Birth Story Part Two

You can read Part One here.

We arrived at hospital and I was breathing through the contractions, they were painful and I was hoping that once examined I would receive the good news that I was in established labour (4cm). Unfortunately this was not the case. She confirmed that my waters had broken, but I was only 2cm! Cue internal tears. What?!

At this point she proceeded to describe to me how the cervix dilates (turtle neck jumper analogy) and advise that there was now a risk of infection and if labour didn’t progress naturally over the next 24 hours I would be induced. This was not what I wanted to hear. To be fair the midwife was really nice about it and reassured me.

She also advised me that normally they would send you home once your water breaks, but their policy had recently changed and now they keep you on the ward and monitor you.

I was transferred to a ward where we waited and they encouraged me to get some rest but also walk about every  now and then, to keep things moving. This was all fine and good, but the thing about your waters breaking is yes it is one event but think of it as a leaking tap, which continues indefinitely. Not great.

As the day progressed instead of my contractions increasing and getting more intense, they began to die down. What had been 5 min apart contractions were now 20 mins apart and on that basis the doctor decided to send me home.  Their rationale…as you’re still not yet in established labour, getting to that stage is best done in the comfort of your own home. Blah Blah Blah.

They said they weren’t ‘chucking me out’ but it sure felt like it. I had overheard some nurses earlioer in the day talking about an influx of patients into labour and delivery and secretly I think they wanted the bed back. Now that I was at at hospital I didn’t want to have to pack up and go home, but my contractions were virtually non existent, so off I went.

I got home and decided to cook some lasagne. which may seem odd but the day before when I thought I was going into labour, all I could think of was, I should have made some food to take with us, hospital food isn’t that great’. So I was happy to come home and do that…weird I know! {Ironically when I came to eat it at around 1pm, the following day, the kitchen to reheat it was closed.}

Later that night after dinner, the contractions returned and in comparison to the previous night, were a lot more painful. As I had already had the ‘go home’ experience at the hospital, I was reluctant to go in again only to be sent home, so I decided to see how long I could manage at home.

The contractions continued to come regularly and by the time they reached 5 mins apart again, I was in agony. We called the hospital and they told us to come in. Off we trundled back to hospital, me, hubs and my mother in law.

Hooked backed up the monitors again they watched the contracts and then did and examination…I was hopeful. What was the magic number…?

Still 2cm!

To appease me I was informed that my cervix had improved - whatever that meant.

They told me to go home…again! There were no words. 

The time was now almost 1am and as we were due to come back to the hospital later that day (9am) for the induction, hubs suggested we ask them if we can stay. I declined. I just wanted to leave. As well as it being frustrating, I was getting embarrassed that I was ‘dragging’ my hubby and MIL to the hospital each time, only to be told that nothing had moved on. Regardless of what my cervix was doing, I felt like a failure.

Back home we went and the contractions continued through the night…