MSE Pregnancy Club Birth Stories

Mrshaworth2b

I have come back and edited this to add more detail.

Blake - Born 16/03/13 6pound11 1:31am

Pregnancy -

For the first 14 weeks I felt pretty rubbish, I was tired all the time, sick all day long and generally moody.

After 14 weeks however the sickness went to once a day (first thing in the morning) the tiredness subsided and I was excited to be having a baby.

We bought and moved into our house at 4months and I went on maternity leave from work at 31weeks, I used two weeks holiday and then went on maternity! The last 9 weeks at home were amazing, I managed to get lots of rest and started a routine of being a house wife haha

At all my antenatal appointments, I was measuring fine, my wee was fine, the heartbeat was strong, I had a complication free pregnancy. I decided I wasn't going to have Blake in a hospital, as our nearest maternity services is a couple of towns away and I hate hospitals anyway, so I decided on our local birth centre.

Labour -

At the antenatal appointment before my due date I was offered a sweep the week later (3 days overdue) and agreed I would have one. The night before my due date I had period cramps and thought "this is it" It wasn't!

When I went on the Thursday for my appointment I had been having slight cramps anyway, the midwife said I was 1cm! The sweep wasn't comfortable but by no means was painful for me!

After the appointment, me and oh went into town for his eye appointment and the cramps were all in my back as I walked around.

After town we went to oh parents for a brew, I had to keep moving off the sofa because the cramps were hurting my back. Later that night we had a curry and had a early night.

4am Friday 15th, I woke up with period pains in my back so I woke my oh up. At 5:30 I lost my plug (like a jelly fish Tmi!!) and about 6am I had a bath for a bit. At 7am, my oh secretly started timing my contractions (I kept saying I had to be in more pain) He made me ring the birth centre and ask them whether I could go in to be checked over because his was wondering what to do about his paternity, especially if this wasn't "it". Annoying for me I didn't have any contractions whilst on the phone so the midwife wasn't very concerned and said if I wasn't far enough I'd be sent home.

We arrived at the birth centre at 8am after having 3 contractions in the car. I was checked (by the same midwife who did my sweep the morning before) and was 3cm, the midwife said I could stay and chill out for a couple of hours or go home. The strange part of this was that I left my bag, phone, purse etc at home because I was convinced I was going back home, I thought I had to be in more pain at this point lol.

We stayed in the day room and I used my tens machine to get through the contractions that seemed to be never ending!

About 11am I was allowed into a birth room and the pool was run, I was checked again and was 4-5 cms so was in active Labour. I got into the pool and started to use gas and air, at first it was giving me a head rush but def by the end it was more air than anything else!!

I was checked every four hours, I went to 6cm (checked my a student midwife, who got my hopes up saying I was 8, only to be checked by other midwife and told 6cm!) then to 8cm (where she broke my waters, I refused the student midwife having a go because lying and sitting was too painful for me) and then to fully dilated (where I had a catheter inserted because I hadn't wee'd enough throughout, this was incredibly painful and the midwife said it was because she had to go behind lo's head).

I had a meltdown every hour for 3hrs because I was convinced I couldn't do it and that the baby wasn't coming but in between all of these the midwives commented on how calm I was throughout the process.

At midnight I was fully dilated and the midwife told me I had an hour to push him out, this made me really positive and I remember I kept saying to my oh that I would have the lo out in the hour.

An hour later and he was wasn't here, the team leader midwife came in and I was told to get out of the pool, I resisted for about ten minutes because I was so warm but then got out and was put on a birthing stool with my oh behind me rubbing my back in encouragement.

Half an hour later I had my baby! I had a big gulp of gas and air and then pushed 3 times for each contraction. Towards the end the midwife said "ohh he doesn't like being squeezed" I remember thinking "No I wouldn't like that either" but my oh said his heart rate was dropping and they were getting worried. They called a third midwife in to stand next to the resuscitator, thinking he would need some help.

