Sorry for it being long, but I hope you enjoy. I wanted to re write my birth story as my last one was pretty rushed as I wanted to update people as soon as I could!
Due Date 16th May 2012
My due date, 16th May 2012 came and went very quickly! Since about 36 weeks I had been so keen for him to arrive, watching every little sign trying every trick in the book to speed him along! We knew since December that we were having a little boy and somehow this made us even keener to meet him!
I saw the midwife at 40 weeks on my due date where I was offered a sweep. So excited at the thought of things moving along I accepted the offer and she attempted the sweep which was a painful process. I was told my cervix was central which is really good but not favourable for the sweep. She asked me when I’d like to book my induction so I said 10 days over as that was the earliest possible (I was sooo ready for this baby!). I cried afterwards and felt really disheartened and we were asked up to the hospital for another growth scan as I’d felt he wasn’t growing as much the past 2 weeks and midwife said its worth a check. The scan was fine and our happy little wriggler was weighing approx. 6lb 15oz and in plenty of fluid so no worries there thankfully!
41 weeks
A week later at 41 weeks I was to see my midwife again but she was on leave for a week so I saw a lovely midwife who tried the sweep again but this time no progress whatsoever from last week.
I felt so down and angry but at least I knew I’d have my boy by this time next week! After the attempted sweep I was spotting a little and was losing what I thought was my mucous plug. I did a 3.5 mile walk up and down over hills as we live in the country followed by a nice hot shower then a bit of hanky panky with my fiancé (lol). I so wanted things to start off on their own without having to be induced! Convinced something could happen that night, it didn't 
Induction Day 26th May 2012 (41 weeks & 3 days)
The night before my induction I was so nervous and I kept getting emotional and tearful with everything running through my head. Morning came round surprisingly quick after not much sleep and my mum arrived at 10:15am ready for my induction at 11am.
I arrived at the ward and the midwife was so nice and my mum actually knew her from when my mum was a midwife! Joshua’s heartbeat was monitored for a couple of hours and I was checked over, to find my cervix closed and not dilated. I was quite gutted that my body was not ready and I was given some prostin gel. After an hour of being monitored again I was told to walk around the hospital for a bit to help the gel start working. I was getting lots of pains and felt relieved that something should be happening! At times walking was so painful and we had to keep stopping! My other half an mum were so good and I felt so reassured with them by my side!
6 hours later I was checked only to find STILL not progress. I cried with disappointment and in pain.
The midwife gave me a lower dose of prostin as I was having horrendous Braxton hicks and what they call ‘prostin pains’. She said I can’t be checked till morning now where a doctor will review and I was given some codeine painkillers and an injection called meptid (like a weak pethadine) to help with the pain. My mum went at 9pm and was told she can come back once things start working. My fiancé slept on the bed next to me and I could not sleep from the pain even after my meptid being topped up.
Finally, 27th May 2012
At 4am it got too much and I buzzed for a midwife who said she would check me over. I cried and said there was no point that nothing will have happened from before. She had a feel and said ‘the prostin is doing its magic, you’re starting to dilate..’ I was expecting her to say 1cm or something but she paused for a bit then said ‘you’re 4cm dilated..’ her face looked a bit puzzled then all of a sudden my legs felt very warm ‘oh and your waters have just gone!’ she exclaimed. My fiancé and I were so happy we were almost in tears!
We waited an hour for my contractions to get regular and we were timing them. It got so unbearable I let out a scream and the midwife came running back in and said ‘time to go to the labour ward then?!’ and we packed my stuff and I was wheeled through to the delivery suite where a radio was playing songs I loved. I rung mum and told her to come in (this was 5:30am) and she was soo excited! At 7am 2 new midwives came in (one was a student almost ready to qualify) and they were taking over from the last midwife.
The gas and air was helping a bit and I even had the giggles at one point! When the contractions got too much I was shouting for an epidural (LOL!) to which they had tried to get an anaesthetist who was very busy so couldn’t make it. I was given a pethadine injection which made me so sleepy that between contractions I felt so drunk I was almost asleep.
It made me very sicky too and I was heaving a lot and bringing water back up. 
At about 9:40am they told me it was time to push (everything before this was a bit of a blur!!).
I pushed with all I could and the qualified midwife was so lovely with me and holding my hand, the other midwife was the one telling me what to do and when to push etc. They kept saying how quickly he was coming out with every push and they all seemed pleased which helped me push harder!!
After 33 minutes of pushing Joshua was born. He came straight out and on to my chest where he let out a tiny cry then just lay looking at me. I didn’t cry, I couldn’t, I was in so much shock I just stared at him, in love and a little bit sleepy from my pain relief. My mum and fiancé Dale cried their eyes out though and despite saying he didn’t want to when I was pregnant, Dale cut the cord! I was given an injection and they pulled the placenta out and then Steph the midwife said that I’d torn in a difficult place and got a 2nd degree labia tear and that she’d get the senior midwife in charge of the ward in to stitch me up. She was lovely and I was told to puff on the gas and air if it got a bit sore but I had the best pain relief in my arms, my perfect son.
Overall once things got going my labour was very quick for an induction and the midwives couldn’t believe how quickly things went! I’m very pleased with it though still makes me cry and cringe when I think about it. It was all worth it bringing Joshua in to the world though.
