Jacq23
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Here is my labour story, with huge thanks to the fabulous team at Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton, Somerset.
I'd been extra uncomfortable all day so had mopped floors and dusted picture rails hoping to bring on labour. My tummy seemed like it had been constantly tight all day. About 5pm I had a little 'trickle' so rushed to the loo hoping it was waters but thinking probably just the usual.
Into the evening I began getting tightenings and then cramps down lower and started to track them from about 8:30pm when they were 6-7 minutes apart. At 9pm they had gone down to 5 minutes apart so I called labour ward and they asked what I'd like to do so I said I'd leave it a while and continue to keep track, which they were happy with. I packed hubby off to bed about 10:30pm as he had to start work at 5am the next day. I kept tracking the contractions which varied from 11 minutes to about 6, then went to the loo and saw a clot of blood drop in, about the size of a 10p and there was red blood when I wiped. I was a bit worried so called labour ward again who told me to pack my bags and leave them in the car but come into hospital to get the bleed checked as they didn't think I'd be in established labour but just wanted to be sure.
We got mum over to look after DS and then left, arriving at hospital at 1:15am (spookily the time of night/day my waters broke with my son!) and I was settled into a delivery room and checked over within half an hour. The midwife said it was my bloody show and then asked if it was ok to check my cervix. I was getting strong contractions every 3-4 minutes by this point. She checked me and I was 3cm so was told I was staying - woohoo! I was told to walk and bounce so I was pacing the room like a mad woman and bouncing as much as possible. The contractions began coming every 2.5-3 minutes and were lasting 1.5 minutes by this point so it was all getting a bit intense. At 3:30am I asked hubby to press the call bell as I really needed some sort of pain relief. The midwife came straight in and said "Ok you want an epidural don't you?" I said "Yes please!". I was amazed, no argument or trying to convince me to try other things first. Within half an hour I had the cannula (hate that bit) and saline drip in and was starting on gas and air (which I wasn't sure about but once I got the hang of it it did take the edge off), and by 4am the anaesthetist was prepping me for the epidural. The midwife came back in and said oh we need to check she is far enough along before she has that. She said to me "Let's hope for a good 6cm." and lo and behold, I was 6cm, phew! Another freaky moment...the epidural went in at 4:10am, the exact same time as the one with DS!
It took a while to take effect and in the meantime I was nearly in tears and crushing hubby's hand, but once it took effect I felt so much better, though very tired from the gas and air. Things then progressed pretty well and the midwives changed shifts, but both were equally lovely. She was so desperate to break my waters as she said they were bulging and it was so tempting but said she thought they'd go when I started pushing. At the next check I was 10cm but with a tiny bit of cervix left. I found waiting for the next check the most frustrating thing!
It turns out that baby was back to back (which would explain my huge discomfort in my tummy for weeks and all the foot ripples down the middle of my tummy) and this was the only midwife who'd actually spotted it. The midwives found it fascinating that when my tummy contracted they could see the outline of the baby! They were all like "You are just all baby!" Jeez, tell me about it ladies!
By 11am all was set for me to start pushing, and we began, but at 11:15am the midwife got the senior midwife in to check as baby's heart rate kept decelerating when I pushed. They decided to take off the belly monitor and put a clip on baby's head. I didn't know this at the time and hubby didn't say but the heart rate went down to 26 at one point
Things started to get a bit full on then as, all of a sudden, I had 6 other adults in the room. I had my midwife, the two senior midwives, a doctor, a student and another doctor who was prepping stuff in the background. I looked at hubby in terror as I was petrified they were about to whisk me off for a c-section. Anyway, the doctor was a bit gung-ho for an instrumental delivery and her communication skills were not brilliant so she hadn't explained to me. However, it would seem that there was a bit of an atmosphere and we picked up that the midwives did not like this doctor much at all. It was so odd, it was like the midwives closed in around me like bodyguards and wouldn't let the doctor get to me. And they were absolutely ace, saying to the doctor "No, she can do this, we can get this baby out!" I pushed til I was purple in the face I think and hubby said the midwives were looking at him in amazement when I was giving it my all ha ha! I was so determined I was not having a c-section or an instrumental delivery!
