happybeany
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I was booked in for a planned induction on Thursday 7th April, but was admitted to hospital on Wednesday 6th April due to suspected pre-eclampsia (PET bloods, very high blood pressure and protein in urine) so it was decided that they were going to induce me immediately..
Wednesday 6th April
1930 - Admitted to my own room (woohoo! It was awesome!) on the antenatal ward ready to be induced
2245 - Midwife Gayle came in and examined me, said I was already a fingertip dilated and softening up nicely and that baby was engaged (I can't remember how much), but that my cervix was still in a posterior position. She then inserted the first prostin behind my cervix . I was surprised - I was convinced that it would hurt but I hardly felt a thing
2300 - started to get stabbing pains in my cervix, as though someone was jabbing a knitting needle up there - it was really painful! I also started to get some contractions that hurt a bit, definitely more than the usual braxton hicks. I was so excited!
Thursday 7th April
715 - Midwife came and examined me, and said the same as before.. still a fingertip dilated, posterior and softening. I was disappointed after the contractions! She inserted my second prostin pessary behind my cervix. It hurt loads this time, which is apparently normal as the prostin can irritate the cervix.
1450 - Same midwife checked me out again - progress!!!! I had been having quite painful contractions (more than the night before) all day, and had been walking around the hospital grounds with my hubby to try and encourage baby to engage more and my cervix to dilate.
When she checked, I was 1-2cm dilated, cervix was still posterior though. The exam made me cry it was so sore, but totally worth it for some progress! I was so glad the painful contractions had been worth it! The third prostin was inserted which hurt like hell. I was virtually climbing up the bed to get away from the pain. She could feel baby's head so had to position the pessary carefully.
1800 - Contractions still going strong, really hurting like crazy now. I couldn't settle down to relax.
Friday 8th April
510 - Got up to wee, found a lot of blood-streaked mucus on the tissue and what looked like a lot in the toilet. I panicked and called the midwife to have a look, she said it was fine and a good sign - it was my bloody show
1030 - Was waiting for my examination from about 8am so I was all impatient and excited to have it.. she came in, gloved up and had a grope.. I was 3cm dilated and cervix had finally moved to the correct position. Baby's head was fully engaged and right there ready to go
the exam didn't hurt at all this time because she didn't have to feel around so much or drag my cervix around to find out how dilated I was.
I was told to expect to be admitted to labour and delivery suite later that day
1500 - Was still waiting to be admitted downstairs, but went to toilet and lost the rest of my plug - I had to have a prod to see what it felt like.. *shudder*!
2100 - Midwife let us know that we wouldn't be going down tonight so that I could get a decent night sleep before my labour which would inevitably come tomorrow. The delivery suite had been mental all day with emergencies, so my little man had to wait his turn.
Saturday 9th April
530 - I was woken up by the midwife telling me to have a shower and let my birthing partners know I was being collected for delivery suite at 6am.. Mad rush ensued - my hubby and mom turned up at 610 to be with me, and we were booked in downstairs for 620.
700 - Had cannula inserted into my left hand ready for the hormone drip (syntocinon) - hurt like hell !!! I hate needles.
730 - A doctor with a crochet hook materialised and went fishing in my ladygarden.. cue massive uncontrollable gush of warm liquid all over the bed and hand. Was expecting to feel some pain or bizarre sensation as they were breaking my waters, but honestly I didn't feel anything except a slight deflation in my belly.
The baby had emptied his bowels inside me at some point, which was a bit worrying.. they said it wasn't too bad, but is definitely one of those things that make you panic at the time.
740 - Syntocinon drip was turned on at 8ml/hr to try and kickstart my contractions. Was also put on to a fetal monitor to keep an eye on his heartbeat and my contractions. Was also having regular blood pressure checks to make sure it wasn't going crazy.
Nothing really happened for a while.. baby was happy with the hormone drip and wasn't in any distress, I was ok - just freaking out over the cannula in my hand. At some point I started to get regular 'mild' contractions that were more like the initial contractions after my first prostin pessary. They didn't hurt too much and I was happy to carry on talking and joking with my birthing partners.
900(ish) - The drip was turned up to 16ml/hr as I was still only having mild, not very painful contractions. Soon after this, the contractions started getting stronger and stronger. I always thought that I wouldn't be one to make any noise, but I finally gave in and was moaning through my contractions (no screaming,though!!) I was being made to lie on my back so that the fetal monitor could carry on tracking his heartbeat, but I was getting so uncomfortable. The contractions were tightening mainly across my upper thighs and pelvis - it felt like they were on fire. People kept touching me to push the monitor in further as I was moving around with the contractions - they well and truly got their heads bitten off!
