Mandy's story, Cumbria - back to back labour, slow dilation, one-sided epidural and cesarean

"Born on 22/11/2009

40+5

7lb 10oz

Sat 6pm - Had a show and slight trickling.

Sat 10pm - First contraction. I sent home our friends who we had round for the evening and phoned the labour ward who suspected that they would see me that evening. DH and I decided to go to bed to try and get some seep in case this was the real thing. I couldn't sleep at all, the contractions were painful and coming fairly quickly, about 3 in 10 minutes, although they were only about 40 seconds long. I wanted to wait until they lasted longer, and were more regular before going in. I sat downstairs until 4.30am when I realised I was having 4 in 10 minutes and they were lasting about 55 seconds each.

Sun 5am - Arrived at the labour ward. Had my checks and they said my blood pressure was fairly high and the baby's heartbeat was too fast. I was put on the monitor for 20 minutes which confirmed the amount of contractions, and his fast heartbeat. She examined me to find I was only 1cm dilated, but cervix nice and thin so she would keep me in to labour in the ward as I was favourable'.

Sun 8am-ish - I was in a bath, and bloody freezing! The water did not help with the contractions at all, they were all in my back and legs so I couldn't get comfy. I felt nothing in my belly when I was contracting. I got out of the bath after about an hour, and the contractions were getting more painful. I was given a tens machine, again, only seemed to be a distraction rather than any pain relief. They were lasting longer now and I didn't seem to have a break between them. I was offered Meptid and happily agreed!

Sun 11am-ish - My waters broke and then I was examined, to be only 2cm!! Nobody could work out why I was contracting so much but not dilating very successfully. I had a top up of Meptid and from then on I lost all control. I can't really remember much apart from the pain being horrendous, with no break and I was given gas and air and holding on to the side of the bed. I was on the monitor again and baby's heart rate was still fast. I think I must have been like that for an hour when I was offered an epidural, which meant a transfer to a hospital 20 miles away. So off I went with blue lights and everything, contracting like mad in the ambulance.

Sun 1pm - Arrived in Lancaster, and was examined, to be 3cm. So I'd been labouring for over 12 hours now and only dilated 3cm. I had to wait another 2 hours for the epidural. And when I had it, oh what a relief. On one side only!! It didn't appear to have been very successful on my right side, so I could still feel pain with the contractions. I was closely monitored due to the babies heart rate, and he was found to be back to back. I had top ups of the epidural every hour until I think about 6pm.

Sun 6pm - Examined to be only 6cm! Midwives kept saying by the contractions I was having he'd be here soon! No chance...I was given Syntocin to speed up the contractions now, which wasn't pleasant with a dodgy epidural.

Sun 8pm - Examined and now 8cm dilated. They increased the drip again. It was around now that I started to give up. The baby's heart rate was suspicious, they'd put a clip on his head because they kept losing it. I'd been awake for 36 hours and I was starving. He was back to back and I didn't have the energy to push even if/when I was fully dilated. So I asked about a c-section. I just 'knew' it would end that way so I wanted it doing now!

Sun 9pm - I was examined now by the Doctor, and I wasn't even 9cm yet, and had a lip over the cervix. She checked the heart rate again, and offered me more drip, or a c-section. I said a c-section. It had to be another Dr's decision though so I had to wait for her to come and see me.

Sun 10.30pm - Dr took a look at notes, monitor, me and due to his suspicious heart rate gave her consent for an emergency c-section.

Sun 11:24pm - Dylan arrived!!

He passed meconium straight away all over the theatre floor, and there was meconium in the waters. He scored an 8 on the Apgar score then a 10 after 10 minutes. He was taken outside to DH while I was tidied up.

So that's the story of Dylan's arrival. Completely worth it of course, just an unexpected experience. He is the most placid little baby I've known, so hopefully he wasn't too distressed by it all."

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