Elsie's Birth Story

Elsie - due 28/06/06 born 25/06/06

I woke up at about 5am on the 25th of June. I jus didnt feel right, and
went to the toilet, to find i had had quite a large show. Almost
straight away i began to feel twinges and just knew this was it. I
paced about until 10am ish, when the midwife came to my house to
examine me, and foundme to be about 4-5cms. I had planned on having a
home birth with elsie but i panicked so much i told the midwife i
wanted an epidural. She actually laughed and said i wouldnt have time
for one, and so i asked her to leave then phoned poole hospital whom
said get in the car and come down right away. so thats what i did. I
got there about 10.45 and strapped on the tens machine, but by this
time my contractions had become very irregular so they became reluctant
to do the epidural. By 12pm they had picked up again, but the
anethetist was busy with an emergancy caesarean, so i huffed and puffed
my way to 1pm when he was able to come. by 2.pm i was pain free. I
couldnt believe my luck, mobile epidurals were not around then but
somehow the epidural was just that, i could still feel and move my legs
easily and could still feel a bit of pressure, though no painwith
contractions. I then watched the england footy match, and the grandprix
was just about to begin when things began to happen, about 6pm. With
summer i had had to have my waters artificially broken, but with
elsie...they went with a bang, soaked half the midwife and the wall
behind her. I was still in no pain what so ever and began to push of my
own accord...elsie was born at 6.42pm on the 25th of June, i watched
her being born through a full length mirror without a single bit of
pain. I did not tear or anything like that either. i didnt even have
pain when i wee'd afterward!

The problems then began. after the birth. I had been given the
injection to pass the placenta, but it was not wanting to come away, i
was also bleeding heavily and it started to look like i may have had to
go to theatre to have it removed...but my midwife was fab, and removed
it herself manually very very gently. But then she wasnt sure she had
got it all, my placenta didnt look right, so she took it off for
inspection and came back to tell me i had had a condition of some sort
which meant the umbilical cord had only been attched by one cord and
not the three, so if she had artificially broke my waters like she
pondered doing earlier in the labour, i would have ended up in theatre
without a doubt. IThey made me stay 24 hours to make sure there was no
placenta left behind and then i went home.