Cat_pj
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******I should warn you ladies- this is LONG! But I loved reading comprehensive stories when I was pregnant 
****************
As a foreword, I should explain how DESPERATE I was to have all the pain relief I could get my greasy mitts on during labour (as you'll see in my story!) and I'd written on my birth plan 'I REALLY REALLY want an epidural, to be kept topped up please!')
So I was 5 days overdue and very annoyed. The previous evening (the 17th of Jan) OH and I had watched 'One Born' and I'd bawled my eyes out, not just at the births but proper sobbing tears..I was so fed up with sitting around all by myself waiting and terrified of the birth while he was at work. So we decided I'd get my mum to visit the next day, and I'll keep myself busy and occupied. So I went to bed and slept very well. Got up on the morning of the 18th and pottered around, checking on b&b
and felt a bit happier.
I walk into the kitchen and get a slight period-like twinge 'ooh' I thought...is something happening? And then *trickle* and GUSH!! My waters are going everywhere, my leggings and knickers are completely soaked. I pull them off (I'm wearing a long cami top!) and grab a tea towel which I sit on and call OH to come back from work. Then my mum rings and I'm like 'yeah I'm ok, btw MY WATERS HAVE GONE!'. She can't keep away though I was adamant I didn't want her involved the process. OH comes home and we call the hospital. They say call the day assessment in an hour. No pains yet. Then all of a sudden I think I'm going to faint
I felt VERY sick and sat with my head between my knees for some time. My mum calls and asks if we want macdonalds but I feel so ill I declined. Then 5 mins later I feel a lot better and text her asking for a big mac! So she comes over and I start to get some contractions. The pain is all in my back, so I grab the TENS machine and it seems to be doing the job. My mum leaves. We call day assessment and they say to bring a pad and they'll see if its my waters. I put one on and soaked it instantly! Everytime I stood up more was gushing. I put on my last pair of leggings that haven't been soaked already, and we go in. We take the hospital bags etc.
By now the contractions are coming regularly and are pretty painful. I get shown to a bed in the day assessment and they hook me up to the trace. The (student) midwife said I should expect a speculum exam to see if my waters have gone even though I'm gushing everywhere, luckily we brought a towel from home! I sit for 20 mins on the trace breathing through the contractions with the TENS. Its about half 2, my waters had gone at half 10. So she comes back in, gives me a swab and says yes, indeed, my waters had gone (DUHHH ITS POURING OUT OF ME!) she palpates my stomach. 'That baby is back to back' she says. Bugger. I know what this means. Long, slow, and bloody painful labour. I'm still contracting, and its getting worse, but they don't bother doing an internal.
'Come in tomorrow for an induction, is 10:30 ok for you?' and I was thinking there is no way I'll need to be induced....I'm in bloody pain already! So we trudge back out of the hospital, stopping every 3 mins while I grip OH through the contractions. I'm still gushing, my leggings are sopping again! I knew I shouldn't be going home, the contractions are too close together. So we go back, I try and distract myself but the pain is beginning to get unbearable. OH's sister comes over and during every contraction I grab her and rock back and forward, while moaning like a cow! Oh no, I think, you're on of those annoying women making a lot of noise! I beg OH- seriously I need to go in!! He calls the hospital and all they say is to give me paracetemol and have a bath. I DON'T WANT A BATH! Was my eloquent response. OH sister times the contractions and they are every 2 mins. So she calls the hospital, as the keep fobbing off OH (he later admitted he thought I was just being a wuss!). First babies take a long time, they say, I'm better off at home. After much pleading, they finally caved when I said I couldn't feel bubs moving (cos it was almost wall to wall contractions!) I put on a pair of OH's trousers, because all of mine are sodden with the waters
So I jump in the back of our 3 door so I could sit and rock on OH's sister. Hang on, I could feel some pressure I have countless contractions during the 10 minute journey to the hospital, even swearing through them, not like me at all! We go up to the labour ward and its DESERTED...finally find reception and they lead me to an examination room. By this point I was yelling; 'HELP ME! HELP ME!' the back contractions were indescribably painful, excruitiating. And I wanted my pain relief, dammit! If this is the beginning, how am I going to cope later? I jump on the bed and the midwife asks if I want to try the gas and air. I had planned on waiting to see how far along I was, not wanting to use it too early. But now, hell no I wanted it. And it was great. I went from not coping, to coping, instantly. Still no internal exam. We are left just waiting. Its about 6 o'clock. My OH tells me that my mum is on her way. I really didn't want her to be at the birth but I was in no fit state to argue.
