I need to apologise to start with, having just read this back and it is a bit of a long one! I have found it quite cathartic writing it all down - so well done if you get through it and your positive experiences of birth would be most appreciated
You know when you watch programmes like OBEM and you think THAT is what labour/birth is going to be like. You and your DH in a room - a bit of huffing and puffing and maybe a bit of screaming and then at the end a midwife pops in, pulls a baby out of your fanjo and you get to give your new DC a lovely cuddle.
I went to 40+15 with DD - I disagreed with the dates as I knew when we had conceived, so at the point where I was induced I knew I was only 40+8.
We decided that we would go into be induced as suggested by the MW at 40+14 - after pushing it back three days as the MW wanted me to go in at 40+11.
When I gave birth 22 hours after being given the first dose of induction gel, there were 10 medical staff in the delivery suite with us.
I hadn't really though about it until now - it is only now that I am pregnant with #2 that I am beginning to think back to that day. Now, I know this sounds ridiculous but I have only just realised that that is not at all normal!
I had my first dose of gel at 11pm - and then left to go to sleep, nothing happened overnight but then soon after the 2nd dose of gel at 9am I started having contractions. They were very very painful straight away.
Very quickly I was having back to back contractions, as soon as one died down another would come and I was in constant pain.
The MW suggested I had a bath, so they filled the very large bath and left me and DH to it, the contractions did not die down - I spent probably 20 minutes in the bath, which in hindsight I think was too deep and too hot, and I was in agony. When it came to trying to get out my DH literally had to lift me out as I had no control over myself.
We went back to the room and the MW popped along and looked at my readings from the monitor and said "Well, my love, what we are looking for is two to three contractions every ten minutes with a bit of a break in between"...which wasn't particularly helpful as that wasn't what my body felt like doing. I am, to this day, not entirely sure why she said it - it was almost as if she was telling me off for not being normal!
By 6pm we had another changeover of staff and a lovely MW came in had a quick fiddle and said I was 6cm and off we popped to the delivery suite.
I really wanted to be on all fours as it was a little more comfy that way but baby had different ideas and was back to back by this point so they were finding it difficult tracking her heartbeat, I ended up on my back and then they realised that everytime I had a contraction my babies heartbeat slowed dramatically.
To be honest I am a bit blurry about what happened over the next hour gas and air is great isn't it but I remember a bit of panic and a consultant who was meant to be delivering twins down the hall was called in.
He had a good old look and said that they were concerned about babies heartrate and they could take blood from her head to find out what her oxygen levels were like - but we would have to wait 30 minutes for the results of that. I am not sure what my face did, but he looked scared and seconds later he said right lets get that baby out then. He asked if we were okay with forceps being used and if I would consent to an episiotomy. Both of which I agreed to.
Within 5 minutes DD was born - she was not in a good way when she was pulled out - scoring 3 on the old APGAR, she had swallowed meconium and was not quite the right colour, but within 5 minutes was fine and healthy and DH got to cuddle her while I was stitched up.
I am so unbelieveably grateful for everything all those 10 people did, and also feel very sorry for the poor lady having twins down the hallway as the doctor literally had to be shouted at to leave me to go back to her.
I know that the outcome was a beautiful, healthy little girl, but I am beginning to have little panics whenever I think about giving birth to #2.
It isn't normal is it, having 10 medical staff present, most people give birth with just a midwife or two?
Thank you if you have got this far, and please tell me that this second one is just going to pop out around it's due date, if not before, it will be the right bloody way up (not back to back) and labour will be a doddle
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Childbirth
Pregnant with #2 and just started thinking back to DDs birth
7 replies
JeffActually · 18/11/2012 22:16
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