Tuesday 3 June to Wednesday 4 June
DH and I arrive at hospital at 7.40am and nothing happens for about an hour. There are 3 other ladies waiting in reception also to be induced.
At 8.25 we're taken to delivery suite to a side ward for induction – hooked straight up to CTG. Half an hour later I was examined (still soft, only 1cm) and given the first gel – tied to the bed for an hour… did however manage to get some toast to eat (had been told to only have one slice for breakfast, I was ravenous!)
The weather was gorgeous, so once I was allowed up we went for a walk – we'd been told not to leave the building but it was too nice for that so we went outside and found some nice benches and a grassy bit to sit and walk around.
Hourly monitoring then interspersed with walks and sudoku and crosswords. Missed the lady coming round with lunch at midday, so stuck with skanky egg mayo sandwich – better than nothing I suppose.
After lunch bellyache started, with constant cramping, more walking and lazing around.
At about 3pm I was examined again, slightly more dilated apparently, and given the second gel. I then had TWO WHOLE CONTRACTIONS while on the CTG (in bed for another hour…)
More walking around and sitting in the sun for the next couple of hours, tea at 5pm. DH went home for a while and I got to watch Neighbours.
About 8pm I was being monitored and having regular (frequent?) 'wee tightenings' as the midwife put it. I think I felt this more as just cramps for quite a long while. When the midwives handed over they suggested I had a bath and a sleeping pill before bed. I put the TENS machine on at about half 9, which if nothing else distracted me from the discomfort.
By this stage 4 other women had been and gone from the induction ward – depressing or what! I was being reassured by the midwives that most first time mums needed 3 doses of gel… and this would happen at 6am if nothing happened before then.
Before DH when home at 11pm, I had a nice bath (TENS off again) then got my sleeping pill.
Had a bit of a miserable night really. Sleeping pill did nothing to help and the pain of the contractions was waking me up every time I started to drop off. I kept wandering out in to the corridor (there was no midwife in our side ward) and I couldn't find anyone. At 2am, I though I'd asked someone for more pain relief but apparently not – 5 minutes later I was standing at the staff base in tears looking for someone – anyone! – to help me… Given some more cocodamol at 2.20 but I was still awake at 3am and at 4am. Went to find the midwives again at 4am to ask for some pethedine (did not want that to happen!). I was examined by the midwife (still only 1cm dilated) who then referred to the sister who wanted a doctor to examine me…
At 4.45 after more groaning in pain and a distinct lack of sleep, I was examined by the doctor who proclaimed me 3cm dilated and that he could break my waters. I went in to a bit of a panic at this stage and refused to let anything happen until my husband was at the hospital… he was duly summoned. I was moved to Room 5 on the main delivery suite – the other corridor – this was where all the midwives had been hiding all night!
Hubby back in hospital at 5.30am and at 6am my waters were broken.
By 6.30 it was all getting rather painful and when someone mentioned gas and air I jumped at the chance – it had been great when I had a broken leg! To my dismay it made me feel really ill L Working with TENS and gas and air at this stage, and then midwife suggested an epidural – again something I had hoped to do without, but hey I'd managed to skip the pethedine which was the thing I really didn't want so decided to go with this.
About 6.45 the anaesthetist was on his way and my IV was in – starting to get a bit better at timing the gas and air, but still making me feel ill and stoned (as I apparently couldn't stop saying!)
At 7am I sitting up on the edge of the bed being told to keep incredibly still and tell the anaesthetist I feel a contraction coming – miraculously the whole thing seems to be done before another one comes along – I am babbling more nonsense now…
The anaesthetist told me I had to stay on my back (but sitting up a bit) until the epidural took effect, not lying on my side as I had been – now all through the last few months of my pregnancy lying on my back had made me feel really light headed – unsurprisingly the same thing happened now. I was lying there, telling them I needed to lie on my side, that I felt dizzy, that I was going to faint, that my vision was blurring and I couldn't hear properly. But I think since I'd already been talking so much nonsense no-one really took me seriously. 7.20am and next thing I know I'm lying on my side (finally!) with an oxygen mask pressed to my face. Apparently I was right all along (I won't say I told you so), my blood pressure had plummeted, baby's heart rate went from 150 to 60. Hubby described it as a bit of a Holby City moment with lots of rushing around and frantic activity – in addition to the oxygen I was given ephedrine and then things calmed down – and I was allowed to stay on my side.
After the drama, catheter finally fitted about 8.15 and syntocin drip started. Another internal is scheduled for 10am. I managed to doze for a while, and apart from pins and needles in my right leg which was quite disturbing all was good.
About 11am I started to feel some contractions again, and the epidural was boosted – I was now 8/9cm dilated! Contractions coming regularly now and also some upper abdominal pain which didn't go away between times – so they stopped the drip.
The midwife said about 12.15 she was going to take lunch early so that she'd be back by the time to baby arrived. I was in quite a lot more pain now (feeling it lots in upper abdomen still) so she examined me again before 'going for lunch' – lo and behold I was ready to push!
Cue panic attack – I don't want to push I'm not sure if I want this baby, what if I don't like it, I want to go home, I don't like it etc… (I don't like it was my phrase of the day). Hubby and the midwife were great – talked to me constantly, reassured me, told me to push, I cried a lot and pushed a lot, and swore a lot and accused the midwife of lying when she told me I was doing really well, and then I swore some more, pushed some more, pushed gently when I was told to, finally could see the baby's head and then calmed down a bit and pushed and the head was delivered and then in a really weird squirming and odd movement the rest of the body followed and teachersdaughter arrived at 13.00 weighing 9lb 3oz and a leggy 56cm long! She was straight up on to my chest for a cuddle. 8h 35m active labour (from being told I was 3cm dilated) and 25 minutes pushing – maybe the raspberry leaf tea did work! Placenta delivered easily after that, then she was checked over and so was I and daddy got some cuddling time. I had a graze and needed 2 stitches and then half an hour after being born, she was breastfeeding lying in the bed with me.
A truly exhausting experience after such a sleepless night, but well worth the effort. I couldn't have done it without my husband's encouragement, calmness when I was panicking, constant reassurance and positive attitude – thank you! Midwives and staff at the hospital were great too – although the nice student that was with us went off to see another baby being born and then missed teachersdaughters arrival! The midwife with me through the delivery was great – very good at being bad cop and getting me to calm down while DH played good cop and encouraged me!
