To ask for genuine, real birth stories!?

[FunkyChunkyCherub]

First baby due in 3 months - I'm not scared of labour at all (maybe I should be ) but I feel like everyone I know has painted an unrealistic picture for me! I've either had a vague 'it was hell but worth it for my little bundle of joy' or 'I quite liked the experience, it was empowering and real I love what a woman's body can do' etc. All very lovely but I want details!

How long did it last? How painful? What drugs (if any)? Did you shit yourself?! I need some answers!!

Yeah with my first my waters had to be broken when I got to hospital. Arrived 6cm dilated and they didn't believe until I requested an examination that I was in established labour.

8cm dilated when I got to hospital with no. 2. When they asked me to wait until I could be seen to 'check you're in labour' I gave them my hardest mocking look and replied "of course I'm in fucking labour!" That was the only time I swore during either of my labours.

DD went over by 11 days so I went in one night to be induced the next morning. Went into labour on my own in the early hours and got to 3cm quite quickly. They moved me to the labour ward then and for some reason became obsessed by the fact I hadn't been for a wee. They wanted to put in a cannula but I refused. In the end, they insisted on breaking my waters and after that labour just went to pot. Instead of regular contractions, I just starting having one long contraction and got so high on gas and air, the whole thing has just blurred in my mind.

Eventually, they decided labour wasn't going anywhere so they had to put me on a drip and at the same time gave me an epidural. The rest of the day was fine for me but DD's heart rate kept dropping which was pretty stressful. Eventually I reached 10cm dilated and tried pushing. After that didn't work, they brought out the forceps and got nowhere with those, so it was off to surgery for me with a by then very distressed baby.

They gave me a general for that after I claimed I could feel the knife and I woke up an hour later with a baby already dressed and looking a bit shell shocked (and bruised from the forceps).

DH was way more traumatised than me by the whole thing as I was so drugged up a lot of it passed me by.

The problems really started after birth as no one realised my milk hadn't come in and DD ended up dehydrated and having antibiotics for a temperature. She ended up on formula, I ended up with a chest infection and back in hospital a few days after we got home. It was all a bit difficult and my advice for anyone having an EMCS is to make sure you don't get dehydrated (not easy on a maternity ward) as I am sure that was what caused my lack of milk and the dehydration.

Anyway, 7 years down the line we are having another and have opted for an ELCS (largely due to my age - if I was younger I think I would have tried a VBAC ).

Two Children..
Have a bath, and don't get out of the blooming thing, it helps... lol
first sign at 9 in the morning...
don't let them put you in a bed ,, walk round the room it speeds it up.
No it's not as painful as they say, but demand a TV.. as boredom is a major problem...
Food and Drink pack loads, as HE will moan if he wants a snack, and you might want something too...
He moved me to add pillows, not my choose, guess what I threw up... oh well it happens.
Bring a book , one you wanted to read for ages,,, Bored again,,,,
10cm Dilated, don't fight your contractions they don't feel as strong then..

If someone tell you their horror story, please remember, that was their birth not yours, Yours won't be like thiers IT NEVER IS..
Oh joy the baby arrives...
It will be bigger than you thing, Don't buy NEWBORN, they only fit for a week,,,
Sleep , oh yeah that thing,, if someone offers to watch the baby, SAY YES,,, so what if the house is a mess, SLEEP, and enjoy your hard work of Nine months... They soon start moving...

I was 40+12 with DD and the midwives scared me into being induced, after an unsuccessful sweep. I was induced with a pessary at 11:00, then about 2 hours later they popped another one in. I started off with some mild cramping like period pain and within an hour I was screaming in pain. I was given paracetamol which did nothing, then pethidine, which did nothing for the pain and I will never have again. The pethidine made me so tired, I couldn't open my eyes and I couldn't speak, I also kept forgetting to breathe. However, I also don't remember most of my birth experience, only bits and pieces. So I lay there screaming in agony and the midwife telling me I wasn't allowed any other pain relief until I was 7cm dilated. My DH says lots of people from all over the ward kept coming in to check on me because I was screaming so much and so loudly .

Finally the midwife said I could have some gas and air, which did fuck and all, other than give me something to focus on. She kept telling me to take it easy on it, but honestly all I wanted was the little mouth piece to bite on, but I couldn't speak to tell her. Somewhere in there they broke my waters, I have no recollection of this though, it was definitely before the gas and air though.