The rest of labour went without times - it was so quick!
1045 onwards:
Contractions still weren't regular enough so the drip was turned up to 32ml/hr. I was in a lot of pain and telling the midwives to "hurry up" and was convinced I couldn't possibly carry on living with this pain. I asked the midwife if the pain was going to get worse , and she said it would (incidentally, I genuinely don't think it did - it just got more intense rather than more painful) .. at which point I begged for an epidural, but the anaesthetist was in theatre so I had no chance of getting one for a while.
They checked how dilated I was - I was at 4-5cm so I finally gave in to gas and air at the midwife's recommendation.. it was awesome! They put a clip on baby's head to monitor him instead of the doppler, so that I could sit up as I wasn't coping well with lying down any more.
--
They turned drip up to 40ml/hr..
--
I had my husband next to me holding the fan on me as I was insanely warm, and my mom at the action end slapping my legs telling me to breathe through the contractions. Sounds harsh and annoying, but seemed to be the only thing I could listen to. My body was involuntarily pushing and I couldn't stop it. It had been happening for what felt like ages, but the urge was getting stronger and there was no way to control it. I was sucking down the gas and air as if my life depended on it!
They couldn't believe I was pushing already, so midwife did the worlds quickest examination (probably fearing for her life!) and confirmed that I was 10cm dilated and ready to push. FINALLY!
They took the gas and air off me as baby's heartbeat started dropping to about 50bpm with each contraction and we needed to get him out quickly.
It was all go - 2 contractions and 6 BIG pushes later I felt my baby crowning. Talk about the ring of fire!
12.01 - After another contraction and 3 more pushes I brought my little man, one hand on his face, into the world with a big plop and an APGAR score of 9. He weighed 7lb 14oz. My husband got to cut the cord
Baby was taken outside to clear his airways, so I sent my husband with him to make sure everything was okay.
Meanwhile, I had an injection to help deliver the placenta, and had to have 7 lots of stitches around my labia and inside to close up tears caused by his lightening fast descent and his hand on his face.
Labour stages
64 minutes after being confirmed 4cm dilated, I delivered the placenta and my labour was over
1st stage: 38 minutes
2nd stage: 8 minutes
3rd stage: 18 minutes
He was just beautiful! I couldn't (can't!) believe what I had made. We got to go home on Sunday 10th as his blood sugars and general observations were all perfect
Thanks for reading if you made it all the way through!! xx
Wednesday 6th April
1930 - Admitted to my own room (woohoo! It was awesome!) on the antenatal ward ready to be induced
2245 - Midwife Gayle came in and examined me, said I was already a fingertip dilated and softening up nicely and that baby was engaged (I can't remember how much), but that my cervix was still in a posterior position. She then inserted the first prostin behind my cervix . I was surprised - I was convinced that it would hurt but I hardly felt a thing
2300 - started to get stabbing pains in my cervix, as though someone was jabbing a knitting needle up there - it was really painful! I also started to get some contractions that hurt a bit, definitely more than the usual braxton hicks. I was so excited!
Thursday 7th April
715 - Midwife came and examined me, and said the same as before.. still a fingertip dilated, posterior and softening. I was disappointed after the contractions! She inserted my second prostin pessary behind my cervix. It hurt loads this time, which is apparently normal as the prostin can irritate the cervix.
1450 - Same midwife checked me out again - progress!!!! I had been having quite painful contractions (more than the night before) all day, and had been walking around the hospital grounds with my hubby to try and encourage baby to engage more and my cervix to dilate.
When she checked, I was 1-2cm dilated, cervix was still posterior though. The exam made me cry it was so sore, but totally worth it for some progress! I was so glad the painful contractions had been worth it! The third prostin was inserted which hurt like hell. I was virtually climbing up the bed to get away from the pain. She could feel baby's head so had to position the pessary carefully.
1800 - Contractions still going strong, really hurting like crazy now. I couldn't settle down to relax.
Friday 8th April
510 - Got up to wee, found a lot of blood-streaked mucus on the tissue and what looked like a lot in the toilet. I panicked and called the midwife to have a look, she said it was fine and a good sign - it was my bloody show
1030 - Was waiting for my examination from about 8am so I was all impatient and excited to have it.. she came in, gloved up and had a grope.. I was 3cm dilated and cervix had finally moved to the correct position. Baby's head was fully engaged and right there ready to go
the exam didn't hurt at all this time because she didn't have to feel around so much or drag my cervix around to find out how dilated I was. I was told to expect to be admitted to labour and delivery suite later that day
1500 - Was still waiting to be admitted downstairs, but went to toilet and lost the rest of my plug - I had to have a prod to see what it felt like.. *shudder*!
