After a few problems with my blood pressure and protein in urine from about 34 weeks of pregnancy, I had a midwife appointment on Fri at 40+3 to routinely check my BP. It was really high again, so I was referred off to our local teaching hospital, where I had now been told I should give birth under consultant care.
I was expecting to be packed off with some medication....my BP however, had raised again and again on the second check, so I was suddenly told, right we are going to induce you tonight! Shocked doesn't cover it....I had my hospital bag in the car as we had been to a wedding a few days before, but didn't have all the last little bits - phone charger, camera, wash bag etc etc etc. So I was settled into my delivery room, and then OH went off home to grab our extra bits and a change of clothes for himself.
Midwife introduced herself, and then gave me a quick examine. Cervix still closed and not that favourable, so she said she was giving me a prostin gel, but the expect not much. I would be re-examined in 6 hours at 2am, probably given another gel, and most likely be headed for an Oxytocin drip in the morning. I was really worried about the drip as I thought it would make the pain much worse and I was hoping to avoid an epidural if possible.
Had my prostin gel and was about to settle into bed with a coffee and a couple of magazines when my contractions started!! Couldn't believe it, and from that moment it was pretty much full on.
My contractions were pretty uncomfy from straight on, so I got my TENS strapped on and started to get mobile. For the next 2 hours they were manageable like this. However, they just kept coming, 7 in 10 minutes and each lasting for a minute so I just wasn't getting any rest. The midwife was starting to get concerned as they were worried I had been hyper stimulated by the gel, but around 10pm when OH finally got back, they had slowed to 5-6 every 10 minutes which was just within acceptable parameters, and they decided to let me just carry on, rather than give me a drug to slow them. They picked up in intensity around 11pm, and I felt like the TENS wasn't really doing the trick anymore so asked for some gas and air. I've used G&A before in the dentist so I knew I liked it, I'd forgotten how much
lovely stuff! TBH, I don't think it does much for pain relief but you just don't care that it hurts any more! Oh....slightly embarrassingly, I threw up massively around this time!! OH was running around getting sick bowls for me and I nearly vommed all over him....oh the shame!!! Contractions continued to up in intensity but I was managing them fine on G&A. Time came for my exam at 2am, we were all sure I must have made good progress.....1cm!!!!!!! I was devastated, I couldn't believe the amount of contractions I was getting were doing so little. Plus I was getting exhausted now as they were so close together there was just no respite.
Carried on slogging through them, but by 4.30am I was spent. Asked for an epidural, as I was so exhausted I feared I would have no energy to push, as I was progressing so slowly. Anaesthetist came and gave me my epi...such relief!! I finally managed to get a bit of sleep. However, around 6.30am I was woken by agonising pain in a two inch square spot to the left of my pubic bone. Around this time everything started to go a bit wrong for me!
My original midwife came back on shift at 8am and found me in a bit of a state...nothing like the controlled person she left behind at 9pm!! She was fantastic - came in, calmed me down, got me comfy on the bed with plenty of pillows and got the anaesthetist back to look at me. He seemed to think it was a pressure pain, rather than a contraction, and that the epi wouldn't help with that anyway, but he topped me up with a stronger epi and it did help a little.
At around 10.30am, I started to feel like I needed to push. I wasn't due to be examined up 11.30am but midwife decided to look, and I was 9cm!!!! Amazing - was so elated I had made progress, and everyone was very surprised! By 12noon, I could barely stop pushing (my epi was great by the way - I could still feel all the pushing sensations), I was checked again and fully dilated!
Midwife wanted me to try and hold off active pushing for an hour if I could, although not to worry if I really couldn't stop - they said with an epi because you have been less mobile baby may need more time to come down the birth canal in the right position. I tried to stop but I couldn't really and I think around 1pm maybe slightly earlier, we started actively pushing.
Am trying to recall all of this, as it is such a blur!
I was pushing and pushing, and just not getting anywhere. I was trying different positions, they were helping me, and I was honestly pushing with all my might but nothing seemed to be happening. It was so disheartening
I think for a long time, midwife just thought I was exhausted. I had been pushing for 2 hours, consultant was about to be called and then suddenly all hell broke lose. With one push, something seemed to move, and suddenly I was in absolute agony. My epi had stopped touching the pain, gas and air did nothing, and I literally could not move. The pain was all on the lower left. It all becomes very blurry for me here. I have a vague recollection of there being a couple of consultants in my delivery room, and also on my OH having some kind of small breakdown in the corner (he'd tried to get away from me so he didn't upset me - but tbh I barely noticed what was going on around me).
