early labour & birth stories

[MidnightRun]

I know it's been done to death, but with every day there is a new set of babies coming in to the world all with interesting stories to go with them!

My little one is overdue and being stubborn.. Obviously not ready to make an appearance yet which is driving me insane! And I'm housebound today waiting on a delivery so thought I'd start a thread!

Interested to hear all about contractions/waters breaking/any signs of niggling feelings you had before it started!

I know I'll meet my baby soon but at the moment I feel like I am never going to give birth!

I'm with you in the waiting for it to happen club this time. Feeling a bit hopeful today as I have a bit of a tummy upset. With dd I had a bit of bleeding in the morning of the day before she was born. Started getting light contractions that evening and was in labour properly by about 4am, had a great birth in MLU with birth pool and dd born just after 10am. Hoping for the same again (today...)

Went to bed day before due date. Woke up needed toilet. Had wee noticed a bit of blood. Only a little bit. Got back in bed and sudden pulsing pain. Sat downstairs until 3am phoned hospital contractions were every 3 to 6 mins. Very painful at that point. Hospital said come and get checked. Drove down, was 7cm dilated. Told in active labour and won't be long now. Baby arrived lunchtime.

Longest day of my life. But the best!!!!! Good luck

You may have had baby since this post?

I was 41 + 2 days when DD came along. I had a sweep at 40 + 3 and was told my cervix was hard and way up top so the sweep probably wouldn't work. I had a sweep 41 + 1 and this midwife was old school! She said my cervix was up top and not in place for labour, so it will be hard for her to do sweep but she said she always manages it and her sweeps send women into labour. It was quite painful, she dug her knuckle into my bones, ouch and said she 'pulled my cervix down', which I didn't think you could do.

Later that night at 11 pm I had my first sudden contraction which felt like a wave going through my stomach and legs, lasting about 3 seconds. There after for the next hour I was contracting every 5 minutes for around 15 seconds, and the pain was entirely in my thighs, which was weird. The mat ward said to take a bath and paracetamol as these contractions are not long enough yet. 30 mins passed and the contractions were still every 5 mins but they went to 40 seconds long! We went straight to hospital as the pain in my legs was just unbearable, I thought they would explode. I got to hospital and was told I was 6cm dilated (1 and half hours after first contraction!) midwife asked if I wanted pain relief but as I heard drugs can slow labour down and as I was doing so well I said no for the minute and just stuck with gas and air. 30 minutes later the pain was all over really, legs and stomach and I felt a lot pressure, I asked for pain relief and begged for pethadine. I was Examined again but was told I was fully dilated so couldn't have pain relief. It was time to push.

My daughters heart rate went down to 40 and I was on my third push, got her head out but the pedeatric team bombarded the room and said I needed to get the baby out now as her heart rate was dangerously low. I didn't have time to feel fear, I just thought right, I'm getting u out! I had a bit of help with a vontouse, but she was out in the next push and was healthy and happy! I would've needed a section if the vontouse didn't work.

Long story! But first time I've written it down and I got well into it! I can't wait to have another!

Still no sign of baby, had the midwife today but no sweep as it was just a quick visit.. Will have one on Friday if things haven't changed.

Your story is great sally, you were so obviously in the zone and got that little baby out safely, definitely one you should share! Well done for doing it with just gas and air too!

I'm glad to hear stories that aren't sugar coated.. I know labour and birth is going to be tough, and I'm going in with a totally open mind about how it might go, but it's so good to hear people's stories and prepare myself for all eventualities.. I just can't wait to get my little girl out and home!

Went to see midwife for a sweep at 40+8 (ish, I forget exactly when), cervix was having none of it. Went for induction at 40+11, pessary in at 5pm. By midnight I'd had about an hour's sleep, and had backache similar to period pain and kept needing to go to the loo. I was moved to delivery unit at about 3am, as I was bleeding, waters were broken (meconium present, so constant monitoring of baby from that point). TENS and G&A were great, got to 5cm any about 11am when contractions started to slow, so they advised syntocinon drip. I asked for an epidural before the drip was started, everything very peaceful from then on! DH went downstairs for a bacon sandwich Got almost all the way to fully dilated when examination revealed that a vaginal birth was unlikely to be successful, so had a EMCS at about 10pm (very calm, as neither DD nor I was in distress). Spent several hours in recovery as my temperature was a bit high - actually quite enjoyed this as it meant DH could stay with us. Moved to postnatal at about 3am, DH sent home, DD woke up everyone else in our bay. Still, we did get some sleep and eventually got breastfeeding established. Stayed in for the following day, another night, most of the next day and then went home.

I'm 35 weeks with DC2 and hoping for a similarly positive experience :) Good luck!