Sarah's Story

My hind waters broke in the bath on Sunday morning and I started to have contractions every 5 minutes at home so I called the hospital and went in to be assessed. Anyway while being assessed more waters came away and the contractions continued while I was on the monitor but after about 2 hours everything stopped. They admitted me to the maternity unit and booked me in to be induced on Monday. I wasn't sure I wanted that so James and I walked the length and breadth of the hospital, up and down staircases, I did lunges and bounced on a birthing ball trying to get started again but nothing unfortunately. I was given a pessary on Monday evening at 6pm and was monitored for 4 hours when they examined me and said I was 1cm dilated and they gave me a sweep to progress things. Within the next couple of hours the contractions became stronger so I got on the floor, leaning over the bed (still on the monitor) and got a heated pack for my back which helped ease the pain. I concentrated on my breathing and listened to my cd over and over. I was moved to my own room at 10.30pm where I was examined and I was 4cm dilated. I went to the loo but something changed at that point and within 5 minutes I was in a lot more pain with less gap between the more severe contractions. I asked what the plan was and the midwife said she would examine me in 4 hours but there was no way I could carry on like that for that long so I asked for an epidural. The midwife suggested she examined me again and I'd gone to 6cm in the space of 5 minutes but as I was still asking for an epidural she got the anaesthetist back in. I sat on the bed while he prepped my back but I couldn't sit still as I had the urge to push.