hinkybinky
Mum of 2
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- Mar 13, 2010
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My yellow bump turned blue when Stanley Glenn Oakman arrived safe and well on Monday 8th Nov at 2:03pm. I had planned to birth at the 'local' birthing centre, when I say local it's an hour's drive from my house. I had been assured there would be plenty of time to get there as it was my first baby.
Having had no symptoms at all and now 2 days overdue (and having eaten a whole fresh pineapple the Sunday night!) I started getting these regular but mild-ish period pain type pains at about 7:30am on Monday morning (had had a few ‘niggles’ overnight but had slept ok with paracetamol so DH went off to work as normal at 6 - he works in London, 2 hours away). I called my Mum to come and sit with me and she arrived around 9am - I was *convinced* it wasn’t labour as, although they were coming around 6 or 7 minutes apart, they were manageable with TENS and breathing.
Called the birthing centre who agreed it sounded like I was just in "early labour". They said to keep in touch and let them know if anything changed. Then I had my bloody show - a few wipes of mucousy blood. Called the birthing centre back, who suggested I get checked by local hospital rather than "wasting my time" coming to them if I wasn't in established labour. Called the hospital who said they wouldn't be happy to examine me and then let me go off somewhere else. SO I called the birthing centre again and asked if I could please come in, assuring them I'd go home if it wasn't the real thing. By this time it was starting to dawn on me that it might be! Contractions getting more painful and closer together now.
But by 10am they were 5 mins or less apart so my dad came home from work and drove me to the birthing centre at Crowborough. Meanwhile DH got a text with instructions to just get on a train and get there as quickly as he could. I arrived at 11 (contractions now 3 mins apart), was examined and was 9+cm dilated and ready to push!!! Went all shaky and the midwife said I was in transition stage. Unfortunately getting in the pool slowed things down (gave DH time to get there though). While I was making a rather poor effort of pushing in the pool (contractions had tailed off a bit), they were checking the fetal heart rate with a doppler - they weren't happy with some decelerations and then they also heard a faster rate, giving quite a big range. With that, an ambulance was called and I was hauled out of the pool, onto a bed and told to lie on my side and NOT PUSH
.
So I got transferred with blue lights flashing to the nearest hospital, which was Pembury in Kent - not even the same county
– that was around 1pm. Had to try NOT to push all the way in the ambulance, soooo difficult!
Got there about 1:45, was put on my back and strapped to monitor, legs up in stirrups, they explained they wanted to get him out asap and would be using a ventouse, and would probably need to give me an episiotomy… by this time I was just saying ok to whatever they said, as I just wanted my baby out safely.
So after some really determined pushing on my part, and some brilliant encouragement from my DH, he came out with his right arm wrapped around his neck at 2:03pm. They think that is what would have been causing the fetal distress. So it WAS quick, but not easy! All so worth it though. The bit where he came out was just amazing, indescribable. Although you have spent 9 months preparing, you just can't really believe that this perfect baby has been inside you, and now belongs to you. We just couldn't stop looking at him!
So my 1st stage was 3 and a half hours (seemed like much less though!), 2nd stage 3 hours (most of that trying not to push though!) and the third stage a few minutes - I ended up having the injection (they didn't even ask me if it was ok but by then I really wasn't bothered). I even let them give Stanley the vit K injection when I'd decided previously he'd have the drops. I just wanted him to be ok as quickly as possible. As it was he scored 9/10 on both his APGARs and latched on immediately for bfing
I stayed at Pembury one night then went back to Crowborough for a night, so still got the feeding support I wanted - and the quiet of a room all to myself after the bustle of the ward.
All in all I had a really positive experience and I have to say didn’t find it unbearably painful, or swear at anyone! Although I didn’t really have time to use many of the breathing or yoga techniques I had learnt, I have to say that the TENS was a lifesaver, and the yoga breathing was great for focusing my attention. Leading up to the birth, I had used the Natal Hypnotherapy CD daily (Maggie Howell), which was fab. I did try the gas and air but found it reduced my concentration on my breathing too much. So I ended up not having any pain relief, aside from the local anaethetic for the episiotomy, which is healing well. The ventouse was not the traumatic experience that it is for some women, Stanley's bruise went down within a couple of days and neither of us seem to have suffered any ill effects, thank goodness.
