2 hours and 20 minutes till I met my baby boy (Birth Induction)

Member Name: wisemind

Product:	Birth Induction
Date:	25/02/09 (222 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Was able to organise myself before the birth

Disadvantages: happened so fast

I never gave much thought to the possibility of been induced but then I was in complete denial that I would even go into labour.

I was found to have a rare blood condition through the routine blood tests during my pregnancy and although it doesn't really have any impact on me it can cause anaemia in my baby. This meant I had to have regular consultant scans to check how his brain was developing.

When I was 39 weeks I went for what I assumed would be my last scan and my son seemed fine but the consultant was recommending that I was induced. I then saw my own consultant who decided I would be induced the next day. Now if there is one thing that makes you realise you are going to go into labour it is having an induction date.

I am sure I would have been packing my hospital bag when I was in labour if I had not been given a date for my induction. That day I had to nip over to Mothercare to purchase some nursing bras, pack the hospital bag for me and my son and unpack the Moses basket, baby bath and other necessary items. I knew we would have to stay in few days at least so knew I had to pack for a few days but as he was my first was in a bit of a panic I would forget something really important.

The day of my induction I went out for a meal with my husband at a pub we had been a few times .When the barmaid asked me when I was due she laughed when I said about 4.30pm. I went home and wanted a rest as I was expecting to be really tired but my mind was racing.

I got to the hospital at 4.30pm and there were another two women on the assessment ward admitted at the same time due to be induced. We were separated by a curtain.

I was admitted as normal; they gave me a wrist band and a red allergy band as I am allergic to kittens. I found this embarrassing but I was told if I had any allergy it is a sign that I could be more sensitive to medication. There were additional requirements as I had to have cross matched blood on stand by; they had to make arrangements for what would happen when my son was born. I was told at outpatients that there would be a doctor present when I delivered but I think none of this was ever arranged.

I was put on a monitor which was supposed to be for 30 minutes but my son decided to have a rest while been monitored so they didn't get all the readings they needed so we had a another go. When monitoring you get two straps wrapped around your tummy and one measures the baby's heart rate and the other measures contractions. The heart monitor is connected to the nurses' station on the delivery suite so if the heart rate drops or is lost they are alerted. This can just be simply that the baby has moved. I found listening to his heartbeat very relaxing.

By the time I was taken off the monitor I was feeling very nauseous, due to the morning sickness I suffered all through my pregnancy and the midwife was trying to convince me to take an anti emetic as I was going to need my strength for labour but by that point when I feel sick I want to be sick so when I was given half an hour to walk around I spent 20 minutes in the toilet been sick. Then I went for a waddle down the corridor.

When I came back I had to wait to be examined by the doctor. The doctor checked out how I and my baby had been .checked the readings and unsurprisingly I wasn't in labour. He explained that I would be given a pessary which would soften the cervix in preparation for labour. I would be examined 6 hours later and then they would decide whether to break my waters or wait till the following morning.

I was examined internally and it was extremely painful. I was shocked by this I wasn't expecting it. I had to clench my teeth to get through it. The doctor told me I was 0 cm dilated but inserted the pessary and then I was hooked back up to the monitor.

One of the many things I didn't realise about been induced is that it can affect the baby so I had to be monitored regularly. I was not expecting anything to happen that night so told my husband that if after I was examined at 12.10 am (which was my 6 hours) and they weren't going to break my waters then he should go home and get some sleep. I wasn't really expecting anything to happen that night.

At 10 pm I went to the toilet .lay back on the bed and lay down and then 2 minutes later I needed the toilet again. I just thought it must be the position my baby was in. I felt a little pop inside me and as I had been in denial of labour and only read up about the drugs I didn't realise that it was my water breaking.

I stood up and then water gushed all over the floor. I can only describe it as similar to the lady who wee's everywhere in little Britain.

I told the nurses when they came in thought my waters had broken and she asked me what it was like was the water clear and stood me up to put a mat under me. I once again stood there pouring with water.

As soon as my waters broke I went into agonising contractions. I was offered paracetamol and codeine but I refused thinking if this is the start I am going to run out of drugs if I started now.

Every contraction was so painful I was moaning so much I got moved down to the delivery suite which meant I had more privacy. I was in a consultant led room which I was due to blood condition but due to the need for constant monitoring all induced women am on consultant led rooms

. I was asked to do a urine sample on the way down. I had three contractions in the toilet and grabbed the emergency cord by accident during one contraction. They were at the door asking of I was ok and I couldn't stand up and cancel as I was in too much pain. I managed to get a pan full of water but had no idea if it was my waters or urine

I met the midwife who would deliver my son. She offered me gas and Air as soon as I got in and I took it gladly. Now to be honest I am not sure it did anything but gave me something to focus on during a contraction.

I was put back on the monitor but the difficulty I had was that I had a compulsion to sit up each time I had a contraction which meant that they couldn't see how they were affecting my baby.

I did at one point ask for a clean pair of pants but the midwife explained it wasn't necessary as I would be delivering my baby before I left the room.

I was very quiet during the labour as I was just focused on the contractions and I didn't have the energy to do anything else.

At 11.50 I was having a desperate urge to push and the midwife who was with me went to ask the doctors if they could examine me and they said no. Then the sister came in the room when I was in the middle of a contraction and decided she was going to examine me and said to my midwife, quick get a delivery pack.

Twenty minutes later my beautiful boy was born onto my stomach.

I have heard a few people say they are against induction but not sure of there reasons. The only thing I wish I had know was that it could happened so quickly from start to birth was only 2hours and 20 minutes so I thought I was coping much worse than I actually was.
I also think I should have been warned that the internal examination was going to be painful.
I had a very positive experience of been induced. If I ever had another baby I would be induced again and would not be concerned about this happening.

Summary: would be happy to be induced again