They told me they were taking me to theatre, that baby was in the wrong position, and that they had to examine me properly and find out if they could deliver vaginally or if they had to do a C-section.
I had to obviously leave my G&A in the delivery room, which made me so frantic, they gave me the mouthpiece to hold as they wheeled me down the corridor (attached to nothing so useless ) and before I knew it I was being given a spinal and prepped for theatre. OH then made his appearance in his scrubs. They had a good old rummage around inside and discovered baby had turned to the outside and got lodged above my pelvic brim, I presume with a shoulder or something??? Surgeon managed to turn him and then forceps and episiotomy to get him out.
FINALLY, my son made his appearance!!!! The relief was just amazing, and my OH was so brave - he watched EVERYTHING! God knows if he will ever want to have sex with me again!
I felt really funny in theatre so they monitored me closely and I later discovered I had developed eclampsia while in theatre. I also had a temperature, so we are still in hospital while I recover. He is PERFECT though, I can't believe he is mine.
Things I learned about labour:
- When people say you don't care about anything - you really, really don't. I lost every scrap of dignity I have and I really don't care. And the things I thought I didn't want my OH to see, I don't care - I think a man watching you put your body through labour gives them a massive respect for you, and they are in awe of the process rather than thinking certain aspects are gross. I also used nothing in my labour bag, and laboured for 21 hours in the bra I went in in and nothing else
- You do go into your own little world with just you and your baby in. Nothing else matters.
- Our NHS is amazing. Even when you have a bad experience, what we get compared to what they get in some countries is just incredible. And its free!
- Every single one of us can do this. You find a strength and bravery in labour that you had no idea you had. Even a 'bad' labour is the single most amazing thing you will ever go through.
- Be prepared to be flexible. I wanted a natural, midwife led water birth - what I got was as far as possible away from that as it could be. But I am still amazed it has happened - I did it!
Sorry - that is so long!!! Medal if you got to the end!
I was expecting to be packed off with some medication....my BP however, had raised again and again on the second check, so I was suddenly told, right we are going to induce you tonight! Shocked doesn't cover it....I had my hospital bag in the car as we had been to a wedding a few days before, but didn't have all the last little bits - phone charger, camera, wash bag etc etc etc. So I was settled into my delivery room, and then OH went off home to grab our extra bits and a change of clothes for himself.
Midwife introduced herself, and then gave me a quick examine. Cervix still closed and not that favourable, so she said she was giving me a prostin gel, but the expect not much. I would be re-examined in 6 hours at 2am, probably given another gel, and most likely be headed for an Oxytocin drip in the morning. I was really worried about the drip as I thought it would make the pain much worse and I was hoping to avoid an epidural if possible.
Had my prostin gel and was about to settle into bed with a coffee and a couple of magazines when my contractions started!! Couldn't believe it, and from that moment it was pretty much full on.
My contractions were pretty uncomfy from straight on, so I got my TENS strapped on and started to get mobile. For the next 2 hours they were manageable like this. However, they just kept coming, 7 in 10 minutes and each lasting for a minute so I just wasn't getting any rest. The midwife was starting to get concerned as they were worried I had been hyper stimulated by the gel, but around 10pm when OH finally got back, they had slowed to 5-6 every 10 minutes which was just within acceptable parameters, and they decided to let me just carry on, rather than give me a drug to slow them. They picked up in intensity around 11pm, and I felt like the TENS wasn't really doing the trick anymore so asked for some gas and air. I've used G&A before in the dentist so I knew I liked it, I'd forgotten how much
lovely stuff! TBH, I don't think it does much for pain relief but you just don't care that it hurts any more! Oh....slightly embarrassingly, I threw up massively around this time!! OH was running around getting sick bowls for me and I nearly vommed all over him....oh the shame!!! Contractions continued to up in intensity but I was managing them fine on G&A. Time came for my exam at 2am, we were all sure I must have made good progress.....1cm!!!!!!! I was devastated, I couldn't believe the amount of contractions I was getting were doing so little. Plus I was getting exhausted now as they were so close together there was just no respite.Carried on slogging through them, but by 4.30am I was spent. Asked for an epidural, as I was so exhausted I feared I would have no energy to push, as I was progressing so slowly. Anaesthetist came and gave me my epi...such relief!! I finally managed to get a bit of sleep. However, around 6.30am I was woken by agonising pain in a two inch square spot to the left of my pubic bone. Around this time everything started to go a bit wrong for me!