Here's a couple of pictures from in hospital after he was born and the last is of him now at almost 6 weeks
Due Date 16th May 2012
My due date, 16th May 2012 came and went very quickly! Since about 36 weeks I had been so keen for him to arrive, watching every little sign trying every trick in the book to speed him along! We knew since December that we were having a little boy and somehow this made us even keener to meet him!
I saw the midwife at 40 weeks on my due date where I was offered a sweep. So excited at the thought of things moving along I accepted the offer and she attempted the sweep which was a painful process. I was told my cervix was central which is really good but not favourable for the sweep. She asked me when I’d like to book my induction so I said 10 days over as that was the earliest possible (I was sooo ready for this baby!). I cried afterwards and felt really disheartened and we were asked up to the hospital for another growth scan as I’d felt he wasn’t growing as much the past 2 weeks and midwife said its worth a check. The scan was fine and our happy little wriggler was weighing approx. 6lb 15oz and in plenty of fluid so no worries there thankfully!
41 weeks
A week later at 41 weeks I was to see my midwife again but she was on leave for a week so I saw a lovely midwife who tried the sweep again but this time no progress whatsoever from last week.
I felt so down and angry but at least I knew I’d have my boy by this time next week! After the attempted sweep I was spotting a little and was losing what I thought was my mucous plug. I did a 3.5 mile walk up and down over hills as we live in the country followed by a nice hot shower then a bit of hanky panky with my fiancé (lol). I so wanted things to start off on their own without having to be induced! Convinced something could happen that night, it didn't Induction Day 26th May 2012 (41 weeks & 3 days)
The night before my induction I was so nervous and I kept getting emotional and tearful with everything running through my head. Morning came round surprisingly quick after not much sleep and my mum arrived at 10:15am ready for my induction at 11am.
I arrived at the ward and the midwife was so nice and my mum actually knew her from when my mum was a midwife! Joshua’s heartbeat was monitored for a couple of hours and I was checked over, to find my cervix closed and not dilated. I was quite gutted that my body was not ready and I was given some prostin gel. After an hour of being monitored again I was told to walk around the hospital for a bit to help the gel start working. I was getting lots of pains and felt relieved that something should be happening! At times walking was so painful and we had to keep stopping! My other half an mum were so good and I felt so reassured with them by my side!
6 hours later I was checked only to find STILL not progress. I cried with disappointment and in pain.
The midwife gave me a lower dose of prostin as I was having horrendous Braxton hicks and what they call ‘prostin pains’. She said I can’t be checked till morning now where a doctor will review and I was given some codeine painkillers and an injection called meptid (like a weak pethadine) to help with the pain. My mum went at 9pm and was told she can come back once things start working. My fiancé slept on the bed next to me and I could not sleep from the pain even after my meptid being topped up.Finally, 27th May 2012
At 4am it got too much and I buzzed for a midwife who said she would check me over. I cried and said there was no point that nothing will have happened from before. She had a feel and said ‘the prostin is doing its magic, you’re starting to dilate..’ I was expecting her to say 1cm or something but she paused for a bit then said ‘you’re 4cm dilated..’ her face looked a bit puzzled then all of a sudden my legs felt very warm ‘oh and your waters have just gone!’ she exclaimed. My fiancé and I were so happy we were almost in tears!
We waited an hour for my contractions to get regular and we were timing them. It got so unbearable I let out a scream and the midwife came running back in and said ‘time to go to the labour ward then?!’ and we packed my stuff and I was wheeled through to the delivery suite where a radio was playing songs I loved. I rung mum and told her to come in (this was 5:30am) and she was soo excited! At 7am 2 new midwives came in (one was a student almost ready to qualify) and they were taking over from the last midwife.
The gas and air was helping a bit and I even had the giggles at one point! When the contractions got too much I was shouting for an epidural (LOL!) to which they had tried to get an anaesthetist who was very busy so couldn’t make it. I was given a pethadine injection which made me so sleepy that between contractions I felt so drunk I was almost asleep.
It made me very sicky too and I was heaving a lot and bringing water back up. At about 9:40am they told me it was time to push (everything before this was a bit of a blur!!). I pushed with all I could and the qualified midwife was so lovely with me and holding my hand, the other midwife was the one telling me what to do and when to push etc. They kept saying how quickly he was coming out with every push and they all seemed pleased which helped me push harder!!
After 33 minutes of pushing Joshua was born. He came straight out and on to my chest where he let out a tiny cry then just lay looking at me. I didn’t cry, I couldn’t, I was in so much shock I just stared at him, in love and a little bit sleepy from my pain relief. My mum and fiancé Dale cried their eyes out though and despite saying he didn’t want to when I was pregnant, Dale cut the cord! I was given an injection and they pulled the placenta out and then Steph the midwife said that I’d torn in a difficult place and got a 2nd degree labia tear and that she’d get the senior midwife in charge of the ward in to stitch me up. She was lovely and I was told to puff on the gas and air if it got a bit sore but I had the best pain relief in my arms, my perfect son.
Overall once things got going my labour was very quick for an induction and the midwives couldn’t believe how quickly things went! I’m very pleased with it though still makes me cry and cringe when I think about it. It was all worth it bringing Joshua in to the world though.
Here's a couple of pictures from in hospital after he was born and the last is of him now at almost 6 weeks
