Tanya's story, Kent - 4 weeks + 4 early, induction

"My Miracle Princess Phoebe

6th October 2009 35 weeks + 3 days

Waking up in the early hours of the morning, I realised that I was feeling rather wet down below, needing the toilet had woken me and I thought I had wet myself but after having a smell I realised it wasn't wee so woke hubby up. As I got up off the bed my waters just started gushing everywhere, I don't know why but I put my hand there to stop it which of course failed, I made my way to the bathroom and sitting on the toilet it was still just pouring from me. I eventually managed to put some pads on and get my friend to have Megan for me and rang the hospital who told me to go straight in. After what seemed like a lifetime I managed to ring my mum who took us to the hospital. By the time we got there I was soaked through, I honestly did not realise how much water you carry!!. I got to the delivery unit and had swabs taken and was put on the monitor and all was fine with baby. At about 7.00am I was transferred to the antenatal ward where I would spend the next few days.

My Dr came round to see me that morning saying she would expect to see me on the postnatal ward the next day, how wrong was she!!!! I spent the next 3 days on antibiotics and had steroids and was given 11/10 has my induction date as I was worried about infection and having hardly any water. Nothing much happened while I was in hospital; although I was getting contractions they were nowhere near regular or strong so they wouldn't do nothing unless they started to show on the monitor, which they never.

On Friday 9th my Dr came and told me that I was allowed home and that they had changed my induction day because by scan dates I would only be 35 + 4 on the Sunday and they wouldn't even think about delivery before 36 weeks so although disappointed that I now had to wait until the Wednesday to meet my princess I was just so happy to get home and be with hubby and my other daughter. The whole weekend I hardly slept through being in pain and having on off contractions and with being in hospital and not sleeping I was just so tired. It got to the early hours of Sunday morning and I just couldn't cope no more - I wasn't eating or sleeping and baby was nowhere near as active has she always had been.

Sunday 11/10 35 + 4 by hospital dates 36 + 1 by mine.

I woke up at 4am and couldn't sleep as the pains were too much, I decided to have a bath and pain killers to see how I went and also redone baby's hospital bag as I had to buy smaller clothes has I know she would only be around 6lb by the growth scan I had. After doing all this I felt no better so the hospital told me to go in. I was put on the monitor and Phoebe's heart rate was up in the 180s (which it had been since my waters went but no one seemed to bothered so I took it it was a normal rate) and also my pulse was up which they were worried about, so they called the Dr in. The Dr scanned me after thinking she was breech but she was head down. After asking some questions and feeling my tummy he could feel I was getting contractions, it was then he told me he was going to induce me has he wasn't happy with the heart rate at all, it was far too high. So I started panicking. He also told me that if I didn't deliver in a certain amount of time then it would be a c-section as baby wasn't happy inside me. So a quick phone call to let my daughter know that I would be having baby, then I was taken to the delivery room and put straight on the drip along with lots of antibiotics, this was at 10am.

I was told that I would be checked at 2.30pm to see how I was going. My contractions started at 1.30pm and I was shocked at how controlled I felt with the pain. At 2.30 I was examined and told I was 2cm. I really thought I would have been more and was told they would check me again at 6.30pm which I really thought I would be told I was only 4-5cm so had decided if that was the case an epidural would be likely!!.The pains were getting a lot stronger and I was breathing through them; although painful I didn't think they were that bad, the midwife was shocked that I hadn't asked for pain relief; I knew I wanted to get as far as I could with none as I wanted another natural birth. At 5.45pm I caved and asked for gas and air, god I fell in love with that stuff, I couldn't help having a giggle, it was lovely and helped with the pain, even DH had a go on it!!

By 6pm the pains were getting bad and I just wanted to stand up but couldn't has I had to be monitored the whole time. I was getting frustrated but knew it was best for baby so just tried to get comfy as best I could on the bed, not easy. At 6.30 I was examined and told I was 8cm. I couldn't believe that after hardly any real bad pains I had gone from 2 to 8 in 4 hours. The relief I felt was amazing knowing I was nearly there. Not long after I was getting the urge to push really badly but was being told I wasn't ready, I forgot how hard it is to try and stop yourself pushing when you get the feeling to. This went on for about half hour, being told not to when I knew I had to, I could feel her head coming down, I kept telling them I had to so they looked and could see her head so another midwife was called in and I started to push.

After 8 minutes at 19.28 I set eyes on one of the most beautiful little girls ever, I couldn't help bursting into tears as I set eyes on her. After 5 years I couldn't believe she was mine. Me, hubby my mum and Phoebe's big sister were all in tears in the room, even the midwife shed a tear telling us she had never made the whole room cry at a birth. I was so glad that Megan was there to witness her baby sister coming into the world, apart from having her it was truly one of the best days of my life and I can't believe how easy and short the labour and birth was. It didn't put me off, in fact if every birth could be like that I would have it again tomorrow, LOL.

Phoebe was weighed and we were shocked at her weight: 6lb7oz. As she was so early, I thought she would be smaller than that. She was healthy and happy as were we all. I delivered the placenta 4 minutes after having her and then had a massive bleed, midwifes running in the room etc but to be honest I can't remember that bit, I was just happy to have my baby in my arms although DH and my mum were quite worried. I was just in my own little world. Luckily after an injection it stopped and no stitches were needed. We were left in delivery till 9.30pm when I was transferred to the ward. The only thing I didn't like was DH had to go straight home. I laid in my bed all night just staring at my beautiful little girl, I couldn't believe she was mine, I was the happiest mummy ever.

Sorry it is so long, I tried to remember everything to put down although I'm sure I have missed lots out. All in all I really enjoyed my labour and birth and would do it again in a flash if I could."

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