DS1: 40+ 6. contractions started around 7pm. Very mild and period pain like for first few hours. I bounced on my ball and watched Nathan Barley episodes to try and stay chilled and laugh. Called the hospital at midnight to let them know I was in labour. They urged me to stay at home longer as it was my first. More ball bouncing and breathing, listening to hypnobirth playlist. Called hospital again at 4am, felt like I knew I needed to be near a midwife if that makes sense? They said ok come in but don’t hurry. Got to the MLU at 0430 and they found I was 7cm. Settled into a nice pool room, bouncing on my ball. Pool was running all was chilled (was enjoying some gas and air). But then my waters broke and they were literally black - thick with meconium. So the lights were switched on and I wasn’t bundled down to the delivery ward - they put a cannula in my hand without asking my permission or telling me what it was for (still angers me 7 years later) and tried to get me to lie on the bed so the baby could be monitored. Once they’d got a decent trace I insisted on returning to bouncing in my ball and DH had to hold the monitor in place on my belly whilst I bounced...! Felt heavy pressure feeling around 7am and tried pushing in different positions (on all fours etc) but it just didn’t feel right. In the end I found it easiest to push whilst reclining on my back in the bed. I pushed for over an hour. They put my legs in stirrups which I wasn’t keen on but actually I found it helpful to have something to brace against whilst pushing. I remember becoming aware that they were prepping for a forceps or ventouse type delivery (was a bit wasted on G&A but saw more staff coming in and a doctor saying hello) and I distinctly remember thinking oh no, fuck this, I am gonna have one last try to get this baby out and did a couple of almighty pushes like i was shitting out a bus (!!) and then the head started crowning. He was born at 9am after 14h of labour. Not exactly what I envisaged but pretty much fine - small tear which was stitched by a consultant (because she wanted the lamp back for a patient in dire straits a few rooms over and couldn’t be bothered to wait whilst my MW stitched me slowly...!). Baby 9lb4oz.
Ds2 : 41+6. Booked for a home birth but late scans showed he was sometimes transverse and not engaged at all (still rolling around!) so they decided to induce in hospital with a view to monitoring his position carefully and basically hoping his head would drop down with a few strong contractions...
Had an induction pessary, waited 24h, nothing happened. Had another one. Waited another 24h. Nothing. Was now 42+1. Begged for a C Section (pretty much because I’d been awake for 48 hours in the induction ward of doom and was close to cutting him out myself with a yoghurt spoon just to get home...!). Consultant argued with me about it, and said she wanted to try dilating my cervix with a balloon (!!!). A quick google showed me this procedure is not recommended by NICE so I declined to consent. She grudgingly said ok then, have a c section, but know this: the recovery is very painful.
I was like yeah yeah love whatever. Just do it.
She did. Recovery was very painful. Especially as I got an infection in my womb. DS2 was 9lb6 and apparently rightly squished in corner of my pelvis with the cord around his neck twice. The surgery nurse told my husband quietly that we’d definitely done the right thing pushing for a section, as she couldn’t see how a vaginal birth would have been possible due to his position.
I wrote a lengthy letter of complaint t mo the hospital after that experience.
Not having any more kids!