why it was going back after all that pushing. But finally I got to the point where the head did not go back up, it stayed and I just had to keep pushing. OH says the bones in my neck were standing right out with all the strain I was causing trying to push.
Finally they told me the head was right there, and I just had to give little pushes now, as they told me to, and the head would be out. During these little pushes, I felt myself tearing very clearly. It was agonising. I had to keep pushing, knowing I was tearing and nothing I could do about it. I felt the strain lift as the head came free, and they told me the next contraction would bring baby's shoulders out and I would have my baby. Sure enough, out popped Emma Nicole, and she was right away placed on my stomach. She did not cry much, but she got 9/9 for her 1 minute and 5 minute APGAR scores. She was perfect. She was healthy. And for the whole hour of skin-to-skin, she suckled at my breast. She knew exactly what to do. I was in labour for just under 12 hours in total, and on the delivery ward for less than two and a half hours. Emma was born at 4.37am.
I had wanted the placenta to come away naturally but after 35 minutes it still had not come away so i was given syntocin to make it come away. Pushing the placenta out was surprisingly hard, I think because i could not really feel myself pushing anymore. My placenta was examine and all was fine there. My cord was quite thin, but obviously did the job correctly. I also think the cord must have been quite long as I was able to breast feed Emma with the cord intact.
During the hour of skin-to-skin, I was examined first by the midwives. I had some nasty rips. At first the midwife thought I could be stitched with a local anaesthetic, but then she saw something and asked a surgeon to come look. He said it looked like I had ripped my anal sphincter, which is a 3rd degree tear and would need to go to theatre. He said he would not look properly until I had had a spinal to numb me. So after all that pushing, I was getting a spinal anyway.
I agreed to everything they said, I just put my complete trust in them. Everyone stopped prodding me, which I was so grateful for as I hurt so bad. Emma was taken from me and weighed (just under 8 pounds, 52cm long, head circumference of 35cm). She was left with OH and my mum, I was taken to theatre, where I had the spinal put in. I was terrified of an epidural, and here I was getting something very similar, but at this point I did not care cos Emma was out. It did not really hurt, the IV was worse, lots of wriggling to get that in, but the spinal just went in fine. And very quickly I was numb and felt nothing any more. It took them 45 minutes to stitch me up, and thank goodness they found my sphincter did not rip, but I was very, very close. So was downgraded to a 2nd degree tear. My labia was also repaired, that was the very clear ripping i felt while gently pushing Emma's head out.
I was in recovery for a little longer than expected, apparently my blood pressure was a little off. I was dying of thirst and asked for water, which I had not been allowed while waiting for the spinal. I got given water and a lemonade ice block, it was bliss! OH says I was away for three hours. I was so tired, but had not slept since I got up at 7am on Tuesday morning, and it was now something like 10am Wednesday morning.
I was taken to my room, and Emma was fast asleep. She had apparently slept most the time I was away. She was perfect, so healthy and happy.
I had a catheter in for the spinal, and they said I could not have that out for 24 hours so they would be sure I could walk again. So I was trapped in my bed for the next 24 hours. I could not wear underwear due to the catheter, but I could walk around after the spinal wore off. They did tell me they put some good pain relief in with the spinal, so I would not feel much pain for 24 hours.
Emma fed so well in those first few days, she was cluster feeding from the start. So clever. I was able to walk around the bed with the catheter in, so could change her nappies and get her out of the bassinet fine.
Next day out came the catheter, and they said I could go to a birthing unit once I proved I could pee on my own. That was scarey but I managed, and I was free to leave!
We stayed just one night in a birthing centre, it was too noisy sharing a room etc, so we went home when Emma was just 2 days old.
My recovery is going to be slow and they said I may need physio to help the repairs made to me. I am in a bit of pain, and still on antibiotics and pain relief, but I am coping, and Emma makes it all worthwhile
But Emma is beautiful! I had a very slow and painful recovery myself but it does get better with time...it still hurts here and there but in the last 3 days I have been able to sit down which is SO awesome. Prior to that all I could do was lie down on my side and breastfeeding because of that was a nightmare. But it gets better so hang in there!!!! xx
for us yet either, we tried but I think I still have some swelling inside, so going to leave it a bit longer
