Ok so birth birth story - sorry for length am just going to write and see what comes out.
As you all know, waters went on wednesday, went to hospital thurs, where they were pretty sure it had gone but couldn't say for definite so no action taken, got home thursday afternoon and from late afternoon all through thursday was like a constant leak, changing pads every 30 minutes or so and literally sitting there trying not to wet myself!!! Anyway had a few twinges during the night but nothing major so got up Friday, painted the bathroom, ripped up the floor tiles and then waited for dad to come so we could carry on with the DIY.
Anyway, you all know the rest, pains got more regular starting in my back and moving round my sides, off to homebase to pick up the floor tiles and grout etc and while waiting for them to cut the floorboards to size I was doubled over in pain every 6 minutes or so, at which point I said to my dad, I am not sure if I am having contractions, cue me and dad trying to get round HB as quickly as possible and get back in traffic!!
Anyway got home, things really calmed now, pain much less and slightly less regular - NUtty got grumpy and made me phone MW which I did and went in to Day Unit to be checked out. Got there she took one look at me internally and said waters fully gone, labour started, lets get you up to labour ward - got there no beds! apparently they have been full everyday for the week - damn naughty holiday sex!!! So as I wasn't anywhere near the pushing stage, we went down to the ward and was told that to see how I go for 2 hours but because my waters had been gone for so long they would have to induce me at midnight on friday. Anyway all settled in, bored out of my brains, because bar the contractions there was nothing to do, was the middle of the night so no one around to speak to, DH kept me occupied for a bit but there is just nothing to do but wait!!!
Anyway 12 o'clock came, nothing, contracting about every minute now in immense pain but 2 other emergency pregnancies came in and so was monitored until the morning. have to say, next time I am definitely going for WB as hot baths were the ONLY thing that made any difference to the pain and contractions were much more manageable while soaking that outside (tens and paracetemol didn't make a blind bit of difference!)
8 o'clock saturday morning after no sleep and some ridiculous amount of pain later I stomped out saying that I was to be taken to labour ward immediately (they did thankfully) used the excuse of my waters being broken for 3 days now so my baby was at serious risk of infection (but really I knew that was the only place I could get some pain relief!!). Got there, the dr I saw the night before was really upset I hadnt been started at midnight as per his instructions and said he wanted me on the sync drip immediately. I was.
Cue massive problems for BB. Basically my back was the only part of my body contracting - my uterus wasn't moving in the slightest so while my contractions in the back were at stage 2 ready to push mode, my uterus hadnt even started and was still only 2 cms dilated (and ultimately never did by itself). So the sync drip is in, increasing the contractions (but in my back only) and at this point I just couldn't cope anymore, was the most hideous pain I have ever experienced. Was truly horrendous, at one point was crying out in pain and demanding a CS (which thankfully they said no to) and think I was breaking DH's heart as I genuinely didn't think I could physically do it, my body was giving up and vomiting through the pain, constant nose bleeds.
Things finally came to a head when they realised my uterus wasn't contracting AT ALL, not the slightest bit of movement so there was no chance of the baby coming out - we then had various doctors in and out trying to work out a way to stop the contractions in my back and start my uterus off, so in went an epidural (which I originally really didn't want, but at that point simply didn't care anymore - they told me in no uncertain terms that this was the ONLY thing that would help as pethadine / diamorphine wasn't going to make a blind bit of difference!!). The epidural DIDN'T WORK! so sync drip is intensifying, gone through a whole syringe of epidural (normally one per labour) and the pain is horrendous - still no 'real contractions' - they kept referring to them as MILD contractions in their conversations with each other as I wasn't tech in real labour without the uterus doing any work - to which I was getting more irate, at one point, I asked a man if he would like to experience the pain and let me know if this was actually real (he looked very sheepish and apologised). Anyway, more doctors, more drugs to mobilise the pain and start my contractions off were taken ann things finally started to work. the back pain eased off and they forced my uterus to contract (which while painful was nothing compared to what I had just been through for 18 hours). I was very very tired and groggy at this point and again a bit bored (it was boiling outside), mum and DH were getting increasingly worried as I just wasn't making any sense.
I had the most lovely two MW's who really helped me through it and there was no way of them knowing what was happening as externally the signs were normal for labour.
Started to come round after about an hour and 2 hours later was back to my old self. However, with every 'real' contraction they created, BBB's heart rate decelerated quite significantly (seriously you think I would do something simply at this point).
Doctors wanted an internal and MW said she was hoping I would be 4cms dilated now and well on my way (at which point I thought if I was ONLY 4cms I was going home and giving up as this baby was clearly never going to come out!) - she did the internal and I was fully dilated and ready to go - which shocked EVERYONE (and could explain the heart rate problems so no major concerns but incubator ready just in case) - but BBBs head was still at -2 so they asked me not to push for an hour until it had come down a little.
An hour later the pushing started - and within an hour BBB was out. I have to say this was my favourite bit, I loved every minute of the pushing and didn't care one bit about the pain - think it is like the hammer DIY bit earlier in the week, it's the end, its a chance to push back against all the pain and horribleness and just want the baby. DH and my mum were there and it was brilliant, (although DH got really scared as I was going purple with the pushing but I wanted the baby out so I was having none of it!) It was completely not what I expected and would do that part of it (not the rest) again 100 times over.
The first thing I saw was his little willy and massive feet and think for the first time I realised how much I wanted LO to be a boy, I wouldn't have been disappointed with a girl but was overcome with happiness that I had a son! he fed immediately (for an hour!) while they stitched me up (no external tears at all but because he came out so fast (technically on 4 hours of real labour, including one hour of pushing) my insides did get a bit messed up! Lots of stitches but no serious damage (lost both my apex's but I don't know what they are so decided it can't be that serious!!) Was very fortunate as the epidural didn't work could still feel everything, move my legs, walk around straight after, despite theoretically this being not possible but it made the pushing easier and recovery much faster.
BBB is iccle, 6lb 5oz and 48cms - (so much for my big baby that was already almost 7lbs 2 weeks ago!!!) He looks a bit like a grumpy old man, has chicken legs and no bum (takes after his father) big big black eyes, olive skin and looks just like DH (although there are parts of me in there). He has some lungs and can scream for england - hates being undressed, hates having his feet uncovered but am used to that cry now so block it out while changing! but feeds so well so much so, my milk was in by yesterday morning and his poo was brown (although is suffering a lot from wind bless him!)
We were discharged at 10am yesterday morning, BBB has full bill of health, left at lunchtime came back to chaos (bathroom issues and a house full of family and builders which while not ideal was fine, just glad to be home).
He sleeps well, only really stirring with the wind and sickness so we are trying out smaller feeds at more regular intervals (20 mins every 2 hours with breaks in between rather than the 45 minutes every 4 hours he was having yesterday!) - was shattered yesterday but got some fairly good sleep last night (Managed to stop gazing for a few hours) and feel human again! Please tell me it is natural to be paranoid that your baby might stop breathing and be a little bit scared to go to sleep!
Feeling largely OK - only major pain is the stitching when I wee and bruising feeling in my bum area - like I have pushed a melon out my bum - which is not far off the truth!
Ok think that is it, not even going to re-read it as it will all sound like garbled gushings and I want to get back to see if MM and Boff have their babies!!!