Mears is doing a bit of research on women who have long early labour phase

[mears]

I am looking at developing a research question for women who had long phase of early labour. I am sure that applies to many of you out there and I am hoping you will share your experiences.

I am focusing on what your experience was when getting to hospital and being told that you were not in active labour and what your views are about your experience. Initial questions are

1. What made you contact the hospital - to ask advice or ask for admission?

2. What was response from midwife on telephone

3. When did you go in - was it your decision or the midwife's on phone

4. What were your options when told you were not in active labour

5. How did you feel about it

6. How long did pre/early labour last

7. When did you go into actual labour

8. Did you go into labour yourself or did the midwife inetrvene such as break the waters to get things going

9. What type of pain relief did you have

10. What was the type of delivery you actually had

11. Looking back on your experience, what would you like to have done differently

Those are some initial thoughts about questions for women. Some of you may be able to suggest others.

I am trying to get a feel of how to approach it. Any help will be gratefully receives as ever, mears.

1. Contractions started at around 9pm Saturday night. They were quite close together from the start so at 10.30pm I phoned the hospital.

2. Very nice and kind response ... asked me to come in so that they could check me over and monitor the baby's heartbeat

3. Went in at about 11pm on MW's advice

4. Was monitored for a couple of hours and then told to go home.

5. How did you feel about it? .... Cervix was only just effaced so it was clear there was some time to go despite contractions being so close together and quite strong ... wasn't that bothered about going home, a bit disappointed I wasn't going to give birth yet though ...

6. How long did pre/early labour last .... Ahem ... 48 HOURS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

7. When did you go into actual labour ...
   I hate that phrase ... I was having strong contractions every 3-5 minutes for 2 days but didn't go into actual labour until 48 hours after first contraction ....

8. Did you go into labour yourself or did the midwife inetrvene such as break the waters to get things going ....
   Went into labour myself ... but 'active' labour started after waters being broken ... Then still ended up with syntocinon drip

9. What type of pain relief did you have .... gas and air ... then epidural as they said I needed it as I was too tired to cope with the synto drip ...

10. What was the type of delivery you actually had ...
    C-S not surprisingly ... 55 hours after first contraction

11. Looking back on your experience, what would you like to have done differently ... Due to DS being such a big baby and being a posterior presentation and therefore not coming down etc etc I wish they could have broken my waters a day earlier ... ie 24 hours after starting contractions. I think I would still have ended up with a CS but at least it wouldn't have been such a long time.

HTH mears
PS ... regular poster, new name ...

I had a long early labour phase ( 15 hours) but didnt contcat the hospital and stayed at home. Does thsi fit the criteria for your research?

1. What made you contact the hospital - to ask advice or ask for admission?

I contacted the hospital after 12 hours of contractons for advice but only because my mum was in a panic about it

2. What was response from midwife on telephone

She suggsted that as the contractions were still 10 minutes apart to stay at home and have a bath to relieve the pain

I phoned again after another 10 hours - the midwife said it was up to me whether I wanted to go in and be monitored or stay at home so I stayed at home

3. When did you go in - was it your decision or the midwife's on phone

I went in after about 26 hours of contractions, they suddenly went from 10 minutes apart to 2 minutes apart. It was my decision.

4. What were your options when told you were not in active labour

To stay at home or go to the hosiptal to be examined.

5. How did you feel about it

Fine.

6. How long did pre/early labour last

26 hours.

7. When did you go into actual labour

After 26 hours of contractions.

8. Did you go into labour yourself or did the midwife inetrvene such as break the waters to get things going

Myself.

9. What type of pain relief did you have

None.

10. What was the type of delivery you actually had

Normal vaginal delivery

11. Looking back on your experience, what would you like to have done differently

Gone to the hospital a couple of hours sooner and had the water birth we had planned.

Thanks again for all your responses. Yes I am interesyes KristinaM. Good point Lua about antenatal preparation.

purplelizzy - why did you not get your waterbirth? Was someone else in the pool?

