Birth story, I think it's all there anyway. It goes foggy so fast
- It started Aug 31st in the evening, I think. I had loads of sciatic pain which had me nearly in tears. Contractions woke me through the night but all pretty mild.
- The morning of 1st Sept contractions were a mild pain in the bum, every 15 mins or so.
- 4pm I went for a walk to have blood tests, contractions were coming every 10 mins ish, it was REALLY hard to walk through but somehow I managed.
- 10pm We went to bed early to try and get some rest (didn't happen), I had to hold Nicolas' hand through them. Still coming every 10mins. They started to get very focussed just above my pubic bone with a pain running down my leg, which was how they stayed til he was born. The leg pain was the worst bit! I think I'm about 5-6cm dilated here.
- 1am We call the midwife, contractions were every 4-7 mins and I'm starting to moan a little through them. She tells us to come in and we get Firefighters called for us (it's pretty normal in France to call an ambulance/firefighters for labour, though you have to pay if it's a false alarm).
- 1:30am The firefighters arrive and question us for ages on why we don't have a car, why somebody else can't take us, why we didn't plan ahead (seriously?!?!). We both felt really judged and stupid, it was not the time for a lecture. For one thing the midwife said to call, and another, we wouldn't call emergency services if there was another option. I got out of the front door and start having a contraction so I stopped walking, fucking assbucket driver told me to "go on". YOU go on, I am in masses of pain, wanker.
- 1:45am Arrive in hospital, the midwife tells us not to be too concerned by the firefighters attitude as they just don't like taking labouring women since they don't have much training. We were shown into a labouring room (same one I laboured with Élise in!) I'm checked, 7cm and contractions still coming every 4-7 mins, then hooked up to monitoring.
- 2:30am I needed to pee, so we call the midwife and she says she'll check me afterwards, get me into a delivery room (also the same one Élise was delivered in) and pop my waters to speed things up. Turns out I was 10cm which was a total shock to me since I could still breathe/moan through contractions and I had absolutely no urge to push. I'm totally fed up of waiting by this point so I asked for gas and air.
- 3am(ish) Waters are popped, contractions slow down and get way less painful. I'm so disappointed I started getting angry at myself
- 4am(ish) Still hardly any progess so the midwife offered to hook me up to some pitocin. I reluctantly agreed and I'm fairly miserable at this point, grumping in between contractions that I just want to hold my baby.
- 5am(ish) I started to feel a bit pushy, contractions are finally picking up and I began doing that primal roar thing and felt a bit silly. Midwife "prepared" me for pushing by putting my legs up in stirrups and reclining the bed, and I'm left seriously sour faced. When she left the room Nicolas sat the bed back up for me
- 5:20(ish, I think), I wanted this baby out so I started pushing with each contraction, he did not want to come out! When I finally felt him descending I went a bit crazy and totally lost my bottle. Midwife wouldn't let me have gas while I was pushing so I was whimpering like a child and begging and pleading! I kept snapping NO! when the midwife asked me to do anything and just begging for gas instead. When I felt like that ring of fire was about to happen I yelled YES (because it was nearly over) and GET IT OUT (because it fucking hurt) and pushed even when the MW was yelling at me to stop. Pretty sure I felt myself tear but I didn't care at the time, lucky it's only tiny and I only needed 2 stitches. I had to stop once his head was out so they could turn his shoulders which I found almost impossible, but then I heard him cry even before his legs were out and I found myself just saying thank you thank you thank you. 5:33am he was plonked on me and I've been totally in love ever since
After that, we were left to bond and I felt a bit forgotten about. It was around 9am when they finally got me off the soggy delivery bed and to my room (also the same room we stayed in with Élise!). We were shattered, trying to sleep but far too uncomfy, we were just lucky we had the cutest little guy to keep us sane.
I did get to VBAC but unfortunately the labour wasn't great and we ended up being transferred from the birth centre to the hospital where he was delivered by forceps. We're home now and settling in, he's absolutely gorgeous and his big sister loves him to bits
Happy September, 18 days for me but looking like it will be less than that for me due to baby's unstable lie.
