I will try my very best to keep this post short even though I could go on and on. This will be a wordy post and there aren't any pictures for me to put in really. I don't have many from the hospital.
It started Saturday night with what I know now to be pre labour contractions. At the time I thought they were the real thing, they felt like period pain and my tummy tightened with each one. They were around 6-7 minutes apart. This went on all night so I got no sleep. Then Sunday morning they stopped. That was frustrating. I got odd contractions throughout the day and Sunday night.
Then the real contractions started early Monday morning. I gave up on sleeping at about 4am, there is nothing more depressing then lying in bed not being able to sleep when there is someone next to you snoring away!!
The contractions went on all day, after having those I know the pains on Saturday night were not the real deal. They were pretty painful. I used breathing techniques to get through them as best I could, there is no other option really but to get through them as they are not going to stop until the baby comes.
At about 5pm I had got to the point where I wasn't coping, I had not slept that much and wanted to know what was going on, at that point they were every 5 minutes apart. So my husband took me to the birthing unit. They checked and I was only 3cm!! The midwife said to come back when my waters break or if they get closer together. So we came home. I really did not like the pain. It is hard to describe now but it was very painful to me much more than period pain but I felt I coped quite well considering.
My husband made tea and had to rush as by 7pm the contractions were only 2.5 minutes apart and we were back at the birthing centre. I was checked and I was 4cm but while she was there my waters broke so I was in labour and allowed to stay in.
I started using gas and air - that was weird. It took a while for me to get used to it. At first it felt like the room was spinning like after having too many drinks. I kept saying I didn't like it but at the next contraction I was puffing away!!
The night ran away with me I had no concept of time. I remember having Lucozade Sport and a lot of water as the gas and air made me really thirsty but couldn't face any of the snacks I took as I felt a bit queasy.
I was not coping well with pain so had Diamorphine at some point. That was really good, it made me sleepy. I had to still use a bit of gas and air when I had a bad contraction but in between I was dozing and cared less.
On my birthing plan I wanted to try the birthing pool. On programs like One born every minute the water births look so relaxed and wonderful so I wanted to try. Well I just felt like a big whale squirming around in the water. It felt nice initially as it was so warm and took the weight from my tummy but when I got a contraction I just squirmed around and did not feel comfortable. I am not a bath person anyway but I felt worse in the pool. So that only lasted 30 minutes but at least I tried it.
A bit later I had more Diamorphine, I think it was around 2am Tuesday morning but I cannot be sure. Also the midwife must have been checking me regularly. I cannot remember all these little things.
Anyway at about 3am the midwife said that I am not progressing as they liked. I think I had been stuck at 7cm dilated for a while. So they wanted to put me on hormones (like when they induce) which they don't have at the birthing centre I had to go to the nearest hospital which was 30 minutes away. That was a bummer. I really expected to have my baby in my local birthing centre (it was less than 5 minutes from my house).
So I travelled in an ambulance to the hospital - that was horrible, ambulances are really bumpy. If you were all broken it must really hurt - I felt every bump in the road. My husband had driven on ahead in my car. I didn't really think about it - it is strange how you just get on with things I would normally have worried about him driving that far in my car!! He made it and was waiting in the delivery room when I got there.
I was told that going on hormones whilst already in labour make the contractions more painful and a lot stronger so I decided I wanted an epidural. I had always said I didn't want one but once I was there and realised my pain limit and being tired didn't help I wanted anything I could get. I had to wait though as the anesthetist had to go into theatre with another delivery so I waiting for over two hours it was about 6.30am when I got it. It wasn't as bad as I thought. Having seen it done on the television it doesn't look pleasant but when you are in pain and cannot see what they are doing it is not that bad. I am so glad I had it.
It was bliss I could not feel the contractions at all and was able to get a bit of sleep in between the blood pressure cuff taking off my arm every 15 minutes.
The baby was in the wrong position so the midwife kept getting me to lie on my side, that was painful, my back was really painful, we think now that the baby had it's shoulder in my spine. Anyway the baby didn't really move and I think the midwife gave up.
I started pushing just after 10am on Tuesday morning. That was a strange sensation as it didn't hurt but I could feel it all stretching down there. The midwife was happy with my pushing, I was really trying. I dare to imagine the faces I was pulling. The thing I felt I struggled with was taking breath in between and then pushing again, I always felt like I didn't get enough air. The midwife said that they allow pushing for 2 hours!!! 2 HOURS that is ridiculous I was so tired after the little bit that I did. Pushing at every contraction every couple of minutes is hard work.
When the head started to crown she pointed out all the hair to my husband who was at that end as he was holding one of my legs!! I will never forget the look on his face, it was nice really as he doesn't show emotions normally.
Well after about half an hour approximately the midwife said that she wanted to cut me to get the baby out easier. The baby was sideways so the shoulders were in the wrong position. This is the second reason I was glad to get the epidural. She cut and then with the next contraction the head was out. At the time the odd thing I thought was how she got me to do little pushes to get the rest of the baby out and didn't wait for the next contraction like they do on the tele. But as soon as I thought that the baby was on me. I cannot explain the feeling. It is so surreal after days of being in pain and pushing to have this little baby.
I didn't notice there was anything wrong until loads of people came in the room, there were doctors and more midwifes. It turned out that when she cut she also cut a blood vessel so I was spirting blood everywhere. (sorry if your squeamish) I think they dealt with it really well. I didn't really know what was going on by that point I was getting a bit drowsy. They wanted to stitch me up pretty quick I think and that is the third reason for having the epidural. Even with that those stiches hurt like hell.
The baby was taken and cleaned up and dressed. It is a GIRL, which really shocked me we were adamant we were having a boy even though we never found out it was just a feeling we had.
She is so perfect in every way. I didn't really hold her much or do anything that day. Looking back I realise I was actually quite ill but now we are over it and doing really well.
I will be doing a post partum post about my recovery in hospital and at home.
This will be up on Friday. See you then.
Em x
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