Friday 28th October

I started suffering from pains, obviously they were slight braxton hicks contractions,
but i just knew they were getting closer together.
I was starting too lose my patience, trying everything..Curry, Clary'Sage, Lavender Radox,
Running up&down the stairs, Walking, Birth'Ball, etc.. And our little baby was having
none of it.
Despite having already lost my mucas plug, and having 1 sweep which told me i was already 1cm dilated.

Saturday 29th October

By today i was already 6'days over-due, and approximatly 1-2cm dilated.
Off course i thought i was still only 1cm, because i hadnt been for any other checks.
Suffering from a severly itchy bump, accompanied by itchy and swollen, legs, feet, ankles and arms.
Very uncomfortable.
Saturday was the 2nd night in a row, of the start of my sleepless nights..Friday night i didnt sleep, and saturday night was even worse thanks too the itchies.

Sunday 30th October
Early hours Sunday morning, lying in bed with David watching movies.
Been tossing and turning..completely shattered with lack of sleep from friday&Saturdays antics.
Getting severe pains in my tummy..but still putting them down too braxton hicks.
Also baby was moving quite a bit..
Was also running out of breath really badly, just from tossing in bed.
5:01AM!!!!
Sunday Morning!
My Waters Broke!


Sorry but yessums..it was a huge milestone for me, knowing my induction date was a few days from then i was desperate for my waters too break naturally and on their own lol.
I jumped out of bed and yelled "david my waters have just broken" ..Davids reply "this is no time too mess about" Me - "no im actually serious, either that or ive wet myself"
haha..thats the only way to describe it if im honest.
Ran too the bathroom so i could get changed and put a pad on.. Only arrived in the bathroom,
and once again i gushed all over the bathroom floor lol!
Managed too get myself cleaned up, clean pyjamas on and a sanitary pad too catch the fluids.
Then i rang the hospital maternity ward, told them what had happened and asked what i should do.
They advised me that i should get a cup of tea, then make my way down too the maternity unit, too be checked over, tho i may be sent home again.
Rang Davids daddy, told him what had happened, while we waited on him too come
pick us up, we had a cup of tea.. then made our way down too hospital.
Arrived there at roughly 6:10am ..
Got sent too the waiting area for 5mins, then a midwife came and took me into a scanning room.
She checked the:
- Position of my bump
- The fluids in my pad (i was by this stage on my second pad)
- Babys heartbeat using a doppler
- My blood pressure
And then she gave me an internal, too check how far dilated i was, ended up resulting in only being 2cm dilated, with the neck of the womb open, and cervix very soft.
She then hooked me up too a machine, that monitored:
- Babys Heartbeat
- My Heartbeat
- And Contractions when i had them.

Yeah, i had been contracting and didnt even know it.
After staying on the machine for 20minutes, the midwife came back in, at about 7:20am, and told me i was definatly in slow progressing labour, and that another midwife
was gonna pop in, too examine me too make sure it definatly was my waters that had broke, then i was free too go home.
So along came the second midwife.. and she done the examination, sticking a metal rod type thing in there...Yip was deffo my waters.
So i was told then too go home, catch up on pleanty of rest, and get some food for energy levels, then if nothing had happened before 6pm, id too go back in too be started for pushing.
Got home that morning, just after 8am , close too 9am, went straight too the bathroom,
done a pee, changed my sanitary pad which was now stained with blood from the internal, then BAM, another huge gush off water came out.
I decided too run myself a bath, and just as the water was running, i started too get severe pains, which then became clear that my contractions had gotten stronger.
Started too time them, still a good few minutes apart but they were getting stronger.
So anyway i had a bath, too try and ease them, and nothing..Then took two paracetamol capsules, and still nothing.
Me and david then decided we were gonna try and lye down in bed and get a bit
of sleep considering we hadnt slept the last 2'nights.
But my contractions were 10'times worse when i was lying down or sitting.
So..my mum rang the maternity ward again, and they said no contractions need to be 1-2mins apart, and lasting at least 1minute per-contraction.
Mine were only lasting a few seconds at this stage, and coming 2-3 minutes apart.
So i was frantically pacing the house, doubling over in agony every few minutes.
David was great tho, rubbing my back and trying too keep me sane lol.
He then made us some tea and toast at 10am, and it was great now that i think off it, little did we know this would be our last meal until after baby was born lol.
By 12.30pm, pains were getting a lot stronger, that some contractions were actually leaving me, crying my eyes out.
Went for yet another bath thinking this time it would help ease the pains.
David sat on the toilet while i was in the bath, as he was timing my contractions for me, due too the fact i had given up trying lol.. At first the luke warm water was helping a bit, but then mehh..Back they came lol.
They were now lasting over a minute long, and coming every 2-4 seconds.
David helped me out of the bath, got myself dressed then we paced the garden too get fresh air..Me screaming every time i took a contraction..Im sure my neighbour loved me haha.
So this time, we just rang davids dad, who came and rushed us straight down too the maternity unit at around 1ish.
Went in, and my mum got me checked in, went too sit in the waiting room, too wait on a midwife becoming available. There was a couple sat in the waiting room, waiting too be checked for blood pressures, and i swear trying not too show my pain and agony in front of them was too much too bear lol.