I was then 7cm and the midwife told me I should be happy because I could get my epidural now, and all I had to do was walk to the wheelchair and get to the delivery suite. I was completely out of it, no way in hell could I have sat up, let alone walk. The midwife and DH carried me to the wheelchair. The next thing I remember was the doctor coming in and doing an internal and him telling me not to push, but my body just took over. I was screaming "Get her out! Get her out!" They said DD was in distress and the doctor decided the most helpful thing was to scream at me to calm down as I was distressing my baby .

Right after that they took me to an EMCS and all I remember is a lovely midwife with big, soft breasts holding me and telling me it was okay, it would all be over soon. Which is the only positive memory I have of my whole birthing experience.

Then I woke up to my gorgeous DD. The midwives saying she was beautiful and then saying, no really she is so beautiful. If I had to do it again, I wouldn't get induced, but if it was the only way I would suffer it again and again to have my amazing daughter. She is my world.

Also no pooing or peeing myself. Also DH says it's one of the worse experiences of his life too and he wishes we wouldn't have had me induced either. Both of us are a bit scared of me getting pregnant again.

Labour = screaming, blood, lots of pain, drugs for first, nothing at all for second; also lots of euphoria especially with the first - long, slow-build labour, felt exactly like I felt in my misspent youth at maybe 6am after a long night clubbing. After 2 (fast, furious, totally lost my mind, don't remember it) I felt like a lionness.

Best advice I had was 'Push like you're doing a poo'.

What happens is you start off and you have your planned coping strategy - TENS and walking, say. Then the pain really ramps up a lot and your first coping strategy is useless, and you'll find a second unplanned coping strategy - mine was counting through the contractions. It just happened and you can't plan it. Then you go into transition and there is no coping strategy available for that at all, because the hormonal mix and the pain are too crazy for 'coping'. Then you have a baby.

Tore badly with both, fine now. Propositioned the anaesthetist with first - was really very inappropriate with him, poor chap.

But labour's fine, every labour different, almost pointless worrying or trying to prep too much. Here's some stuff they don't tell you:

1. I didn't sleep at all for 3 days after #1 - she was 4 weeks early and a great surprise to me and I was on the ward and just could not shut down from my weird high except once for 45 glorious minutes when a midwife held her

1. I had to hand-express colostrum into a syringe with 1 (because she was so early). Breastfeeding is SO HARD.

1. I did everything the midwives told me with 1, including making her wait between feeds, poor angel, because I was so bombed out and scared and happy and clueless etc etc. DON'T DO THIS!

1. The hardest thing I have had to do was give them up to childcare at 12 months as I needed to work. Trusting someone with your pre-verbal tiny baby? That's SO hard.

1. Then when you do go back to work, because they're outside home (and especially in nursery) they get every bug going and are sick for weeks and you keep having to take days off and trying to explain to work why this is while you're also trying to prove yourself after maternity leave and you and your partner if you have one will fight over whose turn it is and you will use ALL your annual leave - so know your work's policy on sick leave and caring for dependents before you get to this point

1. These handy pictures of newborn shit will stop you calling the midwife: www.nct.org.uk/parenting/whats-your-babys-nappy

1. You will hallucinate with exhaustion and sleep-deprivation. It's torture. Both my babies totally broke the Geneva Convention with me.

1. I found having the first one was like suddenly being transported to a different planet and being put in charge of an alien.

Sorry about the essay here! Good luck and congratulations!

DS1- went into labour after a sweep. In labour for 18hours. The pushing stage lasted about 3 hours. Yes it hurt and it honestly felt like I was pushing a bowling ball through a cup size opening. Had to have an assisted delivery in the end. DD2- went into labour after a sweep. Three hours start to finish. Wasn't too painful at all. The tracks had been laid!

Contractions started 10:30pm night before due date. Gentle and manageable until around 2am when I put the tens machine on. Still manageable until 5am when suddenly they were agony so I went to the hospital.

Got to hospital at 6am, had examination and was 5cm dilated. Begged for pain relief. Had gas and air, 3 puffs and I threw up everywhere and hated the stuff. Felt like breathing really thick air and made me feel out of control. Had injection of diamorphine which was lovely. Didn't take the pain away but made me sleep between each contraction and took the edge off. That wore off but was too close to the end to have any more. Im told I was pushing for about 2 hours but I don't remember much about it. DS was born at 12pm with ventouse delivery as I had got tired and my pushing wasn't being very effective anymore. Didn't feel the cut for the ventouse at all and don't remember being in pain being stitched up afterwards. I was at home on the sofa eating my tea at 5pm.

