Birth Story:
Natalie Nethercott
So as my son was 10 days overdue and I had to be induced I was pretty sure this was going to be the case with my second pregnancy too. However two days before my due date it all started...
It was Sunday evening and my husband had just cooked a lovely roast dinner when I started to get tummy ache, I have to say I did think it was wind to start with so carried on as normal.
I ate dinner, bathed and put my boy to bed and then sat and watched some TV before deciding to go up to bed and try and get some sleep. I tried to lay down but the pains were getting stronger and becoming more frequent, and I thought ‘yep this is it, it’s happening!!’
For the next few hours, I paced up and down our bedroom waiting for the contractions to start coming every 5 minutes. At about 3am the contractions were strong and coming extremely frequently so I phoned the birthing centre. As I explained to the midwife what was happening, I had a really strong contraction that I couldn't speak through which made the midwife suggest I came in ASAP.
I called my lovely friend Amira who arrived at my house within about 10 mins to stay with my son until my parents arrived to look after him (forever grateful Amira).
When we arrived at the birthing centre the midwife examined me and I was 6cms. I was very relieved to hear this as I was definitely ready for some pain relief!
I had quite a complicated birth with my son so I wasn't sure if I wanted to go straight to the labour ward or try the birthing centre but I'm so glad I did, it was a much more relaxed environment with music playing in the room and mood lighting that I felt at ease straight away.
The midwife filled up the birthing pool and in I got, it was a relief and the gas and air definitely helped. I continued like this for a few hours just on gas and air with the contractions every 3 minutes and the next time I was examined I was fully dilated. My waters however hadn't broken yet so the midwife asked me if I wanted her to break them, which she did.
We carried on for a bit longer but by 8am the pain was becoming more and more intense but I still didn't have the urge to push. A new midwife came on shift now and could see the pain was becoming too much for me. We made the decision that I needed something stronger than gas and air so we decided to go up to the labour ward.
The midwife and my husband whisked me upstairs in a wheelchair with the portable gas and air in my hand. I was examined by a doctor and the reason I was in such pain was because baby had got in a back to back position. Because of this I was offered a epidural which I took. After this was done, I was told the best position for pushing out a baby in the back to back position was on all fours, so they turned me over and got me to start pushing.
I was pushing for about an hour and although baby had moved down, it still wasn't quite there. That was when the doctors decided I needed a little help as they were starting to worry about baby's heart rate. So they turned me back over and as I carried on pushing they attached the ventouse to baby's head. As I pushed, the doctor pulled and out she came! It was such a relief she was finally here, safe and sound and that it was a girl!
Betsy Grace Nethercott was born at 12:34pm on the 13th June and weighted 7lb 13 ounces. It's so lovely having a boy and a girl and Alfie certainly loves his little sister lots. I hope this continues as they get older!?!