MSE Pregnancy Club Birth Stories

wildfrog

Great thread, There has been more than one story on here that I've welled up whilst reading.

I'm expecting my 2nd and feeling miserable with sickness at present and reading these puts it perspective.

My son was born December 07.

It was boxing day and I was feeling uncomfortable, no pain really I just couldn't get comfy, about 8.45pm I decided to go to bed rather than sit fidgetting down stairs. By 2am I still hadn't really got any sleep (that I'm aware of, may of dozed a bit) and was having contractions. I wasn't really sure if it was the "real thing" or not as I wasn't due for another 16 days. Took some paracetamol and tried to sleep. I then had a bath at about 4.30am ish which helped a bit, I rang the midwife unit who told me to keep them updated. Because it was christmas time the post office had been closed for a few days and my tens machine was waiting at the depot awaiting pick up so lovely OH went to pick it up at 6.00am by then I was needing to concentrate on my breathing during contractions (10mins) but I felt in control of the pain. The contractions started to die of a little about 10am so we went to the recycling centre and did some bottle smashing This seemed to kick start the contractions again! I used the tens machine pretty constantly, I thought it wasn't having an effect..until I tried turning it of.... I turnt it on again pretty quick! At about 4.00pm I rang the midwife again and said that I felt I was struggling with the pain now and could I come in? They were reluctant for me to come in as my waters hadn't broken yet, but said it was my choice. I got off the phone and my waters broke as I stood up. When we got to the midwife unit contractions were 3mins and I was 7cm dilated. My mum then arrived at the hospital as it was close to her work just to say hi:rolleyes:. She ended up staying, lol.

After I was examined the pain got a bit worse and I was given gas and air while the birthing pool was got ready. I got in the pool about 5.15ish I think.The water was helpful as it supported my weight I could get up on my knees during contractions. My step dad finished work and arrived just to say hi, he ended up staying too. (as you can imagine it was a bit of a crowd! bizzarely I didn't really mind)

I found the pain fairly manageable wth the gas and air and felt fairly "with it" I shouted "No" once at OH when he was insisting to the MW that I would like a cup of tea but that was about it ( I really, really didn't want a cup of tea!)

Our son was then born very quickly at 7.10pm 6pound 1oz. I felt his head come through and told the MW but she didn't believe me. My contraction then stopped for about 10mins so she then checked and I was right. He was then born next push. I lifted him out of the water and held him to me while the MW put a hat on him and clamped the cord.

I then got out of the pool and OH held DS whilst the palcenta was delivered, this is a bit a blur, but I think it was quick and it comparison, not too painful.

I then fed son for about 15mins and then was stitched as I had torn. I found this the worst part of the experience as I felt out of control and vunerable.

Strangely, I found that I almost enjoyed giving birth. I feel very lucky with the experience I had and that things went according to the "ideal" plan we had drawn up.

I have waffled and rambled and this is much longer than I planned. Sorry!

