Lukes birth story

Luke Jacob 24th November 2010 19.47pm 7lbs 15ozs

On the morning on 24th November I woke as normal, showered and dressed like I do every day, didn't feel anything out of the normal at all. At approx 9.00am Was putting my mascara on when I felt like I had pee'd myself a little bit. I briefly wondered if maybe it was my waters but there only felt like a little bit. BF was in the bathroom so I figured I would go take a look when he was finished. He came out of the bathroom so I stood up to go check and I felt more liquid! Still not loads but enough for me to know it was not wee! lol! I shouted BF and told him I wasn't sure but I thought maybe my waters were leaking! I went through to the bathroom and sat on the toilet and I could still feel it leaking, I looked in the toilet and it was milky in colour so I told BF I needed to ring the hospital and found out what they wanted me to do. I was shaking, so scared but I knew my time was coming to meet the little guy!

I rang the hospital, they took some details and told me they needed to see me and check it was definately my waters as I wasn't having any contractions, they told me to be there for 10.30am and said I would most likely be sent home again, even if it was confirmed it was my waters. If my labour started I was to ring them back and if my labour didn't start in 24 hours they would need to induce me the following day. I spent the following 45 minutes a nervous wreck just waiting around to go. I made sure I had everything in my bags and told BF where they were just in case he had to come back for them on his own (the hospital had told me not to take them with me).

During this time I had a couple of mild type cramps, the same I had been having for 3 weeks and thought nothing of it at all. Finally it was time to go.

As we set off I suddenly got a contraction!!!! I told BF and he asked if I wanted to go back for my bags, I said no, labour normally starts really slow so I doubted they would keep me at the hospital, I said if he needed to he could come back for them. On we continued when pretty quickly I got another contraction, I was confused, told BF we better time the next one. 3 minuted later, another contraction, lasted 50 seconds, and so on. I contracted every 3 minutes all the way to the hospital. By the time we got there they were intense and I couldn't walk through them. I kept telling BF that it was happening too fast!!!!

Went to the maternity assesment ward, they took one look at me and rang down to delivery, said I needed to be admitted immediately. My contractions at this point were so strong, I assumed I must be a real wuss as so many women labour at home for ages before having to go to hospital, I had only been in labour about half an hour at this point!!!

Went down to delivery and waited what seemed like a lifetime for a midwife to come and check me out although it probably wasn't that long at all. She looked pretty shocked when she told me I was at 4cm, finally asked me if I wanted some pain relief. I asked for gas and air. Unfortunately all the did was make me feel sick so I carried on with nothing for a while. At this point my contractions were sometimes coming back to back but sometimes were about 5 minutes apart. By 12.00pm they asked me if I would like morphine and I said YES!!!!! About 20 minutes later I started to feel some relief!

Unfortunately it made me feel so tired, I just kind of lay there on my side out of it! It definately took the edge off the contractions but I didn't like the way it made me feel at all. I had started bleeding at this point and it was more than they were happy with so they put me on the monitors to measure babies hearbeat and my contractions.

At about 2.00pm the morphine wore off, they asked me if I wanted more and I said no so carried on with no pain relief, they checked me and I was at 8cms, they were very happy with how fast it was going and assured me I would be meeting my little boy very soon.

This is where I started losing track of time as it started to get really intense, I just remember at some point telling them I was feeling the urge to push, they had a quick look and agreed it was time.

I started pushing on my side but after a while was getting frustrated as i didn't feel I was getting anywhere. After a while they asked me to try on my back while holding my legs. I did not like this position at all and was finding it really difficult to push but they kept insisting I try. My contractions started getting weaker and further apart, I told them I did not like this position at all. Eventually they agreed and helped me move (I have no idea how anyone stays mobile in labour, I couldn't even get off the bed!!!) I tried on my side again and my contractions picked up but again, it went on forever and nothing was happening, I was getting worn out and fast.

They decided that maybe I needed to empty my bladder as this could be stopping the baby moving but I couldn't go!!! I tried and tried and was in agony with the contractions but nothing happened, in the end they used a catheter to empty it. By this time they were getting worried, I had progressed so fast and now it seemed I had come to a standstill. I tried labouring on all fours and found this alot better for pushing but still my baby just seemed to be stuck. Eventually I started crying, told BF and the midwife I couldn't do it. By this point I was beyond exhausted.

They got the doctor to come in and see what he suggested, this was by far the most painfull part of the whole labour, they told me I was not allowed to push. As you all know, at that stage in labour not pushing is pretty much impossible, then the doctor wanted to check and see which way the baby was facing. I have never felt pain like it, BF said he wanted to punch him! lol! I was SCREAMING and scooting up the bed away from him, agony!!! He kept getting mad, said they really needed to know which way he was facing and tried again and again to check. I was pretty much hysterical by this point, the midwives were pretty much forcing the gas and air on me and I was screaming at them that it didn't help with the milder contractions so there was no way in hell it was going to help with this! Eventually that particualr doctor gave up, he went and got a different doctor to check me. And remember all this time I was still contracting and still being told I was not allowed to push!!!!

The next docor came, she hurt but no-where near as bad as the first one and said my baby was facing sideways and this was what was causing the problem. It was decided they needed to try and turn the baby using forceps but warned me it may not work, if it didn't I was going to have to have a c-section. At some point during all this my contractions more or less stopped so they had to give me something to get them going again. This pissed me off as obviously I still wasn't allowed to push!

So off we went to theatre and I was prepped for the spinal block, this seemed to take forever too and the contractions were picking up again, by this time I just wanted it all to be over. So eventually the block went in, I went numb pretty quickly and was just so relieved not to be in pain anymore. I could feel tugging and moving sensations but no pain at all. Had a mild panic attack while on the table but the wonderfull staff talked me through it, they really were fantastic!

So after a few minuted of tugging about the doctor announced that he had turned the baby and that on the next contraction I had to push. Now that was odd, I couldn't feel anything at all, only knew I was having a contraction when they told me and couldn't really understand how to push when I couldn't feel my muscles. They told me to push and after two contractions my little boy was born BF got to hold him straight away and just sat there grinning like a cheshire cat. It took them a while to sort me out, I had alot of stitches and am still in alot of pain but seem to get a little better every day.

So there you have it, my birth story which ended up pretty traumatic by the end of it and as much as I dreaded it it was so much worse than I could imagine! lol! But yes I would do it all again, my baby is here safe and sound and was worth every moment of pain!

Wow! That was amazing hun!After all the talk of you probably having to have C sections because of your uterus but you STILL managed to do it pretty much all naturally until the end.I am SO proud of you!You did amazingly.I'm sorry some of it was traumatic but you avoided a c section and you went through labour by yourself! You're amazing! your little boy is beautiful! I am so so pleased for you,congrats again! <3

wow hun, rough trot, but you did it and baby luke is adorable, i am soooo happy for you after al the hard work, enjoy every moment xoxoxo

Awwwww thanks for finding the time to write up your birth story hun. I am so very pleased how it all worked out in the end. It's such a life changing moment - nothing will ever be the same again in a good way of course!! It's a good sign "for me" reading your story didn't make me feel all broody again - I guess it's cos I know what a natural birth feels like LOL!! Your prayers have been answered...enjoy your new son time is precious as is Luke!! x x x

Wow hun. I loved reading this. I teared up. After your long journey to finally get here! You are a mum and daddy now! Congratulations from the bottom of my heart. Luke is gorgeous, and I hope you heal very quickly.

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