buttonnose82
Wife & Mummy
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This may be long so be warned!
I have been putting off doing this because I am still struggling personally with my labour but people keep telling me that writing it down might help so here goes
I was planning a natural as possible delivery and hoping for a water birth
How it really happened!
Friday 24th September:
I went to the hospital on the evening too be monitored as I had been having awful headaches for over a week. I was monitored and baby was well, my blood pressure was ok so I was sent home with pain killers and told 'first baby's are nearly always late!'
Saturday 25th September:
After a good nights sleep thanks too the pain killers I was FULL of energy, I just wanted to be on the go constantly, we were out walking all day and I felt great! Contractions started at 5pm that night, we walked too the pub about 7 ish for a soft drink and on the way a cat came out of nowhere and just wouldn't leave us alone, I joked to hubby that maybe the cat was telling us that this was it
Sunday 26th September:
I woke at 00.45am needing the loo, as I sat up there was a big gush, I ran too the loo and also discovered I had a bloody show, contractions started to get a little more 'niggly' after my waters went and I went in the shower at 3am too ease some back ache I was having, I then came down too watch TV for a bit leaving hubby too sleep. I got a couple more hours sleep and we rang the hospital about 9 ish too let them know what was happening, they asked me too go in to confirm waters had gone.
We got too the hospital and they confirmed waters had gone and monitored baby, again all was fine, as I wasn't having regular contractions they explained what would happen next. Basically they said I can be left to go into natural labour for up to 72 hours after waters had gone, they leave you 24 hours as standard then after that it would be up too me if I decided to be induced or wait it out up to 72 hours. We were told too come back for monitoring & bloods again at 10 am Monday unless anything happened before then.
So off we went, we went shopping, then into harrogate for lunch then a walk around the park (for 3 hours!) then headed home, all the time I was having contractions that were getting more painful but nothing too regular.
Monday 27th September:
We headed back too the hospital at 10am to be monitored and bloods checked, we ended up being there about 5 hours waiting for blood results, contractions continued and were really uncomfortable but I was constantly being told that because my contractions weren't 3 in 10 that I wasn't in labour. I asked too be examined and they told me no because they would have to induce within 4 hours if they did as my waters had gone. My contractions were all over the place, I would have 1, then 5 mins later another, then 45 mins later another, then 3 mins later another then 23 mins later another, so very irregular at this point but they always lasted 90 seconds. I was really starting to doubt myself at this point, the pain was getting worse and I was questioning if I would be able to have my natural labour if I couldn't even handle the pain when I apparently wasn't in labour.
We were now over 24 hours after my waters had gone, but they refused to induce because they didn't have the staff, so I said I wanted too go home again, I was sent home and told to return on tuesday at 2pm to be induced.
So home we went and I just felt into bed exhausted, I hadn't really slept properly since friday night due to contractions
Tuesday 28th September:
2am we headed back too the hospital, the pain was very uncomfortable and I just didn't feel safe being at home anymore, I dunno why, I just didn't, Well they agreed too keep me in as they were inducing me later that day anyway, The contractions had really stepped up so I asked for some paracetamol, I wasn't allowed anything stronger as they wouldn't give pain relief without examining me first but then they wouldn't examine me because they would have to induce within 4 hours so I was in a catch 2 situation. I was constantly being told I wasn't in labour and that I would have to be induced later that day, Contractions were pretty intense by now but they just wouldn't listen too me at all, they used my birth plan against me, saying if I wanted the water birth then I needed to hold off being examined because that would show I wasn't in labour and therefore I'd have to be induced earlier and couldn't have my water birth.
I spent much of the day in tears, I didn't know how I was going too do it, I was being told I wasn't yet in labour and that I would be less than 4 cm dilated by now and that I'd be induced and therefore my hopes of a water birth out the window. By this point I was rock bottom emotionally and physically, all confidence in myself and my body was out the window, I just didn't know how I could possible give birth without pain relief if I couldn't even handle the contractions now when I was apparently not even in active labour.
2pm came and I was meant to be examined and induction started, instead I was left till 5pm before I was examine because the midwife &dr were having a disagreement over who would be next too be induced ..... me (who's waters had gone almost 72 hours ago!) or a woman who was 12 days over due.
The dr finally agreed to examine me to commence induction once a midwife became available, well 10 mins before the dr examined me the midwife in charge told me there was no way I was in active labour, I wouldn't be more than 3 - 4 cm dilated because NO first time mum makes it too 4cm without pain relief and that the dr WILL be giving me a pessary to commence induction.
The dr came too examine me, he already had the pessary there to administer, and well as he examined me his face dropped as he announced I was infact 8cm dilated!
