MSE Pregnancy Club Birth Stories

*Redhead*

Just nipping in to post my birth story.

I was originally due 27th Jan, but given a date of Monday 31st of Jan for induction of labour, due to baby supposedly being on the big side.

Due date came and went, so induction it was.

Got into hospital for 12pm, to find them very busy. So had a couple of hours waiting while attached to a monitor.

Then about 4pm, I had Propess pessary inserted. Caused a couple of tightenings, then nothing. Was told it was better to be active and give it 12 hours to work. So went down to Costa coffee for a hot chocolate and a muffin

Walked back, read magazines and then about 10pm, went to sleep.

OH was sent home as there was no overnight stays on the ward and that was that.

About 3am I was woken with a sharp pain down below, and I felt a trickle run down my thigh. I jumped up and my waters broke all over the bed/floor. Midwife examined me and I was 4cm dilated.

I rang OH straight away and told him to get his bum straight down to labour ward, as the porters took me down.

Within about 5 minutes of waters going , contractions kicked in. I asked for gas and air to take the edge off and that seemed to work. Used that for about an hour, meanwhile progressing to 8cm.

Was put back on monitor to check baby was tolerating everything happening so fast.

At this point, I asked for diamorphine. Was told they couldn't give it till they had a decent amount of trace from the monitor for baby.

Was now that I felt the urge to push. I said so to midwife who told me to wait as I was only 8cm. Told her i definitely needed to, and she checked me again and told me she could already see babys head.

2 pushes later (and one big scream on my part as I could feel his head crowning, and was bloody painful on just gas and air) and my little man was here, weighing in at 9lb 3oz

Had him placed straight on me while OH cut cord, and was checked for tears/grazes, of which there was none. And that was it.

Had a 6hour discharge time as everything was fine, so was home in bed for 12pm.

I'm totally smitten, he's the most gorgeous little thing ever. It's definitely worth the pain xxx

Gillyx

Okay well I've finally recovered enough to post this!

Aaron Joseph born 28.1.12 - 7lb 13oz - 11 days early

I was due the 8th of February but thought I would have went over as at all my appointments baby wasn't engaged or showing any signs of moving. On Wednesday the 25th of January, I lost part of my mucus plug and started to get random tightenings here and there, I spent the night bouncing on my ball and sent OH out late on to get the hottest curry I could manage.

Was supposed to have a check up on the Thursday morning, I'd got up and realised I'd lost more of my plug and felt a bit icky, so went back to bed and didn't go to my appointment. Woke up about 12ish and had started having period type pains, which were quite sore, I sat about most of the day and was rather uncomfortable. About 8 o clock that night I went to bed to try and watch a DVD, but the pains were getting worse. We googled and thought it was maybe false labour so I tried to relax and get something to eat, but with the pain I couldn't face eating or drinking anything. It all kicked off about 12 when the pains became more and more frequent and we could time them to about 7 minutes between each. I stuck my TENS machine on about 3am and we sat it out, with OH trying to help me through each contraction, they were coming every 5 minutes by this time.

By 7am, I still wasn't sure if it was labour or not so we decided to head to hospital to get checked out, when we arrived my blood pressure was sky high so they stuck me and baby on the trace to check things were okay, I was examined and told I was 3cm dilated and to go home and try and relax and the midwife said she was on until 9pm that night so would probably see me back. They gave me 2 co-codomol and sent me home.

We came home, OH got a sleep and I continued with labour, I was coping with the contractions okay, but couldn't lay down or stand up, I had to sit on the edge of the bed with every one. By 3pm my contractions were coming every 4 minutes. I was so hungry but couldn't eat anything and hadn't eaten anything proper since the Wednesday. My contractions stopped and I phoned the hospital for advice, they advised me to try and eat something as my body was obviously in need of food for energy. I tried to eat but it was really difficult through the pain. Eventually after a sandwich the contractions started back even more frequent. By 11pm they were coming every 3 minutes, so we headed back to hospital. Once we arrived we had to wait for 50 minutes to be seen and myself and another lady in the waiting room were both having a hard time with contractions.