My waters started to go in small gushes at around 1.30am and we're tinged with blood, first contraction started at approx 2am and brought me to my knees.

They were straight away 2-3 mins apart, called the hospital and they said if I go down I'd probably be sent home again, I went down at around 3am. Was left in reception for an hour labouring in front of family members awaiting news from those on the labour ward... The receptionist didn't believe that I was in progressive labour as I appeared to be handling it (I really don't feel that I was) I then started feeling sick and one of the waiting onlookers gave me a carrier bag.

Had to wait for a woman to decide if she wanted to be on the midwife led unit, as only one room left and thankfully I was led up there at 4am.

The whole way up there I felt like my waters were about to go, so had to keep stopping. As soon as I got on the bed to be examined my waters went in a spectacular fashion.

I was then examined and found to be 5cm, got in the pool at around 4.20am ish, threw up a lot and was threatened with a drip if I didn't drink something. So my DH gave me still lucozade between contractions. I remember looking at the clock at 5.30 and thinking that I've got hours of this ahead and wasn't sure how I'd cope. I said at one point "I can't do this", was offered gas and air, tried two puffs but didn't like it as it changed the breathing rhythm that I had already established (from hypnobirthing).

I then remember feeling a click in my pelvis and a sudden urge to push, must have been near to 6am. I thought I was wrong as couldn't be needing to push already, but then got the urge again and told my DH and Mum to get the midwife. I really upped the vomiting at this point, it was not pretty.

I then remember feeling like I may have done something and got a glimpse of the sieve going into the pool

Felt hot and bothered, so ended up getting out of the pool after an attempt to push again and cuddled a beanbag on the floor, still being sick. Midwife tried getting me to lay on my side but I found it easier on all fours. She then took me to the bathroom and sat me on the toilet so that I could properly bear down to get the head out, one push and pop. I had to waddle back to the mat very quickly with my daughters head hanging out between my legs... Utterly bizarre moment. Two more pushes and she arrived, very clean! I had a second degree tear, they only stitched it because it was deep rather than long, recovery from the tear was absolutely fine.

You do forget the pain. I remember being shocked by it, and know it bloody well hurt but staying relatively calm helped me in the end. She arrived at 7.17am, so all in all it was pretty quick in the end :)

I did try the gas and air properly when I had my stitches and it was lovely :D

DD1 (20) induced at 38 weeks due to bleeding. Oxycotin given at 10am she was born at 14.00. Can't remember much about it as I was told every step of the way what to do. Episiotomy hurt the most. I had a tens machine and they gave me a shot if pethidine just before she can out which affected me quite badly. Two midwives (one a student) during the waiting and a room full of students plus DH and my mum (who was waved through) plus consultant when she made her arrival. Took nearly a year to recover fully from the episiotomy and had two days in hospital being well looked after by the midwives. I can't praise them enough for the care they gave me.

DD2 (16) water broke at 3.50am, woke DH and phoned hospital. They said come in when the contractions were about 3-4 minutes apart. Ok, no contractions yet. DH goes to wash and contractions start. Get him to time them and they were 2 mins apart. Off to hospital - worst 15 minute drive. Felt like I was looking myself but was told that was her head. DH stopped at some traffic lights and I, not very politely told him to jump them. Got to hospital at 4.33 ring the doorbell whilst trying to get undressed. Midwife ambles down corridor and takes me through. DH get stuff out of the car, I'm saying I have a tens machine, she examined me and tells me no time you need to push. DD born at 4.44 am. Gas and air and some big pushed were all that was needed for her. I did feel in shock as it happened so fast but I did get my tea and toast quite quickly . DH got home before DD1 had woken up and she went to pre school before coming to pick me up at 2.30. She was a week early and my parents were away and they had the car seat in their loft but luckily my sister was staying at theirs so we could get her home.

I think it's very hard to say how much it hurts as pain is subjective with everyone being able to tolerate different levels. I feel it's true when people say it really hurts but you forget how much because of we all remembered how bad it was we would only have one child! Enjoy your pregnancy and labour and the subsequent squidgy baby who you can gaze at for hours and not get bored.

