Alys's birth story here... sorry guys, it's a long one...
I lost the mucus plug on Saturday night, followed by 3 nights of tightening ? but only happening during the night. At first, and rather naively, I thought things could be happening ? didn?t quite know the difference between a tightening and a contraction.
Then on Tuesday, I had a midwife appointment and had a ?brutal? sweep ? her words! She felt it could be effective and said I was about 1 ? 2 cm dilated, but more importantly cervix was very thin.
Midwife was right ? had a first contraction on the journey home! They started up again about 2pm that afternoon, and with DP in work in the afternoon, making the kids tea was fun! By the time he was home they were regular ? about every 5 minutes and lasting about 45 seconds so we called my Dad to come up to stay the night (to stay with DSS and DSD) in case we had to leave for hospital at any point.
We headed up to bed about 10ish, but contractions were now slowing in frequency. Phoned Labour Ward for advice ? she said to monitor and was sure they would start up again. They did, but about 15 minutes apart now. But, at about 5am I realised baby hadn?t moved for a while. Phoned Labour Ward again, was advised to do the old ice test ? which brought no results so phoned back, and at 6am left for the hospital.
As soon as we got there they put me on a fetal monitor, and heart beat strong! But... straight away contractions started every 5 minutes now, and lasting about 40 to 60 seconds! Thought things were really starting. After 20 minutes monitoring I was examined and they found me to be 4cm dilated now. I was advised to go for a walk, so we did. We headed for the hospital restaurant, but it was 8.15am and wasn?t opening till 8.30. So we walked some more, and then just as we were coming up the slope to the restaurant I felt this strange warm feeling between my legs ? waters had gone with a gush! So, embarrassingly headed did a strange walk back to labour ward, where they kept me in for a while.
Contractions were becoming erratic again, so they admitted me to the Ante Natal ward. All day I was on the TENS with the contractions and doing lots of walks. We frantically timed every contraction and every duration in between ? DP noting when I hit the boost button on the TENS to time the contraction!
Then... sciatica hit big style. I got a really bad pain on the left side of my back, shooting to my foot. So, each contraction coupled with the back pain was becoming harder to tolerate. As I?d been contracting, albeit not every 5 minutes, for over 24 hours now, it was becoming hard to bear and tiring. And, with it being a ward, I was aware that DP would have to go home 9pm. I was also aware that time was ticking on from my waters breaking and worrying about the consequence. I lost the plot a bit, and a midwife suggested a bath ? which I did. Afterwards, the night midwife explained that they would check me all night, and if contractions got into a regular pattern, then I?d go to labour ward, and DP would be called in. If not, I?d go in the morning and be started on synctocin to get things moving. After the bath and the chat I felt much calmer and was able to catch a bit of sleep, and one or two here.
In the morning DP came 8am, and we were expecting to go to Labour Ward soon, as it was now 24 hours since waters breaking, and at this hospital, they don?t let you go further than that without the synctocin drip. However, Labour Ward was manically busy and we didn?t actually get there till 4pm.
We were pleased to finally be back on Labour Ward. Once the drip was in contractions started, and came every 3 to 4 minutes, lasting a good minute or more. I soon ditched the TENS and went onto the gas and air. I was now in Active Labour ? at long last.
They wouldn?t do any internal exams as my waters had gone so didn?t want to introduce any risk of infection. So I didn?t know how dilated I was.
However, as I was so tired (contractions for 2 days now with sciatica and very little sleep) I asked for an Epidural ? didn?t really want one in my birth plan, but that had gone out of the window by now, and always said if it was going to go on, I?d have one. However, the Anaesthetist said with the sciatica it could make that pain worse. Midwife suggested Diamorphine instead, and explained how different it was to pethidine, which I really didn?t want.
So I gave the Diamorphine a try, and it worked well first time. Makes you quite spaced out. I remember talking jibberish in a ?Hey Man...? kind of way to DP and the Student Medical Doctor (Toby, who was in with us from time to time but missed the actual end event).
At one point, whilst shifting positing and standing up on the advice of the midwife (to ease the sciatica) the fetal heart rate dropped. Panic set in between DP and I (not that you?d know, we just gave each other ?that look?) and in the end, they put in the hooked monitor that attaches to the baby?s head. Heart rate went back up, thankfully, and carried on being ok.
I had two lots of diamorphine, the second lot being less effective. Towards the end of the effect of the second I felt really ill ? and threw up everything I?d eaten in the last 24 hours or so. Throwing up whilst contracting is not fun.
I was now finally internally examined, and by 11pm, was 6cm and very thin cervix... Yes, things are getting going! However, the baby had turned back to back... hence the sciatica. But, I now had the urge to push ? way before I should do. I was told every urge to resist ? which is pretty difficult.