I had to be cut at the end, and she did it just as I was pushing his head out. Whoever says, its like having a massive poo, is not doing it justice lol

Blake came out crying and pooing, but didn't need any help and was passed to me, where I was in complete shock and just looked at him and held him, I remember thinking he was soooo hot! (Did I expect him to be cold? I dunno, to much gas and air me thinks!) They passed him to the third midwife who rubbed him down and my oh said I just stared at him, pupils all massive in my eyes! Then I cried with happiness, I think it finally hit me!

Overall the birth was amazing and even now I know I will do it again and would do it at a birth centre with just gas and air. If I had been in hospital I have no doubt I would have had to have a c section and other drugs, the birth centre was so relaxed and the midwives were all so lovely.

I hope this birth story helps anyone that reads it, I read these for the last week of my pregnancy, people have very different births, some good, some not so good, but at the end of it all, you have a son or a daughter and that outweighs the birth experience.

Don't listen to people when they tell you horrific stories, or how much it hurts. Tooth ache kills me, but I pushed my baby out with just gas and air! Go figure!

4 months on, I cant tell you what a contraction feels like, but I can tell you how I felt holding my little boy for the first time. That should say it all

jaibaby

Braxen Lee George born 25th March @ 10.01am. This was out fourth, and definitely final, baby!

Braxen was due 29th March, and we always joked that we needed another March birthday because compared to every other month (that has a minimum of 3 family birthdays) March is only my nans birthday, and she was feeling a bit left out :rotfl:

On Sunday 28th I had a show (the plug) - this had happened on my other three and I'd had them the same day. The difference this time - I wasn't having any pains. So I got up at 7am and went to the carboot sales with my daughter and nan-in-law, as we'd arranged. About 9am I had a pain - well, back ache. They didn't last long and came every half hour or so. Got home at 10.30am and fell asleep. Pains had totally stopped so decided to go for a walk. The pains started up again but still not painful and not regular. At about 6pm they were coming every 8 minutes but not intense enough. At 8pm they stopped again, but we took the kids over their nans to sleep just in case I went during the night.

At home I had a bath and waited for something to happen. Told my OH that there was no point in me sleeping as I would feel like rubbish if I did go so waited up. 2am I gave up and went to bed after no pains

Got woken at 6.20am with a really strong pain (still in my back) and told OH - who had waited up all night :rotfl: that we were going. We popped over to see the kids at their nans at 8.45am and the pains were every 8 minutes and lasting about half a minute. My eldest daughter had been ill in the night (cold and sickness ) so I spent a few minutes cuddling up to her - she was worrying because I kept squirming and shouted at me to go to the hospital because she didn't want to see any blood :rotfl:

9.15am - the pains jumped from 8 minutes to 4 and I told my OH to get the bags in the car, his grandad was driving and told me if I gave birth in the car the baby would have to be called Toyota :eek:

We arrived at the hospital after having a few pains on the way where I wanted to push! On the ward at 9.50am and we were shown to a delivery room - a pain came and I told the midwife I needed to push. She told me to get on the bed and she'd see what'd happen. I told her she'd have to break my waters as they had to on my other 3, but she said give it 10/15 minutes and if nothing had happened she'd take a look and see what was going on. The next pain I told her I had to push, she said go for it, don't fight against it, and in one push Braxen was out on the bed. Me and the OH just looked at each other in astonishment. The midwife couldn't believe it, another walked in and said "Oh, you've had him then?" - 11 minutes on the ward - my notes weren't even filled, we had no injections ready, no blanket to wrap Braxen in - the second midwife ran off to get a trolley!

The cord was wrapped around Braxens neck 3 times :eek: but he was fine and a lovely pink colour. (Same happened on my other son - cord was wrapped around his neck, just once, but he came out blue and scared me! He's fine though.)

We were talk of the ward all day. Nurses kept coming in to see Braxen and have a giggle about how quick he was born. And I'm still shocked by it to this day - although we did joke that he'd walk out! Haha.

He is now 2 and a half weeks old and a little darling. He's sleeping through already, follows the other 3 there, they were 2 weeks when they slept through too.

sarahevie

Fairly uneventgul birth story from me.

Had been in quite a lot of pain at work, thought that it was braxton hicks as had been having them for the week before.

