Too Beautiful...: A rainbow 'appears'... with a fair bit of effort!

Well, a birth story is due!

I was booked in for induction on my due date of 28th July. Was keen to get things going naturally before that day, so the consultant also approved 'stretch and sweeps' from 37 weeks. So, prior to the 28th, I endured 5 sweeps in total! Between sweep 1 and 2, I progressed nicely, getting to 2cm dilated and 50% effaced, so going well. Then, no progress really over the next 3 sweeps. So, the 28th it was!

We went to the hospital at 0830 and were immeditely seen to a side room and put on the monitor and baby girl was doing well:

So we were good to go ahead with the pessary for induction. By half 10 we were all set up and raring to go! Bring on the contractions! I predicted a baby by that night, as did the staff, who reckoned we'd have her before their shift change!

A few hours later, I was examined. No change. Another few hours later and we were getting a bit bored, despite visitors!

So we kept waiting..... and waiting...... and waiting......

Things were progressing very slowly indeed so I sent Dan home for some sleep at 10pm. By 1.30am, I was feeling crampy and got a smidge excited. Made myself go back to sleep to get rested for some excitement and woke at 4am with more cramps. Told the midwife and went back to bed. Woke at half 6 to........ nothing! Got pretty upset at this point, thinking about how I'd built myself up to taking a baby home on the 28th! At this rate, I'd be taking a baby home on the 30th, which would be the anniversary of Isla's funeral. I found this hard to deal with, as well as the general tiredness and despondency!

I was seen by another midwife at 8am, who said they may give me another 6 hours on the pessary 'just to see' and I got quite distressed actually. I told her I couldn't cope with just sitting and waiting for even longer when it clearly wasn't working. She said she'd send the doc in. Half an hour later, the doc who booked the induction came in and said that as soon as my own midwife came in and when they had space on the labour ward, we'd go on down and break my waters! This sounded like progress.

So a couple of hours later, we were on the labour ward and filled with renewed excitement. After examination, I was still just 3cm dilated, 4cm at most. My cervix had even managed to move backwards instead of forwards!! But we broke the waters eventually, put in a catheter, attached a monitor to baby's head and progressed to good contractions by about 2pm. They were strong and regular and I was on gas and air after a few hours. Blimey, contractions hurt!!

At some point, can't remember precisely, I had the epidural put in. I was FAR beyond my 'natural as possible' birth and the pain was crazy - I was still only 4cm, but having contractions worthy of full labour. This wasn't even considered 'established labour' for goodness sake, yet the pain certainly was! So the epidural was a welcome relief and we settled down to wait for the real deal. They were nice and regular after a while, but I was still not dilating.

By 11pm, I was back to my negative state and thinking how stupid it was to be forcing her out when she clearly wasn't ready. Why did I do this to her and me?! The midwives mentioned that if things didn't start progressing, we may have to have another pessary for a few hours or go straight to C-Section. NOT what I wanted at all, despite being so frightened of giving birth.

So, yet again despndent, we all went to sleep about 1am - including Dan!

At 3am, I heard the midwives discussing how my contractions had gotten less regular and strong. I could have cried. Was this ever going to happen? Well, clearly yes, but WHEN?!

Well, they decided to examine me at about half 3, instead of half 4 in the morning. I was convinced she would find 3-4cm dilation and cervix even further back. The midwife was hoping for 6-8cm. Yeah right!!!

Well, you could have picked my chin up off the floor when she announced that I was fully dilated and they could feel her head just there! Time to get things ready! Blimey, this was really about to happen!

So we were ready to push - finally!!

Half an hour later of chin to chest pushing, they told me to start panting and stop pushing. I knew this meant her head was pretty much there. A little bit later they told me it the first shoulder was through and I said 'Oh she's coming, she's coming'..... and indeed she was!

I won't post the photo of that particular moment, but wow! Here she is moments later, on my chest...