I went in to be induced on the Thursday, due to GD, but was sent home, and told to come back on Friday, which i did but there was a hell of a wait for me to be induced, they said that in the first ten days of January, there was 110 babies born on the unit!! Sunday morning they finally gave me a propess pessary, to try and get things going, and later on that day i did start to have strong, regular contractions. They then examined me and found that the propess had come down so they took it out and decided to see if i'd go on my own that night. Nothing happened, Contractions stopped and i felt altogether glum. Monday morning i was woken up at half six and told to get all my stuff together, that i was going up to L&D for ARM - turned out the student nurse that told me had made a mistake with the bed numbers, and it wasn't me after all. They decided to try again with the propess, but only for six hours, started to get the odd twinge, but nothing very serious at all. They examined me again and said i was ARMable and i was put on the list to go up to L&D.
They took me up to L&D on Tuesday morning, and once again i was examined. This time they broke my waters, and i was told i had to go for a wlk for an hour, and if contractions hadn't started by then, then they would give me a drip which would start them off. The manshape and i walked up and down the 12 flights of stairs in the hospital, but nothing happened. Got back to L&D where they put up a drip at 1pm.
At 1.30 i started to get contractions which were uncomfortable, but copable with. By 2.30 i had reached for the gas and air as was contracting five times within ten mins, as they were wanting me to. Very painful - much more painful then with DD, By 3.30 all i could feel was an almighty constant pain, especially where i'd had me previous c-sec, and consultant was called to examine me. At that point i was only 3-4cms dilated and very aware that there was probably a long long way to go yet. Consultant was worried that i may have been compromising my c-sec scar, and he suggested that if i didn't make significant progress within the hour, then another c-sec may be an optionbut that was really not what i wanted at all. TBH i really wasn't coping with the pain very well at all by then, and the midwife looking after me asked if i would like to consider an epidural. I agreed, and after an hour of fiddling about trying to get the sodding thing in, i begain to feel some relief.
Have to say, the epidural was wonderful - weird, but wonderful. I could still feel the contractions, just not the pain, and when i started feeling the pain again, i could give myself a top up, which was grand. I could feel myself starting to become calmer and much more relaxed which was great, but very surreal - how could i be so calm when i was about to have a baby? I was even able to text to let people know what was going on!!!
After a couple of hours i was examined again and found to be 8cms. They then emptied my bladder, and after they'd done that i'd gone to 9-10cms! They said that if i waited for an hour once i was fully dilated because it would give baby a chance to move down a bit, then i could start pushing at 9.10pm. Shift change at 9pm brought two lovely MW's, Emma and Jean and they were really reassuring and made me trust them completely. Once i'd been examined again i was ready to start pushing.
Tate Aneurin was born at 9.42pm, with just a small second degree tear - nowhere near as bad as the one i had with Brogan - and he was delivered straight onto my chest. He is beautiful, and i am so incredibly lucky.
Got home last night, and he had been feeding well - but last night he seemed to have forgotten how to latch on, so consequently he is feeding, but not properly, having a few gulps, but not big feeds. He was awake most of last night, but is now sleeping. Mdwife due out later so will ask her advice re. latch. Also joy of joys i have developed an abcess on my gum and i look like a hamster!! Can't get out to dentist or doctor as car has broken down - had to have it towed from hospital by AA, so am hoping that MW can have a word with doctors to see if they can prescribe me some anti-b's.