lunastar

17 weeks on and I can finally be bothered to put down what was a fantastic, but loooong birth experience.
Summer was due on the 24th May and after a sweep on the 26th nothing happened, plug lost on the 29th and this is where the trouble started. I'd been having mild contractions on and off since the friday and had a mostly sleepless night on the saturday thinking baby would be arriving soon. Sunday came and went and it wasn't until about midnight on sunday that contractions started thick and fast and were only 3 mins apart after an hour and were lasting about a minute, woke DH and told him to run me a bath which i presently got in and my contractions stopped, and didnt really start up again till 2pm on the monday after my second sweep. I went to KFC and had a big daddy burger meal as a treat and made my way home.
I went and had a glass of rose in the garden and enjoyed the sun whilst the milder contractions came and went, but by about 6.30 i was really starting to struggle so we got ready to go in and be checked out. Got to the hospital and was told i was only 3cm which was what I was at the sweep so after having a bit of a cry to the midwife we were sent on our way again and we went home. I decided I needed something to work towards so I said I'll do 50 contractions and then we will!assess the situation so DH put my favourite CD on and we counted down the contractions whilst i swayed my hips from side to side. 11.30 and all 50 contractions were done and I was definately ready to go back in. Had a contractions outside the house leaning on the car whilst a taxi driver waiting for my neighbour watched on in horror lol.
we get to the hospital and they say i'm 6cms yaay so we get settled in and see how things go. one weird moment was me going to the loo and there being a moth in there (hate all insects as they freak me out) so I asked DH to move it for me and then the lights went out, the power had gone. so there I am on the loo having a wee and a contraction and DH is there with a moth in his hands and the MW is rushing about saying its ok it will reset in a sec.
After a couple of hours I tried g and a but didnt really like it so the mw suggested i get in the pool, but I was terrified of it stopping the labour again so it took a lot of persuading to get me in there. Once I was in tho i really felt like I could do it and found the water so helpful. I did seem to have an obsession with weeing and whether it was really my waters as i couldnt tell if i was really weeing or not so kept sending DH with the cardboard bedpan to the midwife for it to be checked, this must have happened about 10 times! DH fell asleep on the rocking chair in there for about 30 mins so i was really quiet as not to wake him, he later recalls the story that he was really worried that i was so quiet hehe, maybe he was just resting his eyes!
5am comes and still no baby and MW wants to examine me as she goes off shift at 6 but i didnt wanna get out of the pool and by this point im hunched over the side and all my legs and feet have gone purple and blotchy because ive been squishing them but didnt know! MW and Dh persuaded me to get out and tried to wrap me in a towel or get me dressed, but I wasnt having any of it, I just keps saying I'm sorry but i cant get dressed, i'll just be naked, so went back to the bed. Was examined and was 9cm and then hit transition This was definately the worst bit, especially when i was squatting at the edge of the bed and my legs had just given in as i'd been on them so long, DH then suggests getting on the birthing ball - plonker!! I really found this funny, but didnt want to laugh or i wouldnt be able to concentrate on my breathing so i told him to shut up, and this was the most offensive thing I said to anyone the whole time and I can be quite outspoken. I ended up on all fours on the bed and as the contractions were turning into pushing feelings i didnt know what to do as I was trying to go with it but it was only a little bit of a pushy feeling at the end of each one so I gave in and just breathed through them until the urge was irresistable. I cant to this day remember if the MW had told me to do this earlier on but it never occured to me at the time. Anyway i start pushing properly and MW brings me a drink which i sip through my hair as its all over my face and then she leaves. DH looks down there and goes oh my god i can see the head, so he says he is gonna get the MW, but I tell him he isn't going anywhere! She comes in and after about 20 mins of pushing, at 6.51 am on the 2nd June little Summer arrived. i remember the MW telling me I needed to lift my bum up as baby would be born into the bed, but my legs were so numb I couldnt do it, well i thought I couldnt. Also I had been bending the plastic mattress thing over my head with every push and I was biting it too!
When Summer was born she was given an APGAR score of 10 and we were all so in awe of her, (MW included), that we didn't even think to find out what she was for ages, we were just cuddling her! 17 hours of labour all done on a few puffs of Gas and Air and the help of the pool and I'm so proud of myself, DH keeps telling people Im his hero, so his bessie mate got me a marines T shirt cause he says I'm hard as nails hehe, when I'm older I think that means I'll be a tough old boot!

Phew! well done if you got to the end, I think i got a bit caried away!

Pleaseadvise

Nine days ago I had a VBAC - vaginal birth after caesarean.

I've written about my labour with twins earlier in the thread - post #9 I think. It was an easy labour but ended with the second twin needing to be born by section.

With this baby my waters broke in the middle of the night. There was a lot of water, so I had no doubt at all about what had happened. I rang the labour ward (because of my previous caesarean, the hospital rather than the local midwife were responsible for the labour) and was told I didn't need to come in if there were no contractions. In the early morning, I had some mild contractions, which then stopped, and I went in to be checked at midday.

The midwife didn't believe that my waters had gone! The gushing had stopped by now and even after examining me with a torch she seemed to think I'd got it wrong. I wished I'd brought in the soaked clothing from home.

I spent half an hour lying down strapped to a machine for monitoring and then she said she'd turned it off too soon and I had to do another half an hour! The mild contractions had returned but being unable to move was making them more painful. They were irregular and even though the machine was registering them the midwife said nothing when she looked at the tape so I assumed they had to be Braxton Hicks.

Finally I was allowed off the machine and the midwife said we could walk around the hospital, but not go home - she wanted me back for more horrible monitoring in an hour.

We went out to our car and I walked around it. When half of our hour of freedom was up, I was having frequent contractions and sent my husband to get my TENS machine even though I was sure this wasn't labour. The TENS was a lot more helpful than I thought it would be. I left it at a low level between contactions and turned it up during them. It distracted me enough to cope (though I was unable to concentrate on breathing as I had done with the twins. That might have helped if I'd been able.)