Apologies if I have missed responding to any other questions - this thread moves on so much inbetween the times I am here. Thanks all

No, in fact when I rang the midwife she was getting the pool ready for me. But when I got to the hospital the orderly didn't ask me whether I was supposed to go to the natural birth centre or the labour ward and I ended up in the labour ward. I was in too much pain to tell him anything and my husband was outside paying for the taxi! So anyway I was taken to a labour room and the midwife there had a look at me and told me to start pushing. My son was born 20 minutes later. Originally I had wanted a home birth but didn't get any support for that from my GP because I am over 35. As I almost ended up giving birth at home anyway I may be more pushy about that if I have another baby.

mears - I posted this question earlier
"mears - would love to know what is categorised as a long early labour phase? Some of the replies on here are saying 11/12/13 hours but I wouldn't have said that was long? (mind you mine was 4 days!) just interested."

1. What made you contact the hospital - to ask advice or ask for admission?

Didnt contcat hospital. know from Mumsnet that its best to stay at home as long as possible!!

3. When did you go in - was it your decision or the midwife's on phone . Had to go in teh next day to be induced as was term +12. Not own choice, consultant insisted.

4. What were your options when told you were not in active labour.
   Was told i had to have pessary

5. How did you feel about it.
   Not happy - didnt want to be induced

6. How long did pre/early labour last
   15 hours at home

7. When did you go into actual labour
   About 15 mins after pessary

8. What type of pain relief did you have
   nothing at first as was on the ante natal ward and told i couldn't get anything. Then was taken up to labour suite and given epidural

9. What was the type of delivery you actually had
   ventous. Becasue I had pushed longer than the one hour allowed by hospital policy

10. Looking back on your experience, what would you like to have done differently

Everything!! Gone to a different hospital! Not been induced. Allowed to try tens or G&A befroe epidural. Alllowed to stand up after I had epidural - was quite capable of doing so, just it wasnt hospital policy.Couldnt push properly lying down. Been given reasons that were about me and my baby's welfare, not hospital policy.

1. What made you contact the hospital - to ask advice or ask for admission?

I had been contracting fairly regularly for 10 hours- tired, in pain and needed advice.

2. What was response from midwife on telephone
   She thought I sounded as if I was coping well (2am) take paracetamol, sleep (!!) call back if gets worse or contractions get closer than 1 in 10.

3. When did you go in - was it your decision or the midwife's on phone
   Mine after two nights calling in and being told to take paracetamol I was knackered and needed stronger pain relief to rest.

4. What were your options when told you were not in active labour
   Initially the response was stay at home/ go home but on examination i was 3 cm and struggling so they admitted me!!

5. How did you feel about it
   Very frustrated for the first 2 days at home. I found the MAU mw very flippant and 'oh well, first baby sporadic labour..better off at home!'

6. How long did pre/early labour last
   From about Sunday afternoon to Tuesday afternoon

7. When did you go into actual labour
   Tuesday night?? Was 3 cm on exam contracting reg and growing in intensity

8. Did you go into labour yourself or did the midwife inetrvene such as break the waters to get things going
   However...after admission things slowed down again (diamorphene I think!)n and I dialated a further 2 cm in 6 hours to 5 cm. Was then given syntocin (I think) epidural and they broke waters.

9. What type of pain relief did you have
   diamorphene. Epidual 1- didn't work as it was rushed on shift change!! Gas and Air till second epidural was put in!!

10. What was the type of delivery you actually had
    In the end. Keyland (sp?) forceps, episiotomy at 7pm on Wed. following 3 fetal blood test (scalp ones) and fetal distress)

11. Looking back on your experience, what would you like to have done differently
    stayed mobile and tried something other than diamorphene (entinox probably) and I would have liked to have tried the pool out- but even 6 hours post diamorphene the mw wouldn't allow that!

• On the whole- it wasn't that horrific, scary at times as ds heart was racing up and down with contractions. I am glad i didn't have a cs. I don't think the mw read my birth plan at all....or she would have informed me that the pool was no go following diamorphene.

Next baby due in August...homebirth here we come!!

1. What made you contact the hospital - to ask advice or ask for admission?

My waters had broken at about 1 in the morning - but as I had not contractions and no show I only rang the hosptial at 9 in the morning, just to check what I should do.

2. What was response from midwife on telephone
   She said to come in just to be checked out.

3. When did you go in - was it your decision or the midwife's on phone
   See above. Went in, was checked out, monitored briefly and told to go home (which was what I expected) - but to come back within 24 hours of my waters breaking if nothing had happened by then.

