Hi Ladies, well better late than never I guess........
For those of you who dont know I was a very fed up 12 days overdue when finally I started having contractions the day before going into be induced. I was woken by them at 5am on sunday but they were manageable and only every 8 minutes apart so we carried on and had a fairly normal day went for a walk etc.
In the evening at around 9pm I phoned the midwife led birthing centre for advice, at this point I was having contractions every 5minutes but managing them well just with breathing and moving around. I just wanted to check what I was supposed to do as I was due to go into the main maternity hospital the next day for induction. I was asked to go in to be assesed and was found to be 3-4cm dilated but told to go home see how things progressed overnight and phone again in the morning.
Well all night I was awake having regular contractions, I was in and out of the bath and using my birthing ball. I woke the OH at about 6am to get him to put the tens machine on. I was so impressed by how well the tens machine worked. Contractions were still every 5minutes so I phoned the unit to ask again where I should go. I was asked to pop into the midwife led unit for assesment again, I was 4cm at this point but still coping with the pain and as by this point I was 13days overdue I was told I would have to go to the other hospital later in the day and either continue naturally or be induced if things were not progressing. I continued at home with my tens machine and we went out for a walk before going into the main hospital at about 5pm. At this stage I was having contractions every 3-5 minutes and was found to be 5cm dilated. However, as there was no room on the delivery suite I was kept on the ante natal ward and given one prostin pessary to try and speed things up. At 10pm my OH got sent home because visiting time on the ward was over- despite the fact that I was then having very painful contractions every 3 minutes.
I was reassesd at 2am and the decision was made to move me to the labour ward so OH got called to come back in and I started using gas and air alongside the tens machine to help with the pain.
Once on labour ward I was upset to find I could not go into a pool becuase there were too many high risk deliveries happening and they could not spare a midwife to come with me to a pool room.
At 8am (and now 14 days overdue!!) a new midwife came on shift and she finally got me transferred to the water birth room, I got in the pool at around 9 30 am and felt immediate relief, it was amazing and I felt so relaxed. Me and OH loved it! I hardly needed the entonox once I was in the pool and OH has some pictures of me smiling between contractions at 7cm dilated! I got out the pool at lunchtime to have my waters broken and then got straight back in. 2 hours later though I was reassesd and had stopped progressing I was still only at 7 cm dilated.
When this happened I was told I had to go back to the main delivery suite and have syntocinon started via a drip to get things progressing. I was gutted to have to leave the pool and felt really upset at this point. I also worried how I would cope with the pain and so had some diamorphine which was excellent and I felt more relaxed with it.
A few hours later and after lots of very intense contractions when I had OH massaging my back I finally reached 10cm. I think this was around 5pm. It was so strange I really did just have the urge to push and couldnt control this urge at all. I didnt use the gas and air at this point as I just wanted to concentrate on what I was doing.
2 1/2 hours later I was still pushing with all my strength but baby was not moving and had started having dips in his heartbeat so at 7 30pm the decision was made to take me to theatre for a spinal and forceps delivery...unfortunately my baby was facing the wrong way and they could not get him out with forceps. They then tried the ventusse but this too was unsuccesful so the decision was made to do a section, a few minutes later and a very battered and bruised but totally gorgeous baby boy was born!!! We named him George and he weighed in at 9lb 90z!!!!
So after 3 days of labour, no sleep and every type of delivery attempted my little fella was finally in the world and I was sooooooooooooooo happy but totally exhausted.
He is 3 weeks old now and we are getting to know each other, I love being a mummy but am shattered and cant remeber not feeling tired! It has taken me this long to post this story because I was very traumatised by the birth experience and it took 2 weeks before I could think about it without crying, I still dont really feel like I have given birth and I am still forgetting that I had a major operation but I wouldnt change George for the world.
For those of you who dont know I was a very fed up 12 days overdue when finally I started having contractions the day before going into be induced. I was woken by them at 5am on sunday but they were manageable and only every 8 minutes apart so we carried on and had a fairly normal day went for a walk etc.
In the evening at around 9pm I phoned the midwife led birthing centre for advice, at this point I was having contractions every 5minutes but managing them well just with breathing and moving around. I just wanted to check what I was supposed to do as I was due to go into the main maternity hospital the next day for induction. I was asked to go in to be assesed and was found to be 3-4cm dilated but told to go home see how things progressed overnight and phone again in the morning.
Well all night I was awake having regular contractions, I was in and out of the bath and using my birthing ball. I woke the OH at about 6am to get him to put the tens machine on. I was so impressed by how well the tens machine worked. Contractions were still every 5minutes so I phoned the unit to ask again where I should go. I was asked to pop into the midwife led unit for assesment again, I was 4cm at this point but still coping with the pain and as by this point I was 13days overdue I was told I would have to go to the other hospital later in the day and either continue naturally or be induced if things were not progressing. I continued at home with my tens machine and we went out for a walk before going into the main hospital at about 5pm. At this stage I was having contractions every 3-5 minutes and was found to be 5cm dilated. However, as there was no room on the delivery suite I was kept on the ante natal ward and given one prostin pessary to try and speed things up. At 10pm my OH got sent home because visiting time on the ward was over- despite the fact that I was then having very painful contractions every 3 minutes.
I was reassesd at 2am and the decision was made to move me to the labour ward so OH got called to come back in and I started using gas and air alongside the tens machine to help with the pain.
Once on labour ward I was upset to find I could not go into a pool becuase there were too many high risk deliveries happening and they could not spare a midwife to come with me to a pool room.
At 8am (and now 14 days overdue!!) a new midwife came on shift and she finally got me transferred to the water birth room, I got in the pool at around 9 30 am and felt immediate relief, it was amazing and I felt so relaxed. Me and OH loved it! I hardly needed the entonox once I was in the pool and OH has some pictures of me smiling between contractions at 7cm dilated! I got out the pool at lunchtime to have my waters broken and then got straight back in. 2 hours later though I was reassesd and had stopped progressing I was still only at 7 cm dilated.
When this happened I was told I had to go back to the main delivery suite and have syntocinon started via a drip to get things progressing. I was gutted to have to leave the pool and felt really upset at this point. I also worried how I would cope with the pain and so had some diamorphine which was excellent and I felt more relaxed with it.
A few hours later and after lots of very intense contractions when I had OH massaging my back I finally reached 10cm. I think this was around 5pm. It was so strange I really did just have the urge to push and couldnt control this urge at all. I didnt use the gas and air at this point as I just wanted to concentrate on what I was doing.
2 1/2 hours later I was still pushing with all my strength but baby was not moving and had started having dips in his heartbeat so at 7 30pm the decision was made to take me to theatre for a spinal and forceps delivery...unfortunately my baby was facing the wrong way and they could not get him out with forceps. They then tried the ventusse but this too was unsuccesful so the decision was made to do a section, a few minutes later and a very battered and bruised but totally gorgeous baby boy was born!!! We named him George and he weighed in at 9lb 90z!!!!
So after 3 days of labour, no sleep and every type of delivery attempted my little fella was finally in the world and I was sooooooooooooooo happy but totally exhausted.
He is 3 weeks old now and we are getting to know each other, I love being a mummy but am shattered and cant remeber not feeling tired! It has taken me this long to post this story because I was very traumatised by the birth experience and it took 2 weeks before I could think about it without crying, I still dont really feel like I have given birth and I am still forgetting that I had a major operation but I wouldnt change George for the world.