Anyway drove a colleague home, and had to do breathing, thinking the pains will pass, the pains will pass. Didn't at this point really think I was in labour. 23.15

When I got home 15 minutes later I was in agony said to OH I can't cope anymore phone the hospital. 23.30

In his wisdom he decided to get our other two children out of bed as he said I was being a drama queen, and that it would cheer me up. So had my 3 and 4 year old with me.

Was sat on sofa, couldn't get comfortable, felt like I needed to pooh so was on the toilet. The pains were that bad that I couldn't move off the toilet. FIL came over to look after the kids, drive us to hospital as OH doesn't drive.

In between contractions got up to walk to the car, waters popped on the driveway and Ruby fell onto the floor. 00.15.

OH came out after me, after he had locked the house up as he thought we were going to the hospital. I turned to him and said I've had the baby, he said you haven't, I said she's there on the floor.

He scooped her up, took her the other side of our huge gates, to his dad and our other two daughters and I could hear him telling them the baby was a girl.

We waited for the ambulance responder to come. Ruby went a little bit blue from being born in the pouring rain but was absolutely perfect. Went to hospital and had to have a spinal for a D&C to make sure all the placenta had come away. It had. Due to the spinal I had to stay in hospital for 12 hours but was out by tea time the next day.

continualdiamond

Scarlett Paige Sarah was born at 2.10am on Sunday 6th October 2013, our 1st baby.

I was due the 23rd September which everyone said I'd timed well with working in a school. I only worked 2 days of the new school year out of fear that baby might arrive early....I shouldn't of worried, hahaha.

My due date arrived and passed and so did the next 11 days. I had two failed sweeps, one a few days after my due date and one two days before being induced.

At my 1st failed sweep appt my midwife booked in my induction for the 5th. Once that happened I just knew we'd be making the trip to the hospital on that date.

Sure enough on the 5th I was ringing the hospital to see what time I was to go in. We were told to arrive for 11.30am and after all the usual admin side of things I was induced at 1.30pm and told I could do whatever I wanted but not to leave the hospital grounds.

Not much you can do really so hubby and I got some lunch and a drink and then just walked around. At 3.30pm my ph rang, I was to go back to induction ward to be given laxatives, how lovely.....my midwife had given me lactulose on the Thursday but apparently it had no chance of having any effect by the Saturday as takes a few days to work. I then had to stay on the ward whilst it worked, just charming, but apparently being blocked up makes for a more difficult labour.

5pm arrived and that's tea time at the hospital so had my tea and then convinced hubby to go home and get some rest. The midwives agreed with me that nothing was going to happen anytime soon and I'd need him the Sunday refreshed, so off he went.

6.30pm started with tummy cramps and by 10.30pm they were a lot worse so I asked for some pain killers to take the edge off a bit so I could get a bit of sleep. They did nothing.

I felt like an idiot as kept thinking if this is painful I'm going to be in sheer agony later. Baby was monitored every few hours and at one time was monitored for 45mins instead of 30 as they weren't too happy with the readings.

I was told they'd monitor again at 2am but at 12am a midwife was back to monitor. This time things changed and she wasn't happy with the readings so fetched a dr. At 12.30am I was being told it was looking like a c section & I was going to labour suite.

Felt guilty as was then ringing my hubby to say come back. Once on labour suite they broke my waters first to see if that helped baby and I heard the dr say '5 mins on the machine, magic number is 100'.

Hubby arrived at this point and the machine only reached 96, I watched that machine like a hawk. So off we went to theatre, no messing, c section now.

Had a spinal and remember feeling all weird, my arms began to shake and my teeth chatter. I asked if that was normal and was told it was.

Our little girl was born at 2.10am and weighed 6lb 8oz (her predicated weight was 9lb 6oz) I didn't look at the clock but hubby said it only took 20mins for her to arrive from me having the spinal.

She was totally fine and the only explanation for her low heart rate was my body over contracting as was only 2cm dilated and she had hold of the cord.

I stayed in hospital 3 nights in total. The Saturday obviously cos I was induced and then the Sunday & Monday due to the c section. We left hospital at 2.30pm on the Tuesday.