I got in to be examined and they told me I was 4cm dilated, I was distressed by this point, as I'd been having regular contractions for almost 24 hours, they said I could be admitted and took me upstairs, they offered me an injection of pethadine and since I hadn't slept since the Wednesday night I thought it may help me get a sleep so I took it. Unfortunately my contractions were still coming every 3 minutes, and even though I could sleep between contractions, I was sitting up through every one so didn't get much sleep neither did my poor OH. They came around about 7am and offered me another pethadine injection as I was really struggling with the pain, lack of sleep and how hungry I was. I managed to sleep a little after this as I suppose the first jab hadn't entirely left my system.

I was examined again at 10am and was still 4cm :eek: at this point the doctor came to talk to me and said they would advise an epidural as my labour wasn't progressing as fast as they'd like especially with contractions 3 minutes apart. By 1pm I was taken to the delivery suite and given the epidural and after that it was bliss, couldn't feel a thing and could finally get a sleep. They told me they'd come back and check my dilation at 8pm. Because I'd been given an epidural I had a midwife with us at all times so we all had a good bit of banter going and time flew in for me.

At 10pm I was finally 10cm dilated, almost 48 hours after my contractions had started, and could start to push, after pushing for half an hour, they had to get a doctor in who confirmed my baby had turned and he was attempting to come out sideways, he attempted to turn him with his hands but baby was just too stubborn, so he had to be turned with forceps, they then got me to push and Aaron appeared.

I had a first degree tear and needed an episiotomy but with the epidural, felt nothing

Was shocked that baby was as small, as we'd been told all along he was big, even in labour the doctor told me he was a big boy.

My experience with the hospital was on the whole a positive one and Paddy the doctor who delivered baby was amazing. Was a bit gutted afterwards when they told me they imagined my labour would have progressed a lot faster if he'd been in the right position, but not a lot could have been done about that.

I was totally against an epidural before having Aaron but after my experience I realise I needed it, with no sleep and nothing to eat, I don't think I could have coped. When/if I get pregnant again, I wouldn't automatically consider an epidural but if I was in a similar situation again, I'd have no doubts about it.

He is so scrummy and my heart skips a beat every time I look at him. I'd do it all again in a heartbeat.

Sorry this has been so long

toniq

Quite a few msers will know, My baby is an Ivf Frozen embryo transfer Baby, frozen May 2009, we tried for 6 years with countless medical procedures, iui's ivf's icsi's for our precious bundle, cost wise we lost count when it got over £25,000.....eek! but she is worth every penny and more! Thankfully we have no debt!

I was booked for a c section at 37 weeks and 4 days, due to baby being breech(bottom down, head up and feet up by face!) and me having having gestational diabetes, gestational diabetes can cause major issues in labour and babies to mothers who have it can get very tired and distressed in delivery, also baby can suffer from low blood sugar after birth so hence the c section.

On the day of the section, we arrived at East surrey hospital at 10am for an afternoon section, we were sat in a waiting room as no beds were available, after 30 mins 2 other couples joined us and we were shown a recently emptied bed,

An anaesthetist came to see us and discussed a spinal block, which was fine by me, and told us we would be going to theatre at 1:30pm,

A nurse came and done all my blood pressure, blood sugars, urine etc and asked me to get out an outfit for baby to wear after she is born, she also left me a gown and hubby scrubs to wear.

A dr came and she had a feel of bump and asked me to sign consent forms.

At 1:40pm a midwife appeared in scrubs and introduced herself as the midwife who will look after baby in theatre, she was really calming and nice,she explained vitamin k, and explained what she will be checking baby for and took our baby clothes and walked with us into the theatre.

Theatre was more nerve racking than i imagined, at least 10 staff, I was asked by anaesthetist to lie on bed, they done a quick scan of baby to confirm postion.

Then fitted a catheter,canula and drips, glucose and some sort of saline, because of my reaction to anaesthetics they used an anti-emitic to try to prevent me vomiting after the surgery.

Next a spray was used on my back to numb the area and then the spinal block was injected, from what I recall several injections into the back.

The bed was slightly tilted and the surgeon, who i had met in diabetes clinic reassured me they would thoroughly check before starting on the surgery that the spinal had worked.

