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I had a 'show' on Tues 7 Jan at 10am.
Then at 3.30 the same afternoon my waters broke.
Called the hospital (Elizabeth Garrett Anderson/UCH in London) and went into the Day Assessment Unit (DAU) at 5pm and was put on a monitor for 30 mins which showed I was having mild 30sec contractions every 5 mins which still only felt like mild period cramps. An internal confirmed that my waters had broken, but as nothing more was happening we opted to go home and return at 9am on Weds 8 Jan.
I made H run out to Boots to buy me a TENs machine - just in case - as I had rented one online, but it was not due to be delivered until next week.
I got through the night using the TENs machine as my 'cramps' continued to slowly intensify. Back at the DAU on Weds morning another stint on the monitor showed I was still having contractions every five minutes and and at 9.40am an internal showed that I was 5 cm dilated - so I was sent down to the labour ward straight away.
Once I got there I continued on the TENs machine, a birthing ball and tried gas and air briefly until another internal at 11.40 had me at 7 cm... at this point it was starting to become unbearable - Gas & Air did nothing for me, so I asked them to tee up for a mobile epidural... which was hooked up and working by about 12.15 and I had apparently gotten to 8 cm...
Everything slowed down on the epidural from then on... although the pain relief was wonderful! I had a change of midwife at about 3pm, who felt that I was still at 8cm and suggested that a Syntocynin (?) drip be added to speed up the contractions... this was increased slowly along with about 5 top-ups of the epidural until 8 pm when I was finally ready to push...
I did 75 mins of pushing in about 4 different positions and then agreed to accept help with a ventouse. Georgia finally emerged under a glaring spotlight to a cheerleading squad of about 8 Drs/Consultants/Students/Midwives/Cleaners/Tea ladies and other interested passersby all yelling their support.
After the enthusiastic visiting Dutch Consultant who did the ventouse showed us the placenta I was stitched up, and she explained that she only used the ventouse for one push and that I had done the rest - and also that I had probably had difficulty because Georgia came out with her arms crossed over her chest with each hand on either side of her chin.
My pain relief rating: Yoga breathing & active labour postures (seriously!) - 7/10 TENs machine - (for those that enjoy the feeling of being electrocuted [I did]) - 10/10 Birthing Ball - are you kidding? - 0/10 Gas & Air - 2/10 - Didn't really help me Supportive Birth partner - Andy, my H - 10/10 Mobile Epidural - 9/10 (Would be 10 /10 except for the fact that it slowed everything down so much) Midwives at EGA - 10/10.
Best of luck to those Georgia has pipped to the post. I think it's just the first example of how little control we're going to have over her!