OMG, it feels like I've been waiting all my life to write this, how exciting.......here goes....
I was booked in to be induced on Monday 11th August, 7 days overdue. Got to the hospital at 8am and was given a bed on the antenatal ward straight away so was hopeful that things would get underway quickly. However, as I'm classed as high risk due to previous complications I was told I would have to wait for a bed on the labour ward to be induced. Still, I was told it'd only be a couple of hours so we chilled out for a while and watched some TV.......and some more TV.......and read War & Peace.....until finally at 11am on Tuesday my consultant came to see me and told everyone off for delaying the induction, saying I could have been done on the antenatal ward all along
So I had the prostin and waited. We were very naughty and left the hospital to go for a walk outside and to the shops, I felt like an escapee with my hospital tag on. Still, it seemed to help a little as by the time we got back I had a mild backache. They checked me at around 6pm and said I was contracting mildly so wouldn't give me any more prostin as things should progress naturally. OH (David) had to leave at 9pm and I got ready for bed......but sleep was never going to come that night! By 11pm I was in some pain and took paracetomol....by 2am I was having excrutiating contractions (or maybe I'm just a wimp?!) and asked for some pain relief only to be offered more paracetomol
I spent the next hour pacing the corridor and kind of crouching on the floor with every contraction (which were coming very close together). The worst thing about this part was being alone - I couldn't call David in until something was definitely happening so just had to get through it.
At 330am the midwife finally finished her cuppa and Take a Break and agreed to examine me - I was 4cm dilated (yippeee) so she finally took me seriously and said to call David and she'd take me down to the labour ward. David was there within 20 minutes and I greeted him by throwing up over his t-shirt and glasses
Gas and air made me feel more sick so I gave up on that pretty quickly. By this stage I'd have taken anything to ease the pain so was very grateful for the diamorphine which completely monged me out and David and I had a nice chat as the sun came up. Despite being drugged up I was lucid enough to know that it would wear off and as they'd put me on the synctonin (sp?) drip the contractions would come back stronger so I got my request for an epidural in asap - luckily as it was first thing in the morning I was first in the queue and it was administered by 8am.
I'd always said I'd have whatever it took pain-relief wise and personally am very glad I did. Epidural is my new God and I couldn't have done this without it. I felt no pain from the moment it took effect but could still feel my legs and wiggle my toes. It really helped with the long haul ahead as I was able to nap and conserve energy for later......we spent the day chatting and me taking little naps.
By 1200 I was 6cm dilated.....by 4pm I was 9cm so we were happy that everything was going to plan, if taking a little longer than expected (we were on to our third midwife shift by now and David had visited the chicken shop 3 times). The plan was to check me again at 630pm and then start to push at around 7.......the midwife planned to reduce the epidural so I could feel the contractions which I must admit scared me slightly after being wrapped in the warmth of pain relief for most of the day. However, when they examined me I was still only 9cm.....and was starting to feel pain through the epidural, my back felt like an 80 year old's who's just climbed Everest. A doctor came to see me at 8pm and explained that Dexter was not progressing and was in an awkward position and that I would need a C-section.
I felt a mixture of upset and relief - by this stage I would have done anything to get him out but obviously would have preferred a few pushes to a big cut in my abdomen! Also I remember saying to everyone "Why couldn't you just have done the section in the first place, then we wouldn't have had to go through all this!"
Anyway, it was so quick and efficient and I felt very safe and looked after, David was holding my hand all the way through (and got told off for peeking over the screen at the blood and gore) and much to my Dad's delight Elvis's Can't Help Falling in Love was playing on the stereo
(Grandad Spice is the biggest Elvis fan this side of Graceland). Dexter was born at 855pm weighing 7lbs 6oz and to hear his cry as he was lifted from me was the most amazing feeling in the world. He was cleaned up and we were taken to the ward by 930 where apparently I phoned / texted a few people but I really can't remember too well as they'd given more some more of my friend Diamorphine after the Op!
We got discharged 2 days later as we were both fit and well and we are absolutely loving being parents. Believe me, all the stresses and worries you have during pregnancy (and I tend to be a worrier) completely disappear once LO arrives and your instincts kick in.