4. What were your options when told you were not in active labour
   Told just to go home - which is what I expected.

5. How did you feel about it
   Quite happy.

6. How long did pre/early labour last
   After a day of not much happening, I think contractions started about 6 oclock in the evening (actually can't really remember). Used the TENS machine that I had hired (but only realsied once I got into hospital and used the hospital one that it hadn't been working ) and then decide to go into hospital at 10pm when I think the contractions were about 10 minutes apart. Just rang the hospital and told them we were coming in - didn't ask for advice.

7. When did you go into actual labour
   Now (ie with hindsight) not sure. Don't think I was dilated much when I went in - although they did admit me to the labour suite (the tower room at the Queen Mum's - very lucky/privileged!). Used the TENS machine and gas an air throughout the night - put off the diamorphine, as they had said that they would induce me me/put me on a oxytocinin drip if I hadn't progressed enough by the 24 hours since my waters broke. As it was, they only put me on the drip at about 6 am, at which time I took the diamorphine (think I had more diamorphine later).

I think they decided I was fully dilated at 10am. In hindsight I think I was in transition, as I never had a strong urge to push. However, I did what the midwife told me and pushed away (this was the second midwife, as I had gone through a shift change, and she was not nearly as nice as the first one had been. She wasn't actually from the hospital, but was a community midwife doing her "refresher" in the hospital).

The end result was that I became exhausted - I can remember "hearing" myself snoring through contractions !

So...., 4 hours later, at 2pm, I had mid cavity forceps.

8. Did you go into labour yourself or did the midwife inetrvene such as break the waters to get things going
   See above.

9. What type of pain relief did you have
   TENS, Gas and air, two (I think) lots of diamorphine and then a puddendal block, which I was warned was "hit and miss". However, by that time I was so tired I just wanted the baby out and though I would be able to cope with short period of intense pain from the forceps if it didn't work - and I also really really didn't want an epidural. Fortunately it worked very well!

10. What was the type of delivery you actually had
    Mid cavity forceps. Ds was sideways on and was also 4.08kg and with a head on the 91st centile! I've been told I should have no problems next time (if only )

Had an episiotomy, but also a second degree tear.

11. Looking back on your experience, what would you like to have done differently Not let the second miwife not allow me to try different standing postions with dh on the basis that "we hadn't practiced them" . Did my best to stay as upright as possible even once I was hooked up to the drip - used the birthing ball to "sit "up and over" (in fact gave permsision to the physios to use the photographs!) Resisted the induction. I now know that I could have been left for longer than 24 hours from my waters breaking. Not pushed until I really had an urge to push. But I trusted the midwife and as a "primagravida" had none of my own epxreience to fall back on.

Felt that the second midwife wasn't as sympathetic as my first one had been - just had a feeling that she wanted to get her shift finished and wasn't really interested in me.

(She normally worked in Ayrshire Mears - but I am sure she wasn't you!)

1. What made you contact the hospital - to ask advice or ask for admission?

To ask for admission. Had been having mildish contractions from 10pm Sunday evening and by midnight Monday these were stronger (though not getting any stronger IYKWIM) and I was tired and worried. 6 days overdue at this stage.

2. What was response from midwife on telephone
   Bit non-commital. Felt like I wanted someone to take control and say you need to do 'X', but just got 'Well what do you want to do?'.

3. When did you go in - was it your decision or the midwife's on phone
   I decided to go in and the midwife was Ok with that, but as above wasn't really forceful enough in her opinion either way IMO.

4. What were your options when told you were not in active labour
   Forced in my face that I could go home and see how I progressed, whispered hurridly that I could stay in for the rest of the night and be monitored, so didn't feel like had any option at all really.

5. How did you feel about it
   Now so,so, wish that I had stayed in. Our whole lives could have been different. I think about that decision often but hindsight is a powerful thing. At the time thought that they obviously knew best and was made to feel like a 'time-waster' but was disappointed not to have been 'moved on to the next stage' so to speak.

6. How long did pre/early labour last

7. When did you go into actual labour

8. Did you go into labour yourself or did the midwife inetrvene such as break the waters to get things going

9. What type of pain relief did you have

10. What was the type of delivery you actually had

Sorry, going to lump my response to all these together as difficult to know when eahc 'stage' occured and my notes don't mirror actual events . As I've said started with mild contractions Sunday evening, went in overnight Mon/Tue, went back in for pre-booked induction at 3pm Wed, stuck in a side-room and not even looked at until at least 9pm, then induced, monitored, induced, monitored, waters broken, epidural, monitored, very distressed baby, big huge mess of an attempted delivery, 3 ventouse attempts, 3 forcep attempts, huge episiotomy, arguement between doctors as to use of Kehlan's forceps, very very very distressed baby, decision that emergency c-section was needed(!), 20mins (yes, twenty minutes) paging a consultant who turned out not to be on duty (WTF!!!! ), DD delivered by em. c-section 5.15pm THURSDAY in extremely bad condition, whisked off to NICU and things went from bad to worse (but that's another tale!)

