Well I'm a little bit late with the announcement due to a nasty ear infection that just won't go! So here goes with all the detail.........
My waters broke 3pm on Sunday 13th, called the hosp. and went in that evening to be monitored, only having mild period type pains. Wasn't in labour and was told to go back in on Tuesday morning at 8am to be induced if nothing happened before.
At 6am Tuesday morning I started with pretty strong contractions coming every half hour, and trotted off to hosp. at 8am only to be put on the ward because the labour suite was busy. I was examined and was 3cm dilated at that point. So I spent the day pacing round the hosp. trying to keep these non regular contractions going.
The midwife kept telling me I wasn't in labour because my contractions weren't regular and I would still need to be induced as soon as a bed became available because of the risk of infection (due to waters breaking 2 days earlier). I really didn't want to be induced and was contemplating star jumps down the corridor by this point!
At 5pm I sent DH home to have dinner and put our two DDs to bed. At 5:30pm my non regular contractions became very regular and severely painful contractions, so I got a MW to help me put on my tens and set about trying to read a book until DH came back at 8pm.
By 11pm my tens really wasn't having much effect and the MW started hinting that a bed may become available very soon. Then at midnight I was escorted to the labour suite, hooked up to a syntocin drip, examined and told I was now 4-5cm dilated. By this time I really couldn't cope with the pain and opted for an epidural. Unfortunatley the aneisthetist (sp?) botched the first painful attempt and hit a blood vessel in my back and we had to go through the whole thing again. So by 1am I was hooked up to a drip and my lovely epidural and dozing on the bed with excrutiating earache.... I just can't bloody win!
At 4am I felt lots of pressure down below and told my MW who said it couldn't possibly be time yet and that she was busy in another room with a lady who was about to deliver any minute, so she sent in another MW to top up my epidural so I wouldn't feel so uncomfortable. When this MW walked in I felt the enormous urge to push and said so!! - She too said I couldn't be ready but I shouted "It's coming out NOW!!!" - and she told me to push if I wanted to (not very concerned!) So I gave a slight push and the MW glanced down and saw the top of my babys head emerging!
She then spent the next 30 seconds running round the room frantically trying to get the delivery kit ready while shouting instructions to me to push gently!
3 pushes later at 4:13am (5 mins before the lady in the other room my MW had run off to help!!) on 16th March, Faith Louise was born. My third little girl .
I am delighted!! No stitches required and she went straight to the breast - which she hasn't left since !