Birth Stories Thread

My first daughter, Lauren, born 24 Nov 2006, 7 days over EED.

My first contraction was at 4am exactly, which I found funny since I'd been getting up for a 4am pee for the last month! Got up, had some cereal (figured it'd be a long day & I might as well have strength) & watched tv while timing the contractions. They were 10mins apart from the beginning, but very mild.

By around 6:30 I woke hubby up & we went for a walk/hike down a local nature trail. I'd tell him when I felt something, but it was all very casual. Came back home around 9am & called the hosp, who told us to come right in. My hubby's reaction..."ah shucks, thought I'd at least have a cuppa tea"

So we drove in but couldn't find parking so parked about 1/4mile down the road & walked in. They hooked me up to the monitor & we sat...and waited. Hubby was supposed to push some button everytime there was a contraction/movement, but of course it all stopped then. :rolleyes:

Long story short, they let us go down for lunch, after which we sat in the lobby & I laid out & took a light nap on hubby's knee. Felt a pop & saw some blood so we went back up to the ward. Still nothing, so by about 4pm they put me in the maternity ward to wait it out. Hubby went off for dinner & rest & I sat and did one of those "find 10 differences b/w the pictures" puzzles. By the time I'd found the 8th I was having some good contractions & feeling pops but waters hadn't broken. The ward knew I wanted natural all the way (if possible) so they suggested a bath, which I happily did. Thing was that the bath was at the end of the L-shaped maternity ward, and the labour suites were on the other end of the ward. Hubby filled bath, which I was in for about 10 seconds before I was sitting on one cheek & whoooping that I wanted to push! Hubby pulled the emergency cord, the midwives came, put me in a wheelchair & threw a cloth over me & ran me through the ward to the labour suites. Of course, it was evening & full visiting hours by this point, so I still remember seeing *a lot* of feet as we ran through the ward

Anyway, by the time I was in the labour suite I was 10cm & ready to push. I didn't take any gas/air or anything, so I'd say I was a bit noisier than they'd normally have. But all was well & Lauren was born at 9:45pm at 8lbs 8oz. She latched on instantly & we stayed in the room until prob after midnight. I got shower (bliss!) and loads of b/feeding time & later walked out back to the maternity ward (in the room right next to the bathroom where I'd had my "bath")

Never did find that 10th difference in the picture though!

Great thread January!

12 weeks to go so its great to hear the stories

Keep them coming

x

Ok so here's the story for my sister's baby born a couple years ago. It was her first baby & she was mid thirties.

She was overdue by a few days and had a sweep. She started getting some mild contractions during the day the next day and then by about 11pm they were 5 mins apart but she could talk through them. We headed into the Rotunda and they sent her straight home again by about 1am!

I made her some food and literally within 1/2 an hour she couldn't breath through them, she had diarrea and a bloody show. All systems go! So I drove her back to the hospital (not very comfortable for her).

She got a quick scan and was put in the pre labour ward (vomiting on the way up there), we got in there probably about 4 or 5am. All the other ladies were trying to sleep and my poor sis couldn't stop groaning. She'd originally wanted no pain relief but was at the point where she'd take anything going. They put her on the monitor thing and wouldn't give her anything for ages as baby seemed sleepy.

I'd say somewhere between 7am and 9am they gave her pethedine. It didn't do much for her, just made her feel drugged. The contractions hardly had a break between them and there was feck all I could do except rub her back and get her things as she needed them.

I think by sometime before lunch she was maybe 2 or 3 cm dialated so they let her have gas and air. They gave her a massive tank and she sucked the thing dry by late afternoon. She was well and truely out of it but it did seem to take the edge off.

She was continuously drinking water & other liquids but when she'd manage to get to the loo she wasn't able to pee. We told the midwives this but we never thought to actually do anything about it.

By late afternoon (on the second tank of gas at this stage :eek:) she was 3cm but there was a delay in getting a bed in labour ward. I might add the contractions never let up the whole time, she just breathed through them as much as she could but it was really hard on her. I got my hubby to come in at some point in the morning to move my car & bring me a bit of brekkie. I snuck away in afternoon for 10 mins to stuff something in my mouth so that was it (so birth partners, be prepared!!).

I think by maybe 6pm a bed in labour ward became available, the midwife in there was lovely and she got an epidural not long after arriving. This really calmed her down. She mentioned to the midwife that she hadn't pee'd in ages but had been drinking loads of water. The midwife had a look and we were shocked to see that her bladder was bulging out big time, it looked like a second pregnancy bump, how we all missed this I don't know. She hadn't been able to pee as I guess the pressure of the babies head was closing up her urethra (sp?)

Anyway, when the epi went in, the midwife then put a catheter in & there was an almighty waterfall! She filled about 3 of those kidney shaped bowls! She then had a little snooze on and off, finally the first bit of rest. I popped out for a bit of grub again.

Around 8.30 the new midwife (changed shifts) asked my sis if she felt any pressure down below, she didn't as she'd just gotten the epi topped up as we thought it would be ages yet. The midwife said she could see a bit of head (I had a look and confirmed this to my sis ).

So it was time to push and she pretty much did it in about 20 mins of pushing with a very small graze. When he came out he was 9lbs something and it was the coolest thing to see him born. I started crying but sis was all calm & collected and started telling me what to do haha.

I got to hold him and clean him up and dress him a little while sis was getting cleaned up after placenta came out! Then she got him for a bit, got her tea and toast etc. She was moved over to the post-labour ward probably at about 10 or 11pm and I was shoo'ed out of the building.