Me and david then ended up pacing the longgg corridor, while we were waiting on a midwife.
felt like a lifetime tbh..then finally she appeared, took us into a room and done the same procedure i had that morning.
An internal check of the cervix by this time 1.30/2ish i was 5cm Dilated.
Midwife said there was no way i was leaving the hospital now, so just lucky we had our labour bags with us.
She said it was very likely my baby would be born on the 30th lol!
So off she went and got me a room in the delievery suite., the room was actually heaven, looked more like a very posh hotel room lol.

I was in that delievery room for almost 6'hours going through contractions.
While i was in that room i got :

- A good lot of internal checks too check dilation
- Blood Pressure Monitored
- My Heartbeat, Babys Heartbeat and Contractions Monitored.
- Had too use the birth'ball
- Was given gas&air as pain relief.
- Had too pass urine a few times for her too check
- I was also put on a drip that left me feeling highhh!
All i wanted too do tho was sleep, i kept trying too doze off, midwife said i could, but then either a contraction would start or she would start too talk.
At about 5.40pm she gave me another internal, too check the cervix and told me i was then
7cm dilated.
After a few mins of laying on the bed peacefully, almost out for the count, i had a huge contraction, jumped out of bed and cried my eyes in pain.
Went too the bathroom and i was bleeding, tho was told that was normal,
At around 7pm, the midwife turned too me then and said, that because pains were as bad as they are, and im still only 7cm gone, it was time too start
discussing other methods of pain relief.
I was set for sticking too just gas&air, even said this too her, but then suddenly a big contraction had came, and i shouted "give me the epidural"

So at 7.30pm i was wheeled in a hospital bed too, another delievery suite.
One male doctor was there, too take my bloods and check my iron levels.
A midwife was there too take over the delivery.
A student midwife was there too do i dunno what
And another nurse was there too give me the epidural.
3-4 student doctors kept popping in and out all night, and the midwife on duty (in charge) , kept popping in lol!

Anyway, by the time i was placed into this new delievery room, i was so out of it from the gas&air and the drip, that i just kept dozing off too the the land of nod lol!
David and my mum, plus the team of midwifes had too keep checking me too wake me up, incase i f**ked things up for the epidural.
I woke up too the woman explaining the epidural procedure too me.
So i ended up getting the epidural inserted into my back, and the drip put on for the epidural.
I even ended up having a cathedter inserted and i didnt even know..when i first seen it i was like
WOAH WTF??? lol!
So the epidural took about 20mins too kick in and start too work, but after that i swear it was all worth it.
Every hour after that, i got another internal, tho they never bothered me as i couldnt feel it from the numbness.
The male doctor came back into the room, and tried too get my bloods yet again..He failed epically on my left arm..resulting in me being left now with a rather nasty disgusting bruise.
He then went on too the right arm, and finally got a test tube of blood, but also inserted 3 injections and left them there. I was like ehm hello! ..Didnt have a clue what was going on, but was clearly from the whole epidural procedure.

31st October 2011
DELIVERY AND ARRIVAL!

Around this time, the midwife done another internal, and i was 8cm dilated.
I was becoming aggetated now.. I have gotten this far, gone through some pretty terrifying pains, and im only 8cm! Arghh!
Midwife said that she wont be letting me even think about starting too push until i am
10cm dilated exactly. So id no choice but to wait.

