Okay, so my waters broke on friday morning about 4am, not huge amounts but significant. I was having contraction about 6 mins apart but they were pretty mild and I was pretty unsure what to do. Out of half stupidity and half excitement at the possibility of our baby arriving that day we decided to go into the hospital and get it checked out at about 6am. On arrival they confirmed my waters had broken but, of course, my contractions completely stopped dead. And I was 1CM dilated. 1CM! 1 C.E.N.T.I.ME.T.R.E. [SOB] They told me I´d have 24hours and they would induce but we had to stay in to have antibiotics. So from 6am to 10pm friday we just sat in the hospital room feeling very tired and gloomy about the prospect of induction... also walking the corridors like mad to try and get everything started again.
About 10pm I started getting contractions 3 mins apart, this went on for a couple of hours before I went to get checked again and they said I was still only 1 little measley pathetic cm dilated. But she did spot that there was still some of the amniotic sac cushioning the baby´s head and said she would break what was left and hopefully that would speed things up. Went back to the room and the contractions started to get really painful. Held on til about 5am the next morning when I really felt that things must have gone to the next stage and I needed some help re. pain relief. (TENS long chucked in the back of the cupboard...). Went down and I was 2 cms. 2!!! Aaaaargh. I could not believe it. They could clearly see I was having pretty strong contractions on the monitor but I wasn´t dilating. After seeing that I was finding it pretty hard going they agreed to give me an epidural (Yes I know that sounds pathetic at only 2 cms but I was in so much pain despite that number! Also there is no gas and air so it´s epidural or nada). After an hour I was still only 2 cms so they put me on a oxytocin drip to help me dilate. Was about 8am on saturday I think by this time. About this time the epidural stopped working. I could walk to the toilet (and it wasn´t supposed to be a mobile epidural!) and was in a lot of pain. Couldn´t move except for occasional toilet visits as I was strapped to monitors on the bed (THE WHOLE TIME) and of course I was on a drip for epidural, oxytocin, antibiotics for water breaking and then, penicillin as they found I had a fever!). Have I mentioned a lot of pain??
The pain was getting really unbearable and eventually they called the anaestetist down who checked the bag and said I must be ´resistant´ to it but he didn´t want to give me more because then apparently it would be a definite c-section (not looking too bad a choice by this time). So After a few hours of this, 3 I think, I was completely freaking out. Another anaesthetist came to check and found the catheter had been disconnected so the epidural had not actually been plugged in, most likely from right back from when they put me on the oxytocin. At this time they found I had dilated from 2 cm - 8 cm in 3 hours and was almost there.
This new guy gave me a new epidural and returned my will to live to me.. I slept on and off for a couple more hours while my body got on with it.. about 1.20pm they came back in to get me to start pushing which surprisingly I managed just fine, after about 4 contractions-worth of pushing our reward finally came out! Had a small episiotomy, 5 stitches, but given that 2 hours before I was telling dh to tell them to just give me a c-section, I´m pretty happy!
So, was very very different from my imaginings but luckily the last few hours were so easy and on the whole the staff were so lovely and sweet that what could easily have been a traumatic birth story really isn´t at all. I really feel that all told, it was fine, as these things go..
Dh was an angel, an absolute star, and I think he found it really hard but he is currently all cuddled up with Noah and has taken to fatherhood like a duck to water. We had to stay in 48hrs as protocol dictates here but quite glad for the help and support in hospital tbh, although it is so so lovely to be home at last.
Breastfeeding so far is going okay, I got him latched on as soon as he was delivered onto me which I think redeemed so much of what had happened. It´s hard work, the latching on is still a bit of a battle of wills at times but only for a few mins and then it´s all good. Please please please may it continue once my milk comes in!