I requested an Epidural ? I couldn?t see me labouring on much longer and having to push without extra pain relief. Expected to feel the lovely sensation of numbness... but after 20 minutes it was clear contractions were just as bad as before. The Anaesthetist came down with no explanation and gave me another dose and said things should improve in 20 minutes. He didn?t do any cold test on my legs or give any explanations... was not happy with his attitude.
20 minutes late¬r ? it was clear that the epidural had simply numbed the top of the womb ? so I couldn?t feel the start of the contractions. BUT, everything else was as painful as before- including my pelvic floor / cervix area which had great pressure on it, and was where the urge to push was targeting.
So, between 11pm Thursday night and 8am Friday morning, I had to suffer contractions and stop the urge to push every 3 minutes ? with no pain relief. I was exhausted. I gave up the gas and air ? it was pretty useless by now. I used the short breaths method that they tell you to use when the head is appearing and they want you to stop pushing. I had to hold DP?s hand, look directly into his eyes as he did the short breaths with me. I did them in time with the fetal monitor ? and the baby?s heart beat, and in my head I kept a mantra ?WILL NOT PUSH, WILL NOT PUSH?...
They examined me every 2 hours now, and by 6.30am Friday morning I was finally about 8 to 9 cm dilated ? but there was a ?lip? around the top of the cervix that wasn?t for budging.
The night midwife was going off about 7.45am and was doing her last exam of me at 7.30am. She was convinced she?d be able to give me the go ahead to push, and by the time she?d reach her car I?d have a babe in arms. However, the news wasn?t good. I was still 9cm, and the lip was not for going ? even the midwife had a go at it during the examination.
I was now losing the plot ? I couldn?t talk I was crying that much, and in agony. DP had to answer for me whenever asked a question.
Thankfully day staff were coming on duty. I was finally seen by the main Anaesthetist, who clearly was not happy with the epidural and the way it was handled but could do little about it.
Then I was seen by the Registrar ? a rather large handed six footer. Before he started he told them to give me the gas and air whilst he would examine me... I asked him to wait for the next contraction, then as soon as it was over, to go in...
OMG... he was brutal. He touched a nerve at one point that made my whole leg jump up.
But the results were not good ? still a lip, baby is back to back, the baby was big for me and with no epidural this was not going to be a fun delivery. He finally discussed options ? options plural for the first time. Option 1 ? an emergency C- Section or Option 2 ? carry on labouring, and we?ll try and control the pain. I was unbelievably tired, in so much pain and scared about the back to back and having to have forceps with no pain relief, that I begged for Option 1 ? never wanting a C-section before of course. He went out to discuss it with the Consultant, with me asking the midwife if they ever give the patient ?the say??
Then suddenly, loads of people kept coming in and out of the labour room. One HCA came with her razor and shaved my bikini line, and DP was handed gowns to put on... they were going with Option 1 ? FINALLY, it was going to end. I begged that the drip be stopped and it was...
I signed the papers sharpish, and was told by the Anaesthetist that I would be getting a Spinal this time ? I begged him to make sure it would work, and he gave me that knowing look and ensured me this time he?d make sure everything would be ok... he turned out to be brilliant, and when I look back, he gave me so much confidence to do this last, scary part.
I remember just about to be wheeled to Theatre and the HCA screaming ? ?Argh, get that nail varnish off her toes? and quickly wiping away the varnish in a haphazard way.
I was wheeled in, and there were so many in there. So much activity and suddenly, after being deprived of explanation since getting to the hospital 2 whole days earlier, the procedure was explained to me in great detail by really professional Theatre staff. The Spinal was put in - I was calmer by this point as the drip had been taken off. It?s the weirdest sensation ? your legs feeling really heavy and fat, no pain sensation or anything. Then it rising ...
I remember when they finished the Spinal, them explaining that my legs would start to feel tingly ? I looked down and shouted that something was wrong ? my toes were blood shot... then I remembered... it was the edges of the nail varnish!!! Oops...
It started and whilst feeling some really weird sensations, feeling pummelled, bashed about inside and tugged at ? but all with no pain ? within 5 short minutes I heard a baby cry... YES, my little girl was out and crying at precisely 9.59am weighing 7lb 12 ½ oz. The brilliant Anaesthetist gave me a running commentary.
She was cleaned up and checked and handed to DP ? she was GORGEOUS. He managed to get her cheek to cheek with me but couldn?t do the skin to skin. It took about another 20 odd minutes of being tugged and pushed and the Anaesthetist was able to tell me I had been sewn up...
I was wheeled to recovery ? DP and Alys Seren with me the whole time.
Finally, wheeled onto the one ward I?d be dreaming about being on ? POST NATAL (Lawson Tait). As I was wheeled into my new home for the next couple of days, my Dad suddenly appeared ? he?d decided to turn up and find out what was going on ? we hadn?t contacted anyone from about 5pm Thursday so everyone was worried sick.
And, I was finally handed my precious Alys Seren... after a journey that lasted 68 hours she was in my arms and so beautiful, and I?ve been besotted ever since.