Well, big news.
Despite all the worried and fretting recently, I've had my baby!
Waters started leaking on Wednesday morning, accompanied with a few contractions. Went down to the midwife's clinic and was told to go to the Birth Centre to get checked. As OH was at work, decided to leave it until he got home as I wasn't really in pain.
Lay down on the sofa around 2pm and the contractions started! Rang OH and got him to come home - went down to the Birth Centre at 4pm in agony, only to be told I was only 1.5cm dilated and it could take another 24 hours! And if I hadn't gone into labour by 3pm next day I was to report to the hospital for induction.
Came home and went to bed with my TENS and a hot water bottle. Contractions really painful, accompanied by shivering and shaking, nothing helped. Started begging OH to take me to hospital for an epidural, he rang Birth Centre and they said nothing could be done for me at "such an early stage" - the Consultant Midwife (who's been looking after me in pregnancy) rang me to encourage me but I was in too much pain to talk so OH asked her what he should do for me. She suggested a hot bath - OH ran a bath, put candles and joss sticks etc all around to try and get me to relax. Didn't work! Was in too much pain to stay there.
OH rang the Birth Centre again at a loss with what to do with me. They said they'd check me again, so we went back down at 7pm. There was no change, still 1.5cm. I was in agony - the car journey down there was nightmarish! The midwife told me to just go home, relax and "take my dogs out for a walk" to take my mind of the pain. By this time I was shaking with every contraction and couldn't bear it anymore!
Went home again, went back to bed with TENS and hot water bottle. OH went out to get me some paracetamol. I lay there in agony, shaking with every contraction and felt my body giving little pushes every time.
Eventually, after 3 hours couldn't take it anymore and again begged OH to take me to hospital for pain releif. He rang the Birth Centre again and a kind midwife (who tried to talk to me but I was too busy screaming) told him to bring me down and she'd find me a bed for the night and give me some gas n air.
Went back down to Birth Centre - midwife put me to bed, showed me how to use the G & A (I didn't use it much though as it tasted funny and I was scared it would make me sick), sent OH home to get my Hospital case (which we'd left at home) and told me she wasn't going to examine me again because I'd had enough exams and I should try to rest. I lay there, clawing at the bed in agony with every contraction, taking nervous little puffs of G & A - it didn't take the pain away but calmed me a little bit.
Midwife sat beside my bed and I clung to her hand with the contractions - I told her I was feeling my body giving these huge "pushes" with every contraction and she said I couldn't be.
OH came back with my case and midwife told him to go home and rest - she'd call him back when I was in "proper" labour. I didn't want him to go but she was insistent.
She sat back down with me and I again told her I was pushing. She said "Well you can't possibly be - I'll examine you to show you that you're not".
Her face changed when she examined me - she declared "you clever girl!" and gave me a kiss, then said she'd ring my OH and get him back. I heard her say "7 centimetres" to the nurse!
She asked me if I wanted the birthing pool and I said yes.
OH returned (he had only bee about 5 mins up the road!) and midwife examined me again. She told the nurse to bring all the delivery stuff in and put a plastic apron on! So I knew something was happening.
Then she said "next time you feel a pain you can push".
It all happened so quickly after that. The pushing was horribly painful and at one point I begged her to "help me get him out" but she refused to cut me. She said baby was a nice size and I didn't need it.
When she said "I can see a nice head of dark hair" I realised it was nearly over! She told me the pain would stop as soon as his head was out and I just focussed on that thought!
Anyway, I got through it and our little boy entered the world at half past midnight on 30 November 2006!! After about 30 mins of pushing, and just 2 and a half hours after coming back to the Birth Centre!! And just 5 hours after being told I was only 1.5cm dilated and "not in labour!"
To be honest it was all so quick I was very shocked afterwards. Although the Birth Centre was lovely I couldn't settle - I felt shocked and traumatised and everytime OH went home to get some sleep I begged the midwives to call him back.
My mum and brother came to see me the next day. I was very unsettled, couldn't sleep or eat and asked if I could go home but the told me we had to stay in for at least 48 hours so baby could be monitored (I have been taking anti depressants during my pregnancy).
So OH spent two nights sleeping in a chair by my bed (given him a bad back!!) and I was allowed home at 4.30pm on Friday afternoon, 40 hours after giving birth.
So I'd like to announce to the world, the arrival of our little boy:
Arthur David William Painter
Born: 30 November 2006 at 00.30am at Caerphilly Birth Centre
Weight: 7lbs 2oz