The next morning he was very yellow from jaundice and had to spend the next week up in the ICU under lamps. My sis found it very hard to express milk so she was very frustrated as breast feeding didn't go to plan. When she got him home she battled with getting her milk in and he needed a lot of fluids because of jaundice and she had to switch to formula.

He's a a grand healthy little boy now. I was glad I got to be her birth partner as it was a serious eye opening experience for me. I'll never forget him being born though, I always get teary eyed when I see babies born on the telly etc.! The Rotunda midwives were very nice, they were just mega understaffed in the wards. But the ones she got for the delivery were great and there wasn't a whisper of a doctor anywhere and no interference.

Brilliant thread:)

First daughter born in '93, elective c-section. She was breech, and still hadn't turned, so the section was scheduled for 3 days before my due date. I was young, and clueless, and looking back on it now, I wonder why didn't they even attempt turning her. I was a bit nervous about the op, but more excited about finally meeting the little gurrier, whose head had been wedged under my ribcage for so long:). The matron had a very brusque manner, and I remember being terrified when she brought me into a side room to insert a catheter into my bladder. I was sure she had to make a hole in my side to do this:o. I then had to walk back to the ward holding the wee bag in my hand. How dignified:rolleyes:. They came for me with a wheelchair, and I can remember a fairly hot fella smiling at me outside the theatre. He gave me a green liquid to drink, said it tasted like creme de menthe. I can remember being helped onto the table, a mask being put over my face, and being told to count to ten. I think I made it to 3! Next thing I knew I was awake again, and must have asked them several times what I'd had, I was so groggy. Baby girl, 6lbs 7oz:D. Recovery after the general anaesthetic was slow, I'd say it was a couple of days before I came around fully. I'd also been cut up the way, which was quite a shock. Must say it was annoying that everyone else knew I had a girl, and her weight before I did, that has always bugged me! Baby is now 18, has just started a 3rd level course in Childcare:)

Baby girl no2, born in 2000. This time I was really hoping to give birth naturally. However, at about 26 weeks, we found out our baby had spina bifida and hydrocephalaus. I was advised to have another c section, as labour would put a lot of strain on the baby's head. When it's put to you like that, you don't argue. This time I was scheduled in for 13 days before the due date, to ensure I didn't go into labour. I made sure this time to opt for the spinal block, so I could stay awake, and be the first to know what I had. I walked down to the theatre, refused a wheelchair, and hopped up on the table myself. There were so many people around, because of the baby's disability. Two students also asked my permission to be present, sure why not, the more the merrier:). The atmosphere was so relaxed, the radio was on, the anaethetist singing along. The only thing that bothered me is that they'd cut me, and I'd still feel it. It's the maddest sensation, you can kind of feel something, but no pain. A nurse told me to squeeze her hand, as I may feel pressure as they lifted out the baby. Next thing, to the strains of Joe Dolan on the radio, I hear a cry, and see two little blue feet. Girl no2, 6lbs 15oz:D. Everyone commenting on her red hair. I briefly saw her, and she was whisked off to be treated in the neo natal unit. The 2 students are in tears, I didn't realise it was their first birth! My recovery was so much quicker after the spinal block, thank God. Baby though had to go to Crumlin for surgery the next day, to close her little back. About 8 days later, I finally got up to see her. She stayed their for a month, and then we could bring her home. At 6 months she'd a shunt fitted to deal with her hydrocephalus. She's 11 now, and after a couple more ops over the years, she is doing very well, despite the problems she faces:)

Baby no 3, due in January, elective c-section.........To be continued.....;)

Here is the birth story of my daughter, born on 17th December.

I was a week overdue and went to the antenatal clinic for a sweep on the 15th. While I was there they booked me in for an induction on the 20th December which I was really hoping to avoid as I wanted to give birth in the midwife led birth centre and I would have to go to the labour ward if induced.

The sweep wasn't as bad as I thought and the doctor said I was 2cms which even though is nothing was a start so I was happy! On the bus on the way home had some cramps but nothing major and some bleeding. The sweep was at 3pm - around 7pm I started having mild contractions which were about 5 mins apart. I couldn't believe it would work that soon so stupidly went about my normal business and didn't rest. That night the contractions were stronger and I couldn't sleep through them.

We went to the hospital around 6am only to be told I was only 3cms and was sent home again. Once at home they continued to get worse and I still couldn't sleep so I spent the morning and half the afternoon pacing the flat. Around 3pm I couldn't talk through them and they were about 3 mins apart, so we went back to the hospital (nightmare car journey!) This time I was 5cms so stayed in. The contractions were pretty painful at this stage so I got in the pool hoping this would help. It didn't! I must be the only person who didn't like being in water. I actually felt like it was making the contractions more painful.

5 whole hours later the midwife finished her shift and I was 7cm dilated. Another 3 hours later, still not much was happening so they decided to break my waters. The pain got really bad after that and there was a lot of blood so had to transfer to the labour ward so they could monitor the baby's heartbeat. I think the move slowed the labour down because I had to stay on the bed :mad: Long story short, baby was finally born 31 hours after the first contractions at 2.15am Saturday morning after 2 hours of pushing and a 2nd degree tear and weighed 8lbs 9!

I was exhausted by the end after being awake for practically 3 days straight and was pretty much falling asleep briefly in between contractions. Afterwards though I was wide awake again. I managed to do it without any drugs, didn't even use the gas and air (I did for the stitches though) so I'm so happy I had the natural birth I wanted.

