Josephine's birth story

***kate*** · 16-05-2006, 04:45pm

I saw my consultant the Thursday before Josie was born who did a sweep and said that I was 2cm dilated. The doc said that due to my pregnancy induced rash that she was prepared to get me into hospital and break my waters. So an appointment was made for 2nd April.

On the Sunday morning I rang to see if there was a bed available and we went to the hospital at 8am, feeling quite apprehensive by this time. On examination by a midwife she was convinced she couldn’t break my waters

despite the consultant saying she could feel the bag of waters and the baby’s head the previous week. So the midwife bunged a prostin gel in and we walked around the hospital for an hour. On return to the delivery suite the midwife said my consultant had asked for me to be examined again, so she did so and still reckoned she couldn’t break my waters, so called another doc, who broke them without any bother. The midwife also reckoned she couldn’t get a drip into my veins, so the doc had to do that as well (sensing a pattern about this midwife?).

They gave me two hours to start to contract naturally, but after an hour I had had a few irregular weak contractions and I said to get the drip started as there seemed little point in waiting another hour when I knew I would require the syntocin anyway. So the drip was wired up by the midwife and it wouldn’t work

as it was in a funny position on my (crappy) veins. The midwife faffed around with it for ages and ages, and eventually it started. By 3.30 DH had to go and take our other two kids home with a babysitter (they were at his Mum’s house) so he disappeared for an hour and it was then that the contractions kicked in.

By this time there had been a shift change and my new midwife (thank goodness – the other one was useless) examined me to find I was 4cm dilated at 4.45pm. I managed using the gas and air until DH came back at about 5pm – fantastic stuff

laughing my head off. I also had the most AMAZING cravings – like nothing I have ever experienced before – for chocolate muffins. I could TASTE them and made DH go and buy me one to eat afterwards. Obviously the gas and air had affected me – the craving was completely intense and really strange.

By 5.50 I was in a fair amount of pain and sucking on the gas and air. Then the pain turned into a different kind of pain and I asked the midwife for pethidine (even though I’m allergic to opiate based meds – I was in pain). While she went to get it, I had the urge to push so told DH to tell the midwife. She came back and progged me with the pethidine before realising I needed to push – I managed to tell her as she had the needle in me

and at this point she had a look and baby’s head was there!

As I’d had pethidine 2 seconds before she turned on the resuscitation table, which I was fairly worried about, even in my gas and air haze. I remember asking her “is this because you’ve given the baby pethidine?” and she said it could be “slippy” which terrified me. Thankfully Josephine Olivia was born at 6.11pm weighing 6lb 1oz after 11 minutes of pushing, the pethidine hadn’t had the chance to work and cross the placenta, so she didn’t even need resuscitating and cried straightaway.

My labour lasted 2 hours 41 minutes, and was a totally positive, wonderful experience. We’re very thankful to have such lovely children

**Crazyfool** · 16-05-2006, 05:37pm

Kate thats a really positive and quick labour. I really hope mine is as quick and problem free. Congratulations on the birth of little Josephine I cant wait to see the pics.

Shame you had a dippy midwife tho