At the start of labour, like the early labour stage, I was like "yes I have this! I can do this!" - that was because it was just like bad period cramps, I was able to carry on doing normal stuff.
Then my waters broke... "right this is a bit more painful but I got this!" (I had to go in hospital and be monitored as I was only 36+5)
Then a bastard of a MW done an unconsented sweep on an open ward with a load of women & their partners waiting for the C-Secs.. "woah WTF, make this stop, I am dying!!!!" - the pain was solid, no stop at all, my mum gave up trying to record my contractions because they didnt stop, like it was just one long contraction for hours
Finally that awful experience post sweep stopped and I was back on the lines of "yes, breath, keep this going, keep active, I have this"
When I was finally in active labour and able to be moved to my own birthing suite things just didnt progress quick enough.
A student MW then tired to break, my already broken waters, and started cutting my inside. I remember screaming as it hurt so much and that is when my mum shouted at the student MW to stop. I thank my stars that it was me and not DS she was hacking into!
I kept walking about, I was able to manage the pain without anything but I needed to sleep. I was so so so so tired, by this point I had been wake for coming up 36 hours. I started being sick, like constantly. Any time I drunk anything I would throw it straight back up. I remember thinking "I am dying" - the sheer force at which I was sick and the tiredness was worse than the pain.
I was given an epidural as it looked like I would need a C-Sec as I still wasnt progressing. I was hooked up to drips too and tbh I did then manage to get in some sleep. Although I could still feel the contractions on my right side it had certainly dampened them. Once I woke up after about an hours nap I was really wired for it all to start happening again... my body wasnt though!
The drips were ramped up and I did end up getting to the pushing stage and that is when the pain of sciatica suddenly developed.
Then it was discovered I had contracted sepsis so they had to cut and pull DS out with forceps.
Honestly, the cut and stitches werent that bad for me.
I still suffer from sciatica now, even with physio it reoccurs. Dreading it getting worse with labour of next DC.
a PP was right though in saying just how wet labour is, blimey with the sick, the constant flowing of my broken waters and then all the blood it was very wet!