She was so alert when she was born, I'll never forget when she first looked at me. And after I got to go back to the birth centre where I had my own room and my partner could stay overnight so overall, a positive experience. Don't know if I could do it again though!

I’ve been meaning to post this for ages but only getting around to it now. It’s a bit longwinded (but pretty much all positive) so skip to the end if you’re in a rush!


Despite my conviction that I was going to go overdue (my first was induced at 10 days over), this baby decided to come a week before her due date and more than a fortnight before I was expecting her. It was a Saturday & I’d spent an hour that afternoon getting a tour of the labour ward as I’d transferred hospitals quite late in the pregnancy & hadn’t had a chance to book onto the relevant antenatal class. Little did I know I’d be back on the ward 12 hours later! I’d only packed my bags a couple of days before! Anyway, myself, hubby & Kid1 then spent the afternoon shopping & I had a mad urge to go for a long walk along the river – it was lovely, a beautiful crisp & sunny November day.


That evening, himself cooked us a lovely meal & we settled in to watch a DVD. Maybe it was the crap movie (Existenz - don't bother) but at around 11pm I started to feel a bit funny and shortly after I realised that my waters were starting to go. I was stunned & sort of thrilled that I was going myself without help & hubby rang my Very Sensible Sister who was supposed to be on standby for babysitting Kid1. Unfortunately, my Very Sensible Sister had chose this very weekend to get totally ratarsed with my Slightly Less Sensible Sister (back-up babysitter #2) and my Completely Insensible Brother (back-up babysitter #3), so sure were they that I was nowhere near my due date (my own fault I guess!). So we rang my usually Utterly Unsensible Sister (who wasn’t even down for back-up) who immediately jumped in the car with her boyfriend and made the normally 2-hour trip in just over an hour to save the day (and hubby’s nerves!).


Anyway, back to me & labour. After my waters went, I started to feel a bit nauseous and spent around half an hour ‘evacuating’ everything, both ends and sometimes concurrently. Once that finished, I felt a bit of a niggly pain, not much more than a period pain so I didn’t think I was in labour just yet and told hubby not to stress too much on the babysitter front (I’m glad he ignored me!). 20 mins later I felt the same thing, a little sharper and around 30 secs long, but although I noted it, I was reluctant to call it a contraction seeing as on my previous induced labour I’d had pretty strong ones and I had no idea how a naturally starting labour would end up feeling. Anyway, I went and got some big cushions and my iPod (Gentlebirth CDs are still excellent) and dimmed the lights and lay down for a while – for some reason I decided to nest by the back door beside the dog beds (and close to the loo) so I had the mutts for company while hubby got bags and stuff organised.



My sister arrived then (about half past midnight) and almost immediately I started feeling the niggly pains 10 mins apart, still 30 secs long. 15 mins later they were coming quicker again so I rang the hospital, full sure she’d tell me to go to bed and call when I was no longer able to cope with the pain. Luckily she told me to come on in so we got loaded into the car and off we went, me in the back on my side, still listening to Tracy on the CDs with one leg in the air and a blanket protecting my modesty. I think the toll booth operator got a bit of an eyeful as we passed, poor bugger!
It took about half an hour to get to the hospital (1.30am now) and after 15 mins or so I was brought in to the admissions room. I was stuck on a trace on the very uncomfortable, very narrow trolley for about 45 mins before the doctor could assess me. This was the worst part of the night as hubby wasn’t allowed in with me, I wasn’t allowed use my iPod, I wasn’t allowed to walk around or even stand up and there were no distractions to help with the surges that were becoming increasingly uncomfortable. The nurse on duty was a bit useless – I told her I felt things were moving along quickly and she told me not to be silly, my contractions were far too short, I wasn’t in enough pain (!) and she wasn’t convinced I was in labour (!!). Anyway, even without the iPod I was able to do my hypnobirthing, it was almost as if Tracy was there with me! Finally at 2.45 (not THAT long, in fairness) the doctor came and examined me and said I was nearly 5 cm so it was time to go up to the labour ward. As soon as I stood up I felt everything change, with mighty pressure in my pelvis and I started to retch. Nurse thought I was being a bit of a drama queen (although I had made barely a sound all night) and got me to take all the paper sheets from the bed and put them in the bin (I’m not at all precious but seriously – getting a woman in labour to clean up the trolley after herself – how bad are the HSE cuts exactly?). She then sent me out to fetch hubby and the 3 of us walked up together to the labour ward. Nurse then seemed to have a personality transplant (presence of a man?) and was really excellent on the corridor, helping me through the contractions which were now coming every 2 minutes.



We got to the labour ward and met our midwife, a lovely lovely girl who I immediately trusted. She helped me along to the delivery room and no sooner had I stepped in than I felt the urge to push. She told me to get up on the bed and when I told her I couldn’t, I felt I had to push, she just said okay, wait til it passes, while the original nurse sort of tutted and sighed. Up I got and I immediately had to push again. The midwife had a look and said, yep, I can see the head! Nurse #1 nearly dropped! From then, it didn’t let up, I was basically pushing, breathing, pushing, breathing for 3 or 4 minutes and out came baby’s head, with the rest of her slipping out easily. She was placed immediately on my chest where they left her for a few minutes before clamping the cord. She was amazing, opened her eyes straight away, never cried at all and had latched on about 2 mins after she was born.



