My birth story - I feel it’s important for people to hear good ones too! I was never scared of labour and i think this is the best way too be, especially as it was my first pregnancy. I had a straight forward pregnancy, minus the sickness it all went smooth. My baby measured on the bigger side from 20 weeks and at my 38 week midwife appointment she referred me for a scan to predict the baby’s weight, his weight was predicted at 8lb11 at nearly 39 weeks and so with this in mind I was told I had to be induced.
The midwife gave me a stretch and sweep on this day and told me I was 1cm dilated. I had heard so many horror stories of how bad inductions are, but I still didn’t panic, I just wanted to meet my baby. The Friday of the same week I went into hospital and was induced with the pessary, this stayed in for 24 hours and then removed, nothing was happening at this point and so 2 hours after the pessary being removed at 4:30pm I had another stretch and sweep and was only 2cm dilated. Within 20 minutes of having the stretch and sweep I started contracting, and so was monitored, by 8pm my contractions were becoming closer together and I was examined and told once there was a bed in delivery I could go and have my waters broken.
At 10:30pm the midwife came to get me and we walked to the delivery suite, 11:30pm my waters broke on their own and the contractions were now even closer, I had some codeine at this point and managed for an hour on just codeine I then moved on to gas and air which took me through until 2:30am, at this point I was getting tired and the contractions were so intense, I had some pethidine.
At 3am I was told to start pushing and 3:24am my little boy was born at 9lb 3oz naturally and unassisted and I was only in labour for 4 hours. I got to go home that day with my new baby. It was nowhere near as bad as I expected, we all know it isn’t going to be easy or pain free but I found the experience euphoric and the best thing I have ever done. My baby is now 14 weeks old and I can’t wait to do it all over again! Chloe Manning, Bristol. Mother to Leonardo.