I didn't have the best of pregnancies with DD1 (frequent bleeding, I was told I'd miscarried, and then getting HG) so you would've thought I was due a good birth experience...
On Monday 17th Sept I had a phone call from the hospital at 11.30am to invite me in for induction. Typically, DH was in Oxford at the time. As a requirement for his funding, he is meant to do a residential course; and as the funding runs out at end of Sept, he was left with a choice of one convenient(ish) course. Initially, they said there were no spaces available but on Monday they called him and said one has become available. He drove into Oxford, paid for parking, paid for the bus into the centre at which point he got a phone call from me saying the hospital had called me in; so he phoned the course organisers and cancelled his attendence, got off the bus, crossed the road and got the bus back to the car park. Meanwhile, I got a taxi to the hospital.
By the time I arrived, it was about an hour after they phoned me and they had a bout of arrivals in the delivery suite. This meant I had to wait until it had been calmed down to be induced. DH soon arrived, and we spoke to a midwife. I wanted a waterbirth so knew that I couldn't have Prostin gel, but wanted my waters broken and hoped I could start labour naturally (you are given 2 hours for contractions to start; otherwise I would need an IV drip to start labour and would need to give birth on a bed. Unfortunately, despite what my usual midwife had said, the hospital's rules say that if you have any kind of intervention then you can't have a waterbirth. If I was that desperate to give birth in water, I could go home and hope labour would start naturally, however once Thursday arrived (2 weeks after EDD) I would be called in for induction and would need to give birth. I decided that I was fed up of waiting and would prefer to meet my little bundle of joy asap, to having a waterbirth - there's always next time (if there is a next time). By this time it was 5pm. I was given the option of Prostin gel immediately (but you need to wait 6 hours before you could go through to delivery) or have my waters broken in the morning. I decided that a good night sleep was more important, so opted for the waters to be broken. DH went home, and I stayed the night in the hospital. (I was already 2cm dilated, otherwise I would not have had the option of them breaking my waters).
At 7.15 the next morning they broke my waters. I had 2 hours for labour to start, so phoned DH and told him to come in and walked round and round the carpark quite a few times. Labour didn't start so I was put on a drip... and things went downhill from there. I don't have a good memory of what happened, but will describe things from my point of view. I will try to correct it where I know things are different.
Pain started very quickly. I did want to be active but felt sick as soon as I stood up, so I moved from the chair to the bed and laid down. I went on gas and air quite soon, and was sick. I remember watching This Morning (as I have done throughout my maternity leave so far) but had to switch it off when the cooking segment (usually my favourite) started as it made my nausea worse. Soon I was asking for Pethidene. It didn't do much so I asked for an epidural (by now the pain was so overwhelming I was delirous); something I didn't want previously. (In reality, apparently I was on pethidene for a few hours, but to me it felt instantaneous between that and the epidural).
I do remember the anaesthetist. He went on and on and on and on. I could care less - I knew the risks and what the procedure involved but by this point I didn't care and just wanted the pain gone. I could have sworn a couple of hours had passed with him talking. Actually, between him entering the room and leaving afterwards, only 30mins had passed. It seemed to take effect immediately, and I was lucid again. The epidural didn't removal all feeling - I could feel every contraction - but it did take the edge off the pain. Used in conjunction with gas and air, I was finally lucid again and, in a funny sort of way, I enjoyed the rest of my labour. I had the epidural topped up a few times as it was still painful, but not overwhelmingly so.
Unfortunately, labour wasn't progressing as well as it should have. I was dilating at a rate of 1 cm per 2 hours (usually 1 cm/hr is expected) until 8 cm at which point things stalled. I was 8cm for over 6 hours at which point the docs suggested a c-section. Yes! Yes please!
So, as quick as a flash, we were whisked away, DH scrubbed up, and we were in the operating theatre. It's a really strange sensation - I could feel every cut and stretch yet there was no pain. And at 1.13am on Wed 19th Sept, DD1 was born weighing 6lbs 14.5oz.
After 3 more nights in hospital I was dischared. I had a bit of pain in my abdomen and got the doctor to check me over. There's no infection, and over time the pain will reduce. Most the time, the pain doesn't bother me - only when I move from sitting to standing (and vice versa). Saturday I went home and decided to go to bed a bit early. Went to go into bed and OWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!! The pain was excruciating, in the same place as before, and went right through to my back. I was howling in agony and DH and my mum were panicking. They phoned NHS direct (and the woman at the end of the phone wasn't helpful. She suggested I lie down - as if that wasn't what I was trying to do!) and it occured to me to phone the maternity ward. They suggested I go to the out-of-hours service attached to the hospital. I took more painkillers and eventually the pain eased enough for me to start moving again. I was stuck in one position for 30 mins!
Anyway, to cut the rest of the story short (DD1's crying so I should go feed her) the out of hours doctor referred me back to the pain hospital which readmitted me to the same ward. I spent 2 more nights there in observation and yesterday (monday) I was discharged again. I haven't ventured back to the bed yet, but am sleeping on the sofa. I did need help being lifted up and down, so that I don't lean forward. We've since bought a chair with arms (£3 wooden garden chair from Wilkos) and a walking stick so I can try and get a bit of mobility myself, for when we don't have any help here. (We've had/going to have my mum, MIL and my grandmother stay with us for a while to help. DH starts his job next week, so I really need to be a bit more mobile from then as I'll be on my own with the baby.)
Things are getting easier, though, so long may they improve!
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