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Contractions started around 6am on Saturday 11th January, the date of my induction. However, they were irregular and not lasting very long.
We arrived at the hospital at 8am to be told that we would have to wait as the labour ward was too busy.
I had prostin gel at 2pm and was 1.5cm at this point.
By 6pm, when I was examined again, I was only 2cm dilated. I was using the TENS machine at this point, but found it to be more of a distraction than anything else.
At around 8.30pm, my waters were broken and this speeded the whole thing up. I went from 2cm to 7cm in about 3 hours and was coping well on entonox.
I was eventually allowed to start pushing around 3.30am and after one and a half hours of pushing, it was decided that I was going to need some help getting the baby out.
Alexander Nicholas arrived, weighing 8lb 12oz, at 5.26am Sunday 12th January after a ventouse delivery,episotomy and tearing.
We had to stay in hospital for 5 days due to a string of minor problems (jaundice, suspected infection in Alex, large blood clot/blood loss in me), but we are starting to feel a little better now.
I've also been suffering quite badly with my hormones/baby blues and today is the first day I've really felt like doing anything. We have managed to establish breastfeeding and Alex is really thriving. He had gained more than 8oz since birth at 9 days old, so I guess I'm doing something right.