As I've experienced both a natural labour and an induced one I thought I'd share my experiences and thoughts on them.
Natural
I was initially booked in for an induction with Issy once I'd become a week over my due date, With a stretch 'n' sweep done that morning little did I know that night I'd end up in labour.
When I arrived at the hospital to be checked over I was already 5cm so wasn't allowed home and had to set up camp for the night at 4:3Oam Issy was born.
My labour from being admitted to hospital until I gave birth was 7 hours and 36 minutes.
I was free to walk around the hospital and pretty much do what I wanted within reason, I had my own room with on suite shower + toilet a lovely spacious double bed to relax through my labour on, a little cot that looked like something you'd put fish in all set up and waiting for my baby.
I was left to progress through my labour alone with a buzzer for a midwife should I have needed one to pop her head in and reassure me of anything,
After giving birth we were left to have cuddles and to get myself sorted for quite awhile before I was moved onto the shared ward until visiting hours again
The whole process was a very personal and relaxed experience which I'd love to have again.
Induction
After many bleeds and losing some of my waters in one I was booked in for an induction 2 days later.
I was finally admitted onto a shared ward after a bed shortage the day before and my induction being canceled not as personal and comfortable as before but bearable after settling in and waiting around for the nurse I was given my first pessary and strapped up to a monitor, I wasn't allowed to do anything but sit strapped to the monitor for a good 2 hours. Once that was up I was free to go for a walk if I wanted but couldn't stray far, Beside me I had a woman on the phone having a rant about how she'd been in for 3 days with still no sign of the induction working (YAY!) It was like that episode of F.R.I.E.N.D.S with everyone coming in and being wheeled out again while Rachael was still waiting on progress! A few hours later after not a lot happening it was time for my 2nd pessary and back to being strapped up onto the monitor not without a little girl go flying into it knocking the machine and half of the lady besides me family visiting when it wasn't visiting time then came the super niggles painful enough that it must be working surely? Time to be checked over 2cm's dilated (you've got to be kidding me?) With the night drawing in and finally reaching my limit of pain that wouldn't allow me to lay down it was time I got some sleep along came the offer of pethidine after all the questions will it affect baby at all etc etc. She stuck that beauty in my leg along with an anti sickness injection PERFECT! So high you could have stabbed me in the leg and it's likely I'd have laughed at you. Then BAM! There goes my waters at last BUT Andy has just that minute left? His bike so loud I know for sure he literally just left so wouldn't be able to check his phone for a good 1O minutes (which if you read my birth story resulted in him missing Daisies birth)
So although it wasn't an awful experience it wasn't as personal as I'd have liked Andy was only really allowed in during visiting hours and having a ward full of women really didn't feel like a personal magical experience between me,Andy and my mum but one shared with a room full of people I didn't know, Of course that all changes once you reach 5cm's and you then get to enjoy the rest of your labour alone in a room of your own but I didn't get that as I shot from 2-3 straight to 1O very suddenly.
With no delivery rooms empty other than the girl opposite me being cleaned ready for her but with a Daisie crowning in the hallway while I'm sat in a wheelchair trying to hold her in I had to claim the room as mine half cleaned or she'd have been born in the hallway without a doubt.
I know not all inductions end up as hectic as mine but I really wasn't keen on the whole situation nothing felt personal to me but very rushed to get it over with to spare a room for the next person, maybe if I progressed nice and slowly I'd have had the personal feeling as I'd have been in my own room alone with Andy and my mum once I'd reached 5cm.
My labour from being admitted to hospital until I gave birth was 7 hours and 36 minutes.
I was free to walk around the hospital and pretty much do what I wanted within reason, I had my own room with on suite shower + toilet a lovely spacious double bed to relax through my labour on, a little cot that looked like something you'd put fish in all set up and waiting for my baby.
I was left to progress through my labour alone with a buzzer for a midwife should I have needed one to pop her head in and reassure me of anything,
After giving birth we were left to have cuddles and to get myself sorted for quite awhile before I was moved onto the shared ward until visiting hours again
The whole process was a very personal and relaxed experience which I'd love to have again.
Induction
After many bleeds and losing some of my waters in one I was booked in for an induction 2 days later.
I was finally admitted onto a shared ward after a bed shortage the day before and my induction being canceled not as personal and comfortable as before but bearable after settling in and waiting around for the nurse I was given my first pessary and strapped up to a monitor, I wasn't allowed to do anything but sit strapped to the monitor for a good 2 hours. Once that was up I was free to go for a walk if I wanted but couldn't stray far, Beside me I had a woman on the phone having a rant about how she'd been in for 3 days with still no sign of the induction working (YAY!) It was like that episode of F.R.I.E.N.D.S with everyone coming in and being wheeled out again while Rachael was still waiting on progress! A few hours later after not a lot happening it was time for my 2nd pessary and back to being strapped up onto the monitor not without a little girl go flying into it knocking the machine and half of the lady besides me family visiting when it wasn't visiting time then came the super niggles painful enough that it must be working surely? Time to be checked over 2cm's dilated (you've got to be kidding me?) With the night drawing in and finally reaching my limit of pain that wouldn't allow me to lay down it was time I got some sleep along came the offer of pethidine after all the questions will it affect baby at all etc etc. She stuck that beauty in my leg along with an anti sickness injection PERFECT! So high you could have stabbed me in the leg and it's likely I'd have laughed at you. Then BAM! There goes my waters at last BUT Andy has just that minute left? His bike so loud I know for sure he literally just left so wouldn't be able to check his phone for a good 1O minutes (which if you read my birth story resulted in him missing Daisies birth)
So although it wasn't an awful experience it wasn't as personal as I'd have liked Andy was only really allowed in during visiting hours and having a ward full of women really didn't feel like a personal magical experience between me,Andy and my mum but one shared with a room full of people I didn't know, Of course that all changes once you reach 5cm's and you then get to enjoy the rest of your labour alone in a room of your own but I didn't get that as I shot from 2-3 straight to 1O very suddenly.
With no delivery rooms empty other than the girl opposite me being cleaned ready for her but with a Daisie crowning in the hallway while I'm sat in a wheelchair trying to hold her in I had to claim the room as mine half cleaned or she'd have been born in the hallway without a doubt.
I know not all inductions end up as hectic as mine but I really wasn't keen on the whole situation nothing felt personal to me but very rushed to get it over with to spare a room for the next person, maybe if I progressed nice and slowly I'd have had the personal feeling as I'd have been in my own room alone with Andy and my mum once I'd reached 5cm.
Wow sounds like you had pretty quick established labours! (Probably didn't feel like it!!!) my labour was over 40 hours and I sat at 7 cm for 12!!! Xxx
ReplyDelete