My due date was 8th December, and baby didn't seem to be showing any signs of arriving, even a week later. I had a sweep on Sunday 16th then when nothing happened apart from some dull cramps that didn’t ramp up, I went in on Tuesday 18th for an induction at 4pm. After observing heart rates etc it wasn’t until 9.30pm they did an examination and said I was only 1cm dilated so they did another sweep, this time giving me gas and air. Because I was getting the cramps regularly (they could see on the heart rate monitor) they weren’t sure if they could give me the pessary to soften my cervix as it might overstimulate. By 4.30am the cramps had tailed off so they went ahead. The cramping continued to be regular and came on stronger from this point and by the time Ste arrived at 10am, I was needing to move or breathe through them - they were definitely contractions!
A lovely midwife came to check on me at 11am, I had the TENS machine on, and the contractions were still coming every minute or two for 30 seconds to a minute, getting stronger. Another examination showed I was 2cm and it would be hard to pop my waters just yet. Contractions continued at this rate but more painful and sometimes two or even three together. I focused on my breathing but being on the bed for the baby heart rate monitor, it was getting really painful and hard to breathe through. Ste was a huge source of support and there for hand squeezes and to try and keep me calm.
The doctor came to check me around 12.45pm, said it was still too early to pop the waters, and were the contractions really that bad. Yes! And at the point they were discussing giving me the pethidine injection to slow my contractions down, because I seemed to be hyper stimulated, a really strong contraction broke my waters at 1.40pm and they immediately called the delivery suite. By 2pm, I had been wheeled on the same bed from the assessment centre (where I apologised to people I passed who were just there for a review and had to hear me go through all that!) to the delivery room. Finally I was given gas and air and they put the baby monitor on again. Contractions still coming thick and fast and gas and air being used (it didn’t do a lot as the contractions ramped up to their peak but then helped with them as they tailed off and in making me feel a bit better in the brief breaks in between).
They put a trace onto baby’s head as the monitor wasn’t consistently picking up the heart rate. Still around 2cm.
Two new midwives took over at 2.40pm then I was off the bed then and able to lean over it to breathe through the contractions. I suddenly started to feel a huge surge and made a very strange sound at the end of a contraction, pushing out more of my waters. The sounds I was now making at this point were nothing I’ve ever done before and had the midwives saying the baby wasn’t hanging around. I went onto the bed on all fours then as the head came out they turned me around and the doctor was back in because it was all happening so quickly. Sullivan Elden came into the world two pushes later at 3.25pm, weighing 8lb 2oz.
We spent the next five hours getting to know each other, and they performed all the checks on Sullivan to make sure he was ok and responding well. He was. And Ste and I were just in an amazed bubble. Our baby boy was here!
We spent the next five hours getting to know each other, and they performed all the checks on Sullivan to make sure he was ok and responding well. He was. And Ste and I were just in an amazed bubble. Our baby boy was here!
It was an incredible experience. Intense, powerful and just amazing. I can’t believe that I did it. Just gas and air, breathing and a whole lot of support from my husband. And a fantastic midwife team.
We went home the next morning and that afternoon, when hubs brought Ethan home from school, we surprised him by introducing him to his little brother for the first time - and it was love at first sight.
Just look at my beautiful boys!
We went home the next morning and that afternoon, when hubs brought Ethan home from school, we surprised him by introducing him to his little brother for the first time - and it was love at first sight.
Just look at my beautiful boys!
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