We headed back to the ward but by now I was moving very slowly. When we reached the bed I knelt beside it - I just couldn't face lying down and being hooked to the monitor again. My husband was great, very supportive, and distracted the midwife from bothering me. She decided I was in labour after all and could go to a delivery room. They pushed me there in a wheelchair at about 3.30pm and when they checked my dilation I'd got to 8cm.

I started breathing gas and air then. With the twins I'd taken light gasps of it and found it gave me moderate dizziness and only slight pain relief. This time I breathed deeply and got much more pain relief, but a lot more dizziness, in fact I was barely conscious and couldn't talk (I remember a midwife asking if I could hear her. My husband said 'She can hear you, she moved her fingers' which indeed I had. )

I was hooked up to a monitor by now but not so much caring. Then I reached full dilation and the midwives needed me to give up the gas and air so I could be more cooperative. I still had the TENS machine going, but couldn't really feel it any more.

The midwives started to get worried about the baby. It turned out they had been monitoring my heartbeat instead of hers for a while, but even when they sorted that out something was looking worrying. I don't know what, though, as my husband doesn't remember and my head wasn't clear of the gas and air yet.

I was told I had to get her out quickly or would need another emergency caesarean. Giving birth to the first of my twins had been easy as I only pushed as fast as my body told me, this was harder, but still not too long - second stage 12 minutes, my notes say. She was moving, but very blue in colour, and they took her away for a few minutes to give her air, while reassuring us she was fine.

I agreed to the injection to speed delivery of the placenta and the third stage was painless. I didn't need any stitches either luckily!

Now I was in my right mind again and able to hold and feed my new daughter! She weighed 7lb 10 and we have a video of her from about half an hour old. I was very doubtful about taking the camera into the delivery room but I'm glad we did as there's nothing gory on the tape, just a brand new baby (no longer blue!)

She was born at 4.27pm. Officially my labour started at 2pm, but that's just a guess as this is when we were out in the car park!

I asked to leave as soon as the hospital were willing to release me and we left at 8.30 pm that same evening.

I think I'd been quite worried about the small possibility of scar rupture with a VBAC as I felt immensely relieved afterwards that my uterus had actually got through intact! This is still going to be our last baby though!

madwoman85

Here is my birth story...

In the last couple of weeks of pregnancy my bp had been going up and down so the mw's were keeping a close eye on me and I had been booked in to see the consultant on Wednesday 14th to discuss the options and get a date for induction...

Whilst at the appointment, the doctor performed a sweep and informed me I was 2cm dilated and that she thought things would start happening pretty soon, even so they still booked me an induction date of the 22nd....

A few hours after my appointment I started getting contractions, although not too strong or uncomfortable at this point... The following morning at about 6:30am the pains were a little stronger and I had a few "clearing out" bowel movements (TMI!)

At 8 the contractions were still 10 mins apart but I rang the hospital just to check what I should be doing (they told me to have a bath and take pain killers etc)... By this time the pain was quite uncomfortable and very much in my back which I hadn't been expecting at all...

I tried having a bath, but that did nothing for me, I put the TENS machine on which took my mind off it a bit but didn't really ease any of my pains... I tried to keep moving but found the most comfortable place for me was sat on the loo! I think because the pain was in my back it was nice not to be sat fully on my bum!

Everntually at 2pm I rang the hospital because my pains were about 3/4 mins apart and I couldn't really take any more!

We got to the hospital at 3pm and they showed me to my delivery room!

I was advised to try another bath with oils in, which I did but again it didn't help with the pain...

I tried gas and air, but that just made me feel dizzy!

I tried pethadine which made me feel really sleepy but didn't take the edge off the pain either!

I just had to spend most of my time sat on the loo because it was the only place I felt I could cope!

At my first examination I was 4cm and was told it could be a long time before I am fully dilated so just to take it easy and try and manage the pain as best I could!

I was examined again at 8pm and it was at this point I was considering an epidural because the pain was just unbearable, even though I had always said I wasn't going to have an epidural! Anyway, when the MW did the examination she told me I was 9cm dilated and it really wouldn't be much longer, so I decided to just deal with the pain and get on with it!

At 9pm I started getting the urge to push, which eventually pushed my water bag practially out which burst when I stood up! :j Hehe!

The MW had changed over at this point and I was encouraged to get on the bed and push when I felt the urge...