I ended up with effects from the spinal on the left outer of my leg in that it wasn't completely back to a normal sensation and my left foot had pin/needles all the time. I was checked for DVT which came back negative and was told it could take a month to return or might be like that forever. I also ended up with a mild infection in my c section wound but a course of antibiotics looks to have cleared that up.

Scarlett is 4 weeks old today and now weighs 8lb 3oz. The sensation in my left leg has pretty much returned to normal, just a slight section of my skin near my knee is yet to return to normal.

All in all really both of us are doing fine which is of course the main thing.

neneromanova

Edward Lucas born 28th October 2013 at 02:20am weighing 8lb 4oz. 41 weeks exactly

Birth plan: get into hospital asap for a water birth, but if not able to, have a home birth. 2 previous births were uncomplicated.

I had mild braxton hicks start at about 9:30pm when i was in bed getting ready to go to sleep. DH was sleeping downstairs (I kept him awake in the last few weeks bless him). I had been having the braxton hicks every night for the past 2 weeks when I went to bed so thought nothing of it. I did download a contraction app though as I thought I hadn't got one yet. I must have been psychic :rotfl: I tried the app out by using it on the braxton hick. Then I noticed that they weren't stopping and were going in a pattern :eek:

I went downstairs to talk to DH and just let him know what was happening. I've only ever seen him get up and dressed as quick as he did once before and that was with DD2 :rotfl: I rung labour ward to see what they thought. she said come in and she'd have a look for me. The pains were still very manageable/period type pains. Rung mother to come baby sit (she was less than impressed with it being 11pm :rotfl:

family arrived and took DD's back to theirs (was the night of "The Storm" so didn't want to get stuck at ours. They live rurally) We went to the hospital at 12ish and Liz (the Midwife) talked to me for a while then went off to do things and let me progress on my own for a bit. The pains were still quite weak but I couldn't talk through them so knew this was it. Midwife came back and could see things were progressing "nicely" as she put it :rotfl: . She metioned that both pools were unfortunately in use . I asked for an examination and she found I was 4cm (1:06am) Well she must have hit something while examining me as that was it. Full on pains. Luckily she handed me them G&A (I love that stuff)

I laboured away and then started pushing. Having only pushed in a bath before, the pain to me was intense! I was actually crying But luckily I only pushed for 10 mins. My waters went just as Edward came out at 2:20am, 1hr 14 mins after the midwife examined me. (Apparently active labour is from 4cm so that's the only bit of birth they count). unfortunately , the moment he was out, I started to hemorrhage. I didn't notice as I was up on all 4s hanging over the top of the bed and looking for his man parts to notice the amount of blood coming out of me. Tbh, I thought it was normal what I saw. The midwife asked DH if she could give me the injection to make the placenta come out straight away. I never noticed this and didn't know she'd done it until I'd turned around and then delivered the placenta. Poor DH was so worried but was so brave for me. I never actually saw the fact that there was blood on the floor until a little later on. He kept so calm through it all that i wasn't worried.

The midwives cleaned the bed while trying to stop the blood and checking for any tears. There weren't any luckily. Then the horrible man known as the doctor came in. DH said he could have punched him :rotfl:. Basically, my womb wasn't contracting so they put an IV in my hand with a drip to help contract my womb to stop the bleeding. But while this was happening, I had the midwives rubbing me clean down below to check blood flow, and the "lovely" doctor was massaging my belly as hard as he could to help womb contractions. it was horrible at the time, but looking back on it now, I could see it needed to be done. Didn't help DH though as he could see this bloke inflicting pain on me and wanting him to stop. When he'd finished massaging my belly, the midwives put a catheter in (apparently an empty bladder helps the womb contract even more). Then I was left in peace to settle.

My first 2 births were quick as well and I was able to leave the hospital within 4hrs of birth for both. This one I had to stay in til 5pm that day That was an experience.

Edward is 3 1/2 weeks old now but still has Jaundice, but is fine.

amyloofoo

Inara Beth born 23/12/2013 via elective C-section at 17:12. She was 39+2 and weighed 7lb 9oz and is our first baby

I had an elective caesarean due to hypermobile joints (with dislocations during pregnancy) amongst other issues. The planned mode of delivery changed a couple of times during the pregnancy, with different doctors disagreeing on whether a caesarean, a waterbirth or an early epidural would be best. In the end, I decided a caesarean was the best option and we were scheduled in for the 23rd December when I was 39+2 weeks - and I was constantly paranoid I'd go into labour spontaneously beforehand!