DC1.... 38+6 Trickles of water from breakfast time. V v mild pains I thought were trapped wind. Few more pains late morning. Phoned MW at 12:00pm to say there might be something starting. Ramped up VERY quickly. Got in car at 2:26pm (I remember the clock!). Arrived at hospital 10 minutes later. DC1 arrived at 2:56pm. Just enough time for a few puffs of gas. No tears but obviously didn't get my water birth but was able to be knelt on bed so gravity could help.

DC2.... 38+4 Induced at 38+2 for high blood pressure plus slow growth. Didn't get into labour for 2 days and only after the drip. Even quicker than DC1. Born after 1hr 7 mins. Again, just got a couple puffs of gas before baby arrived. I had a small tear and needed stitches. I put that down to being made to lie on my side as baby heart rate kept disappearing and they were about to press the big scary button as thought DC was in distress. Turns out had descended too far too quickly for monitor to pick it up as went from 6-10cm in about 5 minutes!

Both DC were under 7lb and I shit with both 😂

I completely forgot about the crowning stage until I read back on some of these, It felt like someone had lit a fire down there, horrible burning feeling, My midwife had been bathing that area with a warm cloth between contractions to help

I love sharing birth stories. So interesting to see how everyone's were different but in the end, the same.

DD1 was 2 weeks late and back to back. The induction took 4 days. It wasnt fun. The gel and pessary never did more than give me mild period pains. DD just want engaging properly to ripen the cervix. In the end they put me on the drip. I asked for an epidural at that point as my midwife had told me how hard a labour it would be with the drip. The next 6 hours were amazing. I had a mobile epi so i could move about the bed, feel the muscle movement of the contractions but not the pain. I was able to push and feel DD being born but in a calm and relaxed state.

DD2, 2 years later. I was induced at 39 weeks having been diagnosed with a clotting issue. I discovered the joys of gas and air. i was induced at 9am with the pessary and went straight into the labour ward. DD2 was born at 3pm that afternoon and i was home by 9pm. the pain was hard but it didnt get terrible until right at the very end. I knew when i was getting to the final stage and in a moment of agony asked for a shot of pethadine to get me through. DD was born 3 minutes later. My first memories of her are through a lovely opiate haze. i think i did poo with her delivery but neither the midwife or my husband would tell me so i have decided to let it go.

DS1 born 16 months later was a whole different adventure. Induced again at 39 weeks because of the clotting issue, i was stuck in antenatal for all bar the last 4 minutes of my labour. The maternity ward was very busy and they didnt get around to giving me the pessary until 4pm (i had arrived, like i was told for 9am). Labour progressed very quickly and i kept telling the midwives that i was getting close. They didn't listen. I was on the antenatal ward, surrounded by lots of other people with only a curtain for privacy. The only pain relief they would give me was paracetamol. They wouldn't let me have gas and air in antenatal, nor would they move me into the labour ward. I was scaring the other women on the ward with my vocalisations - mooing basically. i don't scream until the end but it did seem to help to moan as the contraction rolled through. Finally at 8pm the midwife did a check and realised i was actually fully dilated and ready to roll like i had been telling them. I waddled down the hallway to the labour ward and my water broke all over the floor. i flung myself on the bed in the delivery room, grabbed the gas and air of the wall and pretty much started pushing. There was a mad scramble from the midwives to get everything in place and my husband nearly missed it as he was getting my bag from antenatal. My son shot out like a 10 lb greased pig in to the very shocked midwives arms. We stayed the night and went home first thing the next morning.

For a couple of months afterward i was really annoyed about my experience with my son but eventually i let it go. We all survived and sometimes things don't go to plan.

The pain of labour is very hard to describe. I think it has a lot in common with gallbladder pain in that it is clearly spasmodic and you can feel it roll through a structure of beginning, middle and end and in a way that hepled me get through it. I could feel it coming, would brace for it, hold on through the middle and ride it down to the end. Labour is like gallbladder pain coupled with the enormous pressure of the baby moving down through your body.

The worst is right at the end. I think they call it transition. That is where the pain the sharpest and there is very little respite between the end of one contract and the beginning of the other. That is where a lot of women panic. If you get to that stage and start to feel the panic rising, try and remember that it means that it is just about to be over.

The crowning is not fun. I didn't tear with any of my labours but did get a minor labial graze every time. A burning ring of fire is a good description of the sensation when the head and shoulders slip out but it passed immediately.

it all feels like a million years ago to me now though DS1 is only 3 so it wasnt that long ago. Good luck with your labour OP. Just roll with it and try not to get too attached to any one idea of how it will be.