I kept pushing and pushing, even though the pain in my back was awful - it was at this point I was told he was back to back and that it wasn't as easy to get him out in this way! The head was stuck in the "u-bend" :eek:

It was at 11pm that they decided they needed to intervene because I was knackered and the heartrate kept dipping...

I was told I needed forceps and everything was set up... I felt the cuts and it was probably the most uncomfortable thing I have ever felt in my life, but 40 mins later it was all over and I had my beautiful baby son Jacob in my arms and he was worth every little bit of pain!

I was stitched up and given tea and toast! :beer:

Even though this was nothing like I had planned or imagined, I would go through it all again for my little boy - he is the most perfect little man in the world!

Frith

Ooo, I've got 2 birth stories!

1. September 2000.
The day before my due date I was walking the dog and came home to see "a show". Nothing further happened except I felt like I might have an upset stomach. Went to bed but felt uncomfortable.
Couldn't sleep so decided to go to hospital at 2am. (With hindsight this was unnecessary). Went outside to see 2 shadowy figures by my car - this was the petrol crisis and they were syphoning off the petrol! Was not amused...
Went to hospital to be told I was not in labour and probably wouldn't be until at least 2 days later... Went home and went back to bed.

3am, heard a pop and my water had broken! Stayed in bed as long as possible and went back to the hospital at 6am. Told (again) I was not in labour...

Hospital was AWFUL. I did have the upset stomach and got stuck in the bath (!), in too much pain to get out easily and my ex husband asked for a sick bowl 3 times, then asked if HE could get one and where did they keep them. Eventually I was sick IN the bath and got a massive telling off by the midwife. :-( Told for the 3rd time I was not in labour and I was wasting their time.

Went back into my room (like a little cell) and was constantly told I was not in labour and to go home until 10.30am. I should say at this point I was the ONLY WOMAN IN THE UNIT!! and outnumbered by midwives 3 to 1! Then I said I was worried because my hands were shaking. All hell broke loose then as they realised I had gone through the whole of stage 1 of labour and had gone into the pushing stage with no one believing me, no checks done, no care or attention given at all.

2 midwives appeared and raced round, the ex tried to find a nappy in the hospital bag (that we had not bothered to unpack yet) and ended up grabbing everything out of it and throwing it all on the floor! The beastly horrible midwife decided I had to give birth sitting down (?) and would not let me stand up or move to any other less excuciating position. I said my back hurt (from damage to my coccyx done years and years before) but she refused to listen. I seriously thought my back was breaking, blo0dy woman.

Anyway, my son was born at 11.30, about an hour after I was told I was in labour. They put that I had been in labour for 5 hours on the form as that is when I arrived in hospital.... I felt completely emotionally numb afterwards and very, very angry. I wrote a long letter about 6 months afterwards saying how I was completely left to my own devices, left to be sick, bossed about etc.

Strangely, the unit was shut down a couple of years later because of the high number of baby deaths. This was a midwife led, low risk unit yet they lost 6 babies in a couple of months.

2. August 2003.

Well, I certainly wasn't going to that hospital again!

I woke up at 5ish with odd tummy pains that kept coming and going. My older son went to play at my mum and dad's and by 3pm, I decided I wasn't in labour after all and that he should come home (although I was 8 days overdue by this point....)

My mum said she would keep him there a bit longer and he could stay for tea. At 3.20 (not long after putting the phone down) I had my first contraction! The next was after 7 minutes, then 5, then 2. I raced upstairs between contractions and the midwife arrived by 4pm.

I just knelt on the floor and was quite pleased to see the 2nd midwife with some gas and air by 4.30ish! The only problem with the labour was it was so hot, it was the last really hot summer we had and 38 degrees so I had 2 fans in my room and lots of water to drink.

Nothing exciting happened, waters broke at about 5.45 I think and he was born just before 6pm!

lizziebell*80

Sat 24th Oct 2009 Lexie Lily was born at Worcester Hospital.
Started getting random crampyness at about 5am Sat morning, then they started getting more regular at about 3pm, getting quite bad by 4pm. Went into hospital after 4pm and was 4cm, not enjoying the pain! Went to delivery suite and tried some G&A but couldn't breathe through the tube properly so tried a bath, but was too small for me and not much good - but waters went while in there. Decided that I wanted an epidural as couldn't deal with the pain on it's own and things got a bit better, but when montioring the baby they saw that on every contraction the baby's heartrate was reducing to practically nothing then picking back up. They thought the cord was round her neck and needed to get a sample of her blood from her head to check the oxygen level, but that wasn't easy being that she was obviously still inside me! They also found it hard to get enough of a sample so they had to do it about 6 times - but level was fine (an operating theatre was prepped in case of c-section). I had to lie on my left side as this was the position that was the least bad with respect to the heartrate changing, but that meant that the epidural didn't work properly as my body wasn't even and the pain got lots worse again By that point I was 10 cm and was told to start pushing so they got me on my back (not ideal position but no choice) and in the end needed to help with the ventouse and an episotomy (apologies for the spelling!) but she came out eventually at 9pm weighing 7lb 7oz with the cord round her neck and tangled round her body, but she cried straight away.