Which they did as I just felt a strange heavy pins and needles feeling, I did hear the surgeon ask for a certain knife and had a moment of saying I don't think so, and said I'm out of here and going home, till the anaesthetist and hubby calmed me down, the sheet stopping me from seeing the surgery was just up to my chest so my hands were on my chest and i felt very closed in and vulnerable.

Within minutes our daughter was born, she came out bottom first and had to have her airways cleared for a minute before she made a cry, she was then wrapped in a towel and placed next to me, hubby holding her there, as the surgery to close me up started, this seemed to take ages, it was a good hour after baby was delivered they finished closing me up.

It actually wasn't as bad as I had imagined or convinced myself it would be!

The theatre staff were so kind, caring and professional at all times, I totally felt safe once i knew the Spinal had worked!

We then went to a delivery suite room for an hour whilst obs were done on me and baby, then wheeled back onto the ward!

I was given morphine and anti-coagulant injections on the ward, kept on catheter till next morning and kept on drips for 24hrs.

The after pain has been awful for me,I only feel now over 3 weeks later that i'm able to function without feeling i'm going to burst open, I wish I had been more prepared for the recovery from the section and realised how restrictive life would be after, it was a struggle for 2 weeks to get out of bed to see to baby without being in agony across the scar area, the whole area around the scar is very numb and still aggravates me but not to much to stop me from dealing with baby.


Though every ounce of pain has been worth it......xxx

delain

Isla, 03.01.2012

As some of you will know I've had babies that were big for dates previously so I had worked myself up thinking this baby wad going to be a monster and I begged them not to let me go overdue. They did a growth scan at 36 weeks which showed baby at 6lb12. Not that that helped, I was absolutely convinced they were wrong :rotfl:

Anyway they didn't listen to me and I went all over christmas and into new year.

On the lunchtime I went in to be induced.

I've been induced every single time, and previously the drip has been the only thing that worked. Cue my skepticism
when they tell me they use a skinny teabag looking thingy called pro pess instead of popping tablets up there, and it starts more people into labour without the drip. Got told several times how expensive they are and to be careful not to lose it going to the loo. I felt like a little kid who'd insisted on taking something fragile to school!

Anyway the idea is you keep it in for 24 hours then they break your waters to try and start labour. The mw was lovely and said I might get some twinges, and ill be put on the monitor in 6 hours.

I sat down reading for a bit and started to feel all cold and shaky, so I put my pjs and dressing gown on. This was at about 5pm after the pro pess being put in at 3.

Start to feel some pain and I'm wondering if I can sneak down to the chocolate machine downstairs. Then all of a sudden I'm to hot and the pain is back so I went to ask for some codiene. I think it got forgotten because of yhe shift change, or something else had the staff busy, either way I never got it!

Oh was at home with the other girls expecting me to be in labour the following day. I text him to ask if he could come if things started sooner.

By now I'm feeling quite restless though not in a huge amount of pain, I thought these were the twinges mentioned earlier. After wondering around for a bit and brushing my teeth, they put me on the monitor as promised at 9.

Told the new mw that I was feeling really weird and sitting down wasn't comfy and she apologized but said that I had to be monitored in case the teabag was upsetting baby, more so if I felt odd.

When I had to lie down and stay still it got very painful. Mw was looking at the trace and I got a bit tearful. She asked if I could feel contractions, I told her the pain was constant. I was thinking something was wrong because of the hot andh cold stuff and she looked at the trace again and said she'd get a pad for te bed and examine me.

As soon as she turned her back there was an audible pop and my waters broke all over the place, accompanied by huge pressure down there. At this point I started needing to push and i thought '**** I'm in labour!' Not realising I probably had been for a couple of hours :rotfl:

Anyway as soon as I said that there were loads of people everywhere and they took me down to delivery on the bed.

I text OH, just said 'come now' lol. Short and to the point. Was a bit distracted what with being wheeled down a corridor and trying not to push!

Poor OH had to get his friend to come and sit.at ours whilst he made his way to the hospital, which is about 6 or 7 miles lol.

They got me into another bed in delivery and I was 10cm. An quite proud of myself doing all that with just 2 paracetamol. I finally got some gas and air :j

I managed to hold on until OH was almost there, if I hadnt tried to hold out she'd have been born almost half an hour earlier.