The midwife finally comes in again. She says I should go and empty my bladder, so I do, although I can barely walk. Again, I feel pressure when I go. I wonder if I should poo now? Though I couldn't go. I return to the bed and she exams me at last. I had been very worried about the internals as I'd never had one....turns out it felt like nothing. 'You're 8cm dilated and there is a lip of cervix in the way' OMG!!! I'm 8cm!!! OH and his sister gasped, couldn't believe I'd got this far. 'I WANT MY EPIDURAL NOW, PLEASE!!' was my next response. 'Its really a bit late for that, they take an hour to set up'
'I REALLY WANT ONE!' OH's sister assures me, if I'm this far, I've done the hard work. But I was insistant. Then my mum turned up and OH's sis left, by this time I'd been gowned up and all my jewellry removed. Next thing I know, I'm sitting up on the bed, groaning into the G&A mouthpiece.
'Dear, are you pushing?' says the midwife.
'I'm not sure' I slur. She checks me again. I never did hear the golden 'you're 10 cm dilated' I was told all the cervix was gone, and at the next contraction, push. 'I DON'T WANT TO FEEL THE BABY CROWNING!!!' I yelled. I was scared about this, obvs. I didn't want a ring of fire, and I was banking on having had an epi at this point. She said don't worry, we'll numb you. I was skeptical. The next worry was this; 'I DON'T WANT TO POO MYSELF!' She said that she would have felt the pressure when she examined me, if I did need to poo. So I begin to push. Its about half 7 at this point.I don't want my mum and especially OH anywhere near the business end, so I make sure the sheet always covers me. The midwife tells me I'm doing very well but I don't believe her. Patronising cow, I think! Ha ha!
Then there's a shift change and a new midwife and student come in (I'd written on the birth plan I didn't mind a student) I keep pushing. And grunting but bubs is obvs not in the optimum position being posterior. I discard the gas and air, largely because the contractions now don't hurt as much, what with all my energy going into the pushing. I push and push but baby still isn't coming down. They tell me I'm doing well, but again I don't believe them! And I'm starting to worry...this is taking ages, if I'm not careful I'm going to have a date with the instruments, which I REALLY didn't want. So I push harder, I think I truly stop holding back (because of my tear/poo concerns) and really go for it. They don't really tell me when the head was coming, but I felt the injection to numb me though I'm not sure it did much. Bizarrely I can't really remember if the crowning was as bad as I had imagined!
As soon as her head was born, with the next contraction her body followed! Elizabeth was born at 20:32
Her APGAR score after 1 min was 9, after 5 was 10. I'm in complete shock. I don't cry like I always imagined I would. My thought process goes as follows:
OMG a baby!
MY BABY!!!!
I've given birth!! GET IN!!
Now....how bad is the damage down there?!?!
They put her on a towel on me, when I had wanted immediate skin to skin, but they quickly ripped that off and I put her straight to the breast. They ask OH if he wants to cut the cord, he says no thanks, ha ha! OH goes outside to get my mum. Sadly I don't remember his reaction or anything, I was in a bit of a daze, but I think he was crying. They give me the synto jab and the placenta slides out, they ask if I want to see it and I'm like 'no, you're alright thanks'. They tell me its a very good placenta!
So now it was my next fear- the stitches! The midwife was unforthcoming about the nature of my tearing, just saying they were 'not bad'. She put a tampon in while she stitched me, and after I'd had about 3 numbing injections upon my instistance! I only found out from reading my postnatal notes that my perineum survived (whoop!!) but my stitches were internal, I guess because Beth was coming out sunny side up. They still hadn't weighed her at this point! And they didn't for about 2 hours, I had visitors but we couldn't tell them how much she weighted! Turns out she was 7lbs 11oz.
I'm still lying in all my blood and at about 10:30 the staff say have a bath and then I can go home! OH had to go the car to get my 'labour' bag (LOL!) and bub's stuff and car seat. So I waddle to the en suite, my tail bone absolutely throbs and clots are just blobbing out of me as I walk! I get in the bath, the staff change the sheets on the bed and me, my mum and OH wait to be discharged. It takes FOREVER because they are filling out my notes. So we're finally out at 01:00 AM on the 19th. It was bloody cold!
So yeah, there's my story. Hope you liked it! In hindsight I guess it was a pretty ideal birth, aside from Beth being back to back. If that slows labour down goodness knows how fast it could have been otherwise! I wasn't even in a proper delivery room when I gave birth, just an exam room, which is a bit amusing. I was very pee-d off at the time that they didn't believe me having contractions strong enough etc, but it turned out I COULD do it with just the entonox, I didn't need the epi, I coped with it! So I'm chuffed. And any pain was worth it anyway, for the arrival of my beautiful daughter.
