On the 22nd of May I started having mild contractions 30 minutes apart at 5.30am which got stronger as the day went on and closer together. Also the night before I had awful diarrhoea which went on all night and kept me up with awful cramps! I went to my mums house to labour with her as my fiancé was at work as I needed the support and did all day as they gradually got more painful and more regular. My fiancé finished work at 6pm and was with us by 6.30pm. At 8.30pm they started getting really painful with lots of pressure and was 2/3 minutes apart, I stayed on my yoga ball and walked until they were stopping me in my tracks. I felt like I needed to pee after every contraction the pressure was so bad!  One time after needing to wee I sat down and had a contraction on the toilet which was awful (I preferred to be walking) when I wiped my mucus plug had come out with blood. My show kept coming out with streaks of blood until I went to the hospital. I rung the hospital at 10.30pm and she told me to come in to get checked and I'd decided I wanted to birth in the birthing centre which is much more relaxed, the only pain relief available is gas and air. We got to the hospital around 11.30pm and my contractions were so painful at 2 minutes apart.. My midwife was so relaxed and lovely I was so lucky to have got such a lovely lady. When we got there she checked everything was ok with baby and done an internal and I was 5cm dilated which was a shock. I got my nightie on and walked out the contractions rocking back and forth whilst clinging on to the wall ha!! The pressure was too painful it was making my legs buckle during a contraction so I decided to lay down through my next ones. By now it was midnight and they were so close together and causing me so much pain. I didn't have any pain relief, my fiancé was asking me to take the gas and air as he was struggling seeing me in so much pain bless him. By now I was getting the urge to push with each contraction and felt like I was going to shit myself (tmi sorry!) but it was a horrible feeling 😩 after a few more the pressure broke my water and by now it was 1.30. I had a few more contractions and the stinging and burning was literal hell but my mum and midwife was telling me they could see her head and her hair it was helping me get through the pain. A few more pushes and she was out, she was so wrapped up in her cord she was in a tangled mess so she tore me quite badly above and below which I honestly couldn't feel at first. She had the cord round her neck quite rightly and wrapped round her little legs. As soon as the cord was free'd she started screaming and it was the best feeling in the world seeing her little face for the first time, I delivered the placenta 15 minutes later and ended up with bad tearing. She had to get the doctor out to get me stitched up which took 45 minutes as I tore on the inside as well through the muscle. This was the worst pain ever.. I couldn't wait until it was over but oh so worth every ounce of pain!! Florence was born at 1.50am on the 23rd of May and weighed 6lb 12oz, I was 39+3 days. She is the most precious little princess ever and I love her soo much. She has been amazing and latched on really well and has been a diamond since! Sorry it's so long but I used to love reading the detailed labour stories, good luck ladies 😘