First birth - DS1 was 42+2 and they insisted on inducing as I had refused induction multiple times in 3rd trimester (concerns over his growth)
It was 3 days from the first pessary too birth. Very long back to back labour, gas and air and then an epidural, 2nd degree tear so stitches and a post partum haemorrage (not huge) felt very very shit for weeks and was admitted back in with blood loss and an infection.
DS2, induced also at 39 weeks as I had an anterior placenta so made feeling movements very difficult and in the extra scans he didn't move for the consultants either.
Had a pessary fitted and 6 hours later after a long walk and some nipple tweaking, it fell out when I went to the loo and out came with it shit loads of meconium. Was taken down to delivery suite, put on a drip. Managed on only gas and air, active labour for 10 hours.
At the time thought I was going to die and was howling BUT I did and as soon as he was out I felt like a new woman.
My placenta did get stuck though as the cord broke as the MW pulled on it, so I then had the lovely older lady from the first few series of OBEM basically put her whole hand up there and yank it out.
Both baby's were 7lb. My placenta with DS2 weighed nearly 5lb! No wonder the cord bloody snapped.
OP, you will be fine, just go with the flow. You want drugs? Take them! Don't be a martyr. Trust your body.

Contractions started the day before and then stopped.
Started again at 6am the following day.
Went into hospital at 23:30 and was put on a monitor as unsure about DS' movements, and given codeine.
Had gas and air.
Had pethidine injection which did absolutely nothing as far as I can tell.
They put me on a drip to start full on contractions cos my labour wasn't progressing, that sucked. I also managed to knock out out the back of my hand, cue blood spurting everywhere!
They also put a monitor on his head via a clip.
Wasn't able to have an epidural as the anaesthetist was in surgery.
Pushed for about an hour, which I struggled with tbh.
Had an episiotomy and DS arrived at 11:30 am.
First thought - man I'm starving.
Didn't poo!

Also, I don't know if I pooed. I don't think so, but frankly, it felt like a life or death situation (because of the pain), so I really don't give a crap whether I did or not. (And that's coming from someone who considered eating only clear soup the week before my due date in order to avoid this...)

Number 1: came 5 days late. Waters broke around midnight. Told to go to hospital. Wish I had stayed home. Spent hours and hours there with nothing progressing. Only 2cm after god knows how many hours. Could not leave as was vomiting constantly, from the moment I arrived. Something that apparently happens to some people (but I had never heard of before). Every sip of water came straight out. Exhausted, but from lack of fluids not contractions. Around 20 hours later baby was in distress and I had an emergency CS. Healthy baby so all fine.
Number 2 was VBAC. Much better experience. Just knew it would come the night before and contractions indeed started early morning. Used TENS machine which worked amazingly well for me. Came to hospital and already 4cm, pain very manageable with the TENS. Decided around 6 cm it was the 21st C and asked to have an epidural. Worked well, used very little in the end (you control it yourself). Because it was VBAC there is a limit to how long they allow you to push, so in the end had an episiotomy and forceps delivery. I can honestly say it was pretty painfree thanks to TENS and for the hard part the epidural. Recovery 100 times faster than with CS. Really don't remember any poo situation and could not care less either.

#1 Ventouse (sink plunger job) and episiotomy 14 hours Hurt until epidural went in then bliss then they let it wear off for pushing so fucking agony. Had gas and air for stitches which made me throw up. #1 Went in too early, sent home, went back in then waters broke
#2 Also ventouse 14 hours Hurt, epidural didn't take fully so not great/legs leaden. #2 Went in at 4cm. Internal exam bloody painful.
#3 Natural birth (no pain relief at all) Still 14 hours. #3 Went in at 6cm. Had an enema pre birth (pooed with #1 and #2) Tore v badly.

Found all 3 utterly traumatising but natural birth was the worst.
You won't find a consensus on this thread because each woman feels pain differently/has a different pain threshold and position of baby/length of labour/support from midwife/fear factor/urge to push (I had none)/ effectiveness of pain relief etc all vary.

With my first, labour was 27 hours. By the end I was well and truly exhausted. I read how people try and sleep in early labour but I have no idea how they do. Even in early labour the pain was too much to get any sleep even though it was still bearable. I managed with tens machine while at home and had gas and air when I got to hospital 14 hours later. I had pethidine about 21 hours in and i wouldn't have it again. It made me vomit, it slowed things down and I kept nodding off in between contractions. By the time it came to pushing the midwives I had weren't very helpful at all and didn't really give me any direction. Luckily there was a shift changeover and the midwives who took over were amazing. I gave birth 5 mins after they took over. The other midwives wanted to organise intervention. Funny thing was when I was holding my daughter after I thought what's that vibrating behind me? I realised I still had the tens machine on lol.