It began to get a bit comedy from there as they could see baby crowning and were joking it was coming out wearing a wig due to all the hair! Within a couple of pushes, out came baby but with her hand up by her face, which caused a tear. And it didn't help that she span 360 degrees on the way out too! The midwives told me I shouldn't have watched so much of the winter olympics!
So, 5 days late and with a dramatic entrance, it had to be a girl! Welcome to the world, little Zoë! She was born at 11:47am and weighed in at 8lb exactly according to my discharge paperwork (though conversion chart in the room said 7lb 15oz). Hubby had to tell me about 3 times she was a girl, before it registered with me! But I was delighted as we now have one of each and hubby really wanted a girl I think!
After this they couldn't get baby up onto me as there was only about 4 inches of cord! The midwives all said they'd never seen such a short cord. Hubby was a bit scared to cut it for fear of cutting one of us, but he did. After a bit of fiddling the cord then came out as it seems it had got ravelled up inside somehow. I had to be stitched as I had a second degree tear. The midwife said she was hoping I wouldn't tear but it was because baby had her hand by her face.
I was quite violently sick for the next couple of hours because of the gas and air, so ended up having a couple of anti-sickness injections. I was them moved to a low-risk ward where there were only two of us in all night - it was brilliant! I could have gone home same day, but they said it might be an idea to stay in as I'd been so sick and was probably a bit dehydrated.
So, all in all, my UK NHS experience compared very well to the private healthcare system one in the USA. I can't fault the care I had from start to finish and am so grateful to our midwives in this country, they are amazing!
Little Zoë is doing very well. We made a good start on BF with great latch and suck, but I have had to switch to bottle because of bleeding, cracked nipples, engorged breasts which I think has turned into mastitis and possible supply issues. I had supply issues with my son too. I've not given up on BF yet but I have to say, a 3.5 hour block of sleep last night was utter utter heaven! I have the midwife again today as Zoë had lost 8.5% of her weight on Friday so they now need to do a day 5 weight check, but I'm going to show the midwife what a state my poor boobs are in. I've vowed not to get stressed over BF this time, I have to do what's right for me and baby and a stressed, in pain mummy, will not help us bond.
Ok, apologies for my lengthy novel, I'm off for cuddles with my little cupcake!
I'd been extra uncomfortable all day so had mopped floors and dusted picture rails hoping to bring on labour. My tummy seemed like it had been constantly tight all day. About 5pm I had a little 'trickle' so rushed to the loo hoping it was waters but thinking probably just the usual.
Into the evening I began getting tightenings and then cramps down lower and started to track them from about 8:30pm when they were 6-7 minutes apart. At 9pm they had gone down to 5 minutes apart so I called labour ward and they asked what I'd like to do so I said I'd leave it a while and continue to keep track, which they were happy with. I packed hubby off to bed about 10:30pm as he had to start work at 5am the next day. I kept tracking the contractions which varied from 11 minutes to about 6, then went to the loo and saw a clot of blood drop in, about the size of a 10p and there was red blood when I wiped. I was a bit worried so called labour ward again who told me to pack my bags and leave them in the car but come into hospital to get the bleed checked as they didn't think I'd be in established labour but just wanted to be sure.
We got mum over to look after DS and then left, arriving at hospital at 1:15am (spookily the time of night/day my waters broke with my son!) and I was settled into a delivery room and checked over within half an hour. The midwife said it was my bloody show and then asked if it was ok to check my cervix. I was getting strong contractions every 3-4 minutes by this point. She checked me and I was 3cm so was told I was staying - woohoo! I was told to walk and bounce so I was pacing the room like a mad woman and bouncing as much as possible. The contractions began coming every 2.5-3 minutes and were lasting 1.5 minutes by this point so it was all getting a bit intense. At 3:30am I asked hubby to press the call bell as I really needed some sort of pain relief. The midwife came straight in and said "Ok you want an epidural don't you?" I said "Yes please!". I was amazed, no argument or trying to convince me to try other things first. Within half an hour I had the cannula (hate that bit) and saline drip in and was starting on gas and air (which I wasn't sure about but once I got the hang of it it did take the edge off), and by 4am the anaesthetist was prepping me for the epidural. The midwife came back in and said oh we need to check she is far enough along before she has that. She said to me "Let's hope for a good 6cm." and lo and behold, I was 6cm, phew! Another freaky moment...the epidural went in at 4:10am, the exact same time as the one with DS!
