Rory was born on Thursday the 17th after a very quick (induced) labour and we're over the moon with him!
I was 10 days overdue, and though I had doubts about induction as I knew several people who had bad experiences, I decided to go ahead with it. The decision was made easier as when I was examined before being given the prostin my cervix was FINALLY soft and starting to efface.
Basically I only needed one pessary and a few hours later my waters broke naturally. I had a VERY intense labour and dilated to 9cms in 3 hours. I only had pain relief for the last hour as it took them ages to get me up to the labour ward so my objection to an epidural went right out the window after g&a and a morphine injection didn't seem to help at all...only to be told that as I was now 9cms it was too late!
I'm glad in a way, as knowing I was almost there made things so much easier to bear and I had a lot of trouble pushing Rory out - I suspect I would have ended up with ventouse/forceps at the very least if I'd had the epidural as I really needed to feel those contractions to give me the impetus to push.
Finally, after an episiotomy to give me a bit more room as I was desperately flagging, and the sheer willpower of my midwife who was determined not to let the doctor get near me with her ventouse, Rory arrived weighing 7lbs 12oz and absolutely perfect!
My recovery has been amazingly quick, again I think because of minimal intervention after the initial induction (and I suspect now I would have gone into labour naturally within a day or so if I'd stuck by my guns).
Biggest shock - they do the episiotomy with scissors!!! Also how many clothes changes a newborn needs in a day...