The midwife nearly crapped herself and rushed off to get a midwife from the postnatal ward to come care for me in delivery as they had no midwives free, within 90 seconds they had me in a wheelchair and into a delivery suite. I asked if this meant I could now have my water birth to which I was told no, she wouldn't advice it because my water had gone so long ago ..... (I accept this by why use it against me all day too hold me off being examined only to then tell me I couldn't have it anyway) however they did let me go in the bath!
2 hours later I was fully dilated and getting ready to start pushing
I pushed for 2 hours, all the time falling asleep between contractions as I hadn't slept since friday! I kept telling them something was wrong, I could feel that my pushing wasn't moving baby down properly, but again would anyone listen too me!!! no! I kept telling them the baby needed help too be born but again noone listened and I guess they figured I was just ranting over nothing, well after 2 hours they finally got a dr too come in and he watched me push and examined me to discover baby was facing too the side and therefore wouldn't come out, he asked what pain relief I had on board and they said nothing so he said too get me into theatre ASAP for a spinal & forceps delivery, I signed the form and also signed one too say if they couldn't get baby out with forceps they would have to do a c section
So I was rushed into the theatre and given the spinal, the forceps delivery took 3 contractions and 9 pushs, they discovered that baby also had cord round his neck twice so he was infact lucky I hadn't been able too push him out because it could have strangled him.
At 21.59pm on Tuesday 28th September 2010, Noah Sebastian was born, a healthy 6lb 15oz, perfect in every way!
It was lucky he was delivered in theatre as it could have saved his life, also my placenta would then not come away dispite being giving the injection for it twice, so the dr had to manually go in and cut it away piece by piece.
My baby boy is here, safe and well, but I am still personally very much struggling with how things went. I feel cheated that I got to 10 cm dilated and pushed for 2 hours on nothing but a couple of paracetamol only to end up having to have a spinal. I feel upset that I was unable to push out my baby boy by myself and needed assistance. I feel disappointed that I couldn't enjoy my labour because I was constantly being told my professionals that I wasn't in labour.
I am sat here in tears thinking about it all again, I know I should be grateful and I am, my baby boy is amazing, but I still can't help but feel cheated/upset/disappointed by it all. I was contracting for 77 hours but for 73 of those hours they refused listen too me and believe I was in labour.
If you made it this far, well done, sorry it's long
I have been putting off doing this because I am still struggling personally with my labour but people keep telling me that writing it down might help so here goes
I was planning a natural as possible delivery and hoping for a water birth
How it really happened!
Friday 24th September:
I went to the hospital on the evening too be monitored as I had been having awful headaches for over a week. I was monitored and baby was well, my blood pressure was ok so I was sent home with pain killers and told 'first baby's are nearly always late!'
Saturday 25th September:
After a good nights sleep thanks too the pain killers I was FULL of energy, I just wanted to be on the go constantly, we were out walking all day and I felt great! Contractions started at 5pm that night, we walked too the pub about 7 ish for a soft drink and on the way a cat came out of nowhere and just wouldn't leave us alone, I joked to hubby that maybe the cat was telling us that this was it
Sunday 26th September:
I woke at 00.45am needing the loo, as I sat up there was a big gush, I ran too the loo and also discovered I had a bloody show, contractions started to get a little more 'niggly' after my waters went and I went in the shower at 3am too ease some back ache I was having, I then came down too watch TV for a bit leaving hubby too sleep. I got a couple more hours sleep and we rang the hospital about 9 ish too let them know what was happening, they asked me too go in to confirm waters had gone.
We got too the hospital and they confirmed waters had gone and monitored baby, again all was fine, as I wasn't having regular contractions they explained what would happen next. Basically they said I can be left to go into natural labour for up to 72 hours after waters had gone, they leave you 24 hours as standard then after that it would be up too me if I decided to be induced or wait it out up to 72 hours. We were told too come back for monitoring & bloods again at 10 am Monday unless anything happened before then.
So off we went, we went shopping, then into harrogate for lunch then a walk around the park (for 3 hours!) then headed home, all the time I was having contractions that were getting more painful but nothing too regular.
Monday 27th September:
We headed back too the hospital at 10am to be monitored and bloods checked, we ended up being there about 5 hours waiting for blood results, contractions continued and were really uncomfortable but I was constantly being told that because my contractions weren't 3 in 10 that I wasn't in labour. I asked too be examined and they told me no because they would have to induce within 4 hours if they did as my waters had gone. My contractions were all over the place, I would have 1, then 5 mins later another, then 45 mins later another, then 3 mins later another then 23 mins later another, so very irregular at this point but they always lasted 90 seconds. I was really starting to doubt myself at this point, the pain was getting worse and I was questioning if I would be able to have my natural labour if I couldn't even handle the pain when I apparently wasn't in labour.
