flowergirl
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I had visions of my labour being spent at home, surrounded by home comforts and taking the trip to the hospital at the last minute... However, high blood pressure put paid to my romantic notions as I had to be induced just after I went full term. This meant the entire labour and birth would happen in hospital, and much of it without my husband by my side. I was apprehensive to say the least as the doctor had warned me that 1 in 3 induced births lead to a caesarean delivery in comparison to 1 in 10 natural labours.
Despite my fears and reservations I went into hospital at 8am on Friday 4th April and at 9am had the Prostin pessary 'put in place' to soften my cervix. I expected nothing to happen for at least 24 hours so prepared myself for a long, boring day sat on my bed or walking round the hospital.
At about 5pm I began to feel slight backache, but thought nothing of it as I thought my high levels of inactivity had just given me a bad back, but as the hour rolled on I realised that the pain was coming and going so began to think that maybe things were starting.
At 5:30pm OH arrived and within the 3 hours that he spent with me until visiting hours ended, the pains started coming quite regularly and moved around to the front of my belly. I still wasn't sure that I was in established labour as my plug hadn't gone and my waters were still intact. I kept wandering the halls of the maternity ward, stopping every now and again to let a contraction pass.
OH left me at about 8:20pm and I warned him to be ready to come and see me in the early hours, just in case the labour progressed more quickly than Id expected it to. Once OH had left, I spent some time chatting to the other women on the ward, but found it increasingly hard to chat as I was getting contractions really regularly. In the end I just pulled the curtain around my bed and got on with dealing with the pain on my own. It wasnt too bad to start with and I was able to stay sat up on my bed, but as time passed, the only comfortable position was kneeling on the floor, leaning against the bed. At this point I was banging on the bed with my fist as each contraction peaked as it distracted me from the pain a bit. Fairly soon after this I started to feel like I needed to poo and couldnt help myself from making some low groaning noises as the contractions came. The pain was becoming quite intense now and I was starting to struggle with the pain I told the mw that I wasnt coping with the pain anymore and that I wanted my husband! She got me on the bed and examined me. I was expecting them to say that I was only a few centimetres dilated as my waters hadnt broken, but instead the midwife said OOH! I cant feel any cervix at all! I think wed better get you upstairs to delivery! That meant that I was fully dilated and ready to start pushing baby out! OH was called and I was wheeled upstairs to the delivery suite
In the delivery suite I started to use gas and air which really helped with the big contraction-push type pains I was getting. OH was amazing although it must have been strange for him as I couldnt handle being touched during contractions apart from grabbing his thumb!
My waters still hadnt broken by this point and I could feel Babys head was really low down so I had a feel and sure enough, my waters were bulging like a balloon. The midwife broke my waters for me- there was no gush or anything that I noticed. I then started to push really hard to get Babys head out, figuring that once her head was out, the rest would be easy! However, not knowing my own strength, I pushed her out in one go!
Kathryn was born at 11:45pm on Friday 4th April 2008.
Daddy cut the cord and was the first to have skin to skin contact as I was given Sintocin to help deliver the placenta and the midwife checked me over. No tears just a graze- the bulging waters helped stretch everything which I'm very happy about! Total time in labour 6hrs 51mins!
Despite my fears and reservations I went into hospital at 8am on Friday 4th April and at 9am had the Prostin pessary 'put in place' to soften my cervix. I expected nothing to happen for at least 24 hours so prepared myself for a long, boring day sat on my bed or walking round the hospital.
At about 5pm I began to feel slight backache, but thought nothing of it as I thought my high levels of inactivity had just given me a bad back, but as the hour rolled on I realised that the pain was coming and going so began to think that maybe things were starting.
At 5:30pm OH arrived and within the 3 hours that he spent with me until visiting hours ended, the pains started coming quite regularly and moved around to the front of my belly. I still wasn't sure that I was in established labour as my plug hadn't gone and my waters were still intact. I kept wandering the halls of the maternity ward, stopping every now and again to let a contraction pass.
OH left me at about 8:20pm and I warned him to be ready to come and see me in the early hours, just in case the labour progressed more quickly than Id expected it to. Once OH had left, I spent some time chatting to the other women on the ward, but found it increasingly hard to chat as I was getting contractions really regularly. In the end I just pulled the curtain around my bed and got on with dealing with the pain on my own. It wasnt too bad to start with and I was able to stay sat up on my bed, but as time passed, the only comfortable position was kneeling on the floor, leaning against the bed. At this point I was banging on the bed with my fist as each contraction peaked as it distracted me from the pain a bit. Fairly soon after this I started to feel like I needed to poo and couldnt help myself from making some low groaning noises as the contractions came. The pain was becoming quite intense now and I was starting to struggle with the pain I told the mw that I wasnt coping with the pain anymore and that I wanted my husband! She got me on the bed and examined me. I was expecting them to say that I was only a few centimetres dilated as my waters hadnt broken, but instead the midwife said OOH! I cant feel any cervix at all! I think wed better get you upstairs to delivery! That meant that I was fully dilated and ready to start pushing baby out! OH was called and I was wheeled upstairs to the delivery suite
In the delivery suite I started to use gas and air which really helped with the big contraction-push type pains I was getting. OH was amazing although it must have been strange for him as I couldnt handle being touched during contractions apart from grabbing his thumb!
My waters still hadnt broken by this point and I could feel Babys head was really low down so I had a feel and sure enough, my waters were bulging like a balloon. The midwife broke my waters for me- there was no gush or anything that I noticed. I then started to push really hard to get Babys head out, figuring that once her head was out, the rest would be easy! However, not knowing my own strength, I pushed her out in one go!
Kathryn was born at 11:45pm on Friday 4th April 2008.
Daddy cut the cord and was the first to have skin to skin contact as I was given Sintocin to help deliver the placenta and the midwife checked me over. No tears just a graze- the bulging waters helped stretch everything which I'm very happy about! Total time in labour 6hrs 51mins!
Wow! you did do well! 
8) 