11. Looking back on your experience, what would you like to have done differently To have spoken up for myself instead of putting so much trust in the midwives who I now feel did not a) have the experience to recognise the seriousness of my situation, b) have the resources (not their fault I know)or experience to deal with what started to unfold. (Sorry Mears, I don't mean that to be offensive to you and know that you are doing an excellent job in trying to widen knowledge and experience, that is why I am responding to this as I wouldn't wish my tale on anyone). I knew things weren't right, my gut feelings told me this whole thing was taking too long and then the monitor kept showing such huge and prolonged dips in FHR. I kept calling the midwives back but was dismissed each time and told the monitor must have moved, it hadn't. Was left alone for extremely proonged periods and was in for the duration of so many shift changes never knew who was going to come back into the room each time. Had two 'blood gas' tests where they scrape the head and test the blood (sorry, don't know the technical name). Both borderline and was told C-section might be needed, then shift change, that info seemed to be forgotten and back to square one. Now had admittance of negligence from hospital and given permission for case notes to be used in training. Told thatc-section was minimum of 7.5 hours after final critical 'trigger' point. Had two, agonising, touch and go weeks, with DD and she now has a life-time of living with Cerebral Palsy. She is 4 tomorrow and as per the last 4 years I have spent every waking moment since Thursday reliving this whole horrendous story. Going to stop now as I'm getting into a rant and that is of neither use nor ornament to you! Hope amongst the waffle there are some points of use to you.

Oh dear! Looks like my post killed this thread completely...sorry!

Thankyou very much for your post MandyM. I have been working and visiting my Dad in hospital and popping on mumsnet for short periods only, so I missed your response. I am so sorry that you had such an awful time. I am not sure that staying in would have made a difference to what happened to you and your baby. I think that the lack of one-to-one care in labour and the availability of appropriately trained staff at the time you needed them impacted on the outcome.
I hope that you have been able to get professional help to enable you to deal with such a terribel experience. Thankyou for sharing it with me.

Thanks Mears. Hope you're Dad's OK.

To be honest, until I came on Mumsnet (which was only a few months ago & dd is just turned 4) I didn't even know that people got professional help to deal with such things. Counselling was never even mentioned to me, and still never has been, and we had to request the meeting that we had with the Head of Midwifery/Consultant etc to discuss the birth, even that was not offered. It would definitely have been extremely valuable, to not just me but also dh and my mum - who were both very badly effected by having to see me and dd go through such an experience.

I sincerely hope that the lack of 'after-care' that we received is the exception, not the rule. We didn't even get a GP home visit and only saw the midwife/HV for the standard number of days! Both cooed and clucked over dd but enquiries about my state-of-mind were mysteriously absent. At the time I was far too concerned with putting on a brave face and making it look like it was all forgotten and dealt with, to speak up and ask for any help. Perhaps they misinterpreted that as actually coping and dealing with it all?

A bit off thread, I know - but hopefully all of this is useful information towards the excellent work that you are doing!

Will definitely be posting for your help and advice if we ever manage to get our heads around the thought of having a No2!

1. What made you contact the hospital - to ask advice or ask for admission?

To ask for admission

2. What was response from midwife on telephone
   come in to be checked out

3. When did you go in - was it your decision or the midwife's on phone
   midwifes

4. What were your options when told you were not in active labour
   first day, I was told to go home as it could be a while, and I didnt live far from hospital, second day I was given option of going home or staying in to be given soemthing to help me sleep.

5. How did you feel about it
   I wasn't entirely happy, as they refused any stronger pain relief or anything to help speed things up.

6. How long did pre/early labour last
   2-3 days

7. When did you go into actual labour
   around midnight on the third day, after I had been given the sleeping tablet. Waters broke and things sped up.

8. Did you go into labour yourself or did the midwife inetrvene such as break the waters to get things going
   myself.

9. What type of pain relief did you have
   entenox and pethidene

10. What was the type of delivery you actually had
    normal

11. Looking back on your experience, what would you like to have done differently
    I would have liked to have been offered a sweep or to have my waters broken rather than stay in early labour for 3days. I was 2-3 cms dilated and had irregualr contractions that were painful.

