Hi everyone. This is sure to be a very helpful thread.

Well my plans for a fast, drug free, intervention free, VBAC birth totally went out the window, but it ended with a healthy mum and a gorgeous healthy little Lily, so we are thankful for that.

Here's my story, well more of a time line. It seemed easer that way...



Monday 1/6/09
? Woke up to EPO leaking and thought it was my waters breaking.
? Had a shocking night?s sleep cause I was waiting for contractions ? nothing.

Tuesday 2/6/09
? Hospital appointment at 1.15pm to discuss induction in 8-10 days. Have an appointment in 7 days to book in for the induction.
? Woke at about 9pm feeling very sick
? Felt first contraction at 10pm.

Wednesday 3/6/09
? Woke every 35 mins from 3am to 6am with contractions.
? Got up at 6am. Too excited to sleep any more.
? Dazz and BJ left for work and school. Had breakfast and went for a walk.
? Sent mum a text and asked her to come up from the Gold Coast.
? Some contractions are strong and some are soft, so just keeping track of the really strong ones and they are lasting about 25-30 seconds and are about an hour apart.
? Contractions have pretty much stopped from 9am.
? Contractions started again at about 4pm

Thursday 4/6/09
? Woke every 30 mins with contractions last night, gradually getting stronger and longer each time, lasting upto 90 seconds
? Waters broke at 5.10am
? Phoned the hospital and they told me to come in for a check
? Wasn?t very dilated (they didn?t give me a measurement)
? Gave me the option of going home or staying at the hospital
? Chose to go home and was told to come back when contractions were 3 mins apart
? At 11am contractions were 4 mins apart and lasting anywhere up to 2 mins each
? The pain was unbearable and I felt I had to go back to the hospital
? At 3:45pm - 4cm dilated
? At 7:50pm - 3-4cm dilated
? As there had been no change in four hours syntocin drip was started at 10:30pm & epidural was given. I figured if I was going to have the syntocin, I may as well do it as painlessly as possible.

Friday 5/6/09
? 12:40am - 6cm dilated
? 2:50am - 8cm dilated
? 4:00am syntocin was turned off as they were worried about Lily?s heartbeat. They *****ed her head three times to try and get an oxygen reading but the machine to test the blood wasn?t working (this is why they had to do it three times!)
? 5:00am - 9cm dilated. Syntocin was re-started and I was given an hour to progress.
? 6:50am ? 9cm dilated still  Lily?s head was in a transverse position and the moulding of her head suggested an obstructed labour. We then decided we had tried everything possible and opted for a caesarean 
? 7:39am ? Our beautiful baby Lily made her entrance into the world with a beautiful cry
? 7:40am ? Placenta delivered
? 8:30am ? Had very sore collar bones (due to the pressure on my diaphragm, I was told), had gone a dreadful shade of red and a terrible case of the shakes. Hearing the anaesthetist discussing it with Dazz and saying ?This is not normal? was not very comforting!
? 8:50am-ish ? Shakes finally stopped. Phew.

Our beautiful girl was 8lb 10 and a half oz (3.092kg)
56cm long
and 41weeks




I had cracked nipples from about day 3-6, but managed to express and bottle feed till they repared, and she is well and truely back on the breast now, except for when I manage to convince my DH to feed her EBM at her midnight feed so I can get a little more sleep.

I am terribly sleep deprived. Lily wakes every 3-4 hours at night (which is good), but I am used to 9+ hours sleep a night, so I am not coping really well. I try to get a nap in the day, but she won't sleep for more than about 10-15mins between her first feed of the day (6-7am) until about 11am or 12pm. So just today I have decided that I won't even bother trying to get her to sleep (or me) in that morning session. That is going to be our awake time and we will nap together around lunch time!

Looking forward to participating in this journey with you all!