ForestLas80
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A bit late I know but couldn't manage to write my birth story before now for some reason! Little Finley James arrived safely into the world at 7.30pm on thurs 22nd December 2011 weighing 8lb7. He was 10 days late and at the end of a long 5 days of latent phase labour(no joke!) he arrived by emergency c-section as there was failure to progress (dilate that is) from me being induced by hormone drip for more than 12hours.
The labour was quite epic really and I didn't even go through the active stage for that long.Please don't read on if my long labour will scare u, though I must admit I think my body was weird with this long latent phase but apparently with first babies it's not unheard of!
Sat 18th- I thought my waters had broken that afternoon-went to labour ward-they hadnt!! just a lot more runny clear discharge
Sunday-during the night woke at 3pm with contractions 10mins apart but quite irregular. Got little sleep-walked, bounced, bathed etc and by lunchtime conts were 5mins apart. Went into hospital-they then slowed to every 11mins and only 1cm dilated. Sent home to see how things progressed-no change that afternoon but disappeared enough to get few hours kip. Returned overnight more regular at 10mins-didn't sleep at all.
Monday-midwife visited at home-did another sweep-no change in contractions. Irregular throughout day. That night more regular 10mins but no change. Had been taking paracetamol every 4 hours since sat am and using tens machine and hypno birthing relaxation and breathing techniques to get through contractions and trying to rest/sleep. Was desperate to get more pain relief but as in latent phase labour the hospital couldnt induce me/act until waters broke/dilated to 4cm did call them in the middle of night crying and went in for pethidine to get some much needed sleep for 3 hours.
Tues-had booked a consultant appointment to discuss earlier inducement date (planned for 24dec-Xmas eve!) sat in obs&gyn silently contracting away in the corner with all the sparkly newly 12/20-week scanned parents with me looking a state! Poor them seeing me hobble down the corridor to meet doc thinking that was to come for them! Doc said can't bring induction forward but can give me codeine to get through til thurs then come back and re-assess the situation! Apologised that I was suffering and not much they could do to help-I cried my eyes out.
Weds night-contractions back and with a vengeance:2-3mins duration and constant pain in between which meds wasn't touching. Called labour ward and went in for more pain relief. Was examined and waters had already broken
had noticed more leaking that arvo but no "pop, gush" etc.... just trickling. Midwife said we can now induce u and I was sooo happy!! Given pethidine to get some sleep and hopefully start things up but by 6am thurs am it was obvious needed hormone drip to get things moving.
Thurs am- I asked for epidural as so tired by then that I couldn't face the active and pushing stage of labour at all. When it eventually arrived it was amazing! Used gas and air to get through contractions before it was in place as contractions had heated up by this stage. g&a is fab! Was told could take a few hours or several for body to dilate to 10cm with drip and then wait another hour and then push with the help of the MW as by this stage I felt nothing!!
My actual labour where body was contracting 4 every 10mins was pain-free and bliss and so strange due to not feeling it. Was chatting, resting, having tea and toast etc with DH and lovely MW all day! Amazing! Gone was my birth plan of natural as poss and waterbirth-drugs r there for a reason!!
Body didn't really respond v well and by 2.30pm only 5cm dilated. Examined again at 6.30pm and still
Only 5cm???!!!! By that time Finley's head had gotten more swollen and his heart rate kept dropping during contractions which they were monitoring hourly before the decision was made for the c-section. My body just didn't seem to want to dilate and Fin was struggling
Once c-section decided it happened v quickly but i wasn't nervous at all only thought will see my baby much sooner now and find out what it is and cuddle it for the 1st time
DH was with me in theatre and we got to see the little man just born and then he was placed on me after he was cleaned up and he breastfed in recovery with a MWs help so happy by this stage I can't even tell u. Cried when he was shown to us even though by this stage the vast amounts of drugs had left me shaky and v tired. Hubbie had to talk constantly about baby so I didn't fall
asleep during the op!! Holding him with hubbie's help was so amazing. Best feeling in the world!!
C-section went ok apart from they couldn't get him out!!! He was still wedged up under my ribs so the doc had to make another cut(vertically) in uterus and push down from my ribs to get him out. Have been told I now can't have any natural births in future
due to second cut but not too sad about that TBH!
Sorry it's an epic birth story and hope it hasn't put u off at all. I was one of the unlucky ones in regards to long latent phase of labour but tbh I would do it all again to have him here with us safe and sound. He was most definitely worth it xxxxx
Oh also...... had first 2 days of tricky breast feeding due to my engorged boobs and "european" nipples which Don't stick out loads but managed to get Fin to latch on and feed v well
with nipple shields. They don't affect how much he gets either if your milk flow is good enough-luckily mine is. Just want to suggest it to you if latching is tricky as I so didn't want to give up on b/f-ing but it was awful as he lost weight quickly and was screaming for food happily he is now a chubby well fed baby now and was 9lb5 on day 10!! Good boy 
The labour was quite epic really and I didn't even go through the active stage for that long.Please don't read on if my long labour will scare u, though I must admit I think my body was weird with this long latent phase but apparently with first babies it's not unheard of!