As it was, she was born at about 10.46pm, weighing 9lb. OH walked in the door just as the mw was taking baby out of the door because she hadn't breathed. Happily I heard a wail just as the mw shut the door!

They said we could go straight home which I wasn't expecting, i had been told they like to keep you in if you deliver at night, and OH hadn't expected it so the seat wasn't even in the car!

So after he left to go and get it, I bf baby for a good while and had tea and toast. She asked me if I wanted a shower and I said no, I'll do it at home.

We got home at 2am :eek: poor OH put some serious miles in that night bless him.

And even got to show baby off to our poor conscripted babysitter who just wanted to go home, although he does like babies, and my friend from 3 doors down. Her son has ADHD and almost never sleeps so she was up.

So even though I had denial about being in labour till the last minute, it all went very well.

It was much less painful than the other times so being up and walking around really does help with the pain

Things have settled down now and we are all besotted with her

thegreenroom

I would like to start my story by recomending that everybody has a stand by birth partner as you never know what might happen.I was due 29th Jan but have always gone over and had to be induced with the previous 2,oh hadn't been feeling to well for a few days and had been the docs but they couldn't see what was wrong but on 27th he got really ill and dropped to the floor but insisted he didn't need a ambulance so I rang his mum and she took him to hospital,I went to bed not worried that I may start but woke up next morning and I had a show,I phoned oh and found out he was going to be in hospital a few days,I then started to panick as I didn't want to do it on my own and wanted him there,I phoned my eldest daughter and asked her if it came to the worst would she come with me,so she came down to stay and as I don't drive I rang my mum and asked her if I needed a lift to hospital would she take me if I needed to go,was having a few period like pains on the 28th but though it was just pressure,well I hoped it was and was hoping to hold out till oh came home,at about 10pm on the 29th I started getting some stronger pains so phoned everyone to warn them I may need them only for them to stop,so I text oh and told him I was going back to bed as it had stopped,fell asleep for a couple hours to be woken with what felt like a thud and really strong pains,I rang my mum and while on phone thought I'd better ring ambulance as they were coming so close together the operator told me to prepare for baby to arrive at home as I had had 5 other babies and it was happening quick so I tried to prepare with towels etc,the ambulance arrived and as soon as I got in the ambulance the pains slowed down thankfully,arrived at hospital and was taken to delivery room and they gave me gas and air and I was coping ok then the pains got worse and I asked for diamorpheine,my pains slowed down again and they kept getting me to sit up so that they would start again after about 4 hours I felt the drugs had worn off so asked for more and they told me I had to wait till half 10,I puffed away on the gas and air watching the clock and they broke my waters and the pain was really bad but I had only 15 mins to wait till I could ask for more drugs,half 10 arrived and I asked only to be told I couldn't as I was to close to delivery throughout this I was on phone to oh trying to talk and keep him updated and my daughter took over when I couldn't speak,she had brought the flip camcorder and was recording parts so oh could watch,I would recommend recording the birth if you can as it surreal to watch now,I kept saying not to film the business end so she kept camera up the head end anyway baby arrived at 11.25am on the 30th Jan watched coming into the world by her big sister who thought it was amazing

lovecrafting

i dont really know where to start with this one to be honest. as most of you know i had alot of problems in my pregnancy with loosing waters and various things like the spd that ment i could only walk on crutches, my stepdaughter being due 2 weeks after i was etc.

so i was on twice a week monitoring because of the water level and because the baby had stopped growing, they were concerned that my placenta had stopped working so at 33 weeks they asked me to have the steroid injections just in case baby was premature like all of the other kids have been.

at 34+1 i went in for a growth scan and they had a mad panic because baby had lost weight so they decided it was time to deliver, i asked for a section but as they were concerned about the condition she would be in they said it was better to give birth natrually and i should go home pack a bag and come back in an hr.

