Lauren's induction birth story during lockdown

Lauren’s induction birth story during lockdown

Hi Zoe  

Emilia arrived - 8lb 9oz. We are completely in love. 💗

Here is my story. It was a long labour. About 27 hours in total from when my contractions first started until the end. I got induced on Monday at 2pm but zero happened for 24 hours so then they put in the gel on a pessary for the next induction phase and pretty immediately I had contractions. 

Within a couple of hours I had strong contractions very regularly. Hours later they checked and I was still only 2cm dilated so they broke my waters. The contractions were now happening every 2-3 mins very strong but 4 hours later I was still only 2cm dilated.

By this point I was in the room alone and had been having intense regular contractions for about 10 hours. It was VERY hard doing it all alone. The first midwives on the ante natal ward were lovely but when alone with the one midwife she wasn’t super helpful.

I had a shower which helped and then put on my tens machine as the contractions subsided a little and listened to my Hypnobirthing tracks. But then they picked back up and I had to call twice for a midwife for morphine pain relief.

The morphine didn’t really help to be honest and my contractions were still so strong every 2.5 mins so I requested for an epidural before the drip which helped so much. Ben was able to come up after this point.

4 more hours later I was fully dilated and they told me I could start pushing in an hour. 

When it came to pushing I was so weak I had zero energy.

The midwife told me to put my legs in strirrups and take one long push out. It felt very against gravity and made me feel so faint and light headed that it wasn’t working at all.

I said “No, I want to put my legs down, as if sitting on the loo and push for smaller breaths so I don’t get faint.”

And in turns out I actually made more progress my way!

The baby was still very high in the birth canal though. And it’s of course hard to push and know with an epidural.  

2 hours of pushing later, they said I would need some intervention and there was some swelling on the baby’s head so it would need to be forceps which would require an episiotomy. We agreed to all of this as the alternative was a c section. So we started and 3 big pushes later with forceps her head was out and 2 more and her whole body was out! 

She’s absolutely perfect. I really wanted a girl and to find out there and then was just lovely. Ben could stay with us 4 more hours. And then we had to go to the post natal ward. I’m very sore still from the episiotomy but am so glad I didn’t need a c section and am taking pain killers which are helping. 

The midwives on the antenatal and post natal ward were amazing. As were the doctors. All very supportive. 

They would come in and say, oh it smells lovely in here, like aromatherapy!🤣 and I dimmed the lights myself!

Despite it not being exactly as I hoped, I wouldn’t say it was a negative birth experience at all. It was just very unfortunate Ben couldn’t be there as I think he could had helped massage me and in the shower etc to make better decisions. The reality is that I was having strong contractions alone with no pain relief/ help for about 12 hours. 

But all the tips helped even since the baby was born. My blood pressure was high and they wanted to put me on medication and keep me in one more day but I was adamant I didn’t need the medication and I wanted to go home. The midwife checked yesterday and it’s back to normal. 

Emilia has a touch of jaundice which is common with forcep deliveries. She is breast feeding well and is very happy and content. 

Thank you so much for everything. Certainly a very strange time to give birth and not ideal but I felt mentally prepared, calm and positive for the birth and in control.

And even now I think it’s made me stronger when questioning and pushing back on what the midwife says just yesterday. All making me feel more in control and that I know best for my baby and body, no one else. 

We’ll be settling into our new life now and I can’t wait.

Thanks again.

Lauren, Ben & Emilia. X