We were now over 24 hours after my waters had gone, but they refused to induce because they didn't have the staff, so I said I wanted too go home again, I was sent home and told to return on tuesday at 2pm to be induced.
So home we went and I just felt into bed exhausted, I hadn't really slept properly since friday night due to contractions
Tuesday 28th September:
2am we headed back too the hospital, the pain was very uncomfortable and I just didn't feel safe being at home anymore, I dunno why, I just didn't, Well they agreed too keep me in as they were inducing me later that day anyway, The contractions had really stepped up so I asked for some paracetamol, I wasn't allowed anything stronger as they wouldn't give pain relief without examining me first but then they wouldn't examine me because they would have to induce within 4 hours so I was in a catch 2 situation. I was constantly being told I wasn't in labour and that I would have to be induced later that day, Contractions were pretty intense by now but they just wouldn't listen too me at all, they used my birth plan against me, saying if I wanted the water birth then I needed to hold off being examined because that would show I wasn't in labour and therefore I'd have to be induced earlier and couldn't have my water birth.
I spent much of the day in tears, I didn't know how I was going too do it, I was being told I wasn't yet in labour and that I would be less than 4 cm dilated by now and that I'd be induced and therefore my hopes of a water birth out the window. By this point I was rock bottom emotionally and physically, all confidence in myself and my body was out the window, I just didn't know how I could possible give birth without pain relief if I couldn't even handle the contractions now when I was apparently not even in active labour.
2pm came and I was meant to be examined and induction started, instead I was left till 5pm before I was examine because the midwife &dr were having a disagreement over who would be next too be induced ..... me (who's waters had gone almost 72 hours ago!) or a woman who was 12 days over due.
The dr finally agreed to examine me to commence induction once a midwife became available, well 10 mins before the dr examined me the midwife in charge told me there was no way I was in active labour, I wouldn't be more than 3 - 4 cm dilated because NO first time mum makes it too 4cm without pain relief and that the dr WILL be giving me a pessary to commence induction.
The dr came too examine me, he already had the pessary there to administer, and well as he examined me his face dropped as he announced I was infact 8cm dilated!
The midwife nearly crapped herself and rushed off to get a midwife from the postnatal ward to come care for me in delivery as they had no midwives free, within 90 seconds they had me in a wheelchair and into a delivery suite. I asked if this meant I could now have my water birth to which I was told no, she wouldn't advice it because my water had gone so long ago ..... (I accept this by why use it against me all day too hold me off being examined only to then tell me I couldn't have it anyway) however they did let me go in the bath!
2 hours later I was fully dilated and getting ready to start pushing
I pushed for 2 hours, all the time falling asleep between contractions as I hadn't slept since friday! I kept telling them something was wrong, I could feel that my pushing wasn't moving baby down properly, but again would anyone listen too me!!! no! I kept telling them the baby needed help too be born but again noone listened and I guess they figured I was just ranting over nothing, well after 2 hours they finally got a dr too come in and he watched me push and examined me to discover baby was facing too the side and therefore wouldn't come out, he asked what pain relief I had on board and they said nothing so he said too get me into theatre ASAP for a spinal & forceps delivery, I signed the form and also signed one too say if they couldn't get baby out with forceps they would have to do a c section
So I was rushed into the theatre and given the spinal, the forceps delivery took 3 contractions and 9 pushs, they discovered that baby also had cord round his neck twice so he was infact lucky I hadn't been able too push him out because it could have strangled him.
At 21.59pm on Tuesday 28th September 2010, Noah Sebastian was born, a healthy 6lb 15oz, perfect in every way!
It was lucky he was delivered in theatre as it could have saved his life, also my placenta would then not come away dispite being giving the injection for it twice, so the dr had to manually go in and cut it away piece by piece.
My baby boy is here, safe and well, but I am still personally very much struggling with how things went. I feel cheated that I got to 10 cm dilated and pushed for 2 hours on nothing but a couple of paracetamol only to end up having to have a spinal. I feel upset that I was unable to push out my baby boy by myself and needed assistance. I feel disappointed that I couldn't enjoy my labour because I was constantly being told my professionals that I wasn't in labour.
I am sat here in tears thinking about it all again, I know I should be grateful and I am, my baby boy is amazing, but I still can't help but feel cheated/upset/disappointed by it all. I was contracting for 77 hours but for 73 of those hours they refused listen too me and believe I was in labour.
If you made it this far, well done, sorry it's long
take plenty of time now for you and your gorgeous bundle, maddi ended up with a c-section and it took me a while to get my head round everything 