We were asked to arrive at 8am, but were made aware that the clinical situation of each elective would determine the theatre order, and obviously any emergencies would have priority. As it happens we didn't end up getting in until just before 5pm, by which time I was absolutely famished and really thirsty as I'd been fasting since midnight and no fluids since 6am. Everyone in maternity assessment was lovely and they were good at keeping myself and DH updated as much as possible... but obviously we were just excited to meet our little girl, nervous about the section and wanted to get it over with as soon as possible.

At around 4pm we were getting nervous that they'd send us home and wouldn't be able to do the section that day, but were eventually told to get changed into the appropriate theatre garb and informed that we were next! The anaesthetic team were great and sited both a spinal and an epidural in case of any issues (we were aware beforehand that there was a small possibility of issues) and they took time to ensure that I was relaxed and suitably numbed for the operation.

In theatre everyone introduced themselves and worked hard to make me and DH comfortable. Incision was just after 5pm and Inara was born at 5:12. We had been warned a couple of minutes before that babies (especially born via caesarean) can sometimes be a little 'shocked' and slow to cry, so not to worry if we didn't hear anything for a minute or so. There was no need for the warning - she came out absolutely screaming and letting everyone know that she was here and well! Apgars were 10 and 10 at 1 and 5 minutes and Daddy got the first cuddle.

Unfortunately things went a little wrong here for me, as when Inara was born, the anaesthetist said that the pressure change meant that my anaesthetic was no longer working as high up my body as previously - meaning that I was now able to feel what the surgeons were up to :eek: I let the team know (apparently I was way too calm and polite about the whole thing!) and they took a break whilst the spinal was topped up with an epidural. I then started to feel unwell and was vomiting bile, but again this was quickly dealt with. Within 10 - 15 minutes or so all was well and I was back in recovery within an hour and a half, albeit completely unable to move or feel my legs :rotfl: DH was brilliant during this time, giving Inara lots of cuddles and assisting me with skin to skin and breastfeeding. I was eventually able to have some tea and toast at around 7:30ish (which was divine after the fasting!) and DH assisted me with having a 'cleanup' in bed and generally making myself feel human again.

I was moved to the postnatal ward at around 9 and given a lovely private room. DH was only allowed to stay until 10 and it felt really strange to see him go, but all the staff were very reassuring about offering any assistance needed during the night and DH spent a good 10 - 15 minutes before he left making sure that everything I needed was in arm's reach and that the bed height and cot position, etc was best for enabling me to get to Inara. I managed to breastfeed without assistance, but when Inara needed a nappy change at around 11pm I had to ask for some help with getting to her. The night staff were more than happy to change her for me, but I was able to feel my legs again and thought getting mobilised would be best as I wanted to be as 'normal' as possible and hopefully go home the next day.

I was allowed home in the evening of Christmas eve with iron tablets and painkillers (haven't needed anything stronger than paracetamol and ibuprofen, hoorah!) Inara is feeding really well, albeit somewhat painfully due to her wild lunges for the breast and powerful suck :rotfl: All in all, I know lots of people are scared of needing a caesarean delivery, but I wanted to reassure that even with complications they can be a lovely positive experience and are not necessarily the traumatic event that some people have had.

firefly369

Benjamin Alexander born 15 January 2014. Induction at 38 weeks and delivered using forceps.

Gestational diabetes meant that I had to be induced before 39 weeks. I had a sweep at 37+6 and was already dialated 2-3 cms so was sent to the hospital at 38+1 to have my waters broken. That went very smoothly and I was hooked up to the hormone drip. The hormones made me dialate very fast :eek: and I became hyper stimulated. I pushed with the aid of gas and air for over an hour and it became obvious that the baby was not making any progress. I asked for and was given an epidural as it became obvious there was going to be a problem. Another hour of intense pushing with the epidural could not get junior anywhere crowning near so the obstectic consultants as well as the baby team, the midwives and the anethestist were all crammed into my room for a forceps delivery and episiotomy. Needless to say it was extremely stressful and not at all what I had imagined. Still a bit shocked and overwhelmed at how fast it all happened.

