Claire's Birth Story

Olive was due on Wednesday 23rd July 2014. After 4 unsuccessful sweeps with the midwife, I was booked in for Induction at Home from Home Birth Centre at St. Thomas' hospital, London on Monday 4th August.

Monday 4th August (WW1 Centenary)

10am

St Thomas' Midwife calls me and says they have a bed for me and to go in at 1pm.

1pm

Arrive at St Thomas' Hospital.

3pm

Get given Propess tablet (pessary inserted in vagina like a tampon).

5pm

Go for a sunny walk with Andy along the South Bank, but getting period type pains, so think it's best to go back to hospital and rest there.

8pm

Andy goes for a walk across Westminster Bridge to get me an Evening Standard paper. He does a sightseeing tour and takes some photos that he is sending to my phone.

8.15pm

My waters break. Pull the emergency cord and pull it out of the wall. Scream to my room mate to call the midwives. Andy phones me and I tell him to come back straight away.

Get moved to a birthing room.

Contractions coming less than 2 mins and lasting for over a minute. Very painful. Get given gas and air which I take for the remainder of the labour. Want to get in the birthing pool, but can't until I am 4cm dilated. Can't have an examination to see how far dilated I am for 6 hours after waters break. So the Midwife runs me a bath. Stay in the bath for ages. It is lovely and really helps with the pain along with the gas and air.

That night is the centenary of WW1. Our room is opposite Big Ben with panoramic views of the River Thames. All the lights of Big ben are switched off for an hour. We can see this from our room. It is magical. There is also an art instillation to commemorate. A light shaft that is on every night for a week. Andy is fascinated, and every time people come into the room he is talking to them about it, along with his remote control fake candles!

Tuesday 5th August.

2am

Midwife examines me and says I am only 1cm dilated. I feel really upset, because with the pain and duration of contractions I thought I would be much further along by now. MW suggest Diamorphine to help me sleep as I am exhausted. Take it. Andy and I go to sleep (him on the sofa). I sleep for an hour.

5am

Wake up. Timing contractions by Big Ben. Sleep in between contractions for the next hour.

MW decides to leave me with contractions until 2pm to examine me and hope I am further dilated by then.

2pm

Examine me and I am 4cm dilated. Hooray! Community Midwife Anne takes over from hospital Midwife. Empties my bladder (which has a big bulge) and empties 1.3 litres of urine from my bladder!!! Has to put a catheter in which means I  can't have a water birth ;( Very bad practice by previous MW. Could have caused permanent damage to my bladder. MW Anne does a risk assessment report against previous MW.

Anne with me until 8pm. Louise takes over at 8pm.

Cervix is dilating as it should be. Labour progressing nicely. Very relaxed and breathing nicely with gas and air. Enjoying view of the river and Big Ben. Very calming.

Midnight.

Wednesday 6th August.

On examination cervix is fully dilated. Louise prepares the bed and room and says all I need to do now is push. My contractions stop and I can't push or don't know how to. Stay there for an hour trying to change position for contractions to come back. They don't.

1am

Louise says she is really sorry, but she is going to have to take me round to the Maternity Ward and put me on a Syntosin drip to get the contractions going again. As we only have a 4 hour window from when cervix is fully dilated to deliver baby, or else will have to have a cesarean. I have always been scared of the prospect of having to have the syntosin drip. Louise asks me if I want an epidural? I don't know. I am scared. Too exhausted and wired from gas and air. Move to Maternity ward. She says she will leave Andy and I to discuss. Andy says I have come this far without an epidural and have always said that I didn't what to have one. I am scared of the pain. Louise comes back in and as we haven't made a decision, just puts the drip on. Contractions become extremity painful. I am lying down on the bed and strapped to a monitor. Contractions go on for a short while. Babies heart rate starts to drop. Louise asks Andy to pull the emergency cord and suddenly the room is full of people. Obstetrician examines me and decides it is time to get the baby out. My legs are put in stirrups. I am given an episiotomy. She attempts to deliver the baby with a ventouse. She tells me I am not breathing properly and that I keep breathing the baby back in, as I am taking very long deep breaths in and out (as I have done throughout labour). She explains how I need to breathe, but I am confused and don't understand. I ask Louise and Andy to explain to me. Eventually I get it. With a lot of pushing and screaming and a lot of pulling from the Obstetrician my baby is born.

4.48am

Olive Eva Goble-Drugan is born weighing 8lb 1oz.

We are both delighted.

Andy cuts the cord. We cant do delayed cord clamping as Olive's heart rate had dropped, and also because I am Rhesus Negative. Turns out Olive is Rh Negative too.

Can't wait to do it all again. The most magical experience of my life!