my c-section experience

i went into labour knowing that i had a chance of following my mum and sister into c-sections, due to our shaped pelvis, but since their was no definate way to know i thought i'd give natural birth a shot. i went into natural labour last week, 8 days after the due date very early on thur morn. i had mild period like contractions every 15 mins but enough to keep me awake all night long. i awoke to find out i had lost my mucus plug and continued to loose it all day. the contractions slowly wained out and i only got them every now and again. at 1 i had a antenatal appoint and had a s + s, which seemed to do the trick cause at 3:30pm, the contractions came back a bit heavier than last night. by 7pm i had heavy contractions that we're about 5 mins apart. i rang the hospt, but they suggested staying at home as long as i could because people find it more comfortable at home. i laboured at home till about 9pm when it all became too much for me and i was in immense pain. i managed to stay at home till about 10:30, with the help of hot showers and hot towels and DH, then took me half an hour to get in the car cause i was getting claustrophobic and sick. when i got to the hospital i was having contractions about every 2 mins lasting approx 60 secs, but when they did the internal i was only 1-2cm.
i had a pethadine shot which made me all loopy, but my pain relief was a little better. i managed to continue a very active labour despite the incredible pain, mainly in the hot shower, untill i asked for more pain relief at about 3am fri morn. they gave me the gas which i sucked on for about 2 hours. by this stage the midwife said i was about 4-5 cms.
the pain was unbearable and i asked for more pain relief, my contractions were coming every 1-2 mins still. they offered me another pethadine shot but i requested a epidural. the doctor came up and administered it about 5am. i had immediate relief and even managed a cuppa tea. i went to sleep about this time, i was so exhausted, i awoke about 7 with heavy contractions again, but only on my left hip, and the doc returned to give me top up, no one could understand why only my left hip bone was hurting, and causing me to have heavy contractions. the top up worked again giving me relief till about 8:30am, then i again had very heavy contractions radiating from my left hip.
the ob came in, examined me and said i was still only 4-5 cms, and the babies head had started to swell and they wanted it out. i agreed to a c-section, by this time i was utterley exhausted and in the worst pain i have ever been in, and still sucking on the gas. they gave me another epi top up but i felt him when he pinched me so i had to have a spinal. i ended up having the most wonderful c-section experience, and they let DH and bub stay for the entire surgery and in recovery. the whole operating crew talked to me and dh the whole surgery and it was just a big relief to hold my beautiful boy. he had a cone head where he'd been pushed against my pelvis for many hours, and he had big blue bruises over his forhead and head but this calmed down after a few days. i have the neatest little scar, all done with internal stitching so no need for staples or stiches to be removed, and cannot fault the operation especially considering it was a emergency.
the ob later told me his head was wedged in my pelvis and would not come down, and it took them a while to get him out due to this. his body had also turned and was transverse resting on my left hip. thus the reason my hip was incredibly painful.
bub was very lethargic for the 4 days after birth due to trauma and i think the drugs in my system, but has since been the most beautiful baby.
this was all done in the public system and i have nothing but the nicest things to say about the whole experience, ob, drs and midwives, and especially the c-section.
the only thing is i wish they hadn't let me go on for so long, considering they knew i'd been told i had some pelvic issues in the past, but all this didn't matter when i had my baby. we were both absolutely exhausted but relieved to have a beautiful, healthy bubba in our arms.
anyway enough of my ramblng, but just thought i'd share my c-section experience.

Fantastic that it all went so well in the end and congrats on the birth of your little man. I know what you mean by extreme pain and only a little dilated:wall: I too have a dodgey pelvis, mine tilts backwards so it means I have posterior labours OUCHIES, they tend to get stuck and in distress to boot, all but one ending in emergency CS. My last one I was prepared with a cs birth plan JIC, and I got to have DH film... unfortunately he forgot to push record???:doh:bubs and DH there while they stitched me up, they let me hold DD with help while it was happening. In recovery I got to BF, in all it was a great experince, of course I would like it to be different but if it can't be that's the next best thing.