As requested, eventually, dogsmom!
Yes, my waters broke in bed at 2.30am after I posted my question! I wore flip flops in the frost, splashing my feet as I walked through the hospital foyer.
I measured 2-3cm dilated and was having contractions every 2-3mins on arrival. Went to midwife led unit, could barely get any words in between contractions for 13 hours. Was in the birthing pool and sitting on the edge of the bed. As waters had broken, was sitting on absorbent mats for the goo. The only way I could get through contractions was with breathing, if I stopped doing the rhythmic breathing I was in agony, so I couldn't concentrate long enough to eat, and even washing my hands was a multi task too far, so resulted in very painful hontravtions.
Because my contractions were so close together I expected to be more dilated than I was, I still wasn't classed as active labour even though I was getting max 60 seconds between contractions got hours on end. I asked for pain relief and was given morphine.
I was told several times it was too long since my waters broke, and I would go yo the delivery suite yo be given a drip. It kept being in half an hour, waiting for them to call back etc.
When I eventually went they had just started me on gas and sir, and I was in a wheelchair with little awareness beyond the pain.
On arrival in the delivery suite they decided baby's heart rate was too variable, 8 or 9 staff we're rushing round attaching things and introducing themselves. All at once I had a cannula & drip attached, along with a catheter, epidural, heart rate tag for baby's head, blood pressure band attached, whilst i was being given injections, and an oxygen mask, as well as the gas and sir, and bring told yo change between them at various points.
They talked about doing an emergency c section, but then everything seemed to calm down. The night shift came on and I spent a relaxed few hours drinking and chatting in a private room under epidural, me, my husband and a midwife. Having a epidural meant one on one care, and also that I couldn't feel any pain from contractions.
I was 8cm dilated and just waiting to get to 10cm. My contractions were initially slowed from the original 2/ins apart, but picked up again. The midwife said when I got yo 10cm I would wait an hour and then push; the epidural would make pushing painless. Honestly being in the delivery suite with an epidural was much calmer and less painful than labouring in the midwife led unit, however great the pool and dimmed lights are.
Suddenly there were more variations in baby's heart rate and more people rushed in. They wanted to scrape baby's head to check the pH levels. They didn't like the results and suddenly it was emergency c section time. I had to sign a consent form, noting they may accidentally slice my other organs, I might need a hysterectomy etc- very scary.
Before my husband could get the scrubs on that we're chucked at him, we were out the door to theatre. I was asked did I want to see over the screen, and said no, no gore please! They explained all they were going to do, massaging my torso, applying antiseptic etc and asked if they could shave the top if my pubic hair. They were explaining all the anaesthetics and stitches etc when I heard this dound like a circular saw the other dude of the screen, and shouted out oh my god! I had expected someone to say something before they started cutting! Turns out it was the razor for the hair... They should really explain that!
Then don't one said are you expecting a large baby? We replied no, baby is measuring pretty average. But we hadn't had a scan since 20 weeks. They said something about it bring very large, then, it's a girl!
We named her Miranda Zoe and she was 10lb 5oz. We went home after 3 days, but had to be readmitted 2 days later as she had lost too much weight. She has put some back on, and we're waiting for some breast feeding advice tomorrow, as my milk production is not enough yo sustain her. We've started domperidone ( preferred the sound of Dom Perignon) to increase my milk supply.
Sorry for the typos, inbetween late night feeds in hospital on phone.