I asked for "pain relief" but my babies head was right there

At my 39-week appointment, a doctor had measured me as being “small”. So having gestational diabetes, on diet control, they wanted to induce me at 40+2. I spoke with the Midwife, she measured my fundal height as “normal”, so I declined the Induction of Labour.

We decided to do a stretch and sweep at 40+2 (my partners niece was stillborn at 42 weeks so we both had decided we didn’t want to go too far over 40 weeks).  We had planned for cervical ripening with balloon at 40+6, then booked an induction for 41 weeks.

I lost my mucus plug the day after having the stretch and sweep.

I woke up that morning with period cramps and lower back pain. Bishop’s score was 7 so was sent home with a plan to present the next morning at 6am to have my membranes ruptured if I hadn’t gone into labor spontaneously overnight.

I spent early labor at home. I was cleaning out the shed and kept moving. I loved using heat packs on my lower back, and was bouncing on the ball. Then eventually put the TENS machine on. I started timing my contractions on an app between 10-11pm, had 23 contractions in that hour lasting 45 seconds -1 minute and getting stronger over time. I couldn’t lay still. I had to keep getting up and changing positions. When I called the Birth suite at 11pm and told them the frequency of my contractions and pain, I was told to wait another hour and call them back. But the pain got more intense and I couldn’t concentrate. So, I called them at 11 30pm and asked if I could come in. When I got to birth suite at 1145pm, I was admitted and went to a birthing room to continue labouring. The Midwife said I was still in early labor and to continue with what I was doing.

I had the lights down, music on, walking back and forth to the toilet. I had one sharp pain and then frank red blood in my pants. I buzzed for the midwife, when she looked at it, said it was normal and suggested I just continue with what I’m doing. I had an urge to poo, did a huge poo and felt slightly better. But the pains were getting more intense. I buzzed the midwife again and asked for some pain relief. She began to set up the gas. I mentioned to her that my body had started bearing down on its own and I couldn’t control it. This is when they asked me if they could do a vaginal exam, to which I agreed. Took my pants off and the midwife saw more of the bloody show and called for assistance.

I had the lights down, music on, walking back and forth to the toilet. I had one sharp pain and then frank red blood in my pants. I buzzed for the midwife, when she looked at it, said it was normal and suggested I just continue with what I’m doing. I had an urge to poo, did a huge poo and felt slightly better. But the pains were getting more intense. I buzzed the midwife again and asked for some pain relief. She began to set up the gas. I mentioned to her that my body had started bearing down on its own and I couldn’t control it. This is when they asked me if they could do a vaginal exam, to which I agreed. Took my pants off and the midwife saw more of the bloody show and called for assistance.

She did the vaginal exam and I was 9cm dilated. One of the Doctors put a cannula in and started monitoring my babies heart rate with the CTG. They called my student midwife, Jodie to come in.

When they handed me the gas, I started pushing.

I was laying on my left side with my right leg in the air. A senior Midwife assessed the room. She took the gas away from me saying I didn’t need it anymore and to trust my body. I was fixated on still having my TENS machine on though! I changed positions, onto my knees. The CTG kept falling off, so they asked if they could rupture my membranes and put the clip on babies head. I consented, they did that and then 15 minutes later baby Hazel Darcy Griffiths was born at 3 47am on May 4th. She was screaming before she landed on the bed tangled in the clip and umbilical cord which was wrapped around her a few times. We had immediate skin to skin, a breast fed, delayed cord clamping, then skin to skin with Jack. She passed her first three blood sugars, we used the colostrum I had expressed and brought in with me.

Hazel weighed 3.6kg and 53cm long.

The total length of my labor was 6 hours. I had a 2nd degree perineal tear and some labial grazes. These were stitched, and I showered and walked around to the ward at 5 30am.

We went home lunchtime the next day and she’s been a dream baby ever since.