So progressed quickly - was drinking RLT and taking EPO. Also everything shrinking quickly too so think the RLT has worked well.

Now very bruised and sore from stitches-lovely! Trying to get used to having the little gremlin as she discovered her lungs last night and was up till 6am......

karen1907

Tegan Lily born 4 November 2009 6.07am weighing 6lb 10oz

things started on friday night when I felt trickles of fluid coming out (felt a bit like when you have a period), i had changed pad a couple of times but it wasn't constant so not sure it was anything as I had no contractions. I phoned the delivery suite to see whether or not it was my waters. Because they weren't sure and said if it was waters baby would be open to infection me and DH went in about 8pm to get it checked. Turns out it was just excessive vaginal discharge.

Then sunday night contractions started as pains in my lower back. came about every 20 minutes on and off. Spent monday monitoring it with DH on standby to just time how frequently they were coming (I was told to contact delivery suite when they were every 5 minutes) by 10pm they were coming about every 6/7 mins so when DH went to bed I remained up monitoring. They hit every 5 mins at about midnight so phoned up delivery suite to see what to do. They just told me if I can manage the pains to remain at home - have a bath and take some paracetamol. Which I did but by 3.30am they were really starting to hurt. phoned delivery suite again and they said to come in. Got checked and was told I was only 1cm dilated so went home again. Spent most of Tuesday in pain and in the bath managed a little bit of sleep between contractions but not much. Had my 40 wk MW appointment at 3.40 so went in to do that and had about contractions whilst there. MW said she would check dilation and said waters were still there and that I was 3-4cm dilated to go into the delivery suite. Made arrangements to go in about 6pm so we had a chance to get something to eat before.

Got to delivery suite at 6pm Tues and had to wait for my room. Constantly having contractions which were getting worse and worse. When they checked they said that I was 3cm and my waters had broke (maybe after visiting MW) but labour wasn't established so they said they would keep an eye on me but may put me on the labour ward ready. I asked for gas and air but was told as they might move me to the ward that they wouldn't but gave me some codecemal (sp?) cross between co-codomol and paracetamol. Thensaid go for a walk to try and get labour started. Went to stairs but was in so much pain so had to stop every couple of steps. In the end went back to room.

They strapped me to the baby heart monitor whilst on the bed to try and monitor baby but it seemed that it picked up my heart rate. i was really struggling because I couldn't do much during the contractions so was in tears trying to get passed them . was on the monitor what seemed hours and just wanted to rip the bl**dy thing off I was in so much pain.

At about 11ish the MW came in whilst I was trying to sleep between contractions (I hadn't slept since Saturday night) and she said that it didn't look like my labour was progressing and that they could get me a sedative and put me on the ward or could go home with DH. I said I would prefer sedative with a hope to get some sleep. When she returned with the sedative I mentioned that the last few contractions I had made me want to go for a poo. So she said she would just check me and found that I was actually 8cm dilated (think the fact I managed to get some sleep inbetween a couple of contractions made her think things weren't as far as she thought??) so she said to stay in my room as it wouldn't be long. I said could I have some gas and air now then and she sorted it out for me. After using it for a couple of contractions I found myself really disorientated and unable to tell when a contraction had ended or forgot to start breathing it in time for the worst of the contraction so I gave up and continued just breathing and getting DH to rub the bottom of my back hard. A couple of hours later (I think) the MW said that I could start pushing when the urge came (rather than breathing past it as I had been doing) which is a really weird experience because it just like when you go for a poo. After a short while the MW suggested going on my knees with the back up on the bed to put my arms over. She then urged me to push through when the contractions came through and continue pushing as much as I could. I seemed to have several urges to push through one contraction and then just one the next. After quite a while of strange sensations of pushing something out (prob best I don't describe this in too much detail) but eventually the head came out (was a bit worried when no crying started, but this is normal) then waited what felt like ages for the next contraction to push the shoulders through and longer again to get the rest of her through. Then joy of joys I was told we had a baby girl and she was passed through my legs to hold her. I had asked for the injection to have the placenta delivered so turned round and lay on the bed cuddling my little girl whilst the placenta came out. After getting checked I was told I had a couple of grazes but no tears or cuts (phew).