Labour and baby were pretty perfect. I couldn’t believe it, how easy it was compared to Kid1 even without pain relief (apparently I said ‘Is that it?’ as she came out!). It really did not hurt much at all, whether that’s because it was a second baby or because of the hypnobirthing or because I was so glad to be at the end of a fairly rotten pregnancy or simply because I had absolutely no fear this time at all, I don’t know, but I’d gladly give birth twenty times over if it was like that. Hubby was brilliant, really focused me on the breathing, and the midwife did all she could to help when baby crowned, although I still had a tear. In all, according to my notes, I was in the delivery room for 6 minutes when she was born. We had to stay there for ages though as I needed stitches and the dr had been called away for an emergency c-section. It was all fine though and I got to get high on the gas for the embroidery and was able to walk back to the postnatal ward and take a shower straight away.


8 weeks on and baby is absolutely brilliant. I always thought people who said their little babies slept through the night were dirty liars, but she is fantastic to sleep, goes down after a mammoth 2-boob feed at 1 am and doesn’t wake again until 7 or 8. I didn’t have that with Kid1 until he was nearly a year old! Breastfeeding has been grand again – the usual tenderness for the first week and later 2 bad days with a blocked duct, but it’s been grand overall.

---

So, quick version – waters broke by themselves, baby born 4 hrs later without any fuss, a girl, 7lbs 10 oz, a titch compared to her big bruiser of a brother. Recovery has been so quick, again totally different to the first time – I was back to myself within a week.


Only question now is – will there be a Kid3?

wmppd3 I'd literally give away a limb to have a birth like that! Fair play!

Posted previously about my first 2 sections, both elective. Now finally get to post about the 3rd on Jan 18th:). Found that things had changed since 2000, most noticeably the length of the hospital stay. To my surprise I would only stay 4 nights in hospital, compared to 8 or 9 the first 2 times. Also I could go in on the morning of the op, rather than have to be admitted the night before. I had to be on the labour ward at 7.30am, so got up around 6am and had a shower, and packed a few last minute things.
Myself and himself headed off just after 7, leaving our 2 daughters at home. Our eldest girl drives, so they followed us in a while later. I was admitted on to the ward, and told I was 3rd on the list. The first was taken down at 8am, so I estimated I'd be called around 11am. I was put on the monitor for awhile to check the baby's heart, and then it was a waiting game. Had to laugh when I was asked had I shaved down below. All I could do was apologise about the state of it, I hadn't seen it in quite awhile:o
So we waited, and waited, and waited some more. Then we were told there was a couple of emergencies. Obviously they take priority. I actually began to forget what I was in there for. Eventually I was called at 14.20. Off I trotted down to the theatre, while himself gowned up. It's quite surreal climbing up onto the table fully in your senses. I'd to drink something utterly gross out of a little brown bottle, then the spinal block was administered. Very strange sensation! It's like something warm pouring down your legs. For some reason best known to myself, I'd kept my bra and knickers on, didn't occur to me to take them off. So off they came off at the last minute. You have to lie on the table with your right side on this kind of wedge, and your left arm strapped down, out straight. The only thing I didn't like was the oxygen mask I'd to wear. Like a big twat, I kept telling them I could still feel my legs, and not to start yet. You think I'd have remembered from the last time that you can feel sensation but no pain at all. Himself came in and sat beside me, which was great as he wasn't allowed in the last 2 times. In no time the nurses were telling me we'd have the baby any minute, and I could feel someone pressing hard on the top of my stomach. The next thing at 14.45, we could see a little blue body being held up, but neither of us could make out if it was a boy or a girl as the screen was blocking our view!! I think the surgeon was a bit on the short side! He held the baby up further, and we still couldn't see, so the nurse told us we'd girl no3:D. She was wrapped up and handed to Dad beside me for a few minutes, couldn't get over the full head of dark hair, actually about an inch long in places! She was taken off to be cleaned and weighed, could hear her crying mad. 7lbs exactly, and an apgar score of 9.5 at one minute, and 10 at 5 minutes. Some relief after girl no2 being born needing surgery, and being taken away from me. It takes awhile to be stitched back up again after, but you're on such a high you don't even realise it's happening. I was moved into recovery, where they placed herself under my nightdress, it was lovely:). Her 2 big sisters were snuck into meet her.
Then it was back to the ward. After awhile I got tea and toast, I was so hungry after fasting since the night before. At about 10 that night, I was up out of the bed, and sitting in a chair for a bit, and managed to look after the baby overnight. The next morning, after my catheter was removed, I was walking about slowly. 3 days later I was discharged, to get my stitch out at the GP's on day 6. Unfortunately and to my disappointment I healed very slowly and it was actually day 20 when the continuous stitch was finally removed. I had been told healing would be quicker as I was cut across the way this time, as opposed to vertically the first 2 times. But in the grand scheme of things, baby is well, I'm well, and that's all that matters. I can honestly say that an elective c section is a very civilized experience, and nothing at all to be afraid of. Almost 4 weeks later, I'm fully back to myself again, apart from being knackered from lack of sleep:D

Since a few here have posted birth stories from a while ago i'll give it a shot.

1st born sept 1999

pregnancy was rough, have morning sickness all the was through was hospitalised 3 times. I went in for my check up on a Wednesday my bp was high so they sent me into hospital. I was just 39 weeks, on the way at around 2 give or take an hour my contractions started. When i arrived in they said my bp had returned to normal but they would keep me in as i was having regular contractions every 5 mins. I never slept a wink all night walked the halls.

