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Pls excuse my typing, I writing this one handed while feeding DD.
My labour started late on Tuesday with bad backache and lots of bloody shows. As my baby had been turned by ECV a few days before and I was planning a homebirth I had to call out the MW to check the babies position in case she had gone back to breech. The MW confirmed I was in very early labour and that the baby was positioned correctly.
The irregular ctx and backache continued throughout Wednesday and Thursday with no real progress so my friend brought over a walking aerobics video and we did the equivalent of a 4 mile walk to see if it would get things going.
At 7pm the ctx started properly at 6 mins apart. Called the L&D ward to let them know and was told that there was a major accident on the main road between my home and the hospital, the area was gridlocked and they would struggle to get to me and might send an ambulance instead. An hour later, they called back to say that a MW was on her way from the ward on the backroads and would get there if she could but I should call an ambulance if necessary. I couldn't get hold of my friend to take DS as she was stuck in the traffic too. I became very stressed and gave up on my plan to use hypnobabies as I couldn't relax and focus.
The MW arrived at about 8 and confirmed that I had made some progress but would be a few hours yet so she left again.
At midnight, she came back checked again, I was still only 4cm dilated, coping well with the ctx that were now 3 mins apart and reasonably relaxed so I agreed she could go home and get some sleep and I'd try to nap.
At 2am, I called her back out as some ctx were about a minute apart and I wanted to get into the pool.
At 4am my body started to push and the MW told me to go with it but I started to get sharp pain between contractions. On examination I was only 6cm but the bulging waters were stretching the cervix to 10 during contractions. My cervix was swollen and labour stalled.
For some reason the membranes would not rupture on their own but the MW couldn't break them at home so I agreed to breath through contractions and wait for 10cm. It was difficult not to push and painful so I restorted to G&A. I was lucky to have an understanding MW at this point otherwise I would have been transferred to hospital.
A rest followed by lots of walking got labour going again after 2 hrs. Got back into the pool and it was bliss but labour stalled again so I had to get back out and this time fell asleep!
At 7am they started to make arrangements for another MW and possible hospital transfer to get baby out but instead they got permission to break my waters.
The waters were broken at 8 after a fews attempts and I suddenly felt baby drop right down. I tried to get to the pool but the change of position brought on really long, strong ctx so I ended up on my hands and knees in the middle of the room, begging for drugs.
Amelia Caitlyn was born 14 mins later weighing 7lb 2oz. The cord was very, very short and had to be cut to get her out quickly and safely. They think this is why she went breech and why my labour was so stop/start and slow.
At the time I said I'd never do it again and any more babies would be born in hospital with an EPI but now I think it was amazing.
It may have been eventful but it was so much better than my previous hospital birth and the recovery has been so much faster.
congratulations on the safe arrival of Amelia Caitlyn... sounds like you did so well and had wonderful midwives. so glad you got your homebirth, it feels like you have been waiting for ever for this baby to come
