Penny's story, UK - 1 hour labour for first baby

"I had my 1st child when I was 21. As a single mum I was terrified of giving birth but had decided I wanted as natural birth as possible. I was booked in at the midwife unit near my home with the hope of using gas and air only.

The day I went into labour it was extremely hot (August 05). My DD was due 29th August and on the 18th decided to go for a nice long walk with my family. We stopped for ice cream and I noticed that my hands had swollen and for some reason knew today would be the day. I didn't want to worry my mum so I didn't say anything but later decided to have a sleep once we got home as I knew I would need as much energy as possible.

After a 3 hour sleep I woke up with the feel of a pop; my waters had gone. 

I went down the stairs to tell my mum and half way down I was overcome with the most intense pain I had ever felt in my life. After a quick call to the maternity unit we were swiftly on our way. The contractions were coming thick and fast. When we arrived at hospital we tried buzzing but no answer, it was then that I felt the urge to push! Luckily my mum found a chair which I clambered over backwards and desperatlely resisted the urge to push while my mum franticly kept on buzzing. Eventually a very stressed midwife quickly showed us into a room and raced off (a lot of women were in labour that day).

I was climbing the walls with pain at this point and a midwife was sent down from the labour ward upstairs, she assumed that she would just be coming in to examine me and establish how far into labour I was. Well she took one look at me and knew it was imminent after a quick look she realised I was 9cm dilated and ready to go. The poor woman franticly tried to find gas and air and help me the best she could but the cylinder just wouldn't work. It was then that she asked if she could take me upstairs where she knows where everything is.

Wheeling my bed out and into the lift the urge to push was just too much and I had to start pushing much to the horror of the four men coming out of the lift, seconds later we were in a room. Two puffs of gas & air later and my DD was born.

My waters had broken at 6:15pm and she was born at 7:30pm.

A few hours later the original midwife who showed us into the first room came in to see me. She could not apologise enough for not realising how far into labour I was. Bless her she felt terrible. All the midwives were rushed off their feet and they work so, so hard. 

I wouldn't change my birth experience for anything, I'm just glad she wasn't born in the corridor or that lift."

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