Induction at 41+1 weeks

Induction following a show

Holly tells her birth story: 'Because I had a show, they said they could induce me two days before I was meant to be induced. I went into hospital about 9am, and I hadn't dilated or anything, so they gave me a pessary, and told me it would take 6 hours to soften the cervix and I would have to come back and get another one to start dilating.

So when I had it I was allowed to leave the ward but not the hospital and some of my friends and family came to keep me company. I had to go back up to the ward every hour just so the midwife could check the baby's heartbeat and just make sure he wasn't responding to the pessary.

Anyway, after 6 hours, when I went back to the ward the midwife told me when they do an examination they look for a score, and it had to be over 9. They were looking for how dilated I was so they could break my waters. She said I would probably need another pessary because most people do.

But when she checked I scored 8 and a half, and because she was a nice midwife she said she would go ahead and do it then (and save me another 6 hours) which I was grateful for!

Pain relief

All I was waiting for was a room where I could get my waters broken and give birth. The midwife said I could go down and see my friends and family for an hour or so until one came along.

I was having contractions every 5 minutes and took paracetamol and codeine but they still really hurt. My sister was there to make me laugh and take my mind off it.

At 8pm I decided to go see if they had a room. My family left but my sister stayed. When I went up I was happy to see a room waiting for me, but now was just waiting on a midwife, because I needed one-on-one care and the induction suite was very full. So my sister and my boyfriend and I waited in the room just talking and waiting.

A midwife came within 10 minutes, gave me the gas and air and said I could start on it (at first I thought 'what's the big deal about this stuff? It just makes you feel dizzy!', but then after 3 puffs I felt drunk and it was great lol).

Time to push

Midwife put me on a drip and broke my waters (there was so much water considering I was told there wasn't enough at a fetal growth scan.) It was quite late by then and the midwife told us to try get a sleep, she predicted it would be the next morning when I would be able to push, but I was in agony so got an epidural which helped a lot. I couldn't have done it without one.

She checked how dilated I was at midnight and I was 10cm; we were all shocked as she was telling us to try get some hours' sleep just 5 minutes before!

Anyway, she told me to push and it was weird I could feel the baby's head against my pelvic bone and it felt like if I pushed the baby's head would snap me in two.. lol.

But I pushed twice (big pushes) and his head came out, then I was saying I couldn't do it, but the monitor started beeping and baby's heartbeat dropped to very low. She told me to push and I thought something might be wrong so I did despite thinking I was gonna snap. Really, I did think I was going to! And the rest of him slipped out at 20 past midnight on 3rd October.

He didn't cry but she placed him straight on me, and he was blinking at me as if he was so relaxed!

Louis weighed 7lb14oz and peed all over himself as he was being weighed.

The midwife who delivered him, Lorraine, was lovely, and I was so lucky to get someone like her. The epidural wore off quite quickly so was able to get a shower myself (with a bit of help from my boyfriend) and was allowed home that day.

I was so happy and relieved everything was fine, the birth and the baby.'

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