Where to start !
Had contractions for several hours on the evening of Monday 9th August. About 30 minutes apart and faded away at 11pm went to bed.
More contractions for 6 hours on afternoon and evening of Tuesday 10th August. About 20 minutes apart and again faded away went to bed again. Had a small show.
Woke up to a large show Wednesday 11th August and contractions every 10 minutes at 8am. Continued all day, we got children picked up after lunch as I needed DH to concentrate on me.
Rang hospital to cancel monitoring appointment we had for Thursday. Midwifes visited us at 7.30pm (contractions 7 minutes apart) at home and went away again.
Labour got established with frequent 5,5,2 minute contractions. Tried to have a bath and get some sleep but pains far too painful.
Got DH to get pool out, tens is doing nothing. Ring for midwifes, I need the gas and air. Got into pool and contractions calm down and are bearable for 10 minutes or so.
Get out to go to the loo and as midwives arrived back early Thursday, examine me and I am only 2cm dilated. Sadly they felt the baby's heart was dipping slightly when I had a strong contraction and they wanted me to transfer to hospital. I cried but agreed for the safety of my unborn child. I had expected this to happen, as the HCP were very nervous as I was overdue (17 days) and attempting an HVBAC. I knew they would be very cautious, but
TBH I was not dealing very well with the pain at this point. With my last pregnancy I got to fully dilated at home and I felt I was over that pain level already and was expecting to be 8 or 9 cm at the very least. That baby was in a good position until he moved at the last minute, leading to a hospital transfer and an ECS for a transverse baby. The midwifes explained this was another OP baby like my first was. Which explained the excessive pain I was experiencing and lack of progress in dilation terms.
Found the journey to hospital unbearable OP baby and lying on your back is terrible.
The hospital bit was highly distressing so I'll highlight the important bits only.
Arrived 6am
Baby arrived 12:30pm
Given two epidurals which failed. Leaving me unable to move off my back but feeling everything. With an OP baby and this level of pain with no pain relief other than gas and air, I wanted to die. :(
Got to fully dilated and was happy that this would be the first baby I would actually give birth to, despite the pain I had suffered this was the first time I could actually feel/get to the pushing stage. The midwives joked that baby had loads of hair and DH went to the business end and was thrilled to see that for himself :)
Then something suddenly went wrong :( (don't know what yet) The room filled with people shouting get the baby out now. The bed shot into the air. The bottom of the bed disappeared. Legs in stirrups. People shouting at each other and me. Cutting me. Forceps. DH was relaying instructions from them. Telling me to push as hard as I could. Baby slipped/tugged out and onto my tummy. She was still and quiet. Taken away. Apparently I started to bleed out around this time and was in shock, so I have patchy memories at the end.
I remember DH telling me we had a beautiful daughter. I remember hearing her cry and bursting into fresh tears again. I was so relieved she was alright.
Baby girl Charlotte Ellen born 12th August midday at 9lbs 6ozs with a beautiful head of hair.
Despite the nice staff, I struggled in hospital being very upset. Especially with the endless attempts to take blood from me, especially as my arms are lined with massive bruises from the numerous collapsing veins and moving the cannula around during my nightmare labour. Apparently I shouted at a doctor to leave me alone after they failed twice to take blood out of my arms. I had just had enough, my body had shut down I just couldn't mentally or physically take any more pain. Digging away at my already bruised arms was just the straw that broke the camels back, I need to rest. :(
Then DD2 was diagnosed with HDN, something the haematologist consultant told me wouldn't happen as my titer level are so low. (I have RH+ little c antibodies blood issue from previous blood transfusion at this hospital)
DD2 had to be in an incubator with blue lights for treatment, thank goodness next to my bed. However she wouldn't settle in there and I was up and down all day and night trying to settle her. I could only take her out for nappy changes and feeds and she would fall asleep in my arms and despite all the care I took would wake when I moved.
I was suffering very badly, my tummy hurt with after pains, my under carriage with the stitches and general baby exit pain and I was struggled to walk, turn in bed. I was continuously bothering the staff for more pain relief, at one point breaking down into tears and literally begging for something. The staff tried their best with the medicine they could give me, but express confusion as to WHY I was in so much pain. They kept checking my stitches and telling me (third time mum) that I should expect some pain after having a baby. 
I finally got discharged home Sunday with further test dates for DD2 for the HDN stuff and folic acid for her to take in the mean time.
Went to GP Monday, he gave me antibiotics for an Uterine infection, which explains all the pain I have been in, I am very surprised the hospital midwives didn't pick up on it :(
GP thinks the hip pain might be SPD or related to them using stirrups on me whilst I was paralyzed from the failed epidural. He told me to keep moving ! But I read SPD meant rest and TBH it was clear to me the more I move the more I hurt, so I am resting and it seems to be easing slightly. Through I am using some crutches to walk, else I am in too much pain.
So I'm home with a beautiful baby girl, in a lot of pain but doing better now I am on antibiotics and proper painkillers. Just knowing that I wasn't being a wuss about the post birth pain, that there was a reason which is now being addressed makes me feel better.
Mentally I am OK, I need to find out what happened in labour at the end and my midwife has promised to find out for me. I guess this is the closest I will ever get to a 'proper' birth. Despite all the horrible aspects of this labour, with the failed pain relief and terrifying ending. I did get to fully dilated and feel pushing the baby out.
As my community midwife said to me, I don't have any luck with birthing babies but I grow them well and I mother them well, it is only that little bit in the middle which is beyond me. Not for a lack of trying on my behalf but I don't have the right circumstances to get that bit right.
She is right, I was lucky to be in hospital. We would of lost her and maybe me at home. :(
Hospital was the right place to be. I wish with all my heart I could of had a straight forward birth at home but it was never meant to be and I couldn't of tried harder. But DH and I always promised each other that we would follow the midwives advice in labour and thank goodness we did and for DD2's sake I am pleased we transferred again.
Just need to get over the pain/infection and hope that the HDN disease remains mild and under control and doesn't cause DD2 any issues in the future.
She nurses like a dream and snuggles into my body to fall to sleep, like she was been there all her life, which I suppose she has been from the inside.
Life is beautiful. 