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I had a show on tuesday which I was worried was my waters, but was checked and it wasn't, sulk. Then Weds eve I had contractions which died off overnight. The same thing happened on Thursday night. Friday lunchtime I began with contrax again and they kept going then until I had my baby Samuel on Monday morning 3.55am. Friday night we were timing and when they got to 2 mins apart in the bath and were painful we jollied off to the hospital where my own midwife was on a shift but upon examination there was no dilation, 'not even a fingertip' So we got some painkillers and went home. That night I had contrax all night down to 30 - 20 mins - not a good nights sleep.
Saturday was spent encouraging things along, using gravity etc. Was in pain and thanks to advice on here cheers ladies, I hired a tens from boots which my kind dad went to get. This did help a bit. Things went on and after another bath, and bedtime, we rand the hospital again as I really did hurt and needed more than I had with the painkillers. I was just about to speak to a m/w on the phone when a contrax came and I moaned down the phone, so they said I could go in Got there 1am, had exam and was 2-3cm at least there'd been some progress in 24hours. And then I could have the gas and air which I LOVE! Had that all night, did more being vertical including getting small amounts of kip, an hour at a time, upright on a beanbag, against the wall, whilst dh had the bed. Was still just 3cm by 5am but cervix v. thin, again, at least progress. Continued like this all sunday, tried to have lots of walks up and down stairs and corridors, just on tens machine. did all we could. Managed to eat, and had bits of sleep here and there. By 5pm gas and air no longer hitting the spot so I asked for something more, was upset, hadn't wanted to but wasn't ready for the pool and anyway, someone else in it. So my 4th m/w (been there a long time remember!) gave me pathadine and I slept for 3 hours, woken by every contraction. MY Dh an absolute star, held my hand every time. By 8pm it was wearing off, and was not 6-7 cm so got in the pool, yeah!!! Pool great, loved it and was fun. But then it gets a little hazy. Was in there til 2am (monday now), had waters broken at 1am when 9cm. Had gas and air but was sinking under when falling asleep between contrax and DH got in at some point to hold me (don't remember it). Had to get our eventually. Can only remember feeling like pushing but it was too soon. Then I remember I was on the bed, and was pushing with 2 midwives - has no idea where the 2nd one had appeared from and asked who she was - she'd been there 2hours so it made everyone laugh. I pushed for 1hour 30 mins, to no avail. Couldn't do it, I kept telling them and I received much encouragement to the contrary but I was totally exhaused and couldn't understand how I could possible push any harder to get the baby out. Eventually I got v. cross and yelled that I really couldn't do it, they had to do something. So they got the doc who was totally lovely. She explained everything, and got to work. I had an episiotomy, we tried venthouse which popped off as samuels head was already too swollen from pushing. So I then had forceps, and we got him out. It felt like he was coming out of my bum! I was in total awe when saw him. he was crying and had a very hairy, big tall head from the venthouse . Andy asked what it is it and we were thrilled he's a boy- we wanted a boy so much. We'd already chosen a boys name, long ago when we were trying for 2yrs to get pg. Samuel was our favorite, and the month we did get pg (the 1st without clomid, and during our month off trying) I was taken to 1Samuel 1 in the Bible which is all about Hannah being unable to become pg and crying to the Lord to give her a baby. He did and she named him Samuel, it means the Lord has heard. So our baby boy is a fulfilment of a promise to us from God we think. His middle name is Stuart after my dad, as dad has no male relatives to take on his family name, and also dh wanted to honour my hard work in giving birth. I was stitched, and I breast fed him for 20 mins, they wanted me to carry on but I was literally fallin asleep and I was so scared I'd drop him. He'd pooed on me, so dh and the m/w took him to be cleaned up a little and I had a shower. We slept for an hour after ringing parents, and woke and fed him again. He weighed 9lb 5oz.
So, I has a show on tues, contrax weds and thurs night, then I was in early labour from Friday lunchtime and established labour from Early sunday morning. 60 hours from fri to birth, 24 ish from 3cm to birth. Took so long as he was posterior and all the contrax were turning him around. Then when pushing, he was corkscrewing out, so i was pushing him around, not just out - waste of my energy.
My Dh was ultra wonderful, how the hell did women ever do that without their partners? He was there every step, through all 24 hours or so of established labour, all the previous sleep disturbed nights. We were both exhausted. I have never in my life done anything so physically draining.
At first I couldn't see how anyone would ever choose to have MORE than one child, the pain really was incredible. At the end I had no pain relief, only for the stitches (gas and air). Samuel is the most perfect thing in the whole world and I'd do it all again just for these first few days.
This is all I dreamed of, everything I hoped it would be.