Then after having our checks we were asked if we wanted to go on the ward or go home. We decided to go home for comfort. It was strange getting home with a baby and thinking right now its down to us. But as Tegan seemed to just sleep for a while we had a bit of chill out time. The first nappy change was a bit of an epic with the merconiom (sp) and nothing prepared us for the first night were everytime we put Tegan in the moses basket to sleep she just cried. I ended up just holding her all night drifting in and out of sleep.

Sorry for the epic. I think this was more for my sake. Seems strange that I didn't have any real pain relief and I think the MW was surprised too. But circumstances didn't really come up after not being successful with the gas and air. although next time (if/when???) i shall make sure that I have pain relief right at the end when the babies head came out that was the worst part of the whole ordeal.

Frith

Lizziebell80* - my first son was born in Kidderminster! Had a think about Worcester for my 2nd son but the first hospital experience was so negative I had a homebirth.

helen81_2

Ok, thought I'd write my birth story up while it's all still fresh, and raw in my mind....

Ok the labour wasn't particuarly long but the whole story is so bear with me!..

Saturday 31st October, 3 days over due I was getting in the shower when I got up and became aware of aload of slimy mucus falling out of me which I assumed was my plug/show. I began having tightenings that throughout the day were coming every 40 minutes. Went out with hubby and my 6 year old son trick or treating thinking the walking around would help bring it on abit if it was the start of labour. Found the walking uncomfortable,like babys head was banging against my cervix and I was still having tightenings but once we got back home I relaxed infront of Xfactor and the tightenings faded off.
Nothing else happened (apart from still losing lots of the slimy mucus) untill Monday morning when I noticed the mucus had blood streaks through it and it was so heavy,continuously flowing out of me,felt like having a period and just wearing a sanitary pad,yuck!! Then the tightenings returned in the afternoon but no regular pattern. They didn't fade off this time and by 10pm they were happening every 20-30mins. I tried to sleep but just lay there waiting for the next tightening to start. By 4am they had got down to every 6-8 minutes apart but were only lasting 30-40secs so were bearable. I was all ready to ring midwife and let her know what was happening, I was just hanging on untill they were coming every 4-5 minutes but I must have been totally exhausted and dropped off to sleep as the next thing I knew it was time to get up and get the kids ready for school and realised the tightenings had gone!! I got up and was most dissapointed! The muscus loss was still happening, even heavier and I was starting to get abit concerned as to why it had been going on since Saturday and getting heavier!! So I took kids to school then rang midwife to ask her advice. I told her the story so far and she sounded worried,said it didn't sound right and that I should go straight in to be checked over, which made me panic and I got all upset and went straight away. I was examined and found to be 2cm dilated-so all the tightening were at least doing something usefull, and I was told what I thought was my plug/show was infact my waters leaking!!!! I had been due to go to my 41 week appointment the next day for a sweep so I had that done while I was there-the midwife joked that it would be abit mean of her not to do it then, seeing as though I was there. She couldn't tell which way round baby was laying so took me for a presentation scan,which thankfully showed him to be still head down. So...that was my homebirth/water birth out of the window, I had to go straight away to be induced, they were worried about the risk of infection as my waters had been leaking for 4 days!! I got all wobbly again, felt like everything had been taken out of my control and was really scared about having to go into hospital, and I had heard some total horror stories about being induced so that was playing on my mind, also the fact that I had to go into hospital and wouldn't see my other kids (me and my son are very close,I'm lost without him, and I could picture his little sad face when I wouldn't be there to pick him up from school)
Anyway, couldn't do anything about it,just had to focus on meeting baby, so we (hubby had come to meet me) stopped off at home to collect my bags and babys bags (lucky I'd packed my 'just incase I end up having a hospital birth' bags!) I felt a 'pop' inside me as I drove into my street and as soon as I climbed out of the car my waters broke. I ran/waddled up the drive comedy style trying not to open my legs and looking around to see if any of my neighbours had seen me lol then once in the kitchen I took off my trousers and knickers and whoooooossssh it was niagra falls all over the floor! Didn't look atall like I expected waters to look like, I assumed it would be more water like but mine was all slimy and mucusy and oh,it is true,it does smell like sperm!!
I quickly got changed while hubby packed the car up,remembering to fit babys car seat in, god that was a reality check..we were gonna be coming home with our baby!!! and off we went. I was bricking it about the induction but luckily my contractions started on the way
