My birth story

Ok so I thought I would share my birth story here so I wouldn't forget anything.

I was booked in for induction on 2^nd February, I arrived just before 4pm as instructed. We walked to the delivery suite which was strange as the last time we were there was when I gave birth to Christopher back in 2009, I was in labour last time, this time I had no pain and had no idea when my daughter was going to make an appearance.

I was shown up to level 5, and given room 5 – a lovely little private room with a big window and a view out over part of the hospital and the Oxfordshire countryside.

I was stuck on the monitor and everything with me and my princess was fine. I was then examined and was only 2cm dilated, my cervix was still quite posterior and thick. My waters were able to be broken but it wasn't the hospitals policy to break waters 1^st anymore, they opted for the prostin gel 1^st.

View from above:

So attractive right?  

I was given the prostin gel at 5:20, it stung slightly but nothing major, it was more uncomfortable than anything else. I was still being monitored and had to be monitored for 30 minutes after the gel incase it upset the baby or anything. The monitor showed a few tightenings, nothing strong or painful but it was a positive sign that it was doing something.

I had to stay on the monitor until about 6:30 as our baby girl was a bit difficult and moved around whilst I was being monitored so I had to stay on the monitor a little longer than expected but all was well so I was allowed off and able to get up and walk about. I was still having a couple of tighenings but they weren't too painful.

We had a wander and went and rang Christopher about 7 o'clock so that we can say goodnight to him as he was staying at my mother in laws overnight. I was able to walk quite happily but still having a few tighenings so was more than happy to go back to my room and watch some programs that I had saved to the iPad.

Lee had to go home at 9pm as visiting times were over and I wasn't having any strong pains. I was having mild pains every 10 minutes or so but didn't think anything would come of them until the next afternoon really. I said goodbye to Lee and said I'd see him at 9am the next morning when he could come back.

As the night went on I played on my DS for a little while, wandered round the communal/family seating area for a while but then decided to try and get some rest so got ready for bed and settled down with the iPad and watched some Harry Potter. The midwife came and checked on me and said I should try and get some rest but I couldn't settle down.

About midnight I asked for some painkillers and if they had any heatpads as my back was really hurting, my pains were all in my back just like when I was in labour with Christopher. They didn't have any heatpads but they brought me a hot towel which was heaven.

Around 3am things were getting too much, I had been monitoring my contractions which were a lot stronger now, they were coming every 2-3 minutes and lasting about 45 seconds to a minute. I called for the midwife to come and told her it was getting a bit much. She said I wasn't due to be examined again until 7am but she would check me now. She went and got her gloves etc and checked me. I was 4cm dilated and now in established labour! Woohoo!! They were having to call in an on call midwife but she would be there in about 20-30 minutes which was good as that was enough time for me to call Lee and for him to get there.
I called Lee at 3:23 am and told him that I needed him and that I was in established labour. He sounded a little surprised but would be on his way super soon.

We went down to the delivery suite not long before 4am, I couldn't walk as the pains were so regular so had to be taken down in a wheelchair. Just as I was coming out of the lift, Lee arrived so it was perfect timing. He helped open the doors and get me settled into the room. I felt so much better once he was there. We were in room 9 this time, right next door to room 8 where I had Christopher.

The pains were strong but I was managing to breath through them, the best thing I found was rocking side to side and using the gas and air.

Around 5:30 I was starting to struggle, I knew that I didn't want other pain relief and as my waters hadn't gone yet I wanted to know if I could have them broken as they were bulging when I was last checked yet still hadn't gone. They midwife wasn't too sure as it wasn't standard practice so had to go and check with her supervisor if they were able to do it. Thankfully she came back and said yes! I had my waters broken at 5:40 and was 7cm dilated at that point.

Between then and the delivery was a bit of a blur, the pains were worse and close together but the gas and air took the edge off. I started to feel the need to push, I told the midwife that I needed to push, she had a look and I just remember her saying “oh yes, I can see the head”, she just had enough time to put her gloves on before my body took over. I couldn't hold back. Sure enough Jessica practically pushed her own head out and then came her body in the next push.

Our beautiful daughter Jessica Sophie Thomas came into the world at 6:16am weighing 8lb 11oz.

My 2^nd stage was recorded at just 4 minutes!! I ended up with a 2^nd degree tear due to the fast delivery so had to have stitches, weirdly the midwife who came to do my stitches was the midwife who delivered Christopher. I remembered her as soon as she walked in the room, her name was Marie, she had big curly brown hair and a really soothing voice. Once I had been stitched up I was able to go for a shower whilst Lee looked after Jessica. I did a wee and had a shower, as it was the 1^st wee post birth they measured it and unfortunately it was 1.3litres which was too much, more than normal. I didn't have the sensation to go straight away so they thought that I had overextended my bladder and in order to prevent any damage/give my bladder a rest I had to have a catheter fitted for 24 hours. I had also lost quite a lot of blood, just over what was counted as normal so they would want to monitor me anyway. Marie, the midwife was so nice and was really apologetic about it as she had to fit the catheter which was another invasive thing after she had already stitched me up. I really wasn't that bothered, I felt drained so just did as I was told. Weirdly after I had Christopher I had something similar although I didn't have the sensation to go at all so they did a manual catheter and when I went upstairs to the ward I still didn't have the full sensation back so this time wasn't that much of a surprise and was slightly better.

We went up to the ward and as it was after 9am Lee was allowed to stay with us. He went home at lunch time so that he could have a shower and get a couple of things that I wanted as we were going to be staying in a bit longer than I had anticipated. He was also able to take my wet towels etc home. He came back at 3pm with his mum, stepdad and Christopher with all the bits I wanted.

Here was Christopher meeting his baby sister for the first time:

My mum, dad and sister came to visit in the evening, my mum had made cupcakes for the midwives on the ward who really appreciated it, my dad took Lee down the road to the Pizza Hut to go and get a pizza for me as the food that had been ordered for my bed by the previous occupant was an egg sandwich which there was no way I was eating it! I HATE egg sandwiches. He came back with a large pizza which me and him shared. Nom Nom Nom!! 

I was allowed home the next day after the catheter had been removed and as I was able to wee normally they said that I hadn't damaged my bladder thankfully. It was horrible having the catheter in but I know it was for the best.

I can not fault the care that I received in hospital and even though I was induced this time I think I had a really positive induction. I thought it was going to be long and drawn out but it was far from it. I only used gas and air and no other pain relief. Last time I had pethidine so I think I coped far better this time.