Sorry this has taken a while to post, but I've been a bit teary thinking about it until recently. Think I'm over it all now though, so here it goes!...my son's fast and furious birth story!
On April 15th I was 41+5 weeks and VERY fed up of being pregnant. That morning I went to the hospital for an ultrasound to see that everything was ok to continue with the pregnancy. The doctor found that my amniotic fluid was very low and said that that can cause problems such as the umbilical cord collapsing. The baby was fine though and growing well, and the placenta was also functioning well. She consulted with another doctor and they decided that the best thing to do would be to induce me and see how the baby dealt with having contractions. We agreed and I was taken down to the labour ward. I was about 2cm dilated at this point.
It was quite odd being on a labour ward without actually being in labour and I was pretty freaked out by hearing other women screaming in neighbouring rooms! . We were given a room with birth ball etc. and the MW hooked me up to the oxytocin drip (they don't do pessaries here) and left us for 20 minutes to see what would happen. They were also monitoring the baby's heartbeat and the contractions, but I could still walk around, so that was ok. DH popped home to get my birth bag.
After 20 minutes not much was happening so the mW turned up the drip. A doctor came and had a look at the baby's heartbeat trace and was a bit concerned about the heartbeat being slow so she thought that putting a monitor attached directly to the baby's head would be a good idea. While she was doing this she broke my waters (before I'd actually had any contractions!) and said "well, looks like your baby is coming today!".
Pretty soon after that I started getting MAJOR contractions that quickly became unbearable. They didn't have any build up at all - just straight into the peak and then another contraction would come before the last one had finished. I tried the gas and air but it was about as much use as a chocolate teapot! At this point I was really starting to panic because I just couldn't handle it at all. I asked the MW to sort out an epidural pronto and she went off to find an anaesthetist.
After a while (lost track of the time! ) the anaesthetist came with his assistant and tried to site the epidural. I had to lie on the bed, but he couldn't get it in so I had to sit on the bed with the assistant holding me in a crouched position, which I have to say was the most excruciating feeling I've ever had in my life since sitting like that during these contractions was awful. He had 3 goes at it, and eventually got it in and after about 15 mins or so it kicked in and I could have kissed him (if he'd still been around!). I was shaking like a leaf, but ok.
After an hour and a half I felt like I needed the loo so the MW took me there (I had a walking epidural and could walk around without much difficulty, though I had to take the drip stand and the fetal monitor with me). While I was there I really felt like I had to poo!! I had a sneaking suspicion that the pushing phase might be coming soon...
After I got back from the loo I started feeling a lot of discomfort in my bum and the MW said that the epidural was wearing off and that she would top it up once she'd had a quick look to see how dilated I was. She had a peek and said "10cm - time to push!". I nearly cried when I heard that because I would have given my right arm to have an epidural top up because I was so scared of feeling those contractions again!
The next bit happened in a bit of a blur, but there were 6 people in the room at the end because the obstetrician had to be called because the baby was getting seriously stressed by the contractions and his heartrate was going through the floor. The obstetrician decided that he need a bit of help and had to be born asap, so she used the ventouse and he was out! Poor DH was pretty shellshocked by this point and was just sitting in the corner watching, but he managed to get up and cut the cord!
They cranked up the oxytocin and the placenta popped out soon after. The whole thing from first contraction to the placenta coming out took 5 hours, so it was all a bit fast and furious.
Even though he had had a rough time, the baby's apgar scores were good and he was put on my chest for some skin to skin snuggles while I was stiched up (second degree tear, but no episiotomy! Yay!). Didn't feel a thing.
After a while the MW took me for a shower (does anyone else feel amazed that you can actually stand up and walk after giving birth??!) which was the best shower I've ever had. While I was there our son was having a skin to skin snuggle under his dad's tshirt! He weighed 8 lbs.
So, there's my birth story. Bit of a far cry from what I wanted - natural, waterbirth, no epidural, giving birth upright etc. but I'm just glad that he and I were both ok in the end.
If there's a next time and I have to be induced, I'm getting and epidural put in at the same time!
The main lesson I've learned is that you have to go into childbirth with an open mind - things don't always turn out the way you'd like or expect, but if you have an open mind you can come to terms with that. I have anyway.