After the large episiotomy cut was made junior was dragged out with the forceps and he was placed screaming on my chest. At first I was overjoyed to have it all over and have my baby but then started to feel woosy and blacked out. Don't remember much for the next couple of hours. Apparently I lost 2 litres of blood, was concious for a few minutes and then blacked out again. Woke up several hours later with a oxygen mask on and hooked up to drips with a cathater.

The good news is that my baby was fine and my partner was a star at looking after the baby, doing skin to skin, dressing him and taking care of him while I got sorted.

Unfortunately I never got any milk or colostrum, probably due to the heavy blood loss, so was very disappointed to not be able to breast feed my boy even with the determined help of two excellent midwives. There is just nothing there.

I was kept in the labour room overnight and into the next day while they decided if i would need a transfusion but eventually decided not to and I was moved to a postnatal ward where I finally got to start caring for my son.

Was discharged three days later with a big bag full of medication and blood thinners and some extremely painful stitches you know where.

I can't praise the labour and delivery staff enough. Even tho it is not the birth I would have chosen or planned they all did an amazing job and every one of them came to visit me in the postal ward, check on me and take a look at my beautiful boy.

Now we are both glad to be home starting our life together. He is currently on his best behaviour after causing so much drama. We are still trying to stimuate breast milk and I hope to be able to express into bottles in the near future.

mincepiemonster

Friday 24th January started like any other day (apart from being 10 days overdue!) I was booked in for induction on Sunday so I had kind of written off he idea of going into labour naturally - despite having been 2cm dilated for over a week! I took DD1 to dance class and joined in the dancing - Bob the Builder is always a favourite. Got home about 11.30 feeling normal, put DD1 for her nap and had a little doze myself.

Around 2pm I phoned my mum for a chat and said I was a bit crampy but nothing to write home about. Around 3pm contractions were really quite painful although only around 20 second long. I asked DH to come home from work and mum came to collect DD1 while I jumped in the bath and had a couple of paracetamol. By 4.30 contractions were longer and getting stronger so I phoned the birth centre and we headed in.

Examination at 5.30 showed I was only 3cm although cervix was paper thin. I popped on the Tens and We went for a mooch round he hospital and got back to our room around 6.30 at which point my waters broke. Around 7 we sent for the midwife who offered gas and air (it made me feel sick) and listened in to the baby. 7.30 ish she came back as I was feeling a bit of an urge to push. I was swearing about the Tens machine being useless - until I was examined and 9cm! The urge to push was really strong so the midwife helped me breathe through the next few contractions so as not to thicken the cervix by pushing before fully dilated. After a 7 minute second stage baby was born a healthy 8lb 4oz and just a tiny first degree tear From birthing her (not insubstantial!) nose. No stitches, skin to skin for hours while baby breastfed then up for a shower and home by 1.30am! DD1 came and joined us at home at 10am which was wonderful as I didn't want to be apart too long. Baby is now 6 days old and feeding like a trooper.

bigzippy

Not sure how much detail was expected, so sorry if this is a bit much!!

MiniZee (our firstborn) born 18/01/14 20:41 @ 41+3/term+10

My health considerations
I have a number of conditions that meant my pregnancy/birth was considered to be intermediate-high risk. I have hypermobile joints so there was a risk of hip dislocation (in particular) during birth - a rhuematologist was consulted and they pretty much thought that I should try regardless but be careful of the positions my legs were put in (especially if under epidural/GA).

I also have ME/CFS and fibromyalgia, so considerations as to whether I would have enough energy to get through the labour and birth (and whether my nerve endings would be overstimulated and I would be in agony) had to be made. I met with an anaesthetist in advance of term too.

Waterbirth was both recommended (supports joints) and my preference, although epidural was considered to be the "gold standard" for me by the consultants. The theory was that the more my pain was managed and the better hydrated I was, the more likely I would be to have the energy to get through the labour and be able to push when the time came.

