Well here is my birth story - sorry its a bit long -Well i woke up on the morning of the 21st - 4 days overdue- and said to David I think this baby is going to arrive today - just had a feeling. Up to this I had only had period like cramps for a few days. At about 11 I started getting mild contractions - not very uncomfortable or strong, I went to see my GP (had apt anyway and she said - this baby will not arrive before your induction date 
)
By that evening the contractions were regular every 5-6 mins but not very painful and only lasting 20 -30 seconds and I thought it was false labour. I did speak to a midwife who is related to David and had offered to do the delivery for us and she said just potter along and see how we went - it would either progress or stop and both was normal. David came home from work and started to assemble our new bedroom furniture that arrived that day - I helped him, made dinner did some washing all between contractions - they were a bit sore by this stage every time one came I would walk about the living room and sway my hips and do deep breathing (anti-natal yoga). I also had two bath and a shower and some panadol - the baths expecially the second one was brilliant really realaxing and the pains were mild in there and slowed a bit but didn't stop. I did time the contractions on and off all evening and they averaged 4-5 mins apart lasting 30 -50 seconds, the midwife had advised me once they get to lasting about a minute- 4 mins apart to ring them so I did and they said to come over for a check up - I was still managing at home but I wanted to know if anything was happening. It was freezing cold and me and David headed over at about 12 midnight, was seen in admission and wait for it I was 6 cms dilated and in active labour I was totally shocked the midwife said most people by that stage are roaring 
I had to be monitored there for a bit and then transferred to labour ward. David had rang his uncle's partner who is the ward sister on the delivery suite and she came in to look after us, she was absolutely fantastic from start to finish and I will never be able to thank her enough. I was able to walk about and had some gas and air and wasnt examined again until 06.00 - at this stage I had progressed to 7-8 cms but she said the baby was not fully down and was turned at a funny angle looking the wrong direction
, she also broke my waters at this stage and there was muconium in them so I had to stay in bed on a monitor for a bit, so I was in a bit of pain now and had some pethidine which was fantastic and just had to wait another while. After another 2 hours I was still the same and the baby had only turned a tiny bit -the baby had to turn around before he was going to make a full and proper disent. So she got the consultant in to examine me - he advised us to start on the syntocin drip to strengthen the contrations to see if this would shift the baby and complete the dilation, this was started at about 09.00. So because it was getting a bit dragged out and very very painful with no end in sight I opted for an epidural which was arranged instantly and was unbelievably fantastic - I was in real pain before this was started at this stage but I was getting tired too.
So another wait for about two hours - examined again by the midwife first and then the consultant an hour later and unfortunately not much progress _ i had got to very nearly 10cms but he was still turned and not moving down enough for an instrumental delivery, nor was he moving at all with each contraction so they suggested a caesarian section this was at about 14.30 on Tue the 22nd- I could have opted to wait another while and see if he moved but by this stage I was getting impatient to meet my baby and both the midwife and the consultant said it was very unlikely and it wouldnt be safe to try an instrumental delivery because he just wasnt down far enough - but because of his position the contractions werent squashing him as much as if he had been fully down so he was never in any danger and his heart rate remained stable thankfully.
So off to theatre for an emergency section - it was all done rapidly and is a bit of a blur - consent forms, epidural top up, gowns, trolleys - etc. David was with me but they made him wait outside for a bit while I was prepared and I really missed him. But he was beside me then for the main event - I didnt like the experience the room was really crowded - surgeons, anaesthatist, 2 midwives, 2 paediatritions, another doctor and me lying down beneath them all. It only took a few minutes though and Davids face when they took the baby out was amazing - he was in total awe and amazement, I was asking him - what is it and it took him a minute to hear me before he said - ' a wee boy'
My baby cried straight away which melted my heart and I was so relieved to hear him, the paediatritions looked him over and then they handed him to me - my beautiful son - I fell instantly in love. He has a big head of hair and is just beutiful. They were all well impressed with his size - 9lbs 8 oz, which is why he probably arrived the way he did. We had to stay in for three nights but are at home now and doing great.
