Well, despite being on MN for a lot of my labour, I'd like to write the story in full in one go!

My contractions started at 8ish on Thursday night, but as usual I didn't have a clue what they were - wind, sitting uncomfortably, wishful thinking? Anyway, called my parents at 9 and agreed if I kept getting them they'd come and collect DS at 10. At this stage they were 15-20 mins apart and not bad. Anyway, parents took DS and I continued, going in the bath (thanks mears!) seemed to slow them down a bit, and I got about 4 hours sleep before they woke me up (during which I dreamt I was having contractions, but had gone to a really important work meeting anyway, in the snow ).
I continued trying to time the contractions but they never seemed to get much worse until the late afternoon I think. By 8pm on Friday I decided I needed to go into hospital, saying I would cry if I was only 2cm. Yes, you guessed it, I was 2cm. I cried. While I was there the woman who was due to come and do my sweep the next day turned up to ask if the MW examining me could do the sweep anyway. MW said she couldn't as her fingers weren't long enough so sweep woman came and did it, at which point I became 3cm.
Well the sweep seemed to work, almost immediately the contractions got much worse and much closer together. I was sent home to have something to eat, but there's no way I could have done that and I also couldn't watch TV with DH. All I could do was write OWWWWW on MN! I sent DH to bed at 9 as I thought we'd end up going out again and wanted him to have some rest. Just before 10 I decided we needed to go in again, so woke him up as he'd just fully gone to sleep - I seriously considered offering to drive at this point!
Anyway we got to the hospital without any major collisions (I had to navigate the car park, which DH has been to many times before ) and went back up to the maternity ward. It was incredibly busy in its own right, and a new mother had just been taken to intensive care so we were understandably taken to a room and left to get on with it. I had a couple of really painful contractions while clinging on to DH and then asked him to get me some water. The one I had without him was unbearable and I pressed the button for help, asking for G&A. The MW gave me it and said she'd examine me again so we knew the options for pain relief. Bearing in mind this was about 2 hours since I'd been 2cm, I was fully expecting to ask for an epidural. She examined me and apparently I was more than 9cm dilated, and I almost cried with relief. Anyway, pushing was just as horrendous as I remember from last time, but thankfully much shorter, and Alice was born at 11.26 She was 7lb and I discovered she was a girl myself (but had to ask someone else to confirm it!)
I had asked to see the placenta, just wanted a quick glance but the MW talked me through her checks - have to admit I lost interest as I had a newborn on me! I thought I'd see what I'd do if I offered her my nipple (baby, not MW) and she latched on straight away and fed for about 45 minutes Then shower and moved to the postnatal ward, luckily I wasn't there for much of that night and then was discharged the next day.
Alice is lovely, so tiny, and at the moment so sleepy. She also seems to feed quickly and can fall asleep in my arms, unlike DS who had to be fed to sleep. Hoping it lasts!