The labour
10pm ish Thursday (16th 40+8) I thought I'd seen some show, and had a contraction or two. Went to bed and kept my eye on things. Couldn't sleep and just felt like things might be starting soon.

4am Friday (17th 40+9) Contractions started again. They were irregular but frequent. I used an app on my phone ('Contraction Timer' for Android) to record and time them. I had more bloody show. I called the hospital around 7am ish and told them I thought labour had begun but that my contractions were irregular in frequency and length. They left it up to me when to go in (as things could get too much for me, with the conditions, very quickly) etc. I agreed with wanting to stay home as long as possible, while trying to strike the right balance between not leaving it too long to be able to cope.

There were times where there was 20minutes between contractions, and the occassional hour gap, and a 4hr gap at midday. I just tried to nap when I could, and had a shower etc and made sure bags were prepared etc.

DH rang in work and took the day off We didn't tell anyone I was in labour, especially as the contractions weren't regular.

In general the frequency went from an average of every 10minutes to every 3-4minutes by the early hours of Saturday (18th 40+10). My contractions were closer together the more I moved around.

I rang the hospital again at around 3.30am and told them I was ready to come in. She listened to me having a couple of pains, during the course of the conversation, and told me I seemed to be coping well and was worried that I wouldn't be dilated and they'd have to send me home. I knew this, but also knew I wanted it checking, and didn't want to leave it too late to get down there and really struggle with the pains on the journey! She agreed to me going down but was clearly dubious

I was checked at 4am and she was very surprised to tell me that I was 6cm! The head wasn't 'well applied' though so she said I should try and be as upright as possible when I went to delivery suite.

Through the labour so far I'd been on paracetamol, hot water bottle on the bottom of my back (which definitely was the biggest area of pain for me at the time) and tens machine (again on the bottom of my back). I also bounced/rolled on my yoga ball.

I went down to delivery suite, they called in the various doctors (anasethetists were supposed to come see me as soon as I was admitted, according to the consultants notes, and the doctor came to check me out too (I'm assuming this is normal for delivery suite?)). They were all impressed I'd got to 6cm alone and wished me well as I appeared to be coping well etc. I got in the birthing pool.

The midwives were with me virtually the entire time. The lights were as dimmed as I'd like. Midwives were to check the baby's heartbeat every 15minutes. But this is where we began to become unstuck...

The baby's heartbeat was near impossible to find. I wasn't concerned at first, not least because I could still feel him moving around. They decided that he was probably in a more back to back position - and it seems the longer the labour went on the more he wriggled firmly into that position! Midwife kept saying "it's definitely a boy, being this awkward!". We tried everything to get the heartbeat picked up while still in the pool and it just wasn't working (or comfortable) so I had to get out, back on the bed, and then they picked it up (they're not gentle with that sonicaid!). It got to the point where it was taking 15minutes to find the heartbeat and then it was time to try again :cool: the longer this rigmarole went on the more nervous and anxious my DH became about baby. On one of the HB measurings they picked up decels on a contraction and between that and the difficulty of picking up his heartbeat, the pool got drained. No more waterbirth. And baby being back to back while I was having to lie on my back on the bed for them to get the HB was excruciating!

I'd had paracetamol,gas and air, and now moved on to diamorphine (pethidine was poh-poohed by my consultant and anecdotes from friends suggested the same). I was knackered (after having not slept since about lunch time on the thursday by this point) and had been in labour over 24hrs by now.

At 7.30am they had a shift change over and at 8am my first internal check for progress was done by the new midwife, who declared that I was, by her standards 5cms (heartbreaking to go backwards!) with cervix still thick and the head was still not well applied - because he was back to back and not presenting the right part of his head - and the contractions weren't strong or regular enough. She suggested putting a clip on his head (midwife had dubbed him Harry Houdini as he keps wriggling away from the sonicaid!) to be able to track his heartbeat without faffing with the sonicaid all the time (I'd still be able to move about but no pool still) and that maybe she should break my waters and I should reconsider an epidural (they'd offered a few times and I'd been putting it off) and a hormone drip to mke the contractions stronger and more regular. I accepted the clip on his head (the discomfort of being on the bed and jabbed with the sonicaid every 15minutes was doing my head in! and stressing DH out) and waters being broken. She said she'd do another internal after 2 hours (instead of the normal 4) and we'd discuss again then.