Baby Darragh
)By that evening the contractions were regular every 5-6 mins but not very painful and only lasting 20 -30 seconds and I thought it was false labour. I did speak to a midwife who is related to David and had offered to do the delivery for us and she said just potter along and see how we went - it would either progress or stop and both was normal. David came home from work and started to assemble our new bedroom furniture that arrived that day - I helped him, made dinner did some washing all between contractions - they were a bit sore by this stage every time one came I would walk about the living room and sway my hips and do deep breathing (anti-natal yoga). I also had two bath and a shower and some panadol - the baths expecially the second one was brilliant really realaxing and the pains were mild in there and slowed a bit but didn't stop. I did time the contractions on and off all evening and they averaged 4-5 mins apart lasting 30 -50 seconds, the midwife had advised me once they get to lasting about a minute- 4 mins apart to ring them so I did and they said to come over for a check up - I was still managing at home but I wanted to know if anything was happening. It was freezing cold and me and David headed over at about 12 midnight, was seen in admission and wait for it I was 6 cms dilated and in active labour
I was totally shocked the midwife said most people by that stage are roaring I had to be monitored there for a bit and then transferred to labour ward. David had rang his uncle's partner who is the ward sister on the delivery suite and she came in to look after us, she was absolutely fantastic from start to finish and I will never be able to thank her enough. I was able to walk about and had some gas and air and wasnt examined again until 06.00 - at this stage I had progressed to 7-8 cms but she said the baby was not fully down and was turned at a funny angle looking the wrong direction
, she also broke my waters at this stage and there was muconium in them so I had to stay in bed on a monitor for a bit, so I was in a bit of pain now and had some pethidine which was fantastic and just had to wait another while. After another 2 hours I was still the same and the baby had only turned a tiny bit -the baby had to turn around before he was going to make a full and proper disent. So she got the consultant in to examine me - he advised us to start on the syntocin drip to strengthen the contrations to see if this would shift the baby and complete the dilation, this was started at about 09.00. So because it was getting a bit dragged out and very very painful with no end in sight I opted for an epidural which was arranged instantly and was unbelievably fantastic - I was in real pain before this was started at this stage but I was getting tired too. So another wait for about two hours - examined again by the midwife first and then the consultant an hour later and unfortunately not much progress _ i had got to very nearly 10cms but he was still turned and not moving down enough for an instrumental delivery, nor was he moving at all with each contraction so they suggested a caesarian section this was at about 14.30 on Tue the 22nd- I could have opted to wait another while and see if he moved but by this stage I was getting impatient to meet my baby and both the midwife and the consultant said it was very unlikely and it wouldnt be safe to try an instrumental delivery because he just wasnt down far enough - but because of his position the contractions werent squashing him as much as if he had been fully down so he was never in any danger and his heart rate remained stable thankfully.
So off to theatre for an emergency section - it was all done rapidly and is a bit of a blur - consent forms, epidural top up, gowns, trolleys - etc. David was with me but they made him wait outside for a bit while I was prepared and I really missed him. But he was beside me then for the main event - I didnt like the experience the room was really crowded - surgeons, anaesthatist, 2 midwives, 2 paediatritions, another doctor and me lying down beneath them all. It only took a few minutes though and Davids face when they took the baby out was amazing - he was in total awe and amazement, I was asking him - what is it and it took him a minute to hear me before he said - ' a wee boy'
My baby cried straight away which melted my heart and I was so relieved to hear him, the paediatritions looked him over and then they handed him to me - my beautiful son - I fell instantly in love. He has a big head of hair and is just beutiful. They were all well impressed with his size - 9lbs 8 oz, which is why he probably arrived the way he did. We had to stay in for three nights but are at home now and doing great.
Baby Darragh
