A good experience (Hospital Births)

Member Name: xjenniex2008

Product:	Hospital Births
Date:	20/11/08 (42 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Dr's and pain relief on hand

Disadvantages: Had a long wait to get to the delivery suite

Whilst I was pregnant I went through a phase of wanting a home birth...it lasted all of 2 days I would say. I quickly realised I want to be where the pain relief was!

During my pregnancy we found out our daughter had some growth problems so I was at the hospital every week for scans. At 38 weeks I was told I needed to be induced, I went in the next day and was given a pessary at 12pm, I was a bit uncomfortbale for around half an hour after that I got up had a walk round and rocked on my feet to see if I could get my waters to break. I was given another pessary at 6pm whilst my husband had been sent home for half an hour, I expected him to be able to stay with me the whole time because I was being induced. So I was left on a ward with a young girl who couldnt stop talking about going home and going to a party (this was the 28th december). My husband came back and then had to go at 8.30pm, as I was walking down to the ward doors with him my waters broke. Not the full on kind that you see in movies, I didnt actually know it was my waters I just thought the baby had shifted on my bladder a bit. Anyway I called the midwife who checked a pad I had put on and confirmed it was my waters and she just left me to get on with it through the night. Nobody told me I wouldn't have another pessary so at 12am I went to ask if I would be getting another, no was the answer. I expected to be moved down to the labour ward seeing as my waters had gone but no. I didn't sleep all night as the hospital was so hot.

The next morning a couple of midwives came down to collect someone and they just siad "Right who's coming down to the delivery suite with me", and another girl who had come in 12 hours after me said I will! Now being a woman who has been in hospital for a day and is very frustrated at her induction not getting anywhere I wasn't happy.

My labour still hadnt progressed further than 2cm (which is how dilated I was when I went into hospital) and was told I would be going to delivery as soon as possible to be put on a drip. This was at 10am. I didn't get to the delivery suite until 1.30pm and then all the midwives were changing shifts, in this time my waters broke properly - cue the full on gushing waters! Finally I was put on my drip at 3pm. The midwife I had was lovely, she stayed by our side until her shift was over at 9pm, she just seemed to spend the time writing on the traces from the heart monitor. I started off on Gas and Air until I couldnt take anymore at around 5pm I think and was given a shot of pethadine. This, with the G&A, made me very whoozy and tired. There was a radio on in the background and the music was very slow in my head. I remember sleeping through the next few hours and sucking on the G&A every few minutes or so. At 9pm I asked for the epidural as I was starting to feel the contractions. They werent terrible but I knew they were going to get worse and that now was the time to ask for the epidural. I expected to wait ages for the guy to come and put it in but he was there pretty quickly. My MW ended her shift (reluctantly as she wanted to stay til the end) and I got a new one who was just as lovely but also firm with me when it came to the pushing stage which I thought was a good balance.

She examined me at 10pm and I was almost 10 cm dilated I had about a quarter of a cm to go. The midwife let my mum (who was at the birth with me and my husband) call my dad, who had tried to come and see me earlier in the day but the other midwives wouldnt let him in (me and my dad are very close so he was a bit upset at not seeing me before the birth) and she told my mum that he could come down now because the baby was nearly here. I remember her saying this like it was yesterday because me and my husband just both grinned at each other like loons knowing we were about to meet our long awaited daughter.

My dad came in to say good luck and wait to pace the corridor. I started pushing at 11pm, but felt like I was getting nowhere, the epidural is great for the pain but not so great for the pushing phase - I couldn't feel my contractions and didn't want to tell the MW this incase she made me go to theatre. By 12pm the MW's (another one had come in to help) told me I had 10 minutes else I was going to theatre. So my mum stepped in and being the pro she is at child birth (I am one of 5 children) got hold of me and made me push. I ended up with an episiotomy, the baby kept coming forward and slipping back and apparently I have a small pelvis but eventually at 12.45am Alice was born.

The aftercare in the hospital, I would give 6 out of 10. Immediately after the birth the Auxillary nurse came in with toast for us all, I wanted a shower straight away as I had been sick in labour and was feeling a bit grubby and the Auxillary really helped me out with it. At 3am we were taken up to a private room on the ward which we were told we had to pay for but we never got billed for it. The next day a MW came to bath Alice and she had her ears tested and was checked over. I was told she needed to poo and have a feed before we went home. She did the poo but she just wouldnt feed (she was bottle fed) in the end I had to lie to the MW and said she had taken 6oz thinking she would take it at home as we would both be more relaxed. We were allowed home at 5pm the same day she was born.
Whilst in the hospital I didn't see many MW's they didnt check on me a lot, I could hardly walk from being hunched over and still they want you to walk to the day room for your dinner (which was awful!) I didn't want to leave my baby in the room on her own but they said not to take them out of the rooms but when I used the call button so I could speak to someone I was told it was for emergencies only.

Looking back, my labour was pretty good. It was approx 10 hours long, I can't wait to do it all again and I will definately be going back to the hospital and having that epidural!! I will definately stay in an extra day next time, I know I came home too early.

Summary: I can't wait to do it all again