2 hours later (12pm) there was no change (soul destroying after 6hours of increasing agony - daft baby wouldn't present the right part of his head!) so we moved to a non-birth pool and I agreed to the syntocin drip, a saline drip, and an epidural (the walk to new room was absolute agony and from agreeing to talk to the anaesthetist, by the time she came in the room I was snapping her hand off for the epidural!).

Midwife kept telling me how well I was doing, all the way through, and that I was doing all the right things, and if baby hadn't been back to back then I wouldn't've needed any of it and would've managed it by myself. Any time I wasn't on the bed for HB/internals I was up pacing or on the birthing ball etc. I was doing everything I could but the back pain was excruciating and it's the most painful and pain sensitive part of my body to begin with(!).

By this point I'd been up for close to 48hrs, so once the epidural kicked in (and who knew you could boost it every 20minutes?!) me and DH managed a bit of napping

4hours later (4pm) I'd progressed to 9cm and cervix only had a little left to go - hurrah! I could've cried with relief! I think I was then left for another 2? hours and checked again for full dilation (I was) and they said they would leave me for an hour after that for baby's head to really come down naturally.

Timings around now get a bit blurry as I was snoozing between checks etc. My temperature had been climbing though and paracetamol wasn't doing it, so they took blood off me and put me on IV antibiotics. They began treating me as if I had sepsis (although I had a cold/bit of a cough prior to labour beginning and they also said epidurals can make your temp go up). The doctors came in, did more internals, and said that baby was having decels and that they'd like me to start pushing, they'd give me half an hour before intervening, and they took some blood from baby's scalp for testing. Around now there was another midwife shift swap!

Baby was still having decels I think after half an hour they decided enough was enough, and they wanted to do an assisted delivery. They did an episiotomy and then started with ventouse, but as wrong part of baby's head was presenting, it popped off. :cool: So out came the forceps (I deliberately didn't look!!). I think it was about 7minutes from the forceps coming out to baby being born Originally I'd said that I would have a physiological third stage but was open to the injection to deliver the placenta if needsbe/it took too long. I can't remember why now, but they said it was better given the circumstances to have the injection. I didn't argue and didn't notice the placenta coming out, just the stitches starting! I'd had an episiotomy and still suffered a 2nd degree tear (they really yanked him out!) - I think the notes said it took 17minutes to stitch me up!! :shocked:

A bloody MiniZee was plonked on my chest rather slippery and unceremoniously and midwife asked if we knew what we were having. We said no and she asked DH if he wanted to look and see. He burst into tears and said it was a boy - so we both sobbed and I tried to focus on my little guy instead of the grim stitches

We had skin to skin and he took to the boob virtually straight away and hasn't been a problem with BF since. I used lasinoh from around day 2, more as a prevention than a cure (although there were a couple of dodgy latch/sucks that left a bit of a red mark) and haven't had any cracking or bleeding either (I'm now almost 3! weeks post birth).

Little Man weighed 4.075kg, which they said was 9lbs (though technically I think is 8lb 15.5oz) and was healthy. Apgar was fine etc they did want to start him on IV antibiotics though, as he could've been passed whatever had made my temperature climb, as as such we'd both be kept in for a minimum of 48hrs for that to happen. On day 2 his CRP (C reactive protein - a infection marker in his blood tests) came back raised, so they upped his IV antibiotics to a 5 day course instead of 2 days.
I ended up forking out for a private room at that point as being up for constant feeding on night 2 and 3 was exhausting when you're in a bay and no control over when lights etc are on and people coming in and out all the time! Much better, and highly recommended!

3 weeks on and MiniZee is a pro at feeding, but hasn't yet regained all his birth weight. The stitches etc are healing well He's very strong and alert and I'm knackered

TeamLowe

Sounds like you had a lot of fun with it all BigZ, glad mini zee is here happy and healthy

Just to say I *think* they told me that I had to have the injection for the third stage after the induction drip because the forced contractions increases the risk of heamoragging. Or something like that. I was still getting over the she being a he thing lol x