So my pregnancy was really smooth sailing considering I have a high bmi, had high BP on my booking appointment and was considered high risk. My BP settled right down to normal levels and I passed glucose tests with loads of room to spare. Only had a couple of weeks of pain near the end with spd and heartburn at night. I'd hoped for a nice natural labour, had bought a birthing ball and rented a good tens machine to use at home before going into hospital. Little did I know I'd not even end up being at home in labour at all!

My due date was the 14th of August and I was 1cm dilated so had a sweep that day and although I had a bit of mucus show it ended up being nothing and I went to 10 days overdue. Saw my midwife again @ 08.30 on 24th Aug for a check up and 2nd sweep at still only 1cm dilated. Immediately this was more successful, I only got a few steps out of the appointment and had to rush into the toilet as I had a big bloody show, we headed home excited that things may start happening. 12.30pm I stood up and felt a big trickle. I guessed my waters had broken so I called the triage and was told to come in at 3pm to be checked and a plan to be made. When we arrived at the labour ward we were shown to a room and my community midwife who had done my sweep popped in to assess me, immediately she noticed a big problem...muconium in the waters that had collected in my pad! That was the end of the natural labour I had hoped for. I was told I couldn't go home and I'd have to be put on a drip to start contractions. I'd heard that the drip was hard going so wasn't looking forward to it at all!

By the time I was settled and cannulated to start the drip I was checked once more, still 1cm at 5pm. Contractions began and although quite painful I was thinking that maybe this wasn't going to be too bad afterall. I managed to get off the bed and found sitting in the chair by the bed more comfortable which seemed to come as a surprise to my midwife. At about 8pm all of a sudden had a massive gush of waters like in the movies as it shot out from under me and hit the floor taking everyone by surprise. Then all of a sudden the pain was more intense. They had upped the drip to the point I was having 4 strong contractions every 10 minutes, I decided to give gas and air a go but it really wasn't touching the pain and only making my mouth super dry. I really didn't want diamorphine or pethadine as I had done my research and knew it made babies sleepy if taken too soon before birth. I had assumed as I was on the drip my labour wouldnt be too long but I was a bit wrong about that.

It got to about 11pm and I was in agony. They checked me again, still 1 damn cm! They also kept losing babys monitoring as them stupid straps would not stay in place through my wriggling so they decided to put a clip on his head. This was the worst pain of the whole labour, feeling the pressure of only being 1cm and having the clip forced through was HELL! I screamed so bad the matron who did it said I made her feel bad! I felt like a bit of a wuss but I begged for a epidural, I was already so tired and labouring all night in such pain seemed like too much of a ask, looking at the worry on my husbands face everytime a contraction hit I knew it was the right decision. Unfortunately the anaesthetist was in a emergency section at this point and I had to wait about 2 hours for him to come. By this point I was sobbing my way through every contraction and sucking on the gas and air for dear life! I somehow managed to gather the strength to sit still for the epidural as I had hoped it would mean the pain would be gone soon. Again I was wrong. The first attempt failed and I was still feeling everything . I then had to wait again as the anesthetist had gone to do another patients epidural. The second attempt came at about 3am, the anesthetist came armed with everything possible to make this attempt work and he guided the needle in with ultrasound this time. Thank goodness this attempt was successful, epidural is the best thing EVER! Even if it did give me the shakes and make me sick to be out of pain was bliss, I didn't even find having the epidural done painful at all. My poor husband could finally relax knowing I wasn't in agony and he managed to bed down for a couple of hours while I tried to get some sleep. I was checked once more about 3.30am and was 3cm, finally some progress! I was left to nap between getting my obs done and was told I would be checked again at 7.30am unless i showed signs of needing it sooner.

To my surprise the lovely friendly face of my community midwife greeted me at shift handover, she was doing an overtime shift on the labour ward! And she brought along a student as she knew I had agreed to this in my birth plan we had made. I was immediaty at ease seeing a familiar face and was still blissfully unaware of any pain. Their first task was to check me. Amazingly the student midwife found me to be fully dilated! The decision was made to leave me for about hour or so to let baby come down and then try some pushing. Pushing with epidural is so strange when you can't feel a thing but I was told I was pushing well so tried my best with the student midwife guiding me. After about an hour nothing was really happening so the consultant was called to come and see me. Again another internal was done but this one changed all the plans. Baby wasnt in position properly and somehow was trying to come out ear first! Crap!

It all got a bit dramatic at this point. I was told I would have to go to theatre and most likely have a emergency section but that they would try and turn him first and if able would use forceps and me pushing to get him out. My epidural was topped up with full spinal while they called an emergency to get all the staff to theatre. I was wheeled away while my husband had to quickly change into blues and I was placed in massive stirrups under 2 huge theatre lights. I counted 7 people down the "business end" while the consultant tried her best to manipulate him into position. Seeing her arm disappear inside me like a dairy cow being inseminated will haunt me for life but god bless her she was able to do it and saved me from a section. They did an episiotomy and put the forceps gently on his head to guide him as I pushed. Again my pushing was somehow really good and after a few big pushes a very slimey green baby was placed onto my chest! He was here!! 11:06 25/8/19 8lb 1oz and absoutely perfect! . I said a quick hello before he was taken to be checked, they were worried he may not be in the best condition from the muconium but he checked out at first to be absolutely fine. Daddy went with him to cut his cord and take the first pictures while I was having placenta delivered and being stitched up. He then came and sat by me while they finished. The team did very well to not alarm me as it turned out I was having quite a big bleed and lost in total 1400mls! 100ml more and a major haemorrhage would have been called so lucky escape.

We were taken to recovery and my gorgeous boy was put on my breast for his first feed. He latched immediately like a little trooper and we lay for about 40 mins in our new little baby bubble.

Because of the muconium we were told he would have to go see the paeds drs in scbu to have a check and some anti biotics and bloods done. Unfortunately these bloods showed a high crp inflammation infection marker and we were told he would have to have the anti biotics now for at least 5 days if not 7! Blood cultures would have to be taken and lumbar puncture. My poor little guy :( we never did find out what the infection had been as both tests came back clear and his crp returned to normal limit, he remained healthy on his physical exams the whole time. They got results back in time that he only needed a 5 day course of anti biotics and we managed to go home very late that evening.

The next day a community midwife came to see us at home to weigh him. This is when it all went to pot again. His weight had plummeted to 6lb 9oz and although I had expressed concern that I wasn't producing enough milk in hospital I kept being told to carry on breast feeding and that I would be making enough for him. Utter crap. We had to be readmitted and put on a feeding plan. I felt like I was a complete failure and that I'd been starving my child even though I had done my best to ask for help. Myself and my husband were distraught. When I tested on an industrial pump I could only produce about an ounce from both sides after 40 mins of pumping. My boy had become so dehydrated that his sodium levels had rocketed and he was in danger of fitting. I was finally told to do what I had thought was best anyway, combination feeding, and within the extra day in hospital he regained half a pound and we were finally discharged for good.

He was weighed yesterday and is now a little over achiever. The health visitor said she hoped to see him back up to his birth weight of 8lb 1 but he was 8lb 14! So proud of him considering he dropped to 6lb 9. He is such a good baby and only cries when it's time for food. He's finding his voice and does the cutest little howl. Me and his daddy could not be more proud of our gorgeous little boy. Welcome to the world our little Max!