Ahoy there passive ladies..I'm back!
SO the labour turns out to be 41 hours, but who cares when you're dosed up to the nines??
Here's the story.
Went into the so called "latent phase" of labour on the Thursday evening/Friday morning, as evidenced by my last entry in the log book (having straightened my hair). Progressive agony throughout the day, lessened only by a TENS machine. Actually found the sensation from the machine slightly alarming (like electric shocks), sometimes I felt it intensified the pain. I only ever had it turned up to eight from a maximum of fifteen.
Presented at hospital, all ship shape, trimmed lady garden (side edgings strimmed at last minute, all weeds removed) around five o'clock on friday evening. Had hoped to avoid rush hour but had a "killer contraction" that almost made my foundation run, so grabbed the bag and off we went.
I was examined by a lovely midwife, but unfortunately, being a passive sort, I had to be given entinox before I could be examined (apparently cervix was very retroverted....what the hell.. a free shot at the gas for starters!). What dismay - only 2-3 cm dilated (though the Chanel nail varnish drew comments, so that was something). Sent home (the shame!) and told to return later in the evening.
SO we had a strange evening - I paced the house grabbing onto anything I could find, contractions every five minutes. Dh watched Jonathan Ross and cooked me a meal (surreal experience of eatng fried rice and having to grab the edge of the table every five minutes). Went back to hospital about 2am (by now saturday morning) to be re-examined - still only 2 cm dilated. Cried inconsolably until midwife gave me diamorphine and found me a bed. More comments on the Chanel nail polish
By 7am I was well drugged up, but this seemed to have done the trick - had got to 5cm. As the midwife examined me and told me the good news, I literally pulled the entinox tube out and shouted "Epidural!!", which rather made everyone laugh.
From hereon in, it was, frankly, a bit of a breeze. The anaesthetist had been primed to expect me (one of our friends is a doctor at the hospital and had told him I was coming in and would be wanting the old epidural), so by the time I got to the delivery room, he was already preparing his trolley (now that's impressive - he was in the delivery room before me!!). Had to sit still for a few minutes, but that wasn't difficult.
TO be fair, the epidural wasn't entirely successful. It worked like a dream until mid-morning (I sat there and put my contact lenses in, and could still get off the bed to use the toilet!), but I began to get feeling in my left side, so the anaesthetist was called back and the whole thing was re-sited.
SO I actually had two epidurals, just for good measure.
When the epidural wore off, I must have been around 8-9 centimetres dilated. I simply could not believe that sort of pain was possible and I have no idea how people go through that without epidural.
Second epidural worked a treat. Seemed stronger than the first (I couldn't have got off the bed withe the second one).It did perhaps slow the dilation down a little, eventually I had a syntocin drip to speed it up. I was fully dilated by 3.45 pm (and would have been watching Live8 but the telly in the room wasn't working). The pushing bit was wonderful. Dh had some classical music on the iPOD with speakers, so whole room filled with Mozart. The atmosphere was very calm, I watched the monitor and the midwife told me how and when to push.
Baby was delivered 45 minutes after I got to 10cm. Most of this was spent waiting around for contractions. No need for forceps or ventouse. Slight tear, couple of stitches.
SO that's the story. I had a little girl Mogwai who weighed 8lb 15oz. She's very very gorgeous and I'll be back to the passive birth centre when I have a minute!