2100 - Midwife let us know that we wouldn't be going down tonight so that I could get a decent night sleep before my labour which would inevitably come tomorrow. The delivery suite had been mental all day with emergencies, so my little man had to wait his turn.
Saturday 9th April
530 - I was woken up by the midwife telling me to have a shower and let my birthing partners know I was being collected for delivery suite at 6am.. Mad rush ensued - my hubby and mom turned up at 610 to be with me, and we were booked in downstairs for 620.
700 - Had cannula inserted into my left hand ready for the hormone drip (syntocinon) - hurt like hell !!! I hate needles.
730 - A doctor with a crochet hook materialised and went fishing in my ladygarden.. cue massive uncontrollable gush of warm liquid all over the bed and hand. Was expecting to feel some pain or bizarre sensation as they were breaking my waters, but honestly I didn't feel anything except a slight deflation in my belly.
The baby had emptied his bowels inside me at some point, which was a bit worrying.. they said it wasn't too bad, but is definitely one of those things that make you panic at the time.
740 - Syntocinon drip was turned on at 8ml/hr to try and kickstart my contractions. Was also put on to a fetal monitor to keep an eye on his heartbeat and my contractions. Was also having regular blood pressure checks to make sure it wasn't going crazy.
Nothing really happened for a while.. baby was happy with the hormone drip and wasn't in any distress, I was ok - just freaking out over the cannula in my hand. At some point I started to get regular 'mild' contractions that were more like the initial contractions after my first prostin pessary. They didn't hurt too much and I was happy to carry on talking and joking with my birthing partners.
900(ish) - The drip was turned up to 16ml/hr as I was still only having mild, not very painful contractions. Soon after this, the contractions started getting stronger and stronger. I always thought that I wouldn't be one to make any noise, but I finally gave in and was moaning through my contractions (no screaming,though!!) I was being made to lie on my back so that the fetal monitor could carry on tracking his heartbeat, but I was getting so uncomfortable. The contractions were tightening mainly across my upper thighs and pelvis - it felt like they were on fire. People kept touching me to push the monitor in further as I was moving around with the contractions - they well and truly got their heads bitten off!
The rest of labour went without times - it was so quick!
1045 onwards:
Contractions still weren't regular enough so the drip was turned up to 32ml/hr. I was in a lot of pain and telling the midwives to "hurry up" and was convinced I couldn't possibly carry on living with this pain. I asked the midwife if the pain was going to get worse , and she said it would (incidentally, I genuinely don't think it did - it just got more intense rather than more painful) .. at which point I begged for an epidural, but the anaesthetist was in theatre so I had no chance of getting one for a while.
They checked how dilated I was - I was at 4-5cm so I finally gave in to gas and air at the midwife's recommendation.. it was awesome! They put a clip on baby's head to monitor him instead of the doppler, so that I could sit up as I wasn't coping well with lying down any more.
--
They turned drip up to 40ml/hr..
--
I had my husband next to me holding the fan on me as I was insanely warm, and my mom at the action end slapping my legs telling me to breathe through the contractions. Sounds harsh and annoying, but seemed to be the only thing I could listen to. My body was involuntarily pushing and I couldn't stop it. It had been happening for what felt like ages, but the urge was getting stronger and there was no way to control it. I was sucking down the gas and air as if my life depended on it!
They couldn't believe I was pushing already, so midwife did the worlds quickest examination (probably fearing for her life!) and confirmed that I was 10cm dilated and ready to push. FINALLY!
They took the gas and air off me as baby's heartbeat started dropping to about 50bpm with each contraction and we needed to get him out quickly.
It was all go - 2 contractions and 6 BIG pushes later I felt my baby crowning. Talk about the ring of fire!
12.01 - After another contraction and 3 more pushes I brought my little man, one hand on his face, into the world with a big plop and an APGAR score of 9. He weighed 7lb 14oz. My husband got to cut the cord
Baby was taken outside to clear his airways, so I sent my husband with him to make sure everything was okay.
Meanwhile, I had an injection to help deliver the placenta, and had to have 7 lots of stitches around my labia and inside to close up tears caused by his lightening fast descent and his hand on his face.
Labour stages
64 minutes after being confirmed 4cm dilated, I delivered the placenta and my labour was over
1st stage: 38 minutes
2nd stage: 8 minutes
3rd stage: 18 minutes
He was just beautiful! I couldn't (can't!) believe what I had made. We got to go home on Sunday 10th as his blood sugars and general observations were all perfect
Thanks for reading if you made it all the way through!! xx