when i got to the ante natal ward that evening (after a mad panic finding someone to look after the other kids) they induced me there and then and said if nothing was working within 24 hrs they would give me a c section as baby needed to come out. omfg talk about pain, i didnt realise peoples hands could be so big, they had to put the pesery behind my cervix and holy jesus s christ it hurt. unfortunatley it fell out in the loo so no labour for me, then 12 hrs later they put the gel in and said i have 12 hrs left if i am not labouring its a c section, by now it was 7am and i was in complete agony, not with labour but with the amount they had hurt with the induction.

at 7pm i began having pains and dialating. unfortunatley it just wasnt quick enough so i was taken to delivery to begin a pre op. luckily there was no doctor available so i had to wait, it was past midnight before they came and re examined me. i was 5cm at this point and they decided to give me a few hrs to see what was happening, the aneshatist came to give me an epidural at this point, he tried four times but just couldnt get it right so i asked him to stop, he was causing me more pain than the actual labour.

at 02.40 they re examined me and i was 6cm, I had some dia morphene at this pont, i was offered gas and air but declined. problem is she accidently broke my water and things went fast then, in all my labour was 26 minutes long and isla allison was born.

we went onto the ward aand evrything seemed fine, until loads of doctors came rushing in and took her, i went mental wanting to know what was going on, turns out her blood levels were so high she was critical and her blood sugars were 0.9 (almost dead allegidly) she was in intensive care for a few days, the longest days of my life i can tell you.

when she came out she was put onto the ward and she was to have blood tests every 6 hrs in case her levels came back up.

on friday, at 7 days old she was allowed to go home even tho she had lost some weight.

the midwife has been twice now and is happy with her progress, at 9 days old i cant imagine life without her, my little squeek, all 4lb of her (4LB 8 at birth but has lost quite alot)

snoopytweety

Isabella Harriet Clarice - Born 10:02pm on 04/04/2012

Where do you begin, ok at the very beginning!!

I went for my consultants appointment on Monday 2nd April where I was booked in for induction on Wednesday 11th April, when Iwould have been 38 + 2. Whilst I was there though the consultant did an internal and opened my cervix and did a "gentle" sweep.

On Tuesday tea time I felt a slight period pain and when I went to the toilet, my mucus plug had started to come away as I had a little show.

Wentto bed that night at 11pm, and woke at 3am needing a wee, at that point I had had a lot more of a show, and felt a little more crampy. Climbed back into bed and put my pillow between my knees as my pelvis was aching. Closedmy eyes, nodded offand then realised that my pillow was very very wet.

I turned the light on and realised that my waters had gone, in a daze I woke DH up, and he went and got my notes so I could ring the hospital. They told me to put a pad on, get back into bed and rest for an hour, then walk around for a little while and ring them back to tell them what happened.

I rung them back after the hour and let them know that I had just lost more water and a little more plug, but no contractions.

They asked me to come in anyway because of my gestational diabetes, and bearing in mind I was only 37 + 2.

We arrived at the hospital at 4:30am, and was immediately hooked up to a heart monitor for baby, and measuring contractions, which even though I couldn't feel them, were happening!

I was given an internal and was 1 - 2 cm, so had to then stay in again because of the diabetes! I had 2 paracetamol!!

At 10am the consultant came in and I was put on an Oxytocin drip to encourage the contractions, and boy did it, from 10:30 onwards they increased the intensity of the drip and my contractions got stronger and stronger!

I stuck with the paracetamol until 6pm when they did another internal and I was still 1 - 2 cm! To say I was a gutted was an understatement and I had tried to be brave with pain relief until then and I had a shot of Pethadine, oh my, Pethadine is my friend!!!!

At 8:30pm, I was being bullied into a C-Section as they felt I was not progressing, and was unlikely to. I was made to feel a bit of a failure to be honest but after making sure baby was ok I put my feet down and insisted I wanted to carry on trying, I had already had another shot of pethadine at 7:30 ish so was not allowed anymore!

At 9pm I was bullied again and told that even though baby was doing ok I must have an epidural and c-section as I wasn't coping, I had asked for gas and air by this stage as the contractions were so so strong. I was examined again at 9:30 and was still only 1 - 2 cm so I reluctantly gave in and agreed to their plan.

They told me it would take 20 minutes to get there and 20 minutes to kick in.

At 9:45 I told the midwife and registrar that I wanted - no needed to push, I couldn't breathe, was in agony and felt like my insides were going to explode out!