****************As a foreword, I should explain how DESPERATE I was to have all the pain relief I could get my greasy mitts on during labour (as you'll see in my story!) and I'd written on my birth plan 'I REALLY REALLY want an epidural, to be kept topped up please!')
So I was 5 days overdue and very annoyed. The previous evening (the 17th of Jan) OH and I had watched 'One Born' and I'd bawled my eyes out, not just at the births but proper sobbing tears..I was so fed up with sitting around all by myself waiting and terrified of the birth while he was at work. So we decided I'd get my mum to visit the next day, and I'll keep myself busy and occupied. So I went to bed and slept very well. Got up on the morning of the 18th and pottered around, checking on b&b
and felt a bit happier.I walk into the kitchen and get a slight period-like twinge 'ooh' I thought...is something happening? And then *trickle* and GUSH!! My waters are going everywhere, my leggings and knickers are completely soaked. I pull them off (I'm wearing a long cami top!) and grab a tea towel which I sit on and call OH to come back from work. Then my mum rings and I'm like 'yeah I'm ok, btw MY WATERS HAVE GONE!'. She can't keep away though I was adamant I didn't want her involved the process. OH comes home and we call the hospital. They say call the day assessment in an hour. No pains yet. Then all of a sudden I think I'm going to faint
I felt VERY sick and sat with my head between my knees for some time. My mum calls and asks if we want macdonalds but I feel so ill I declined. Then 5 mins later I feel a lot better and text her asking for a big mac! So she comes over and I start to get some contractions. The pain is all in my back, so I grab the TENS machine and it seems to be doing the job. My mum leaves. We call day assessment and they say to bring a pad and they'll see if its my waters. I put one on and soaked it instantly! Everytime I stood up more was gushing. I put on my last pair of leggings that haven't been soaked already, and we go in. We take the hospital bags etc.By now the contractions are coming regularly and are pretty painful. I get shown to a bed in the day assessment and they hook me up to the trace. The (student) midwife said I should expect a speculum exam to see if my waters have gone
even though I'm gushing everywhere, luckily we brought a towel from home! I sit for 20 mins on the trace breathing through the contractions with the TENS. Its about half 2, my waters had gone at half 10. So she comes back in, gives me a swab and says yes, indeed, my waters had gone (DUHHH ITS POURING OUT OF ME!) she palpates my stomach. 'That baby is back to back' she says. Bugger. I know what this means. Long, slow, and bloody painful labour. I'm still contracting, and its getting worse, but they don't bother doing an internal.'Come in tomorrow for an induction, is 10:30 ok for you?' and I was thinking there is no way I'll need to be induced....I'm in bloody pain already! So we trudge back out of the hospital, stopping every 3 mins while I grip OH through the contractions. I'm still gushing, my leggings are sopping again! I knew I shouldn't be going home, the contractions are too close together. So we go back, I try and distract myself but the pain is beginning to get unbearable. OH's sister comes over and during every contraction I grab her and rock back and forward, while moaning like a cow! Oh no, I think, you're on of those annoying women making a lot of noise! I beg OH- seriously I need to go in!! He calls the hospital and all they say is to give me paracetemol and have a bath. I DON'T WANT A BATH! Was my eloquent response. OH sister times the contractions and they are every 2 mins. So she calls the hospital, as the keep fobbing off OH (he later admitted he thought I was just being a wuss!). First babies take a long time, they say, I'm better off at home. After much pleading, they finally caved when I said I couldn't feel bubs moving (cos it was almost wall to wall contractions!) I put on a pair of OH's trousers, because all of mine are sodden with the waters
So I jump in the back of our 3 door so I could sit and rock on OH's sister. Hang on, I could feel some pressure
I have countless contractions during the 10 minute journey to the hospital, even swearing through them, not like me at all! We go up to the labour ward and its DESERTED...finally find reception and they lead me to an examination room. By this point I was yelling; 'HELP ME! HELP ME!' the back contractions were indescribably painful, excruitiating. And I wanted my pain relief, dammit! If this is the beginning, how am I going to cope later? I jump on the bed and the midwife asks if I want to try the gas and air. I had planned on waiting to see how far along I was, not wanting to use it too early. But now, hell no I wanted it. And it was great. I went from not coping, to coping, instantly. Still no internal exam. We are left just waiting. Its about 6 o'clock. My OH tells me that my mum is on her way. I really didn't want her to be at the birth but I was in no fit state to argue. The midwife finally comes in again. She says I should go and empty my bladder, so I do, although I can barely walk. Again, I feel pressure when I go. I wonder if I should poo now? Though I couldn't go. I return to the bed and she exams me at last. I had been very worried about the internals as I'd never had one....turns out it felt like nothing. 'You're 8cm dilated and there is a lip of cervix in the way' OMG!!! I'm 8cm!!! OH and his sister gasped, couldn't believe I'd got this far. 'I WANT MY EPIDURAL NOW, PLEASE!!' was my next response. 'Its really a bit late for that, they take an hour to set up'
'I REALLY WANT ONE!' OH's sister assures me, if I'm this far, I've done the hard work. But I was insistant. Then my mum turned up and OH's sis left, by this time I'd been gowned up and all my jewellry removed. Next thing I know, I'm sitting up on the bed, groaning into the G&A mouthpiece.