At 9am they said i could go to the labour ward as i was heading down my partner arrived and he came with me (took the day of college). I was 4cm dilated when i arrived in, i had a shot of pethidine, by 4pm i was still only 4cm dilated so they decided to give me a chemical to hurry up labour and also broke my waters. The pain after that was unreal, gas and air didn't work and i was having contraction start in the middle of another contraction so i had no break. they told me to have the epidural, after 30 mins i gave in and had it.... It was the best thing ever.

At 8pm i started pushing as i was 10cms. She was bobbing in and out but eventually after 51 mins i pushed her out (20.51). She was 1 week early and weighed in at 9lb 1oz. She was perfect. The offered me tea and toast but i couldn't eat, they kept me in the labour ward for 2 hours as i went very pale and weak and they were concerned, i was fine. I had stitches lots of internal ones for grazing, they made no cuts and i didn't need any other intervention with her birth. She was breast fed in the labour ward.

Baby 3

Due January 2007 born December 2006, 1 week early

Woke up at around 3 am with uncomfortable contractions, they were 4 mins apart, left for hospital at 5am. When i got there i was 5cm dilated, the labour ward was full so i had to walk the halls until 7am, i was 7cm dilated and they said that the epidural wouldn't kick if i had it, i told them i wanted it anyway, they then said the anaesthetist was going off duty but he made an exception for me and and stayed longer. I had the epidural at around 8.30 and they broke my waters.

It was around just before 10 i felt the urge to push, they told me that my little guys heart rate was dropping and to PUSH him out (they shouted at me to push him out) i did and then they told me to stop i said i cant and they shouted at me to stop so i did, then all of a sudden there were lots of people in the room all taking a look at me, i started to panic something was wrong with my baby, so i asked them what was wrong and they said i was tearing quite bad and that i had to push gently otherwise i would do some damage. after a few gentle pushed he came out (10.22am), he was 4kgs ( 8 lb 15oz ) and very healthy.

Took them ages to stitch me up ( my old wound from my previous baby had burst open with the pressure and did more damage) and i was sore for a while after. I was lucky i didn't get a 4th degree tear... Chances are if i ever have another one i will be looking for a section as i was warned that because i have big babies that another baby could do more damage, ending in a 4th degree tear... However i have no plans for baby number 4....

wmpdd3 wrote: »

Brilliant stories,



second this!!, but I only had a tiny tear this time, it was just the feeling of pushing him out that i found soo odd! its amazing how your body makes you push even though you are tearing yourself.

7ibs 6oz was some weight for 35 weeks!

The feeling was vert odd and painful so I really pushed. He ended up flying out unexpectedly and he was very bruised and his eyes were sheets of blood from the force if being pushed out at the speed of a bullet... The sensation is really weird and I was so embarrassed that I screamed. It just came out.


He was supposed to be 10lb and they refused to give me a section. Told me if I could push out a 9 pounder I could push out a 10 pounder. Thank goodness he arrived early.

I had to dig out my birth story after reading some of these. Apologies for the novel but I wrote in soon after the birth so it’s pretty detailed!

I was due on Sat 14th June 2008. I had been trying all the "natural" ways of bringing on labour ;-) over that weekend, and had been having almost constant BH's so was thinking that labour wasn't far off.

Tuesday 17th June
At 3am Tuesday morning I woke with a feeling of wetness. I went to the loo and I was all wet with a pinky discharge. It wasn't a gush by any means but I had heard that your waters can break and just leak a little so I called Holles St and they told me to come in and get it checked out. We got there and went to Unit 3 (aka purgatory). They couldn't tell if it was my waters so they did a trace on the baby and would check for my waters when docs did rounds in the morning. The trace showed that I was having mild contractions and I was starting to feel period like pains.

In the morning the docs came and did an exam to see if it was my waters and also an internal to check if I was dilated. It turned out not to be my waters (still for the life of me don't know what it was cos it certainly wasn't mucousy like the show! - must have wet myself for the first time ever!!) She said after internal that cervix was stilled closed but starting to efface. I have to say I got the fright of my life when she did the internal as it was horrible!! I was planning a natural birth and had been doing hypnotherapy and was thinking Jeez if I can't handle this bloody internal how can I manage labour!!!
ASIDE - turns out internals are actually THE worst part of labour - particularly if you're not dilated. RUMMAGE is the only word I can think to the describe it!!

Hubby came and brought me home and got some sleep. When I woke that afternoon the period pains I had been feeling were getting stronger and coming every 15 mins or so. I was sitting on the ball and walking around the apartment to see if they were getting any more frequent or stronger. My mam and sis came over for the evening and my pains were getting stronger and coming every 8-10 mins - fine just breathing through them though.

Wednesday 18th June
That night I got a few hours sleep by listening to my hypnotherapy relaxation cds. The pains were getting stronger and I got up at around 5 and was walking the apt and breathing through them and timing them. They were coming every 6 mins at this stage.
I remember feeling nervous that we would get stuck in rush hour traffic (LOL in hindsight) so woke hubby and told him that I thought we would be going to hosp soon. In pure his style he was very laid back about the whole thing but started to get himself ready. I relaxed a bit and kept through the pains and rush hour came and went. At around 10.30 they were coming every 5 mins and lasting around 40 secs so we decided to go in (as they tell you in classes!)