If I could give one piece of advice to ladies still waiting for their bundles to arrive, I would say please take any regular pains seriously. I did not believe I was in labour and nearly left it too late...
Having had no symptoms at all and now 2 days overdue (and having eaten a whole fresh pineapple the Sunday night!) I started getting these regular but mild-ish period pain type pains at about 7:30am on Monday morning (had had a few ‘niggles’ overnight but had slept ok with paracetamol so DH went off to work as normal at 6 - he works in London, 2 hours away). I called my Mum to come and sit with me and she arrived around 9am - I was *convinced* it wasn’t labour as, although they were coming around 6 or 7 minutes apart, they were manageable with TENS and breathing.
Called the birthing centre who agreed it sounded like I was just in "early labour". They said to keep in touch and let them know if anything changed. Then I had my bloody show - a few wipes of mucousy blood. Called the birthing centre back, who suggested I get checked by local hospital rather than "wasting my time" coming to them if I wasn't in established labour. Called the hospital who said they wouldn't be happy to examine me and then let me go off somewhere else. SO I called the birthing centre again and asked if I could please come in, assuring them I'd go home if it wasn't the real thing. By this time it was starting to dawn on me that it might be! Contractions getting more painful and closer together now.
But by 10am they were 5 mins or less apart so my dad came home from work and drove me to the birthing centre at Crowborough. Meanwhile DH got a text with instructions to just get on a train and get there as quickly as he could. I arrived at 11 (contractions now 3 mins apart), was examined and was 9+cm dilated and ready to push!!! Went all shaky and the midwife said I was in transition stage. Unfortunately getting in the pool slowed things down (gave DH time to get there though). While I was making a rather poor effort of pushing in the pool (contractions had tailed off a bit), they were checking the fetal heart rate with a doppler - they weren't happy with some decelerations and then they also heard a faster rate, giving quite a big range. With that, an ambulance was called and I was hauled out of the pool, onto a bed and told to lie on my side and NOT PUSH
. So I got transferred with blue lights flashing to the nearest hospital, which was Pembury in Kent - not even the same county
– that was around 1pm. Had to try NOT to push all the way in the ambulance, soooo difficult! Got there about 1:45, was put on my back and strapped to monitor, legs up in stirrups, they explained they wanted to get him out asap and would be using a ventouse, and would probably need to give me an episiotomy… by this time I was just saying ok to whatever they said, as I just wanted my baby out safely.
So after some really determined pushing on my part, and some brilliant encouragement from my DH, he came out with his right arm wrapped around his neck at 2:03pm. They think that is what would have been causing the fetal distress. So it WAS quick, but not easy! All so worth it though. The bit where he came out was just amazing, indescribable. Although you have spent 9 months preparing, you just can't really believe that this perfect baby has been inside you, and now belongs to you. We just couldn't stop looking at him!
So my 1st stage was 3 and a half hours (seemed like much less though!), 2nd stage 3 hours (most of that trying not to push though!) and the third stage a few minutes - I ended up having the injection (they didn't even ask me if it was ok but by then I really wasn't bothered). I even let them give Stanley the vit K injection when I'd decided previously he'd have the drops. I just wanted him to be ok as quickly as possible. As it was he scored 9/10 on both his APGARs and latched on immediately for bfing
I stayed at Pembury one night then went back to Crowborough for a night, so still got the feeding support I wanted - and the quiet of a room all to myself after the bustle of the ward.
All in all I had a really positive experience and I have to say didn’t find it unbearably painful, or swear at anyone! Although I didn’t really have time to use many of the breathing or yoga techniques I had learnt, I have to say that the TENS was a lifesaver, and the yoga breathing was great for focusing my attention. Leading up to the birth, I had used the Natal Hypnotherapy CD daily (Maggie Howell), which was fab. I did try the gas and air but found it reduced my concentration on my breathing too much. So I ended up not having any pain relief, aside from the local anaethetic for the episiotomy, which is healing well. The ventouse was not the traumatic experience that it is for some women, Stanley's bruise went down within a couple of days and neither of us seem to have suffered any ill effects, thank goodness.
If I could give one piece of advice to ladies still waiting for their bundles to arrive, I would say please take any regular pains seriously. I did not believe I was in labour and nearly left it too late...
