Hey all :)
I've been a bit slack about posting since DD3 appeared. Can't believe she's 10 days old already.
Congratulations to all those that have their babies since I last posted! I know I'll have seen a lot of the announcements on fb but for any that aren't on there hope you're all doing well and see you on the post natal thread!
For those left...it won't be long! Promise :o
I went to 40+11 with an induction so I know how crap it feels when you think it's never going to happen and every night you go to bed thinking will this be the night I get woken up with contractions. And you don't...
Here my birth story for any interested:
Got to hospital at 8am for my induction. Had to have half an hour on the CTG monitor. Baby wouldn't stay still to get a good trace, and then fell asleep so didn't have enough variability or movements for the MW to be happy with things. Also had to wait for the Dr to prescribe the gel to start me off. But because of the CTG MW wanted Dr to review things. Dr was happy with things (said baby was propbably thumb sucking on the quiet part of the trace) and gave go ahead to give the gel but on doing the internal beforehand MW was concerned at how free the head still was and because of that couldn't 100% say it was head down. So I had to wait for Dr to come and do a portable scan which showed head down definitely. So off we started. 5 hours after arriving.
So gel was given at 1pm. Back on the monitors for a little while had contractions almost straight away so MW was worried the gel had overstimulated the cervix but it started to settle down. Got off the monitor and decided to get some sleep as was shattered. Nodded off after a bit. DP went to grab some dinner and then I was woken up with some discomfort. Then it happened again after about 7 mins...and then again. DP came back by then and I had about 3 more pains like this when I felt a small pop and my waters went. This was about 3.30pm. Contractions started to become very regular after that with more of my waters trickling out every so often. Intensity increased also and by 5pm was on labour ward.
We were in the same room where DS had been been born 17 months earlier which was lovely. Got examined around 6-7pm and was gutted to find I was I only 3cm as compared to how I'd coped with previous labours I felt like I was much further along. MW said the fore waters were still there and it was the hind ones that were trickling out.
Kept on with my breathing and ball rocking and listening to my music through my headphones. MW kept popping in and out and bit by bit I crept towards needing some gas and air.
Got the gas and air around 8.30pm. Sucked on that a lot. Squeezed DPs hand a lot. Started to find it difficult to cope, got very scared then by 9.20pm I was re-examined as wanting to push. Got told I was only 5cm. Felt like I couldn't manage with just G&A anymore so given diamorphine. MW concerned that my waters were bulging on contractions but that head was still not engaged at all so went off to talk to Dr to see whether they should be broken or not and whether Dr should do it.
Whilst that was going on my waters broke on their own and things moved very quickly after that. Was fully dilated at 10pm and 12 minutes later baby was born. 7 mins later placenta was done and dusted with too. Think they recorded labour as being just over 5 hours which wasn't too bad for an induction I thought!
Anyway, we didn't know what we were having and had written on the birth plan that we wanted to find out the sex ourselves. The MWs were very good about sticking to that (in fact they were very good about all the parts of my birth plan). So we checked and found out we had a daughter :).
So on the 18th May at 10.12pm Henrietta was born weighing 10lb 2oz.
So, so happy with how everything went. Went down to ward by 3am (had a 4 hour IV infusion to prevent PPH as had one with DS and due to having another big baby) after having a bath. And was home by about 11am
Just realised how long this is. Sorry! Think it's the first time I've gone through it all in order in my head. Kind of came pouring out!
Last thing...don't know if any of you remember but I was convinced when one if my Dad's cows had her calf then I would have my baby too? Well the cow did give birth the same day :o Only it was at 6am so I didn't find out until later.
Good luck to everyone left x