We got to HS and I waited in the lobby while DP parked the car. The pains seemed to get stronger as soon as I arrived at the hosp and I really had to concentrate on my relaxation and breathing to help with them. We were brought up to the delivery ward to be assessed. The lovely midwife gave me another exam and then told me she was very sorry to tell me that I wasn't in labour!!! I was gutted! She did a trace on the baby and afterwards said that it was obvious that I was getting labour pains so we should go and walk the corridors for an hour or two and then she would check again. We did that and at this stage I couldn't think about walking or talking through them and had to stop and lean against the wall for each pain. After about two hours she did another exam but I STILL wasn't in labour!! She said that she thought we should go to Unit 3 for the day. We agreed as we felt that we just wouldn't know when to come in if we went home....

So we went to Unit 3 and spent the afternoon walking the corridors and sitting on the birthing ball. The pains were still coming every 4 mins or so and were pretty painful, especially in my back. I was having a flip through my chart and noticed the mw from the morning had written "patient is back to back". I asked another midwife if this meant that the baby was in the posterior position she said yes (THANKS FOR TELLING ME EARLIER!!). I spent an hour or two on the bed on all fours wiggling my hips as I heard this was good for getting baby to turn.

Our two mams came to visit that evening and about 9pm the pains were starting to come every two mins so I called a midwife over and told her and asked when I would be checked again. She sat me down and told me "I can tell you now - you're not in labour luvvey! I can see how you're dealing with the pains, you'll know when you're in labour! You're cervix has a lot of work to do you know!!". I was SO frustrated!! As far as I was concerned these pains were bad. I had thought I was coping well with them because I was using my relaxation and breathing (BREATHING IS THE KEY!!). I had had two friends who gave birth recently and they got pains, went to hosp and had a baby - none of this Unit 3 nonsense!! I didn't know what to do. I wanted to go home to my comfortable apartment, but again didn’t think we would know when to come back, and knew I wouldn't get any sleep with the pains, especially as it was getting worse in my back. If I stayed the night in Unit 3 I could get pethidine which would help me to sleep.

Thursday 19th June
I got the pethidine injection just after midnight and settled into bed and S went home. At first when I got the injection I felt drowsy and thought this is great I'll be able to sleep tonight. About ten mins later I felt a pain. They kept coming every 8 mins. And lying on my side wasn't helping them, I needed to be walking or on all fours (which of course didn't help with the sleep). I was so frustrated and got up and had a walk and asked the bitchy night midwife if I could get a hot pack (I had been told to ask for one) for my back. She was a complete wagon and snapped back at me that she was on her own and had to look after the whole ward. I said to her that I was only asking for it! She was a F**king b*tch!! Eventually a nice midwife brought me a hot pack and I tried to sleep again, think I managed about an hour with my relaxation CD's. When I couldn't stay in bed any more I decided to go have a shower. I spent about an hour in there. It was such a help. After the shower I tried to sleep again, then had to go walking again. I met another midwife and asked her if I could get some more pethidine (even though it was pretty crap to be honest). She said there was no way after only 5 hours. I couldn't stop watching the clock dying for when the lights would turn on again and when hubby would be back in to me - I felt it was the longest night of my life! Eventually the morning came and that bitchy midwife came to check my vitals. I told her I wanted to go home for the day and she said it was a good idea. She gave me the impression that she thought I shouldn't be there at all and she was a right cow about it. I was so pissed off with them telling me I wasn't in labour when I knew I was. I got the stage where I was doubting myself and my ability to cope with labour. If I wasn't in labour now and I was finding it tough did I have a really low pain threshold? How the hell was I going to cope with "real labour"?

I went out the corridor to phone my mam. Before I called I had a pain and was standing against the wall breathing through it and some one tapped me on the shoulder and told me that she was the matron of the hosp and I was doing great with my breathing. Finally! Some one acknowledging what I was going through!! I got through to my mam and we agreed that we'd spend the day at home maybe got to the beach. Then I just burst into incontrollable tears on the phone to her, not from the pain, but from the sheer frustration of the whole situation. It had been 48 hours since I had got my first pain, three nights where I had had feck all sleep and I felt like I was never going to get into "real" labour".

S arrived and I was due to have a trace before I went home. During the trace the contractions were whoppers and you could see them hitting the top of the scale. A nice midwife came in to check on me and she said "a couple more contractions like those and you'll be on your way." She said she'd do an internal before I went just to check. She did and said she did a sweep aswell and said that she reckoned I'd be in labour in 12 hours. Finally someone putting a time on it. The way some of the other midwifes were talking it could have been WEEKS before I had this baby.

I was due to go home so hubby and I packed up and were leaving when I started feeling really shaky and sick. I felt terrible so we decided to stay and have a shower. They admited me to another bed and I went and spent two hours in the shower. When we got out I went to the new bed and saw that it was sharing a curtain with some one else. I didn't fancy another day in Unit 3 labouring beside someone else so I decided to go home after all. I was in my dressing gown and pyjamas and hubby had to get the car from Merrion Square so I waited across the road from the hosp with the bags hoping that DP would hurry up. I was leaning against the rails having a pain when people starting pouring out of the building. A bloody fire drill. I felt like a fekcing eejit!! And to top it off a girl I went to school with worked in the office, I was mortified!

