Smalltalk Autumn 2015 | Page 31

Worcester and Droitwich Branch I had a show, but felt fine. By 7pm I started having contractions, they were coming thick and fast. Rob was doing his bit of setting up the TENS machine and timing the contractions. I think they were all about 3mins apart from the off. We were pretty calm, so much so Rob was doing his Sudoku in between!?!? I tried having a bath, but couldn‟t relax as Rob informed me that it had started snowing outside. We called the midwife and she said if we wanted to come in we could. When we got to the midwife led unit at 4am I was already 4cm dilated – great I could get into the birthing pool. I found the water relaxing, with a little help from gas and air I was dilating 1cm every hour. Everything was going fine until the gas and air ran out and while I was waiting for another cylinder I had my worst contraction and my waters broke. I remember feeling quite scared and insisted on pethidine. I had to get out of the birthing pool to have the injection so I wouldn‟t get to have a water birth, I didn‟t really care at that point. When I was next examined I was 10cm dilated so could push at any time. I think this was my worst fear of childbirth (the pushing part), but as it turned out, as soon as I made the first push the pain just dissipated and found I could relax and not feel so scared. (Pethidine may have had something to do with that though) A couple more pushes and our little boy was born 9.50am, 12th March 2006 weighing 6lb 13oz. Worcester and Droitwich Branch Autumn 2015 31