They wouldn't listen to me and said I wasn't coping well with the pain, and wouldn't examine me. I screamed at them and made the registrar examine me who said "oh, the heads coming out2 Whilst examining me he had his hand "up there" and was pushing down on my belly, and it was the worst pain ever (I later found out he was turning the baby from facing up to facing down). I hit him 4 times and told him to get off me lol. He told me I could push and her head was out in two pushes.

It seemed to take a lifetime for another contraction to come but when it did she was out with one push, and passed straight onto my chest. She was born at 10:02pm.

From reading my notes my first stage labour lasted 18 hours 40 minutes, but the active labour lasted 4 minutes 4 seconds!!!

I suffered a second degree tear and had to have my legs in stirrups whilst they stitched me up.

Baby weighed 6lb 5.5 oz and was in no way shape or form the "huge" baby they kept telling me I was having all along due to the diabetes.

Her body temp was low because she was so small, and she stayed with me but had to be in a heated crib. She had to have regular bloods done because they were monitoring her for her sugar levels incase I had given her diabetes.

We were kept in for 2 days, in a room where the TV and internet were broken and there was no "sleeping" bed, just a delivery bed. I got no sleep for 3 days and was a little stressed but she did better and better.

Well I think that is it - feel a bit traumatised again now I have written it lol x x x

sunshine_1988

Aiden Born 11 March 2012, 8lb 4.

I'm rather late in doing this, but I made a thread about how scared I was to give birth and promised I would write my birth story so here we go.......

Well, I was due on 15 March. On 10 March I woke up in bed about 1am with some uncomfortable cramp type pains, I tossed and turned for a few hours and couldnt get back to sleep as I was very uncomfortable. About 3am I shot up out of bed as I felt my waters go, just a small trickle at first though.

I called delivery suite and they advised me to put a pad on, have some breakfast and to go in to hopsital a few hours later when I was ready - they wanted to examine me to make sure it was my waters. By this point I had lost a lot more water so I was pretty certain they had gone.

Tried to go back to sleep but I just couldnt settle properly and I was shaking very badly. OH made me a tea and some toast and we started to get ready to head in.

Got to the hospital around 9:30am, I was having some pains about every 6 - 7 minutes. The midwife we saw was horrible, she was really patronising as it was my first baby, she examined me and gave me a sweep - which hurt like hell. I think it was just her technique to be honest coupled with the fact that she wasnt too nice of a person. She said I was 2cm dilated and told us to go home, she said only come back when the contractions are 2 every 10 minutes and they have to be 2 good ones!! She really emphasised that we shouldnt go back until they were really good contractions! Failing that she booked us in for an induction the next morning.

Went home and settled for a little while but I started to get horrific back pain, nothing was easing it - baths, paracetomal or hot water bottles etc. Around 4:00 my mum came up and said we should head back down to hospital, even if it was just for some pain relief as I was so uncomfortable, contractions were on and off really but when they came they were strong.

Got back to hospital at 6pm and I was hoping the midwife we previously saw would have gone off shift - wrong, she was there still she wasnt welcoming and didnt really want me there. She examined me and said I was only 3-4 but she would keep me in as I was 'in some pain' She said she would go and get me some pethadine.

Fastforward 3 hours later, no pethadine still. My mum had arrived by then and despite her and my OH asking for it, nothing arrived. She finally went off shift at 10pm and a new midwife came in, I had the pethadine which unfortunately for me just didnt take the back pain away, I was very woozy and was talking some rubbish to my mum and OH - about naming a designer bag and asking someone to move thier car?!!!

Had another shot of peth at 11pm which still didnt touch the back pain, I wasnt dilating fast and was having bad contractions. The only relief I had was sitting on the toilet had incredible urges to push and I just could not control them and was pushing whilst sat on the loo for a good hour or so.

Midwife examined me and said I needed to stop pushing as I was swelling the cervix, tried some gas and air which made me sick as anything

In the end I just couldnt stop my body from pushing and the doctors agreed I should have an epidural. So at 5am, I had the epidural and it was just amazing, my back pain dissapeared completely and I was finally able to sleep. Mum and OH got a nap too.