1. What made you contact the hospital - to ask advice or ask for admission?

First time because contractions reached 5 mins apart for a while.

Second time because my waters began to leak.

2. What was response from midwife on telephone

First time to come in as although I wasn't in much pain i may have had a high pain threshold (ha ha)!

Second time to come in.

3. When did you go in - was it your decision or the midwife's on phone

First time - my decision

Second time - their decision

4. What were your options when told you were not in active labour

Had to stay as waters were leaking.

5. How did you feel about it

Did not want to go home as had already been contracting for 24 hours.

6. How long did pre/early labour last

about 50 hours

7. When did you go into actual labour

Only after hormone drip began

8. Did you go into labour yourself or did the midwife inetrvene such as break the waters to get things going

set up hormone drip.

9. What type of pain relief did you have

TENS Gas and Air and Epidural

10. What was the type of delivery you actually had

Normal. No instruments, no stiches. Second stage only lasted 35 mins.

11. Looking back on your experience, what would you like to have done differently

I wish I had coped better at home and realised that pre-labour could be very long and tried to get more rest. Found pre-labour to painful to sleep so I was exhausted. Wish I had been more forceful with the hospital and got them to speed up labour more quickly as I spent 24 hours on antenatal ward in pain with no pain relief and surrounded with women in no pain and their visitors.

1. To ask advice.

2. Caseload Midwife did not return my call after a few attempts at paging her. Rung the hospital. Was told to pop along.

3. Midwifes on the phone.

4. LOL despite having contractions 4 minutes apart I was told I was not at all dilated and advised to go home and have sex to bring labour on.

5. Stunned at the advice, but I had kind of already sensed I was not in 'active' labour. I was back a few hours later though when my waters broke and then I was admitted.

6. About 26 hours.

7. After 3 attempts at induction to get me dilating.

8. See answer 7.

9. Everything going. Eventually epidural.

10. Ventouse assisted.

11. Nothing really. I felt it was out of my hands.

1. What made you contact the hospital - to ask advice or ask for admission?

My waters broke at 4am and I was having regular 5 min. contractions.

2. What was response from midwife on telephone
   Hospital told us to phone back in 2 hours if things remained the same.

3. When did you go in - was it your decision or the midwife's on phone
   Our decision. Waters broke and immediate contractions about 4am, we were at the hospital about 8.30am.

4. What were your options when told you were not in active labour
   Because my contractions were regular and quite strong I was given a bed in the natural birthing unit (my choice) as they initially imagined I'd be in active labour.

5. How did you feel about it
   Fine. So far!

6. How long did pre/early labour last
   17 hours

7. When did you go into actual labour
   I'd been told that I was only 3 cm dilated but was having such powerful contractions I couldn't believe it. The MW told me to go home and come back the next day. Dd arrived an hour later!! If I had gone home I'd have given birth in the cab

8. Did you go into labour yourself or did the midwife inetrvene such as break the waters to get things going
   No intervention

9. What type of pain relief did you have
   Gas and air and I went into the water pool. In the end I was in such pain I begged for an epidural. But we never got that far as dd was born so suddenly when they still thought I was only 3 c.m. dilated.

10. What was the type of delivery you actually had
    Vaginal. No assistance.

11. Looking back on your experience, what would you like to have done differently
    I'd just like to have known I was actually as advanced in labour as I was because the thought of another 24 hours of that kind of pain was unthinkable by the end.

1. What made you contact the hospital - to ask advice or ask for admission? - bad period type pains

2. What was response from midwife on telephone - rang day unit and they told me to come in and get checked out but because it was two weeks before due date, i went to a delivery suite

3. When did you go in - was it your decision or the midwife's on phone - i rang to tell them i was going in!

4. What were your options when told you were not in active labour - could stay, but would prob be more comfy at home as could last from few hours to a couple of days!

5. How did you feel about it - nervous, but ok..excited!

6. How long did pre/early labour last - 2 long bloody weeks!!!!!

7. When did you go into actual labour - 2 days after my due date!

8. Did you go into labour yourself or did the midwife inetrvene such as break the waters to get things going - my waters broke on due date, but contractions wer'nt strong enough, so had to be induced two days later

9. What type of pain relief did you have - nothing for first hour with syntocin, then entinox for hour, then diamorphine but it rang out 1/2 hour before i delivered! and they wouldnt give me another shot!