We finally got home and I took two pain killers (LOL) and lay down with my hypno tapes for an hour. I actually managed to get some sleep. In the meantime my mam was running around Dublin trying to get me a TENS machine and getting a Homeopathic Kit for Labour from her friend as we were going to try a remedy to try to get the baby to move (I'd try anything to get things along at this stage!!)
I spent the day on the ball, on my hands and knees and doing exercises to try to get baby to move. I found the TENS machine a good for helping with the pain. To be honest I was coping well with the pain all along, it was just the sheer exhaustion that was getting to me. I was longing to get into labour so that I could get some pain relief and get some rest. I decided that I would go with the epidural at this stage (hadn't originally planned to have it) cos it would mean that I could get some sleep. I was also getting worried about how long it would take once I did get into labour, as it was taking so long to get there!!

Friday 20th June
That night I lay down for a couple of hours with a hot water bottle against my back and listening to my CD's. I didn't get any sleep but the relaxation helped me. I was trying to eat muesli bars and fruit to give me some energy. I woke Himself around 5 as the contractions started changing in intensity (this is what the MW told me to look out for). He told me that I still seemed to be coping well with the contractions and we shouldn't go yet. But I had had enough. These bloody pains were coming stronger than ever and I wanted pain relief as soon as I could get it so I could get some sleep!!

We headed into HS at 6.30am and up to delivery ward again to be "assessed". Another nightmare of an internal exam and I was told I still wasn't in F***ING labour!!! The midwife left and we heard the lady in the next room give birth. When I heard the baby I just burst into tears. I WAS NEVER GOING TO HAVE THIS BABY, IT WAS JUST NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN.
The midwife came back and put on a trace again. She said I would prob have to go home as Unit 3 was full. S was saying there was no way we were going home again - for what? To spend an hour having pains and then come back in??? At the shift change we got a new midwife and as soon as she introduced herself I felt better! She was German and just so lovely. She told me that I wasn't going home, that we'd have this baby today. At 9.30 a consultant came to give me another exam. When I heard her say "amniohook" and broke my waters I could have hugged her!! I didn't care about my Birth plan (which was sitting at home) which had asked for no Breaking of Waters and no oxytocin!!! I had had enough and I wanted this baby out as soon as possible. I told her I wanted the epidural and they could hook me up to the drip if they wanted!! DP burst into tears when they said I was in labour. It was like we would never get there. Obviously though this was just the beginning!!

The angel of a midwife was getting me set up for the epidural and she was having problems finding a vain for the canular when the anaesthetist came in. She wasn't very happy with the way I was sitting and the mess with the canulars... She asked me a couple of questions, then she asked "Have you taken aspirin in the last 10 days?" The only answer I could give was "Yes" - I had taken two anidin on Tuesday as it was all that my friend had and we had no paracetemol at home!! The anaesthetist said "WELL THEN I CAN'T GIVE YOU THE EPIDURAL", then gave me a lecture about taking aspirin, and then WALKED OUT!!! I was stunned. I didn't know what to say. DP had a face of horror - he didn't want to see me in this pain. The midwife just said "We'll be fine, we'll get through it", and that really helped. She was going to help me through it! She said that she would give me pethidine. I said let's wait til later but she said I would need it as I was getting the drip. Again, I wanted to say that I didn't want oxytocin but I knew it would speed things up so went with it. The midwife snuck me in a glass of orange juice which gave me a little bit of energy aswell.

The pethidine barely touched the pain, just made me feel really drowsy, and the oxytocin really gave the pains a cruel edge. They were coming on top of eachother aswell - 7 pains every 15 mins. The pain in my back was excruciating. DP was on the phone to my mam to find out what remedies to use under these circumstances. We were both popping rescue remedy and other pills I can't remember the name of now. Not sure if they helped!! I was coping with the pain by using my relaxation, breathing, and the idea that each contraction would be over and they I would have a break. I was getting more and more uncomfortable though and couldn't sit on the ball or lie on the bed. The only positions that I could deal with were standing and kneeling on the bed with my hands on the headboard. Unfortunately I had monitoring belts which kept slipping, and baby wasn't cooperating so had to keep trying lying down to see if he would wake up.

After 4 hours the midwife did an exam. I was 4cm. Part of me was delighted that I had got there but the other part of me didn't know where I was going to find the energy for the next 6cm and for the pushing part. I had to push that out of my mind and just try to cope with each pain as it came. The pain was getting excruciating at this stage. I was sucking on the gas and air, and was quite out of it a lot of the time. I was listening to my hypno relaxation which was helping me stay focussed. Hubby said that I was falling asleep between each pain and then waking up for the next one. I remember at one stage looking at the midwife and him and wondering why the hell this was happening to me and not them!! I could also hear other women giving birth, and was thinking of myself here, half naked on the bed groaning through these pains, and how far removed it was from putting on a suit and going to work and sitting in front of my laptop and going to meetings. This was so primal, so real, and somewhere inside me I felt privileged to be part of it, even if it was descending into hell.