At 7am the cervix swelling was gone and I was ready to push, also had a new midwife who was just so lovely. After 30 mins of pushing babys heart rate was dropping and not coming back up. Doctors cam to examine me and baby had turned back to back which was why I had back ache in early labour, they decided to use ventouse to get him out.

The final stage is a bit of a blur as the room filled with about 8 people, OH couldnt get near to me at first. Baby eventually came out and was whisked away to the end of the room as he wasnt breathing, I had torn and been cut a few times and was being stitched up. Unfortunately I think my epidural was running low at this point as I really felt the cuts and stitches and babys shoulders when he came out.

Eventually after about an hour baby was handed to OH, I wasnt able to hold him for abour 3 hours as I was being stitched and was also being very sick for a while.

When I did get to hold him it was lovely We had to stay in for a night due to the pre rupturing of membranes and because he wasnt breathing when he came out.

So all in all, not the birth I planned for and everything I didnt want happened, but he got here in the end and that is all that matters

Gosh thats long, sorry guys. x

glimmerofhope

Leo 6lb 7oz born 14th April

I had a feeling our little man may come early. Babies in our family seem to appear from 36weeks.

Anyway Fri 13th I had midwife I was 38 weeks. I did a urine sample which appered to have a show in it. I was concerned as I knew this could happen.well in advance of birth. So all ok at mw. I had been vomiting in the previous week and she just advised eat smaller meals.
So off home normal Friday went to bed as normal.
11.00pm went to the loo and my waters (later found out hind waters) had broken q mild panic by oh and calm by me even made him a cuppa before we headed to hospital. Quick examine and they sent me home.
Got home and was hyper so did a wash did the dishes bleached the sink work surfaces tidied lounge then went to bed.
Next morning nothing had changed so hospital told me to stay at home and come in a four to be induced if labour not started..so oh went back to bed, I strapped on tens machine and sat watching telly. There was some discomfort but nothing to get excited about. At about 10.00 I went to the loo and there was a small clot like on the pad. Called labour ward and they asked us to come in.
When we got there I was examined and was 4cm dilated on the tens.the original plan was for a Water birth but we had been beaten to it.
So it was gas and air and the tens machine. At 1.00pm two hours after arriving I was fully dilated and started to push. This went on till 2.50pm.when they decided on forceps, my lovely.midwife who had finished at 2pm but stayed on said give here one last chance tinpushas she knew we wanted little intervention. Forceps were out and ready onempush and Leo was out. As this had taken longer they were reluctant about a natural placenta delivery so I agreed to the injection. This was at 3pm by 5pm nothing had happened despite lots of hands up my foo foo. So they prepped theatre and so I was wheeled in to have a retained placenta removed. At 8pm I was on maternity with oh and Leo.
So a quick labour and birth 4 hours but then that again for the placenta.

I remember screaming one in a blood curdling manner but the pain is long forgotten

One thing we did learn is that a birth plan is great but flexability is.much better.
Glimmer

Carmilla

I enjoyed reading this thread while pregnant as I thought everyones experiences helped me prepare for my delivery. I'll try to be as detailed as possible as I felt better when I knew others had similar experiences.

I had a difficult pregnancy, very bad morning sickness (about 20 per day until 36 weeks, then about 6 times a day) and pgp from about 24 weeks, which left me house bound and on crutches. Due to previous miscarrages, I saw a consultant every 3-4 weeks, with a scan at every appointment. Sebastian followed the 50% curve the entire way through. The consultant told me to prepare for a premature baby, so every extra week was a blessing, making Sebastian healther.

At my 38 week scan and consultant appointment, Seb had turned breech, I was majorly disappointed as I had been promised a sweep. I was booked in for a ECV a few days later. Seb turned back by himself while I was chasing him around my tummy while trying to get a good trace, so no ECV needed. I begged the doctor to induce me, but she said no and I was 3 days under the guidlines/ policy, I just knew Seb would turn breech again and I wanted to try to avoid a csection. I was given a sweep before leaving, I also had a little bit of mucusy plug that evening, which was a not very pleasant yellowy brown colour.

