Right. DD (Oh my god. I have a DD!) is with DP, both boys are otherwise occupied, and I've had a bit of sleep so 'm not running on 5 days on 4 hours.... Birth story as promised. Arrived Birmingham womens at 10 on Monday morning, expecting to be home by Wed. Had the 24 hour pessary at 11. Sent DP home at 9 that night as knew there'd be no action. 10pm started getting quite painful lasting contractions Thought I'd be getting DP back but noooo..... spent the evening reading and bouncing on my ball. Was examined at 11 the next morning and had dilated enough but they could feel something in the cervix so wanted a Dr's opinion before sending me to delivery suite in case it was the placenta or cord
Took another 7 hours and two doctors (four internals) to decide that the thing they were feeling was my oddly angled cervix sitting behind the babies head, which was very very low. By this time internals were so painful that I needed gas and air and a lot of calming effort to get through them. In between times I was permenantly on the ball and had the tens permenantly on. After the last horrific internal at 11pm they put me on the list for the delivery suite. Still having very strong contractions every few minutes. At 3.am we were woken up by a midwife coming to get me and whizzed down to the delivery suite. She reexamined me, told me that I was still only 3cms dialated but we went ahead and broke my waters under g&a. I had dextrose and the syncotin drip in one hand, and fluids and insulin in the other hand. Monitors on my belly so was utterly wired up. Was very difficult to move. Was horrified when she told me that at this point, with my dialation, first baby etc, it normally took 12-18 hours. However contractions quickly ramped up to a point where g&a didn't work properly and it wasn't pleasant. Can remember midwife saying that I didn't need an epidural and that I could do this and do it quickly. She later told me that there had been no time for other pain relief. by 6am I was at pushing point. Pushed for over an hour. Monitoring equipment kept going down and they couldn't see what was happening to baby whilst I was roaring like a lion. Dr was called, agreed that baby was immenant and had been for a while. Lovely midwifes shift changed and new midwife plus student came in at 7.15. Immediely started trying to get me to open legs wider, telling me that "I'd never get the baby out if I didn't", and getting me to turn over but not helping me with the various wires and drips so I ended up tangled, unable to move, having horrendous contractions whilst they pulled my canulas the wrong way. i know one came out at one point as the g&a mask and the wall behind me ended up sprayed with blood. I think i swpre and shouted, I know DP did, and the lovely midwife very unprofessionally decided to stay and shoved the horrible one out the way... Power to monitoring equipment went down and back up didn't happen. Dr was called back and agreed that as they coudn't see that they needed the baby out now, so turned me over again, (Dr shouted at the horribe midwife and student again, who tangled me more with the wires) and set up stirrups. I remember she was so calm as was the lovely midwife - looking me in the eyes and telling me that I had done amazingly well. I think I was begging for pain relief. She put the ventous cup on the baby and was getting the forceps ready but then realised baby was right there, and guided me through the pushing and panting without needing to pull on baby. One massive push and she was on my chest, and the sense of relief was amazing. She was perfect, crying slightly, holding her dads hand. He was crying too. Placenta delivered, still in membrane, very very little blood anywhere. Very little marks from the ventous cup as it was on but not used.
Good midwife stayed to do the paperwork then left telling me she was off for a bacon sandwich. Dr stitched me up (secondary tear from beating her to forceps) and shouted again at the stupid midwife and student as they didn't have the surgical instruments ready. Stayed in the delivery suite for about three hours after then up to ward. Had tea and toast but wasn't allowed jam as the Stupid midwife kept on about me being diabetic(even though as GD, it has now gone). Baby had blood sugar monitoring for 24 hours and was fine. My lovely good midwife came and saw me that evening, apologised for the shitty one telling me that she was "an aquired taste". She said that once the contractions ramped up properly after the waters broken she knew I'd not have a lot of time. She also told me that out of 500 babies she had delivered, as she was a night midwife over half of them were inductions - I was one of only three that had ever dealt with the drip induced labour under only gas and air and that I had done massivley well. She was an absolute love and I wil be sending her wine.
DP was also bloody amazing. Really bloody amazing. Blew me away sort of amazing. He cut the cord too.
When I was on the ward I kept getting Drs' and midwives saying to me, "I heard about your labour, didnt you do well!" I have kept the mouthpiece to the G&A as it's nearly bitten through.. lol.
We still have some feeding issues, disparity between my huge boobs, babies mouth, overeager baby etc but we are getting there. She's combination feeding between boob and bottle at the min (all breast milk which means I am spending half my day expressing) and no confusion. Nights are bad as she's a hungry boob mauling velociraptor - but I am hoping they ease off. Iff not I am considering suplemending with formula as she doesn't seem to be fussy as long as she eats. She is perfect though. With a week of literally no sleep I am still looking at her wondering where she came from. When she was born my heart left my chest and is now sleeping in the moses basket beside me.
Oh, and with her birth I lost over a stone in weight in baby, water and placenta. I am lighter than when I started!
Oh, and Brie on toast makes a perfect first morning home breakfast. Might not stay lighter for long.
Good luck to the rest of you - I'm trying to follow threads but I can't keep up! - I love this group. I woudn't have got through pregnancy, let alone childbirth and the subsequent horrible few days in hospital without you all. Thank you you lovely wonderful bunch of women.