At around 3.30pm (I know that some are in labour for longer than this, but it was feeling like an eternity to me, I was so exhausted and in so much pain, with no option to relieve it) the pain in my back was so bad that I was starting to groan through it to help me cope. I heard the consultant come in and say that was sounding very loud we should do another exam. I had dreams of being told that I had dilated really quickly and that it was time to push. But alas! The midwife said that she didn't even think I was at 4cm and that the baby's head was still very high. I would have broke down at this stage but had to stay focussed or wouldn't have been able to deal with the pain. S stepped in and told the midwife that he thought I had had enough, that she would have to talk to the consultant to get me a section. She asked me if that was what I wanted and I said that I couldn't go on like this. She went off to find the consultant and seemed to be gone forever. Finally a doctor came back with her and stood in front of me and said "Ashing - I really think we can achieve a natural delivery here". I said to her that I wasn't one of these girls screaming for a section as soon as I got in the door. I had been trying for a natural birth, doing hypnotherapy, hadn't even wanted the epidural, but I had been having pains now for nearly four days, hadn't had any sleep all week and had HAD ENOUGH!! The midwife told her that I wasn't dilating and that she couldn't feel the baby's head. As soon as the consultant did the exam her face changed and she just agreed that they would do a section. The relief!! This would be over within hours!!! One more consultant had to agree before the oxytocin was switched off. Then we had to wait another hour before the theatre was free. S told me that he thought I was amazing for dealing with this and no one could ever tell me I had a low pain threshold again!

I think it was at this point that he realised he was going to have a baby, and the idea that he was going to have to look after him for an hour on his own while I was in recovery had him sucking on the gas and air along with me!! I was of course still getting pains but nothing like with the oxytocin, and gas and air was taking the edge off no problem.
We were brought up to theatre. My mother in law was sitting outside the delivery ward at this stage, so he was happy to know she would be there with him and the baby at the start. When we got to theatre, lo and behold it was the same anaesthetist from that morning. I think she felt a little guilty about how she had been as she was nice as pie to me, and did a spinal tap so I would be awake for the operation. When that was all working S came in his scrubs and sat beside me. I remember reading that some women can get shaken and stressed out just before a section but I didn't feel like that at all. I was just happy and relieved that the ordeal was over and I would finally meet my baby!! I know I had a big smile on my face all through it!!

The section was so quick I think it’s funny – three days of labour relieved by a ten minute operation. It’s a very strange sensation because you can feel lots of poking and pushing and pressure in your tummy. Sharif looked over the curtain and said “oh I just saw a face!”. The doctor exclaimed “Oh, he’s looking up at the stars!” This was a reference to the fact that the baby was posterior presentation, he was facing up when they took him out. The baby was presented to us to have a quick look before being whipped away. Our memory was that he looked like a “little gorilla”! He gave a cry soon afterwards and we relaxed. The doctor shouted over to us “does this child have a name?” That felt a bit weird cos we hadn’t seen him properly yet, but had decided to call him Zain. He was brought over to us and I remember thinking how perfect and calm he was. He hadn’t been affected at all by the drama that had gone on outside.

Afterwards I did some research on the posterior presentation and how it can affect labour. The painful, unproductive back labour that I experienced seemed to be a fairly common occurrence where the baby’s back is against the mother’s back instead of to the front. My second was also posterior and I am of the opinion now that it’s the shape of my pelvis and I’m lucky that sections are now so safe as my babies wouldn’t have been getting out of me otherwise....

I look back and don't know how I managed it and have a semi-positive view of the whole thing. Afterwards I remember thinking that as bad as it was I would do it all again!

For my second I was planning on going for a normal delivery and my consultant was pretty confident that if the position was good etc it should be fine. When I was overdue by 10 days on my second I had an appointment where they scheduled me in for a section at 12 days. I was pretty sure that she was posterior again, could feel all limbs at the front. That night I started to get pains and it was the same all in the back. They were really intense and I was throwing up etc so I decided to go in evne though I'd only had them a few hours. I was convinced taht second labour would be quicker etc but when I got in they did an internal and it was the same again not even effaced, baby's head still had a long way to come down. So I was in there having pains, and the section was scheduled for the next day and they wouldn't entertain the idea of me having the section early. I did a few hours of walking the corridors and got them to check me in the early afternoon and there was no change whatsoever. I just got a few pethidine injections and kept going for hot showers to deal with the pains. They had kinda died down I think because I wasn't doing anythign like walking or bouncing to help them along, but it was always in my back, that horrible burning pressure in the bottom of your back..... Labour pains are very intolerable when you know that they are not doing anything for you!

And to make it worse the day of the section I think they forgot about me and I didn't end up going up until 5pm! I had been fasting since the night before and I wasn't even supposed to drink water. I had those sponge lollipop things to rinse out my mouth and i was taking sneaky sips.... When they took her out they told me she was posterior again. Her ears were flattened against her head like folded pieces of paper, which made me thing that her head had been wedged in my pelvis in the same position for a long time. I've kinda come to the conclusion that the shape of my pelvis meant that they settled in the posterior position. If I have any more I'll be having a section at 39 weeks!

I'm always a little torn when I'm telling my birth stories. While the first was long and horrible and the second wasn't what I was hoping for, I got through both of them and I wasn't traumatised or anything like that. To be honest, the first time round I felt that *they* don't really prepare you for just how long it can be. Nowadays I tell anyone that says "oh I'm going to get the epidural" that you could have a whole lot of labour before you can get the epidural! If I hadn't been doing the hypno the first time round, and I was really focussed on my breathing, I don't think I would have managed as well....

So if anyone read the story and got freaked out, I would say, don't freak out, just be prepared. Be prepared that you might have a long labour where you're not officially "in labour" so you'll be responsible for your pain relief - breathing, breathing, breathing, relaxation, hot showers, tens machine, walking, positive visualisation, affirmations, have them all in your inventory. And during it there'll be times when you mgiht doubt yourself and your ability to get through it. YOU WILL GET THROUGH IT, and you'll have yourr gorgeous snuggly baby at the end of it and the pain and hard work of the labour will just melt away.

Promise :-)