Me, David and my mum just sat for the next hour talking amongst ourselves and with my midwife in the delivery suite.
My mum kept popping out tho, the maternity ward has strict rules that only birthing partners are allowed in the delivering rooms.. My mum was one of my birth partners..but my dad,
was at the main hospital waiting.. so she kept popping over there too keep him company etc..

Got another internal check again..
I was then 9cm dilated.. Midwife said at roughly 2am -2.30am , i should be fully dilated at 10cm.
So again..the hour passed by very very slowely...an at 2am, i got another internal.
But wasnt ready..was told at 2.30am i would be ready for pushing, no later and no before.
For the next 30mins i started too experience more pains..pushing pains.
I neeeeded too push, and they were refusing too let me!
2.30am then arrived.
Midwife started me on pushing... It was a very sore, tiring experience.
Its actually kinda hard too explain what it feels like if im honest.
Its a pain, you cant explain, you just have too experience for yourself really =/
I pushed, panted and breathed in different techniques for 62 Minutes..then
my beautiful daughter
Lacey-Beth
was born into this world.
3.32am my beautiful girl was placed into my arms..and it was the most wonderful experience of
my life.

Tbh...when girlies always said, you forget the labour pains once you meet your baby, i thought.. meh their exaggerating, especially when i was in labour.
But once you have actually been there, you realise that statement, is never truer!
The pains just suddenly left me, my mind went blank too the pain.

I ended up getting an injection too bring my placenta out etc..
Didnt really pay much attention too that tho if im honest lol =/
Then was told i had tore, so needed stitches.
Im not sure how many stitches i got exactly, i think it was maybe about five, but cant be certain.
Had too get gas and air when they were being put in..and now just going through the healing process a few days later.

My mum left and went home at 4.30am , leaving me and david with our little bundle.
We were kept in the delivery suite until 7am, then got given some breakfast.
Then at 7.30am we got moved too the labour ward with the other girls.
David had too go home tho..
I spent the whole day on the labour ward, got taken off the catheter at 10.30am , and given 3 cardboard jugs too pee in..id too pee in all 3 of them before 8.30pm , if i could do it, they
would discharge me that night at 8.30pm .
And thankfully..I DONE IT haha..Got home at 9pm halloween night =) Woohoo.
Was so relieved too be home, with my beautiful girlie <3
xxx

Lacey-Beth only 2minutes old...I had literally just givin birth!

Wonderful story...
and gorgeous pictures.
once again, she's beautiful
congratulations!
xxx

aww stacie, reading that brought a tear to my eye brought back memories of my labour

you did so well though for how long you were in labour and just look what you got at the end, a perfect baby girl
you were pushing for the same amount of time as i was, those 62 minutes seemed like a lifetime for me and bet it did for you lol,
especially when they told me most people only push for around 20 minutes!!

anyway iv seen all your pictures and she is absolutely beautiful made me MEGA broody lol, hope you and david
are getting the hang of parenthood and enjoying every second of it as they really dont stay little for long sadly :'( xx

Thank-You very much girlies =)
Was a very long labour, but got there in the end.. actually didnt think i was gonna be able too cope, the stronger the pains got,
and everything...and then the more the midwife, david and my mum were saying "come on just one more push" , and she still hadnt
arrived after every push, the more i was screaming just ssh stop saying that haha. But she finally arrived
I was supposed too be having a back to back labour aswell, and she changed positions right at the last minute wooo lol.
Dread too think what that would have been like lol.

Then the midwife decided too freak me out at one point in the delivery suite..She had me linked up too a monitor thing,
that monitors my heartbeat, babys heartbeat and the contractions.
But at one stage, my heartbeat and lacey-beth's heartbeat, were beating the same amount of beats per min,
both our beats kept going very fast, then dropping seriously low, and it looked as if both me and lacey-beth were
gonna go into a shock thing..i dunno what had happened exactly, but they got it under control anyway lol.

I was just glad too see the back of the hospital and get home, into my own bed, and own shower lol.
xxx

This is lovely :')
You my dear, have an absolutely gorgeous baby girl!
She is pure perfection ^.^

I did have a little giggle when you said about having a cup of tea then going to hospital.
That's just what everyone wants to do when they're having a baby! =P

<3

lovely story
makes me miss being in labour crazily
copngratualtions beautiful
she is gorgeous
i'd love a halloween bubba