Welcome James (Jimmy) Eric!!
Hi everyone – finally got a spare minute to post my birth story! Here goes:
In the weeks leading up to my due date, I had high blood pressure, so the Dr decided that she would not let me go more than 1 week overdue. I was hopeful that I wouldn’t need the induction, as I had been feeling contractions (Braxton hicks) for many days previously. Anyway, unfortunately the due date came and went and so I was scheduled to go in to hospital on 31 May. In we went and the gel was administered, there was no action straight away so I was sent home with some painkillers and sleeping tablets and told to come back at 7.30 the next morning, if not before.
We arrived at hospital the next morning and the Dr broke my waters and the contractions started coming fairly regularly, so it was decided I wouldn’t need to go on the drip. A few hours passed and the contractions were getting more and more intense, 4 hours later I decided to start on the gas but that soon wasn’t enough. The midwife decided to check how dilated i was, and I was absolutely devastated to hear that I was only 2cm!!! I was so upset, so decided to go with the epidural, as the gas was not effective enough any more and it looked as if I was in for the long haul.
What bliss! Epidurals are god’s gift to women (so was the anaesthetist, btw). I kept labouring for the time being and was able to top it up myself. However, I was soon experiencing ‘breakthrough’ pain and could still feel the pain of the contractions (although obviously less intensely). By this time I was getting very distressed as time was ticking on and I thought it would have been over by then!!! They had also started the drip to speed up the contractions seeing as though I had pain relief.
The Dr was checking on me regularly and I was unfortunately not making any progress – I was stuck at 6cm 12 hours after labour began. I was very upset and my DH was even more so, seeing me in such distress. What was worse though was that the staff could see that bub’s heart rate was dropping with every contraction. It was decided that I needed an emergency caesarean. Although this would have been my worst nightmare, I was desperate for it all to end so was willing them to hurry up and get it done!
My darling and beautiful, healthy son Jimmy was born at 10.26pm, weighing 7lb 9. Dr said that there was no way he was coming out naturally as my pelvis etc just could not accommodate him – I’m too small apparently. So next time (if there is one) I would probably have to go with a caesarean as well, and if I recover as well as I have this time, I won’t mind a bit!!