It took a while to take effect and in the meantime I was nearly in tears and crushing hubby's hand, but once it took effect I felt so much better, though very tired from the gas and air. Things then progressed pretty well and the midwives changed shifts, but both were equally lovely. She was so desperate to break my waters as she said they were bulging and it was so tempting but said she thought they'd go when I started pushing. At the next check I was 10cm but with a tiny bit of cervix left. I found waiting for the next check the most frustrating thing!
It turns out that baby was back to back (which would explain my huge discomfort in my tummy for weeks and all the foot ripples down the middle of my tummy) and this was the only midwife who'd actually spotted it. The midwives found it fascinating that when my tummy contracted they could see the outline of the baby! They were all like "You are just all baby!" Jeez, tell me about it ladies!
By 11am all was set for me to start pushing, and we began, but at 11:15am the midwife got the senior midwife in to check as baby's heart rate kept decelerating when I pushed. They decided to take off the belly monitor and put a clip on baby's head. I didn't know this at the time and hubby didn't say but the heart rate went down to 26 at one point
Things started to get a bit full on then as, all of a sudden, I had 6 other adults in the room. I had my midwife, the two senior midwives, a doctor, a student and another doctor who was prepping stuff in the background. I looked at hubby in terror as I was petrified they were about to whisk me off for a c-section. Anyway, the doctor was a bit gung-ho for an instrumental delivery and her communication skills were not brilliant so she hadn't explained to me. However, it would seem that there was a bit of an atmosphere and we picked up that the midwives did not like this doctor much at all. It was so odd, it was like the midwives closed in around me like bodyguards and wouldn't let the doctor get to me. And they were absolutely ace, saying to the doctor "No, she can do this, we can get this baby out!" I pushed til I was purple in the face I think and hubby said the midwives were looking at him in amazement when I was giving it my all ha ha! I was so determined I was not having a c-section or an instrumental delivery!It began to get a bit comedy from there as they could see baby crowning and were joking it was coming out wearing a wig due to all the hair! Within a couple of pushes, out came baby but with her hand up by her face, which caused a tear. And it didn't help that she span 360 degrees on the way out too! The midwives told me I shouldn't have watched so much of the winter olympics!
So, 5 days late and with a dramatic entrance, it had to be a girl! Welcome to the world, little Zoë! She was born at 11:47am and weighed in at 8lb exactly according to my discharge paperwork (though conversion chart in the room said 7lb 15oz). Hubby had to tell me about 3 times she was a girl, before it registered with me! But I was delighted as we now have one of each and hubby really wanted a girl I think!
After this they couldn't get baby up onto me as there was only about 4 inches of cord! The midwives all said they'd never seen such a short cord. Hubby was a bit scared to cut it for fear of cutting one of us, but he did. After a bit of fiddling the cord then came out as it seems it had got ravelled up inside somehow. I had to be stitched as I had a second degree tear. The midwife said she was hoping I wouldn't tear but it was because baby had her hand by her face.
I was quite violently sick for the next couple of hours because of the gas and air, so ended up having a couple of anti-sickness injections. I was them moved to a low-risk ward where there were only two of us in all night - it was brilliant! I could have gone home same day, but they said it might be an idea to stay in as I'd been so sick and was probably a bit dehydrated.
So, all in all, my UK NHS experience compared very well to the private healthcare system one in the USA. I can't fault the care I had from start to finish and am so grateful to our midwives in this country, they are amazing!
Little Zoë is doing very well. We made a good start on BF with great latch and suck, but I have had to switch to bottle because of bleeding, cracked nipples, engorged breasts which I think has turned into mastitis and possible supply issues. I had supply issues with my son too. I've not given up on BF yet but I have to say, a 3.5 hour block of sleep last night was utter utter heaven! I have the midwife again today as Zoë had lost 8.5% of her weight on Friday so they now need to do a day 5 weight check, but I'm going to show the midwife what a state my poor boobs are in. I've vowed not to get stressed over BF this time, I have to do what's right for me and baby and a stressed, in pain mummy, will not help us bond.
Ok, apologies for my lengthy novel, I'm off for cuddles with my little cupcake!
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