Will's arrival - 18/3/08

The more I've thought about Will's birth and labour the more I get upset about it.

I went into labour at 1am, and waited about an hour (to make sure they really were contractions) with the contractions every 10 minutes apart before waking DH to tell him he wasn't going to work the next day :D

I laboured at home till about 7.30, when the contractions got more intense and suddenly closer together. We went up the hospital where I was told I was only about 1cm dialated. I was so disappointed! we were told to go on a long walk... so after about an hour we went back and i was 3cm. progress!

I went and sat in the bath for what felt like hours. the contractions weren't regular but were getting more and more intense. I was feeling them in my back and down my legs, but i was still talking between contractions and ok.

about 12pm my ob stopped by and examined me. i was still only 3cm so it was decided my waters would be broken. There was meconium in the waters so i had to be put on a monitor regularly. After that the contractions got a whole lot more painful very quickly. I sat in the bath again but it didn't help. I sat in there for ages. I was then told they had to monitor me again so was put on the bed. by now i was in agony - with each contraction i was retching (i had nothing in my stomach to throw up) and i didn't feel like there was any break in between. but apparently they weren't regular. the pain was the most horrific pain down my back and legs. i couldn't breathe. DH asked about pain relief for me (i couldn't speak) and i tried the gas which just made me sicker - i couldn't breathe deep enough to make it work.

after what felt like hours (DH said it definitely was.. we're not sure how long though) i was examined again and still no progress. The midwife said as there was no progress they wanted to put through the oxytoxin drip and asked what pain relief i wanted - either the pethadine or the epidural. she said the pethadine wouldn't actually take the pain away so i went for the epidural.

After that i was able to rest and have a sleep. I woke up when i started to feel pressure in my bum (to put it bluntly). I told the midwife and she said that was good. I thought that that pressure was a sign i was ready to go but in my foggy state i didn't say anything.

My ob stopped by on her way home about 6ish to check on me and gave me an examination and shocked everyone by saying that i was fully dialated and did i want to push? :o

they tried to sit me up but my BP dropped dramatically (i felt really sick and woozy) so they had to lay me on my side. I was pushing fine till they noticed bub's heartrate was dropping dramatically after each push, so the ob had to use the vacuum to get him out (also meant i had to be cut - i didn't know this at the time).

at 7.10pm Will was born, and the ob was really surprised when he came out posterior.

I was examined no less than 4 times. How come the posterior position wasn't detected sooner? if it had been detected couldn't the midwife have suggested some more comfortable positions for me to be in during labour? i was on my back or side for most of it as i was being monitored most of the time :(

CONGRATULATIONS :D

Im surprised they didnt pick up he was posterior as well. The intense back and leg pain said to me straight away that he was posterior before you even said it.

Sorry it wasnt the best experience for you.

Kitty, I feel for you. I had a similar experience with my first baby. She was posterior and I laboured away for 18hrs with almost no dialation and no one suggested that I may have had a posterior baby at the time...

The main thing is that Will arrived safely and you now have him in your arms! Congratulations!

Do not let the actual birth experience cloud the fact that you are now the proud mummy of a lovely baby boy. After all, it was one day - and he is about to embark on a lifetime of making new memories for you! :)