10. What was the type of delivery you actually had - induced(syntocin drip), other than that, normal i think..no assistance or tearing

11. Looking back on your experience, what would you like to have done differently - wish id asked for different midwife!, wanted a 'natural' drug free, up and about birth, but had to be laid up on bed with monitors across bump because of induction!, wish they'd told me the truth about private(payable) rooms being available so i didnt have to go on ward and most of all, wish id stayed in longer(was out less than 24 hours after having dd)and feel i 'needed'' a bit of help for longer.

1st labour (dd). I wanted a home birth but ended up in hospital.

1. What made you contact the hospital - to ask advice or ask for admission?
   Phoned midwife for advice - was having regular contractions five mins apart

2. What was response from midwife on telephone
   Can't remember (nearly four years ago!) but I don't think they thought I was in established labour because no one came out to see me straight away.

3. When did you go in - was it your decision or the midwife's on phone
   Midwife came, checked me out, told me I had been in 'false labour' (all night!) and went.

4. What were your options when told you were not in active labour
   I couldn't believe it - not having had a baby before, I thought that the very regular contractions I had had all night were labour. I was in some pain - and I thought that this was labour pain. How wrong I was...

5. How did you feel about it
   I was devastated and exhausted. Felt responsible as I had tried to induce birth (dd was 12 days late) by taking castor oil (on recommendation of my mum who was also a midwife!) and midwife said that castor oil irritates the uterus and creates 'false labour'.

6. How long did pre/early labour last
   I had one night of not sleeping with fairly regular contractions throughout (about 12 until 5.30). They stopped in the early morning and began again the next night in the early hours (about 2 am). They didn't stop properly but were fairly irregular until established labour and dd was born the following night at 9pm. From start to finish was 12 midnight Sat, birth 9pm Monday.

7. When did you go into actual labour
   In the ambulance on the way to hospital at about 5 o'clock in the afternoon.

8. Did you go into labour yourself or did the midwife inetrvene such as break the waters to get things going
   The midwife could not feel my cervix (it is v far back) during all of my labour at home and at about 4pm she felt that I needed to go into hospital as she did not think I was dilating and I was very tired. Contractions came on thick and fast in the ambulance, they broke my waters as soon as I got to hospital and I was told that I was 3cm dilated and I needn't have come in to hosptial at all. I wanted to go home but it was rush hour and dp would have had to drive me and the midwife back with gas etc so we decided (very reluctantly) to stay.

9. What type of pain relief did you have
   Tens at home, gas and air.

10. What was the type of delivery you actually had
    Vaginal

11. Looking back on your experience, what would you like to have done differently
    I wish the midwife had 'held her nerve' another hour and then my daughter could have been born at home. Wished I hadn't taken the castor oil at the time, then when I had my second child, realised that slow labours were something my body just did so stopped feeling guilty.

2nd labour (ds) Home birth

1. What made you contact the hospital - to ask advice or ask for admission?
   Contractions started at about 1 in the afternoon but held off calling the midwife until the early hours of the morning until I was having regular, painful contractions.

2. What was response from midwife on telephone

She came out and then my labour stopped completely. She left after an hour or two.

3. When did you go in - was it your decision or the midwife's on phone
   Midwife returned at about midday as contractions had started again properly.

4. What were your options when told you were not in active labour

I was told that it was common for labour to stop when midwife arrived and when it did not restart, midwife was very understanding and told me to sleep (I couldn't!).

5. How did you feel about it

Felt very disappointed as I had been told that second labours were much quicker and had been hoping for an easier time. It was not to be...

6. How long did pre/early labour last

Started 1pm, stopped about 5 am. Contractions restarted mid morning.

7. When did you go into actual labour

In established labour by about 3 pm.

8. Did you go into labour yourself or did the midwife inetrvene such as break the waters to get things going

I asked them to break my waters (did not want to have another very long labour) but they said they did not believe it was in my or the baby's interests to intervene, but they would if I insisted. I accepted their wisdom and waters broke when baby was delivered.
9. What type of pain relief did you have
Gas and air

10. What was the type of delivery you actually had Vaginal
11. Looking back on your experience, what would you like to have done differently

Nothing, it was very long and tiring (started Sat lunchtime, ds born 8 pm on Sunday evening) but it was no one's fault.