Well he is here and doing well. I wasn't expecting him to come on time and was very suprised when I woke up on 26th Feb (1 day before the due date)with a show and painful tightenings coming every 5 minutes. Show was quite watery and I thought that my waters might have broken and DS's head had been free earlier that day so I was in a panic about cord prolapse and on the phone to the midwife. She told me to go to sleep (a recurring theme as you will see) as there was not enough fluid for waters having broken. Anyway I was so excited that DP and I did not go to sleep that night - foolish - and the contractions spaced out gradually. got started with the TENS . DP's brother was staying so we had an chilled day on the Saturday with tighenings every 20 minutes or so and entertaining. Saturday night the contractions picked up again to every 5 minutes so the midwife came round to see what was happening and we filled the pool for the first time. I was 0 cm dilated with a cervix that was 1cm long. Disappointed I had a soak in the pool which was lovely and continued with the TENS and got a bit of sleep between contractions.
Similar story on Sunday although I was in more pain during the day and in and out of the pool. Was debating wheter to have some pethidine to help me sleep Sunday night when contractions suddenly got a lot more painful and closer together. Convinced that this was "it" I decided against the pethidine and promptly went to sleep without it, contractions spacing out again. On the monday I went to the chiropractor and didn't have a single tightening all the time I was with her. Irregular contractions all day -again - but getting closer and more painful. Midwife came to see me in the afternoon and I was then 1cm dilated with a paper thin cervix. and the midwife gave me a sweep. The paper thin bit was fantastic news for me giving me hope that something might happen. Later I went to the GP for some Tempazapan sleeping pills but by then the contractions were coming every five minutes and the trip out did not frighten them away so I was sure I was going into labour and wouldn't need them.
Monday night I called out the midwife again and got into the pool. I was fed up with the TENS by this point and had started using meditation staring at my hands pain relief methods. She stayed this time and I started on the entonox - good stuff- and the contractions got further apart - again - so out of the pool for some upright speeding up of labour methods but not much change so we decided to assess the cervix again. now 2-3 cm dilated so still not in labour. This was very disappointing and it was back to bed with pethidine this time and entonox. Became woozy and got some sleep over then next hour or two but them was hysterical and irrational - couldn't manage the pain as I woke up mid contraction - so we decided to go to hospital at 6am Tuesday morning.
Arrived at the hospital and the midwife purswaded the doctor to give me an epidural before anything else. Bliss. I was 4cm dilated at 8.30am and had my membranes ruptured. Syntocinon started 2 hours later. and after this my cervix dilated at 1 cm per hour as it should do according to the text books. Epidural wore off at one point so lots of shouting done then but they got it going again.
DS had been back to back all this time - probably the cause of the problem. and was still that way when I started pushing so I was convinced that it would be slow and require a ventouse or somthing. Anyway I pushed him out in an hour on my own and he turned round during this time. He was born at `8.32 and caught by a lovely student midwife on her 5th baby. I was so proud of myself and so pleased with him. He really is gorgeous. We called him Samuel Jonathan. We both slept all night and then he started on the two hourly feeding which has continued ever since. It was a really positive experience and he is well worth every contraction.