My original midwife came back on shift at 8am and found me in a bit of a state...nothing like the controlled person she left behind at 9pm!! She was fantastic - came in, calmed me down, got me comfy on the bed with plenty of pillows and got the anaesthetist back to look at me. He seemed to think it was a pressure pain, rather than a contraction, and that the epi wouldn't help with that anyway, but he topped me up with a stronger epi and it did help a little.
At around 10.30am, I started to feel like I needed to push. I wasn't due to be examined up 11.30am but midwife decided to look, and I was 9cm!!!! Amazing - was so elated I had made progress, and everyone was very surprised! By 12noon, I could barely stop pushing (my epi was great by the way - I could still feel all the pushing sensations), I was checked again and fully dilated!
Midwife wanted me to try and hold off active pushing for an hour if I could, although not to worry if I really couldn't stop - they said with an epi because you have been less mobile baby may need more time to come down the birth canal in the right position. I tried to stop but I couldn't really and I think around 1pm maybe slightly earlier, we started actively pushing.Am trying to recall all of this, as it is such a blur!
I was pushing and pushing, and just not getting anywhere. I was trying different positions, they were helping me, and I was honestly pushing with all my might but nothing seemed to be happening. It was so disheartening
I think for a long time, midwife just thought I was exhausted. I had been pushing for 2 hours, consultant was about to be called and then suddenly all hell broke lose. With one push, something seemed to move, and suddenly I was in absolute agony. My epi had stopped touching the pain, gas and air did nothing, and I literally could not move. The pain was all on the lower left. It all becomes very blurry for me here. I have a vague recollection of there being a couple of consultants in my delivery room, and also on my OH having some kind of small breakdown in the corner (he'd tried to get away from me so he didn't upset me - but tbh I barely noticed what was going on around me).They told me they were taking me to theatre, that baby was in the wrong position, and that they had to examine me properly and find out if they could deliver vaginally or if they had to do a C-section.
I had to obviously leave my G&A in the delivery room, which made me so frantic, they gave me the mouthpiece to hold as they wheeled me down the corridor (attached to nothing so useless
) and before I knew it I was being given a spinal and prepped for theatre. OH then made his appearance in his scrubs. They had a good old rummage around inside and discovered baby had turned to the outside and got lodged above my pelvic brim, I presume with a shoulder or something??? Surgeon managed to turn him and then forceps and episiotomy to get him out. FINALLY, my son made his appearance!!!! The relief was just amazing, and my OH was so brave - he watched EVERYTHING! God knows if he will ever want to have sex with me again!
I felt really funny in theatre so they monitored me closely and I later discovered I had developed eclampsia while in theatre. I also had a temperature, so we are still in hospital while I recover. He is PERFECT though, I can't believe he is mine.
Things I learned about labour:
- When people say you don't care about anything - you really, really don't. I lost every scrap of dignity I have and I really don't care. And the things I thought I didn't want my OH to see, I don't care - I think a man watching you put your body through labour gives them a massive respect for you, and they are in awe of the process rather than thinking certain aspects are gross. I also used nothing in my labour bag, and laboured for 21 hours in the bra I went in in and nothing else
- You do go into your own little world with just you and your baby in. Nothing else matters.
- Our NHS is amazing. Even when you have a bad experience, what we get compared to what they get in some countries is just incredible. And its free!
- Every single one of us can do this. You find a strength and bravery in labour that you had no idea you had. Even a 'bad' labour is the single most amazing thing you will ever go through.
- Be prepared to be flexible. I wanted a natural, midwife led water birth - what I got was as far as possible away from that as it could be. But I am still amazed it has happened - I did it!
Sorry - that is so long!!! Medal if you got to the end!