Three days later, I wake up thinking Seb has moved positions while I was sleeping. I started having braxton hicks at around 3pm, I thought I would see how they developed as I didnt want to have a false alarm hospital visit. I tried to move around and change positions, but I was very immobile, I took a couple of paracetamol around 7pm. At 9pm the contractions are coming every 3-4 minutes and lasting for 2 mins and are starting to get more uncomfortable and a little more painful. I finish dinner, Chinese stirfry and tell my husband I might be starting labour. He is a bit of a headless chicken when stressed so I thought he might be better dealing with things after he had eaten.

Around 11pm I rang up the ward and told them I might be starting labour, they said take paracetamol and come in if I wanted an examination, but be prepared to be sent home. I changed and ready for the hospital then changed my mind about going in, as I decided maybe I could put off having a baby

I thought I would watch more tv and try to go to bed, but Seb had other plans. While I was watching Patrick Steward on Johnathan Ross, Seb started kicking in my vagina very hard, and with several whooshing feelings (like squeezing a water ballon) my waters broke, I waddled to the toilet and gushed for a few minutes, then vomited everywhere. Twenty minutes later I was being wheeled into a delivery room by my husband for an assessment.

A nurse checked my pad and said my waters had broken, a registra came in and said they had not and then he checked to see how dialated I was and I was only 1-2cms. I asked if they could check as I thought I was breech again. Registra was stroppy but got the scan and found I was breech. Then he started talking about a breech vaginal delivery and I told him I would be having a csection. My braxton hicks/contractions had mostly stopped at the hospital, so I had more paracetamol and was told to get some rest. During the night I had my first real contractions, but only one every 20 mins or so and by 8am when I was examined again I was still 1-2cm dialated. This time the registra came back to talk about the consent forms. I had a canual fitted, then the anethnatist came by and I signed his forms for the spinal block, then different consultant came by and I signed her forms for the csection.

As I have a very high BMI, they warned me very throughly about the dangers involved in having anasthetic and a csection, but I really didnt want a breeched vagina baby. At 11.30 I got dressed and my hubby had to help me put on these popsock, tight things to help prevent DVT's, then I hobbled down to the operating theatre. The bags were still in the car, where I had left them the night before.

The theatre was packed as they expected problems with me and with Seb, it took a while for the spinal block to work, they took about 25 minutes getting it right. The worst part of that time was that Hubby had to wait outside while I tried not to pass out, as Im not good with needles, operations and blood etc. Eventually the operation starts (a catheter was fitted) and I can feel lots of tugging and a some milder pains under the bottom of my rib cage, but Im mostly fighting with myself as Im trying to stay conscience. Things are a bit fuzzy here as I kept fainting, hubby and anethnatist are both trying to keep me awake and my blood pressure up as I was panicing a bit and it kept getting very low. I often pass out at the dentists The anethnatist kept offering me a general, while the consultant kept shouting at him not to give me one, during that time Seb was born. At 12.15pm When they said congratulations, I asked if he was alive, I meant to ask what he was as, I didnt know what sex he was going to be, despite the many scans. Seb was fine and given to Hubby within a minute or two. I tried to look at him, but I was still very panicked and dizzy, and due to the angle I couldnt really see him. They continued to stitch me up for about 30 minutes more, then we went to recovery for about 2 hours. Hubby gets the suitcase from the car with some clothes for Seb and then we get taken to the maternity section and I get my own room.

I was in hospital for 5 days, 24 hours after the operation the catheter was taken out and I was sent for a shower. It was an incredibly slow walk down the hall and I passed out during the shower, luckily I managed to lunge for the chair and hubby caught me before I was out. I was wheeled back to bed. The next day things were much better and the day after I had a walk around the ward. By day five I felt better than I had for months due to the lack of sickness and pelvc girdle pain and I had a fantastic baby. Seb had a little bit of jaundice and some trouble feeding but has been improving steadily.

Breastfeeding was difficult as I had no colostrum initially, then a poor latch, then thrush, then mastitis, then failure to thrive (we now combination feed), but Ive stuck with it and now it is finally enjoyable, but those first 6 weeks or so were hell like.

Sorry about the spelling mistakes and the lenght of the post and I hope you find it helpful.