Sunday 8th December was my induction date, a full 12 days after Noahs' due date. I honestly never thought I'd go that overdue, everyone kept telling me he'd be born early and I was measuring always one or two cm ahead in my bump measurements, but it just goes to show you, everyone is totally different. I'd tried everything since his due date passed; pineapple, birthing ball, walking, hot baths and two sweeps. Nothing really worked, Noah was far too cosy being a baby bump.
I was booked to go into Kings Mill at 9am, so I did the normal call at 7:45am to the ward and they told me to make my way in. I was half dreading they'd say they had no room and I'd have to wait, infact when we arrived we heard them telling the woman on the phone booked for an 11am induction that she would have to wait, so I'd advise to get an early morning induction time if you're given the choice. If I'm honest I really wasn't too nervous, I had both my pre-packed bags with my (one for John & baby, one for me) along with my Mum and John who both accompanied me. I was given a wristband with my name and NHS number on it and guided to a room where my midwife Judith introduced herself. I had my own personal room, with my own bathroom and shower. The facilities at Kings Mill were truly amazing, the room was spacious and had it's own recliner sofa chair in there too. We made ourselves comfortable and I was strapped up to the heartbeat monitor & contraction monitor. Judith gave me an internal (which I was used to now after two sweeps) and a pessary. I had to wait for 30 minutes before I could move so the pessary could start to take effect. I found this quite hard because laying on my back REALLY hurt under the weight of my bump, but after around 40 minutes everything was fine and we were allowed to do as we pleased for a while. We made our way down the Costa Coffee downstairs and had a bite to eat, we then picked up some magazines & snacks from WHSmith and had a general wander round the hospital. I had already began to feel some backache but presumed this was from lying on my back with the monitor on for some time.
First stage
We made our way back to the room as it was around 12pm by this time, the ladies came round, asked what I'd like for lunch and then I tried to get some sleep. I remember vaguely drifting off a few times but then my back began to get quite sore and painful. It wasn't really a 'coming and going' pain, it was constant. I put my pyjamas on and constantly felt like I needed a number two (TMI, apologies) I was trying to go every 20-30 minutes because it really felt like I needed one. But whenever I got to the toilet the ache in my back was too much, I had to stand up. I felt freezing but when I looked in the mirror my face was very red, so I knew something was going on. My Mum and John kept telling me it was boiling in the room but I felt absolutely freezing cold. It got to around 4pm and I had to call the midwife and let her know how much pain I was in, she asked if I'd like a bath to which I eagerly agreed. I'd often had baths at home when I had backache and they always helped. John sat with me whilst I had a bath and it really did help. When I was in the water the pain really subsided. But shortly after when I went back to the room it came back with a vengeance. From 5 we must have been asking for the midwife but she was 'doing meds' which I found very stressful. A few other midwives came in and out but as the pain was all in my back they didn't seem to concerned because I had zero in my tummy. My mum could see how distressed I was getting, I was in tears because no one was coming to help me. My mum had to actually go and find Judith herself and tell her to come now. (yay for mum) When she came, she (reluctantly to be honest) examined me and I was a 'good 4cm' so I could go through to the labour ward across the hallway.
Second stage
I really don't remember much from here, the bit between now and pushing really is quite hazy. It was around 6:30pm and I had to stop a few times on my way over to the labour ward whilst my contractions were coming. They where all in my back, even though my baby wasn't breech and was in the correct position. When I got to my room (again, totally to myself, with my own bathroom & bath) I had to be strapped up to the monitor again as routine when you're moved over. I REALLY hated this part, but I had my nice friend gas and air to help me through, it took me a while to get used to how to use it and it takes a while to take effect so after about 30 minutes of half-heartedly trying, I asked for Diamorphine or Pethidine. It must have been around 8 at this point because I had a changeover of midwives. My midwife was now Hannah who was around 30 and so lovely. This must have kicked in almost immediately and inbetween contractions I was very chatty and slightly delirious, it was like being slightly drunk. Apparently I was saying things like 'I've never done drugs but these are so good, I might start'. At some point another midwife, who I think was more senior came in and said I was contracting very fast, and they may need to slow it down, but nothing came of that thankfully. I also felt like I needed the toilet loads although Hannah told me time and time again, my bowels were empty and there was no way I could poo. I still felt I had to so eventually went to the toilet, it was then my waters broke as I sat down, literally like someone chucked a water balloon down the toilet. I was so out of it, I took it in my stride and told Hannah when I got back in bed, I think she was slightly sceptical but when she checked me I was fully dilated and ready to push. I was most comfortable on my side so they managed to keep the monitor on me that way and I had one leg in a stirrup. Hannah told me that whenever I felt a contraction to try and push through it. I truly feel like this is the easiest part of labour. I actually had something to do and felt like I was getting somewhere, I found it most frustrating when the contraction ended and I couldn't push through it. My Mum said I was pushing for around 60-90 minutes but it felt like only 10, time really does go SO fast. I kept asking Hannah to 'gestimate' how long it'd be till he was here. And at 9:55 she said she thought he'd be here by quarter past ten. I was squeezing the life out of Johns' hand and my mum was there to encourage me & to get me numerous cups of water which I was so grateful for because I couldn't of parted with Johns' hand for him to get it. As Noah was crowning, my mum sneaked a peak and shouted 'oh he's got loads of hair Emily' this definitely spurred me on as I really wanted to meet him. I did feel a slight burning sensation but you're so focussed you really don't take to much notice. Then at 22:20, Noah Young was born. He didn't cry at first just looked really shocked according to John. I was in complete shock myself as I didn't realise that push would be the final one. I was asking if he was okay as I really expected a big cry, but they said he was totally fine and happy.
Bump is a boy
The midwives cleaned him up and when doing this, he began to cry. They wrapped him up and handed me my little boy. He was so beautiful and perfect, and after John & my Mum had both stopped their tears, they both had a hold. I held him for around and hour and gave him his first feed. I did feel really nauseous though. I think this was due to the injection they gave to me pass my placenta. I thought I'd be really grossed out by the placenta business, but you're far too occupied by your baby to even notice. I did receive a third degree tear so had to have stitches, I didn't think I'd had a tear at all as nothing hurt but obviously I was wrong. After an hour or so, Noah was dressed and passed to his Daddy whilst my mum helped me have a bath & get changed (I was still very out of it). I did vomit a few times and remember saying to my Mum as my sick was swilling around the toilet bowl 'Ooo cress' because I'd had an egg and cress sandwich earlier on that day. I was wheeled back to the antenatal ward which again, I received my own room (really can't fault Kings Mill) and John was allowed to stay with my throughout the night. It was around 3am now and my Mum left for home. So we tried to catch up on as much sleep as we could, I was so exhausted I couldn't keep my eyes open, I was literally taking to people with them closed. We chose to go home that Monday afternoon around 4pm. I think the midwives would have preferred us to stay another night, but in truth I just wanted to be home. I did have to eventually go back in a week later, which I'll post about soon, but minus that I've had a good recovery and really do have the sweetest, most well behaved boy ever.