I was strapped straight up to be monitored so a decision could be made about wether to leave me and wait for my contractions to become regular and stronger or induce me. I was so uncomfy at that point,stuck in a tiny, pokey, stuffy treatment room, couldnt move off the bed because of the monitoring,soaking wet through as my waters were still gushing! I was examined at 2pm and was 3 to 4 cm dilated and by now the pain was starting to make me writhe around abit on the bed. Midwife brought me some paracetamol and asked if I would like to get on the gas and air. I did think it was a little early to be starting on that,thought if I did,it wouldn't be as effective later on when I would really be needing it but I said yes anyway,midwife said there was no point being in pain! It was ok,took the edge off the pain abit but also made me feel dizzy if I inhaled too much and I got really teary and emotional about not being there at 3.30pm picking the kids up from school. I was convinced that my son would be really upset about me not being there and him having to have to go to my friends house,probably to sleep there too.
Around 5pm the midwifes had a shift change and I was wheeled to the delivery suite. That was great, nice big airy room with own bathroom and a tv for hubby lol. My midwife was fantastic,really friendly and sympathetic that I'd not got the homebirth I wanted. She quickly got the gas and air set up for me and dimmed the lights. A urine sample showed ketones and this was the reason why my contractions were still abit all over the place so I was practically force drunk a cup of really sugary coffee and jug after jug of water to give my body the energy to fuel the contractions into a regular pattern. I didn't really want to drink anything but the midwife warned me that if I didn't, labour could fail to progress or even stop alltogether. Well it must have done the trick cos after that things seemed to really speed up. I decided I wanted diamorphine so I was quickly given that. I started feeling pain in the top of my right thigh with each contraction aswell as pain in my abdomen so midwife allowed the monitor to be switched off just while I got off the bed and onto the birth ball to see if it would help move baby down quicker. It didn't help the pain. Another midwife was called in and they helped me to the toilet to try have a wee so it might make abit more room for baby as they thought the pain in my leg might be being caused by baby pushing down on a nerve. Couldn't wee, so got back onto the bed and had my bladder emptied by midwife,turns out it was full but babies head was stopping me from being able to empty it. Still the pain in my thigh was there though and both midwifes couldn't understand why. I was examined again at 7pm and was 7-8cm dilated. It all seemed to go by in a daze from there, the pain was extremely intense,very regular..6 contractions in a 10min period! By now I had pain in abdomen and both thighs and slowly making its way round to my left side too, I was screaming so loud with the pain in my legs..had it not have been for that I think I would have managed so much better. I was begging for a C-section, which midwifes ignored. Soon enough the pain of contractions changed to a feeling of massive pressure and I remember each time I felt a pain coming I shouted PRESSURE in an exorsist style voice I was examined again and wahay I was fully dilated so was told to start pushing when the pressure came again. I remember asking the midwifes if I'd sht myself yet and they both said no. Not sure if they were lying but I didn't really care! I was fantastic at pushing even if I do say so myself, both midwifes and hubby were full of praise for me each time, and when the head started crowning it burned but not half as much as I remember it last time and it didn't last as long. I was asked to stop pushing and pant just for one contraction then after that I was asked to just keep continually pushing, just pause briefly for abit of gas and air then carry on pushing. I remember thinking bloody hell,I'm pushing alot here,just how big is this babies head!!!?? Turns out I pushed him all out in one go..last times I pushed the head out first then the rest of the body!!
The feeling of knowing you've finally done it is amazing!! And the sound of that 1st little cry is just the most beautiful thing to hear!! 9.20pm he arrived into the world, hubby cut the cord and then we had abit of skin to skin time while the placenta was delivered..only 4 minutes later! I was checked over to see if I needed any stitches..nope,not even 1! Just had a tiny graze. Midwife wrapped Ethan in a blanket and passed him back to me for a feed and he latched straight on and suckled for about 5 minutes. He was then weighed and dressed and passed back for more cuddling. I was offered a bath but I started to feel sick so they said to wait for abit more. Then I was violently sick, all the water and coffee I had been made to drink,it all came up,there was 2 containers full!!
Finally had a nice warm bath and changed into fresh pj's and was taken down to maternity ward for the night. Spent most of the night feeding but it was lovely quality time together.

