So after a busy day out on Saturday we came home and thought we'd have a bit of a rest. I have been having braxton hicks contractions a lot for several months, and was getting more of these. I thought I'd have a bath to stop them, but while I was in the bath my waters broke and so we called the hospital and they told us to come in to be checked out even though my contractions were only just starting after my waters broke. By the time we were in the car the contractions were every 3 minutes or so, though not hugely painful. We got there and more of my waters broke in the waiting room.
After I was examined they said I was just 3cm and without very strong contractions, and offered me the chance to go home and have a bath and paracetamol, or to go to the MW birth centre and basically do the same thing. As I felt the contractions had started very quickly and were getting more painful I decided not to go home.
The birth centre wouldn't give me anything except paracetamol or codydramol at that point and (very slowly) ran me a bath. I felt that the bath helped with the warmth, but I also felt I'd be better upright, and the contractions were getting quite a lot stronger. I went back to our room to ask for more drugs, but although noone had examined me in 90 minutes they said I was still in early labour and wouldn't give gas and air yet. I was starting to get a bit stressed that this was early labour although I was having very quick strong contractions they didn't seem to notice. They then offered me an internal to see where we were but actually couldn't do it very easily as there was almost no break between contractions. Dh insisted they give me gas and air, and then the internal showed that I was fully dilated and could start to push! I was very relieved as I'd been imaging potentially another 10 hours or something and had been about to ask for an epidural if they'd said I was 5 or so cm.
I was remembering nct's advice on letting the contractions do the pushing, especially as I was sure mine were doing a pretty good job as it had all been so fast. I gave birth on my knees leaning on the raised part of the bed - which was great for me if a bit hard on the MW's neck!
We wanted delayed cord clamping and the cord pulsed for over 20 mins, so we just did skin to skin, while I was in shock and shaking - I think from the speed of it all. After dh cut the cord we gave it a while for the placenta to deliver naturally but after 10 mins and a bit of pushing we decided to have the injection. A couple of grazes but no stitches. Afterwards I don't know if it was the gas and air or the injection or what, but I vomited quite a lot, then felt much better. So she was born just before 10pm, almost exactly four hours after my waters broke. We stayed in the birth centre till about 2.30 am before I went up to the ward and dh had to go home.
I have no idea why the labour was so short and they were all surprised it was my first baby. I think because it was short I wasn't too tired. I wished I had known earlier how fast things were progressing as it was a bit stressful thinking that transition was early labour... Obviously there was no time for the waterbirth, but overall it was an amazing experience for both of us.