Anneka Smith tells her birth story: 'My due date was 06/07/08 and my partner Matt and I were really excited at the prospect of our baby being born on such a memorable date.
The day before, we were going to a party in Matt’s boss’s village and the previous year we had camped. We decided to do the same this year too – we weren’t far from home, so if baby did decide to make an appearance then Matt was sure he could get to the hospital in time!
Camping certainly did the trick at getting things started. Well, it was either that or the curry we had at his boss’s house!
We went to bed quite early as I was feeling tired. As I snuggled down with Matt in our little tent, I was soon complaining that I couldn’t get comfy and I was having period-like pains.
Just after midnight (officially my due date) I woke Matt up and told him I wanted to go home. It was raining so I waited in the car as he packed up the tent.
On arriving home, I went straight to bed but found again that I couldn’t get comfortable and spent the next few hours tossing and turning. At about 5am I decided to have a bath to see if that helped me relax and it was bliss when I got in.
I joined Matt back in bed and managed a few hours' sleep. I woke up and was still having really bad cramps and they were getting worse. Matt started timing them and they were coming every 20 minutes or so but I still didn’t believe they were contractions as I had previously had two episodes where I had thought I was in labour.
When the “pains” started coming more frequently and getting stronger, I decided to try my tens machine and it was great. As the pain increased I was upping the levels on my tens machine; it wasn’t until I got to the highest setting that I realised maybe this was it. The contractions were now coming about every 10 minutes.
I went to the toilet and discovered I had a “show” so decided it was time to give the labour ward at Lincoln County Hospital a call. The midwife advised me to come in for an examination after we’d had some lunch. We arrived at the hospital just after 2pm and the midwife discovered I was 3cm dilated. It was only then that Matt and I really believed our baby was on the way!
As my waters hadn’t broken we decided to go home and wait it out. Back at home we went back to bed as we were tired from our disturbed night, but about an hour later I stood up to go to the loo and my waters broke all over the bedroom floor! I stood there, shouting at Matt to get a towel as I didn’t want to ruin the floor.
I phoned the hospital again and they said to come back in. In all the excitement Matt decided to take the worse route possible to the hospital down a road with lots of speed bumps - making each contraction worse!
We were back on the labour ward at around 6pm and I told the midwife that my waters were tinged green and so was put straight on the ECG monitor as this could have been a sign that baby was distressed and had done a poo. I was still using my tens machine and the midwife showed me how to use the gas and air as I didn’t want any other pain relief. Baby was fine but I was kept on the monitor, which was a bit annoying as I couldn’t move around.
The contractions were now really strong and the pain was starting to become unbearable; I took my first gasp of gas and air and what a relief! It really is great stuff. It made me really giggly though and Matt kept making me laugh, so the ECG machine would make a noise that can only be described as sounding like Rolf Harris. Matt and the midwife started laughing at the sound and I burst into tears because I thought they were laughing at me. It took Matt 30 minutes to calm me down and to explain they were just laughing at the machine and not at me because I was in pain!
I was examined again and was 9cm dilated. It was now about 8pm. I was allowed 20 minutes off the ECG to have a bath - I wanted to stay in there forever as it was so relaxing. We kept watching the clock hoping that I could push out our little one before midnight on my due date.
Now I was in real pain and kept screaming I wanted to push, but the midwife said I had to wait until I was fully dilated. A second midwife now joined us and she examined me too and said that if I wanted to push then I could. So with the next contraction I started the long hard slog of pushing.
I tried every position imaginable and I ended up with my legs in stirrups pushing against one of the midwives and Matt. I had been pushing for what seemed like a lifetime but was about 2 hours when the midwives decided to call the doctor as every time I pushed they could see my baby’s head but then it would disappear as the contraction went. I was exhausted and in so much pain I was given a shot of pethidine but if I’m honest I don’t know if it worked as I just wanted it to be over.
The doctor arrived and he tried to get baby out twice with forceps but she just wouldn’t go that extra inch, they decided to try again but still no joy. Even in the mist of pain I noticed that the doctor had wellies on and to top it his name was Dr Flood. I thought this was hilarious and kept asking Matt if he was really wearing wellies - I thought I was hallucinating!!!
The contractions seemed to be dying off now and I was struggling to push so the doctor tried with the ventouse (suction), but after 3 attempts there was still no baby.
A senior doctor was called and he told me if he couldn’t deliver the baby I would have to go to theatre for a Caesarean. I told him that definitely wasn’t going to happen.
I was right. After two tries again with the forceps, and also having a episiotomy to make it easier, Lily Elizabeth was born at 2.32am on Monday 7th July 2008 - only 2 hours 32 minutes overdue.
She was born facing up and I remember Matt shouting that he could see her face as she came out.
I was given an injection to speed up the delivery of the placenta but this didn’t work and the doctor tried to assist it but he feared that the cord would snap if he pulled too hard, so it was decided I would be taken to theatre to have it removed manually as I was losing a lot of blood.
But not before I had cuddled my baby girl, with Matt watching over us crying. It was such a magical moment.
While I was in theatre, Matt stayed with Lily as she was weighed and measured. She was 7lb 2oz and had very long legs. I was given a spinal block and couldn’t feel anything from the chest down. An hour later I was reunited with my family, but couldn’t hold Lily as I was given a little too much spinal block and couldn’t move my arms. She was crying and I had to have someone place her on me.
Matt left us just before 6am and went off home to call everyone and tell them the news and to get some sleep.
Eventually, feeling came back to my body and I had a bath which was a welcome relief. Lily started crying and I didn’t know what to do as I was in pain and still in the bath.
I managed to get myself out and I breastfed Lily for the first time without any help. I was so proud of us both: it was a magical moment as it was just the two of us alone in the room.
Before lunch we were transferred downstairs to the ward and Matt came back. Lily had her hearing test and well-being test and was given the all clear, and we were discharged at 5pm.
A few days later it was discovered I had a very low red blood cell count and so went back into hospital for a blood transfusion, so perhaps it wasn’t such a good idea to leave the hospital so soon - I thought it was normal to feel the way I was but felt great after the transfusion!
Lily is nearly 4 months old now and I love being a Mummy. Despite writing a birth plan, and everything I didn’t want to happen happening, I’d do it all again as she brings so much happiness to our lives and amazes me everyday!'