So here he is...Ethan Lewis Addy, born 3/11/09 at 9.20PM, 8lb 15.5
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pisces_cat

Resurrecting this old thread as I think it is so brilliant.

My story is copied and pasted from a word doxument as its soo long (hope that works ok) It is really long so probably don't read on if you're easily bored!! The gist of it is DD1 traumatic birth (though not half as bad as some of the stories on here!) DD2 and DS really easy..... Hope that reassures anyone expecting their second that it really is (usually) much easier second time around!

Actually it's so long I'll split it in 2...

DD1 - June 2002
3 days OD 1am finish checking emails and stand up - whoosh waters break with a great big gush, absolutely no mistaking it! Phone hospital and they say to come in for a check even though waters clear and no contractions. £30 taxi fare later, yes it was my waters, no I’m not having contractions, yes I can go home (another £30 quid taxi).

Get home about 5am and try to get some sleep, mild contractions have started but manage to snooze between them.

By about 11am contractions are really regular and getting too painful to sleep, wake OH and we faff around for ages before phoning ANOTHER taxi (expensive business this!) Can you believe the taxi driver takes a roundabout route, I’m moaning in agony (especially when he goes over speed bumps) in any other situation would have told him to let us out and get lost!!!

Get to hospital about 2pm and am sent to waiting room where we have to wait for about 20 mins, contractions getting really strong and am trying not to make too much fuss, am surrounded by horrified women in for early scans etc!!!

Eventually checked by MW, 5cms dilated and am booked in. Student MW books me in and reading my birth plan realises I have specified NO STUDENTS she apologises and offers to leave but she’s really nice so I ask her to stay.

Get a lovely brand new big room (hospital only open a month) with ensuite huge corner bath, have a bath and contractions start to get unbearable, get out and get G&A, doesn’t really help much and ask for a half dose of pethidine - everything starts to go hazy after this. I think its about 5pm by now, keep asking OH what time it is, but he doesn’t want to tell me for some reason ‘is it long enough for the pethidine to have started working?’ Yes - ‘then tell them to give me the other half!!!!!’.

Student MW goes for coffee break and is replaced by another MW, the one who took our ante natal classes and I really dislike - she spots some blood (not mine!!) on the curtain round the bed and starts saying we will have to move to another room and starts bustling about to organise this. I whisper to OH that no one is effing moving me effing anywhere and to sort it out!!!!! They eventually just tie the curtain back.
OH tries to slip out for a ciggie but I refuse to let him leave the room, even make him leave the door open when he goes for a pee so I can still see him!

Everything still really hazy, contractions are excruciating and I’m pretty much passing about between them and madly sucking on g&a during which is making me feel sick - this stage seems to go on for ever - I think about 8:30 they check me again and say I’m about 9cms shouldn’t be too long now. The student however has been on duty for 12 hours and has to leave, she asks if she can stay, just to watch and I say I would like this but they make her leave……She is replaced by my lovely midwife Mari who did all my ante natal appointments, such a relieve to see a familiar face!!! Contractions are horrendous and am gripping onto g&a with one hand and OH with other hand, MW tells me to try rolling onto hands and knees for awhile, which I do but won’t let go of either so end up in a funkle! They had to prise the gas and air out of my hand which by this time has cramped I was gripping it so tight!

About 9:30 Mari says I can start to push, although I’m not feeling the urge, everything is still so hazy and I feel knackered and sick. After a couple of attempts at pushing she monitors baby’s heartbeat and then calmly tells OH to push the red button behind the bed, nothing happens, she checks heartbeat again and with a look on her face I never want to see again very calmly tells him to push it again! Suddenly it feels as though hundreds of people are pouring into the room, but I don’t understand what’s going on, they tell me baby’s heart rate has dropped and they have to get baby out NOW and I need to push, so follows the most traumatic 15 mins of my life…. With random women holding my legs and someone screaming at me to push as hard as I can, and I don’t know if baby is alright or not. Pushing as hard as I can but not feeling any movement, nothing is happening. At 9:50 they do an episiotomy and suddenly DD1 comes flying out kicking and screaming!!! She is fine, though with the cord wrapped round her neck! (MW tells me it is the thickest cord she has ever seen - not sure if that is a good thing or not?).

7lb 6oz she is battered and bruised but gorgeously perfect.

Loads of stitches…….

The next day I realised my face, neck and chest are covered in little purple dots where I’ve burst blood vessels from pushing so hard, am mortified as I think they will never go away (they do after a couple of days)