Sat 18th- I thought my waters had broken that afternoon-went to labour ward-they hadnt!! just a lot more runny clear discharge
Sunday-during the night woke at 3pm with contractions 10mins apart but quite irregular. Got little sleep-walked, bounced, bathed etc and by lunchtime conts were 5mins apart. Went into hospital-they then slowed to every 11mins and only 1cm dilated.
Sent home to see how things progressed-no change that afternoon but disappeared enough to get few hours kip. Returned overnight more regular at 10mins-didn't sleep at all.Monday-midwife visited at home-did another sweep-no change in contractions. Irregular throughout day. That night more regular 10mins but no change. Had been taking paracetamol every 4 hours since sat am and using tens machine and hypno birthing relaxation and breathing techniques to get through contractions and trying to rest/sleep. Was desperate to get more pain relief but as in latent phase labour the hospital couldnt induce me/act until waters broke/dilated to 4cm
did call them in the middle of night crying and went in for pethidine to get some much needed sleep for 3 hours. Tues-had booked a consultant appointment to discuss earlier inducement date (planned for 24dec-Xmas eve!) sat in obs&gyn silently contracting away in the corner with all the sparkly newly 12/20-week scanned parents with me looking a state! Poor them seeing me hobble down the corridor to meet doc thinking that was to come for them! Doc said can't bring induction forward but can give me codeine to get through til thurs then come back and re-assess the situation! Apologised that I was suffering and not much they could do to help-I cried my eyes out.
Weds night-contractions back and with a vengeance:2-3mins duration and constant pain in between which meds wasn't touching. Called labour ward and went in for more pain relief. Was examined and waters had already broken
had noticed more leaking that arvo but no "pop, gush" etc.... just trickling. Midwife said we can now induce u and I was sooo happy!! Given pethidine to get some sleep and hopefully start things up but by 6am thurs am it was obvious needed hormone drip to get things moving.Thurs am- I asked for epidural as so tired by then that I couldn't face the active and pushing stage of labour at all. When it eventually arrived it was amazing! Used gas and air to get through contractions before it was in place as contractions had heated up by this stage. g&a is fab! Was told could take a few hours or several for body to dilate to 10cm with drip and then wait another hour and then push with the help of the MW as by this stage I felt nothing!!
My actual labour where body was contracting 4 every 10mins was pain-free and bliss and so strange due to not feeling it. Was chatting, resting, having tea and toast etc with DH and lovely MW all day! Amazing! Gone was my birth plan of natural as poss and waterbirth-drugs r there for a reason!!
Body didn't really respond v well and by 2.30pm only 5cm dilated. Examined again at 6.30pm and still
Only 5cm???!!!! By that time Finley's head had gotten more swollen and his heart rate kept dropping during contractions which they were monitoring hourly before the decision was made for the c-section. My body just didn't seem to want to dilate and Fin was struggling
Once c-section decided it happened v quickly but i wasn't nervous at all only thought will see my baby much sooner now and find out what it is and cuddle it for the 1st time
DH was with me in theatre and we got to see the little man just born and then he was placed on me after he was cleaned up and he breastfed in recovery with a MWs help
so happy by this stage I can't even tell u. Cried when he was shown to us even though by this stage the vast amounts of drugs had left me shaky and v tired. Hubbie had to talk constantly about baby so I didn't fallasleep during the op!! Holding him with hubbie's help was so amazing. Best feeling in the world!!
C-section went ok apart from they couldn't get him out!!! He was still wedged up under my ribs so the doc had to make another cut(vertically) in uterus and push down from my ribs to get him out. Have been told I now can't have any natural births in future
due to second cut but not too sad about that TBH!
Sorry it's an epic birth story and hope it hasn't put u off at all. I was one of the unlucky ones in regards to long latent phase of labour but tbh I would do it all again to have him here with us safe and sound. He was most definitely worth it xxxxx
Oh also...... had first 2 days of tricky breast feeding due to my engorged boobs and "european" nipples which Don't stick out loads but managed to get Fin to latch on and feed v well
with nipple shields. They don't affect how much he gets either if your milk flow is good enough-luckily mine is. Just want to suggest it to you if latching is tricky as I so didn't want to give up on b/f-ing but it was awful as he lost weight quickly and was screaming for food
happily he is now a chubby well fed baby now and was 9lb5 on day 10!! Good boy 
