Here's my story, I had a vbac for my 3rd child
At 38+ 6 days i woke up to my waters breaking. So i got up, got ready, rang the hospital, waited a bit, lost my mucus plug, took my kids to the neighbours and finally headed into hospital with my husband at around 7 am. I was already having painless contractions by this stage, every 3 to 4 minutes, but they would stop or slow down when I'd lie or sat down. At the hospital, i went into triage and they sent my husband away due to covid restrictions and said he'd be allowed back once I'd be in active labour, which means when I'd be 4 cm dilated. At this point, I was put on a monitor but they wouldn't examine me to see how dilated I was. At around 10 am, I was finally admitted to the ward but still not examined. My contractions were still quite irregular and not so painful. I started feeling them in the back as well as in the front. I decided to just relax and watch some netflix, eat a little bit and just wait for them to become more regular. I was examined at 2.30 and told I was only 3cm, so my husband still couldn't come join me. So more waiting around, netflix and relaxing. At 5, my contractions were getting painful and I decided to put on my tens machine with the help of a midwife. I asked the midwife for my husband and she told me they were negotiating to take me down to the delivery suite and he'd be able to come then. I asked her to examine me at 5.30 and she said I was 4 to 5 cm. So called my husband and told him to come. The contractions were very strong and painful, I was struggling to just breathe through them and decided I wanted an epidural because I couldn't see how I would be able to carry on if I was just only entering the active labour stage. I called the midwife and told her I needed pain relief. She told me there was no pain relief on the ward i was on but she would take me now to the delivery suite. She said she would insert the canular to prepare for the epidural while we waited for confirmation i could go to the delivery suite. She started fiddling with my hand as I was standing by the end of the bed, and there was no nearly no gaps between my contractions by this stage. I started moaning and shouting in pain with each contractions. I could feel the baby descending! In fact, I started shouting involuntary and my body took over from there. It was starting to push. The midwife quickly went to get a wheelchair and told me to sit on it. I told her I couldn't, my body was too rigid. She insisted, I managed to get on the wheelchair and she was running in the corridors pushing me on the wheelchair, as I was shouting and my body pushing the baby down the birth canal. It was like an out of body experience. I was so relieved when I realised that my baby was coming, because I understood it was all nearly over. When the midwife got me to the delivery suite, the head was crowing. I didnt hurt, it was nothing compared to the contraction pains. When I felt the crowning, I was happy as I knew it was all nearly over. . I managed to get up from the wheelchair, and got on all fours on the bed. They took my leggings and underwear off, and as we were waiting for the next contraction to deliver the rest of the body, my husband arrived! He couldn't believe what was happening, as it all happened so fast. Baby girl was born at 6.09 pm. On my notes, the first stage was recorded as 48 minutes and second stage was 3 minutes. I cant believe I did it with just a tens machine. My plan was to go with an open mind and see. I lost a teaspoon of blood and needed 2 stitches. Our bodies are amazing things 💪 💪💕