mum2be.ie - Pregnancy and Baby Forums

by **Mrs2Mummy** » Fri Apr 15, 2011 6:45 pm

Hi everyone. my fabulous little boy was born on Monday 11th April and I wanted to share my story as I loved reading others labour and birth story so here it is:
We had an appt to be induced on Monday morning at 8am, I was really nervous about this as I wanted as natural a birth as possible with no epidural but from all the stories I'd read about being induced it was looking like I'd be going down the epidural route as the pain is ment to be worse and it takes longer aswel. I'd purchased the gentle birth program at the beginning of the pregnancy and really wanted to try to use them to keep myself calm and in control of what was happening! So we got to the hospital at 8am and the consultant examined me at 9am and gave the the posterin gel to get things moving. He said he hoped I'd start contracting myself and then he'd break my waters at lunchtime.
Within minutes of the gel being inserted I started getting pains, they were bad enough from the beginning for me to ask the midwife if it was normal and she said that some women are sensitive to the gel and get pains but aren't actually in labour! Myself and my husband were told to go for a walk or down to the canteen or something just to give my body a chance to get working and then we'd go onto the labour ward when there was a bed ready! We went down to the canteen and got tea and toast(and some cake.....for energy of course!!). While sitting there I was getting pains and they were getting worse! I took out my phone that had an app for timing contractions just to see how it worked really for when I was in 'real' labour! The 'posterin pains' were coming every 2 mins and lasting 58 seconds!! I turned on the gentle birth program at this stage as I felt myself getting tense when I felt a pain coming and knew I had to be reminded to stay calm! After our brekkie we started making our way up to the labour ward again, all the while these pains stopping me in my tracks! There wasn't a bed ready yet so we went into the waiting room.
While in the waiting room I couldn't even sit! I was leaning on the window sill and swinging my hips from side to side! I did consider starting to use the tens machine I had rented but wanted to keep that for 'real' labour aswel so I just turned my phone on to repeat the birth affirmations on the gentle birth CD! I have to say I did laugh when the CD told me my partner was a great
support and I turned around and he was playing solitaire on the iPad!! Ha ha
We were eventually called as our room was ready(they put us into the privte room we'd be in after delivery as there were no available beds o. The ward which suited me fine!!) when in ther I was asked to lay on the bed to be put on a trace so I lay down! The pai. Was so bad now I was grabbing g the bar behi d my head and breathing hard! The trace showed I was getting no break at all between pains so the midwife said she check me to see if it was labour or just posterin pains! I said to my husband that if she said it wasn't labour then I was defo getting the epidural cos if the pain was going to be worse then what I had I was going to die!! She came back in and examined me and to my delight said I was 5-6cms already!! The relief!
Within seconds the midwifes face changed and she asked my husband(calmly sever) to press the red panic button behind him! I was getting another contraction so couldn't talk but I could see something was wrong! She couldn't find babys heartbeat and husband was going white as he could see the drama unfold! 3 or 4 people ran into the room in a panic when suddenly the heartbeat started again albeit very slow! I was put in a wheelchair and raced to the delivery room.
When in the delivery room I was given the gas and air(totally skipped the tens machine and the phone with the gentle birth CDs on it had been quickly disgarded in all the drama) I took a few puffs of the gas and air and felt I could continue on my own(as if I'd any choice at this stage!) husband was sent down to the car to get blankets I'd put in the wrong bag but when he was leaving I told him to hurry cos I knew things were moving quickly! Just as husband came back after running up and down to the car, my body started pushing! I couldn't help it and the midwife was so surprised and told me to stop and breathe but I couldn't! She let out a roar for someone to come in to deliver! The doc was with another woman so the administrator who was in a suit came in and put on an apron and helped the midwife deliver my son!
After only 3 pushes my gorgeous 8lbs1oz son was born at 12.58pm!! I couldn't believe it! EVERYthing had gone as I had wanted! No epidural, no stitches, 4 hours fro. Start to finish even tho I only knew I was in real labour for the last 20 mins!! It was just perfect and so is little James! We were let home yesterday, only 24 hours since he was born and so far he has been so good!
Throughout the whole thing husband was just brilliant! He made sure I was ok and held my hand while I pushed! He also took the strain off my neck by helping me hold my head forward too! He made me laugh throughout everything but didn't cross the line and annoy me! He was great and I wouldn't have been able to do it without him
His big brother, his dad and myself are absolutely chuffed with him!! Sorry for such a long post but I wanted to give my very positive induction story for any of you that,like I was, are scared by all the bad things you read and also let you know the gentle birth CDs can still help even if induced!!
Good luck to all still waiting and welcome to all the angels born already!!! P.s sorry for spelling mistakes!!!

by **mom2djp** » Fri Apr 15, 2011 7:05 pm

great story and congrats on the birth of your son. glad everything ended up being ok. your poor hubby must have gotten an awful shock when the midwife asked to press the red button.

never heard of the gentle birth cd's....what are they about and where do you get them?

by **Kerrygal** » Fri Apr 15, 2011 8:12 pm

Aw congrats Mrs2mummy. That is such an incredible story. Its always the gorey birth stories you hear never the more pleasent ones!! Best of luck to you the hubby and your little one xx