hi all. just got home. we've had a bit of a traumatic time but now have our baby and are happy to be out of hospital.
We went in on mon and were induced, had mon night & tues day of more early labour - lots of baths, walks etc. Pain was increasing but there was no room on the labour ward. at about 6pm Tues when i was 4cm i demanded gas & air, which took the edge off - but the canister was only a quarter full and had run out by 8pm. still no room on the labour ward and back to no pain relief. Eventually at 11pm went to labour ward after having to make numerous complaints and pleading for pain relief.
When i got there i was 6cm and had pethadine at 7cm (about midnight) and they broke my water and gave me a drip. I eked out the pethadine as best i could and had the last of 4 doses at 9am Weds - thinking baby was imminent. I started pushing properly at about 8am when 10cm (all a bit of a blur at this point).
Unfortunately i was so exhausted after 7 nights of on off labour then 2 days of pain and discomfort that i just couldn't get over the last hurdle and at noon Weds after being able to see the head for about 2 hours the babies heart rate started dropping.
Suddenly from inertia to all systems go the room was full of people and i was asked whether i wanted a ventuose or foreceps delivery. The doctor said foreceps would be more damage to me but less to the baby so i didn't really have much choice (or knowledge) and opted for foreceps. Sadly i had no more pain relief to come and there was no time for an epidural.
I was given pudendal block and cut and the foreceps were inserted. I pushed the babies head out and thought that was is. After 4 more pushes to get the rest of him out and no movement it was imperative to get him out but his shoulders were stuck, twisted, in my pelvis.
At this point everyone started screaming, my legs were shoved up to my chest and the emergency resus team were called. the baby was pulled out and i tore round my rectum - 3rd degree tears i think they call it.
i honestly thought i was going to die. i was very distressed and screaming in dp's face. We thought the baby was dead, he was completely grey and limp. they took him to the resus table and i was told he was okay. we had a quick cuddle and i was whisked off to surgery.
poor dp was left with the baby and he had a massive sob.
A few hours later i was on the ward snuggling my baby :) . they kept me in till i had done a poo (to check stitches were okay i suppose), so we were allowed home this morning.
we are all fine (i'm sore and incontinent tho) and happy to be home together with our gorgeous ds. i cant believe how much he looks like dp.
DS was 9lb and is quite a bruiser. enormous hands and feet and very tall. it was all worth it. i would do it again in a heartbeat.
Thanks for all your kind words of support.