With my second, labour was 12 hours. It was all going smoothly until about 8 hours in and then the pressure I felt was unbearable, like I was literally ready to burst. The midwife then broke my waters which eased it for a while but then towards the end the pressure came back. I remember that more than the pain.

The midwife had to break my waters for the first labour too but I didn't have the pressure feeling first time round. Maybe I had it with the second because he was a whopping 9lb 11oz. I managed just on gas and air too.

With my second though he was born not breathing and a resuscitation team came crashing in to help him. That was really scary but thankfully they got him breathing quickly and he didn't need to go to the scbu.

All in all they weren't terrible experiences. I'm done now with pregnancies though lol.

1. Living in city. Went to bed at home at 10.30 not feeling too good. Realised I was in labour about midnight, called ambulance. In hospital about 12.30 As it was a first birth I was told it would be hours yet. I kept saying 'The baby is coming' finally a nurse looked and agreed. DD born at 1.20am. Torn, stitches, felt I was sitting on hot knives.
2. Over 10 years later, living in country area. Went into labour about 5am on a summer morning. Called ambulance. DS arrived before the ambulance. DP had worked with animals, calmly did all the right things. No stitches, we were both fine. Taken to hospital for checking, DS logged as Born on Arrival.

No drugs either time. Just a lot of pushing and for DS hearing grunts and groans that I didn't immediately realise were coming from me. I thought someone's cows must be near the house!!

I do realise that not everyone has as simple and straightforward an experience as I did. Hope all goes well for OP.

For DS someone fetched a midwife who lived nearby after DS was born - she made sure the placenta came out and wasn't too happy as she had a clean uniform on ready to go on shift!

I didn't poo myself but DS did poo himself the very moment he was born so we all ended up covered in shit
I was in labour for more than a day, it was bearable for the most part then when it got too much I had pethadine, ended up with an episiotomy and ventouse delivery. He was fine, I was just completely wiped out as I was so tired from the long labour.

Shit myself in all of them. Didn't care and neither did DH. Least of your worries!

1. Induced. Horrible contractions that didn't feel "natural". Epidural. Things slowed. But I couldn't feel anything. Episiotomy. Postpartum haemorrhage that was an emergency. DH still can't bear to think of it. Took weeks for me to fully recover.

1. Spontaneous labour. Took 36 hours but the first 24 was just tightenings. Actually enjoyed the contractions at the end, really empowering and felt like that's what my body should be doing. Baby came out back-to-back (unexpectedly) and at nearly 10lbs, caused a 2nd degree tear which did bloody hurt. Gas and air only.

1. Spontaneous labour, took 24 hours in total but again only "proper" labour for a few hours. Contractions in the last few hours were horrible. But when baby came out (only 4 minutes of pushing) he just slipped out easily. Again, gas and air only. No trouble!

Oh and I was a bit shocked at how sore and swollen my bits were afterwards, not sure if that was because of the episiotomy or not, but thankfully it went fully back to normal after a couple of weeks!

Oh yes, the swelling... A few weeks after childbirth my OH made the most oblique, subtle hint about having a little intimacy, maybe, perhaps, if I thought I might e up to it...? Poor guy nearly got a hot poker shoved up his backside so that he might have some inkling of quite how welcome any attentions in that department were right then.

Good luck op!

1. induced post dates. Slow progress for 12 hours until in active labour. Another 12 or so hours from 4cm to 9cm. Cocodamol for pain relief. One shot pethidine (which was awful). Refused G&A as I was vomiting through labour anyway (which is apparently more common than I thought!) and didn't want an epidural despite needing syntocinon. No further progress despite the drip and passage of time! Some foetal distress so ended up with emergency CS about 48 hours after induction started. So ended up witb a spinal! Baby jaundiced but otherwise fine. Discharged after 5 days.

2. elective CS soooo much easier! Admitted day of, straightforward surgery and post op period. Discharged at 24 hours post op.

My advice - do not make a birth plan despite what the midwives may suggest! Ask about all options and eventualities. Make a (mental) note of what you would prefer but be open to suggestions. You have no idea how it will go or how you will find it before you get there.