Labour and birth!

After waiting so long and being 10 days overdue already, lets say I was fed up and wanted too see my baby, but still there was no sign of anything.
On Wednesday we were asked to go to the hospital for monitoring in preparation for induction on Friday, I had heard bad things about inductions so it definitely wasn't something I wanted to have if I could avoid it. I was advised to ask for a sweep whilst I was there. Baby was behaving and moving happily for the monitor, but to have a nice surprise the midwife stated that I was already 2 cm and things were looking good. Finally something I needed to hear! and was hoping that this would get things going.

What was to follow lasted just over 8 hours and after all the time I read/ watched one born every minute and what they told us at the antenatal classes it was nothing I ever imagined it to be. I understood why other women found it so hard to describe what the pain was like and what to compare it to.
I felt I was so close to panicking and the only way I was able to cope with the contractions was to stand with my head against any wall I found, and with either my partner or my mother rubbing my lower back, I felt that if I did let go and panic then there would be no stopping it and I would be screaming until he came out.
I must add here I have a new found respect for those ladies who have to labour on the bed I have no idea how you manage or cope, the only time I was on a bed was when we initially went into hospital a few hours after the contractions started and they were pure agony, and the other time was when I was pushing. The rest of the time I was stood against a wall or pacing back and forwards as much as my gas and air tube would allow me!

The car journey to the hospital was torture! I felt cramped and couldn't move which to me made the contractions feel much worse to the point I would have happily jumped out of the car. Trying to leave the car to get to the ward was a challenge by itself stopping anywhere and everywhere when a contraction hit, i had 3 just getting from the car to the main entrance (those who know how far that is realise how short a distance it is) finding the railings and looking a prat when people were passing... I was glad it was 7.30pm!
We arrived at the ward to be told they weren't expecting us even though Mark had called beforehand, and i was put in the bay with the women who were being induced. I must have been there for a maximum of 5 minutes when another staff member said I cant stay there as I was and took us to the treatment room and monitored us, and we were at 5cm already!
Thankfully we were then off to labour ward and i had my taste of gas and air... not what I expected it to be. Contractions continued until 11pm when my waters finally broke, and by god did they break! Sorry for too much information but it was like a waterfall!

I was ready to push, and pushed for an hour and it hurt like anything id ever felt before but i'm guessing it stung more as I was tearing but after 8 hours our little man popped into the world at 00:02 on 23/2/12 weighing in at 9lb 5oz and I cant describe the feeling, it was so overwhelming.
Unfortunately I did have a secondary tear and needed stitches which the second midwife did quickly for me, I was allowed to stay on labour ward until 6am ish where I was rudely awoken by two other staff from Llifon ward to collect me.

All in all that's the most part of it, and have deliberately left out the gory details that I will keep to myself. But in comparison to many other labours I had it pretty easy and if ever we had another baby I wish it to be the same as this one.