Here is the beautiful boy:
I was booked in to be induced on Monday 11th August, 7 days overdue. Got to the hospital at 8am and was given a bed on the antenatal ward straight away so was hopeful that things would get underway quickly. However, as I'm classed as high risk due to previous complications I was told I would have to wait for a bed on the labour ward to be induced. Still, I was told it'd only be a couple of hours so we chilled out for a while and watched some TV.......and some more TV.......and read War & Peace.....until finally at 11am on Tuesday my consultant came to see me and told everyone off for delaying the induction, saying I could have been done on the antenatal ward all along
So I had the prostin and waited. We were very naughty and left the hospital to go for a walk outside and to the shops, I felt like an escapee with my hospital tag on. Still, it seemed to help a little as by the time we got back I had a mild backache. They checked me at around 6pm and said I was contracting mildly so wouldn't give me any more prostin as things should progress naturally. OH (David) had to leave at 9pm and I got ready for bed......but sleep was never going to come that night! By 11pm I was in some pain and took paracetomol....by 2am I was having excrutiating contractions (or maybe I'm just a wimp?!) and asked for some pain relief only to be offered more paracetomol
I spent the next hour pacing the corridor and kind of crouching on the floor with every contraction (which were coming very close together). The worst thing about this part was being alone - I couldn't call David in until something was definitely happening so just had to get through it.At 330am the midwife finally finished her cuppa and Take a Break and agreed to examine me - I was 4cm dilated (yippeee) so she finally took me seriously and said to call David and she'd take me down to the labour ward. David was there within 20 minutes and I greeted him by throwing up over his t-shirt and glasses
Gas and air made me feel more sick so I gave up on that pretty quickly. By this stage I'd have taken anything to ease the pain so was very grateful for the diamorphine which completely monged me out and David and I had a nice chat as the sun came up. Despite being drugged up I was lucid enough to know that it would wear off and as they'd put me on the synctonin (sp?) drip the contractions would come back stronger so I got my request for an epidural in asap - luckily as it was first thing in the morning I was first in the queue and it was administered by 8am.I'd always said I'd have whatever it took pain-relief wise and personally am very glad I did. Epidural is my new God and I couldn't have done this without it. I felt no pain from the moment it took effect but could still feel my legs and wiggle my toes. It really helped with the long haul ahead as I was able to nap and conserve energy for later......we spent the day chatting and me taking little naps.
By 1200 I was 6cm dilated.....by 4pm I was 9cm so we were happy that everything was going to plan, if taking a little longer than expected (we were on to our third midwife shift by now and David had visited the chicken shop 3 times). The plan was to check me again at 630pm and then start to push at around 7.......the midwife planned to reduce the epidural so I could feel the contractions which I must admit scared me slightly after being wrapped in the warmth of pain relief for most of the day. However, when they examined me I was still only 9cm.....and was starting to feel pain through the epidural, my back felt like an 80 year old's who's just climbed Everest. A doctor came to see me at 8pm and explained that Dexter was not progressing and was in an awkward position and that I would need a C-section.
I felt a mixture of upset and relief - by this stage I would have done anything to get him out but obviously would have preferred a few pushes to a big cut in my abdomen! Also I remember saying to everyone "Why couldn't you just have done the section in the first place, then we wouldn't have had to go through all this!"
Anyway, it was so quick and efficient and I felt very safe and looked after, David was holding my hand all the way through (and got told off for peeking over the screen at the blood and gore) and much to my Dad's delight Elvis's Can't Help Falling in Love was playing on the stereo
(Grandad Spice is the biggest Elvis fan this side of Graceland). Dexter was born at 855pm weighing 7lbs 6oz and to hear his cry as he was lifted from me was the most amazing feeling in the world. He was cleaned up and we were taken to the ward by 930 where apparently I phoned / texted a few people but I really can't remember too well as they'd given more some more of my friend Diamorphine after the Op!
We got discharged 2 days later as we were both fit and well and we are absolutely loving being parents. Believe me, all the stresses and worries you have during pregnancy (and I tend to be a worrier) completely disappear once LO arrives and your instincts kick in.
Here is the beautiful boy:
Well Done Amanda- he's absolutely gorgeous and you look fab!
He got there in the end! 
