Hi all
Thought I would pop back in and update you all on the arrival of my beaurtiful son - Elliot Joesph, born on Friday 12 October. As a few of you on here know, I was very overdue but did eventually got into labour spontaneously just before my planned induction. The whole story goes like this....
On Sunday, my midwife attempted another sweep, but as with previous attempts, my cervix was ridiculously posterior, fully closed, completely uneffaced i.e. nothing going on!
So on Monday 11th October, I felt a bit 'funny', like my period was going to start, a bit crampy etc. By Monday evening I had started having mild contractions, nothing painful, but noticeable, and this continued throughout Tuesday 12th. OH didnt go to work on Tuesday as we thought it would progress, but contractions stayed around 10-15 mins apart throughout the day and night. The hospital said it sounds like things were progressing and to call back when increased in intensity and got closer together.
Wednesday was still the same, contractions now about every 5-10 mins but were stronger. At 3pm I went to the toilet and thought i felt a tiny gush but wasnt sure...rang hospital said it was unlikely it was my waters as I wasnt wetting a pad. but got chatting about induction etc. The Midwife I spoke to said to come into hospital and she would try o do me one last sweep. went in and was 1cm dilated (woop) but cervix still very posterior - to use her words, my cervix had a hell of a lot of work to do. she managed the sweep though she also thought it may have been my hind waters that i felt go.
back home wed night and contractions started to kick in and increase in intensity, overnight Wednesday they were about every 3 mins and i didnt sleep at all, had a couple of overnight baths etc.
7am thu morning, back into hospital. Still only 1cm dilated but cervix moved right down and fully thinned out - finally!! at least all those contractions were doing something! but she did think my waters had broken. As it was a midwife led unit, their policy is you only have 24 hours from waters breaking when they will allow you to give birth at the MLU. Therefore she made an appointment for me at the main city hospital for 3pm that afternoon.
Still contracting strongly, we made our way there at 3pm, was now 2cm dilated, stayed in for a while on the monitor. At 9pm It was decided due to my waters having broken previously the best option was to put me on an oxytocin drip to accelerate contractions. Did this and 4 hours later I was till only 4cm, despite the increased strength contractions. I was given another drip and another 4 hours at this point I asked for some pethidine to help with the pain which was the best thing I did as it meant i actually slept for an hour through the contractions and allowed my body to recover a bit. Finally 4 hours later at around 3am I was suddenly fully dilated and ready to push. I think after all that it took us all by surprise!
I was pushing for an hour and a half, but baby was in a funny position which made it very difficult. After an hour and half of pushing, the doctors were called in as babys heartbeat was decreasing with each contraction. It was decided either a forceps or possibly caesarean was necessary . I was prepped for theatre and given a spinal block I cant tell you how amazing it was to not feel the pain of contractions any more! Baby not in right position for forceps, so at around quarter to 5 on Friday morning, Elliot was finally delivered by caesarean.
So thats it, he is here! A very long drawn out process, but looking at him now, he is absolutely perfect and all the trauma last week seems like a distant memory. Feels quite therapeutic to have written it all down!
Thanks for reading guys and good luck with all your babys!
Thought I would pop back in and update you all on the arrival of my beaurtiful son - Elliot Joesph, born on Friday 12 October. As a few of you on here know, I was very overdue but did eventually got into labour spontaneously just before my planned induction. The whole story goes like this....
On Sunday, my midwife attempted another sweep, but as with previous attempts, my cervix was ridiculously posterior, fully closed, completely uneffaced i.e. nothing going on!
So on Monday 11th October, I felt a bit 'funny', like my period was going to start, a bit crampy etc. By Monday evening I had started having mild contractions, nothing painful, but noticeable, and this continued throughout Tuesday 12th. OH didnt go to work on Tuesday as we thought it would progress, but contractions stayed around 10-15 mins apart throughout the day and night. The hospital said it sounds like things were progressing and to call back when increased in intensity and got closer together.
Wednesday was still the same, contractions now about every 5-10 mins but were stronger. At 3pm I went to the toilet and thought i felt a tiny gush but wasnt sure...rang hospital said it was unlikely it was my waters as I wasnt wetting a pad. but got chatting about induction etc. The Midwife I spoke to said to come into hospital and she would try o do me one last sweep. went in and was 1cm dilated (woop) but cervix still very posterior - to use her words, my cervix had a hell of a lot of work to do. she managed the sweep though she also thought it may have been my hind waters that i felt go.
back home wed night and contractions started to kick in and increase in intensity, overnight Wednesday they were about every 3 mins and i didnt sleep at all, had a couple of overnight baths etc.
7am thu morning, back into hospital. Still only 1cm dilated but cervix moved right down and fully thinned out - finally!! at least all those contractions were doing something! but she did think my waters had broken. As it was a midwife led unit, their policy is you only have 24 hours from waters breaking when they will allow you to give birth at the MLU. Therefore she made an appointment for me at the main city hospital for 3pm that afternoon.
Still contracting strongly, we made our way there at 3pm, was now 2cm dilated, stayed in for a while on the monitor. At 9pm It was decided due to my waters having broken previously the best option was to put me on an oxytocin drip to accelerate contractions. Did this and 4 hours later I was till only 4cm, despite the increased strength contractions. I was given another drip and another 4 hours at this point I asked for some pethidine to help with the pain which was the best thing I did as it meant i actually slept for an hour through the contractions and allowed my body to recover a bit. Finally 4 hours later at around 3am I was suddenly fully dilated and ready to push. I think after all that it took us all by surprise!
I was pushing for an hour and a half, but baby was in a funny position which made it very difficult. After an hour and half of pushing, the doctors were called in as babys heartbeat was decreasing with each contraction. It was decided either a forceps or possibly caesarean was necessary . I was prepped for theatre and given a spinal block I cant tell you how amazing it was to not feel the pain of contractions any more! Baby not in right position for forceps, so at around quarter to 5 on Friday morning, Elliot was finally delivered by caesarean.
So thats it, he is here! A very long drawn out process, but looking at him now, he is absolutely perfect and all the trauma last week seems like a distant memory. Feels quite therapeutic to have written it all down!
Thanks for reading guys and good luck with all your babys!
