So as many know, my original plan was to push back my induction date. However, once weighing up the risks of going further along with a high risk pregnancy in the end just weren’t worth it. So on my due date, I went ahead with the induction.

They put the pessary in me to start me off, and within hours I was getting regular contractions. With my first it took two pessaries and over 24 hours for contractions to start. The pains that I were getting, weren’t bad enough to be admitted to the labour ward but they were bad enough to stop me from being able to sleep. And by 10pm your partners weren’t aloud to stay at the hospital. So, I go all day and all night contracting, on my own and without having a wink of sleep.

It gets to 5am and a midwife comes to check me over, they take the pessary out as I’m getting too many contractions that are back to back without a break, and they don’t want baby to get stressed. (Foreshadowing, absolutely NOTHING bothered my little man. His heart rate stayed beautiful and he was constantly kicking me throughout this entire thing!) She checks me over and tells me I’m 3cm and can be stretched to 4 so they want to get me to labour ward.

Well this is where the fun starts. It took an entire day to get a bed in the labour ward. So me and my other half are sat there twiddling out thumbs wondering what is going on. By this time my contractions have stopped cause they took the pessary out. So I’m freaking at thinking oh God I’m going to need another.

It gets to 5:30pm by the time we get a room on labour ward. So we get in, the midwife greets us and lets us know she is going to look for whoever will be looking after me. Another hours passes and shes comes back apologising to us, she has a gap to fit me in but they had an emergency in theatre. Which I completely understand.

So emergency over, the midwife comes back and gets started with me. She examined over and I was 3cm and could be stretched to 4. She did a full sweep and then broke my waters for me. Within minutes the contractions hit.

They gave me the full four hours to progress just from breaking my waters, and thankfully the fact I was having regular strong contractions worked in my favour, I hadn’t progressed cm wise but they allowed me another two hours to see if that would help.

Sadly that didn’t do much, so she started me on an oxytocin drip. Boy did the pain get bad from here. Now keep in mind I’m only using gas and air, and simply refusing the epidural. (Bad experience with that and pain meds from previous labour)

So out of no where these HUGE contractions start hitting. My legs are shaking, I’m screaming, midwife is trying to calm me down. And each contraction is worse. (Looking back this is the point I should have started to push, but I didn’t know if it was the right time) Midwife says the monitor keeps coming off so she goes to prep the internal monitor. During this time all hell breaks loose, I start involuntary pushing! The midwife runs back saying she didn’t expect that to happen that quick. I’d gone from 5cm to being able to see my boys head in less than 20 mins.

I push a few times sat up, but my midwife says I have to turn on my left side because he is back to back. The minute I get on my side its so much easier! My partner held my right leg up for me while I did another three pushes and I could feel his head coming out, which motivated me so much more. (I’m still screaming bloody murder at this point) As soon as his head was fully out, the pain more than halved! I gave one more push and out he came! They put him straight on my chest cause I had stripped off ready earlier on for skin to skin once he was out.

My little boy was born at 7:13am, weighing 8lbs 11. I didn’t tear, nor needed to be cut. (Lord knows how!) We called him Noah. 💙

After the horrible medicated labour I had with my first, I was determined to go as natural as possible this time. And I’m beyond proud of myself that I did it all just using gas and air. Even when I was having contractions from the pessary, I kept being offered painkillers but I didn’t take them. This was my own personal goal I wanted to achieve. And I smashed it! 💪🏼❤️