'Dear, are you pushing?' says the midwife.
'I'm not sure' I slur. She checks me again. I never did hear the golden 'you're 10 cm dilated' I was told all the cervix was gone, and at the next contraction, push. 'I DON'T WANT TO FEEL THE BABY CROWNING!!!' I yelled. I was scared about this, obvs. I didn't want a ring of fire, and I was banking on having had an epi at this point. She said don't worry, we'll numb you. I was skeptical. The next worry was this; 'I DON'T WANT TO POO MYSELF!' She said that she would have felt the pressure when she examined me, if I did need to poo. So I begin to push. Its about half 7 at this point.I don't want my mum and especially OH anywhere near the business end, so I make sure the sheet always covers me. The midwife tells me I'm doing very well but I don't believe her. Patronising cow, I think! Ha ha!
Then there's a shift change and a new midwife and student come in (I'd written on the birth plan I didn't mind a student) I keep pushing. And grunting but bubs is obvs not in the optimum position being posterior. I discard the gas and air, largely because the contractions now don't hurt as much, what with all my energy going into the pushing. I push and push but baby still isn't coming down. They tell me I'm doing well, but again I don't believe them! And I'm starting to worry...this is taking ages, if I'm not careful I'm going to have a date with the instruments, which I REALLY didn't want. So I push harder, I think I truly stop holding back (because of my tear/poo concerns) and really go for it. They don't really tell me when the head was coming, but I felt the injection to numb me though I'm not sure it did much. Bizarrely I can't really remember if the crowning was as bad as I had imagined!
As soon as her head was born, with the next contraction her body followed! Elizabeth was born at 20:32
Her APGAR score after 1 min was 9, after 5 was 10. I'm in complete shock. I don't cry like I always imagined I would. My thought process goes as follows:OMG a baby!
MY BABY!!!!
I've given birth!! GET IN!!
Now....how bad is the damage down there?!?!
They put her on a towel on me, when I had wanted immediate skin to skin, but they quickly ripped that off and I put her straight to the breast. They ask OH if he wants to cut the cord, he says no thanks, ha ha! OH goes outside to get my mum. Sadly I don't remember his reaction or anything, I was in a bit of a daze, but I think he was crying. They give me the synto jab and the placenta slides out, they ask if I want to see it and I'm like 'no, you're alright thanks'. They tell me its a very good placenta!
So now it was my next fear- the stitches! The midwife was unforthcoming about the nature of my tearing, just saying they were 'not bad'. She put a tampon in while she stitched me, and after I'd had about 3 numbing injections upon my instistance! I only found out from reading my postnatal notes that my perineum survived (whoop!!) but my stitches were internal, I guess because Beth was coming out sunny side up. They still hadn't weighed her at this point! And they didn't for about 2 hours, I had visitors but we couldn't tell them how much she weighted! Turns out she was 7lbs 11oz.
I'm still lying in all my blood and at about 10:30 the staff say have a bath and then I can go home! OH had to go the car to get my 'labour' bag (LOL!) and bub's stuff and car seat. So I waddle to the en suite, my tail bone absolutely throbs and clots are just blobbing out of me as I walk! I get in the bath, the staff change the sheets on the bed and me, my mum and OH wait to be discharged. It takes FOREVER because they are filling out my notes. So we're finally out at 01:00 AM on the 19th. It was bloody cold!
So yeah, there's my story. Hope you liked it! In hindsight I guess it was a pretty ideal birth, aside from Beth being back to back. If that slows labour down goodness knows how fast it could have been otherwise! I wasn't even in a proper delivery room when I gave birth, just an exam room, which is a bit amusing. I was very pee-d off at the time that they didn't believe me having contractions strong enough etc, but it turned out I COULD do it with just the entonox, I didn't need the epi, I coped with it! So I'm chuffed. And any pain was worth it anyway, for the arrival of my beautiful daughter.
!!
Im new to your journal, I just saw one of your posts in another section. I just had to get on here and comment on how beautiful your daughter is. Just Gorgeous!!
