At 2.15pm I text David saying 'Don't have any more to drink'. And ten minutes later 'I think this might be it today or tomorrow. It's been relentless and ten times more painful'. I drove the short way to pick him up, still feeling like I could manage. We went to co-op to buy David a pizza to soak up the beer he'd had, I had a contraction in the bread aisle and another in the car park.. I rang the hospital asking when to come in, and they said to hang on until my body couldn't do it any longer at home. I ran a bath, went to sit down in it and felt a pop. My waters had gone, or at least I thought they had... My pains got stronger very quickly after that.
At about this point my Mum sent a casual text saying 'How are you Sally? Still keeping well? Can't believe how imminent this baby is! Xx' and I replied ' So funny you should text - I was going to soon as pretty sure I'm in labour. No need to be alarmed or do anything, going to get assessed in an hour or so xx'
I put some clothes on, we packed up, rang David's Mum to meet us at the hospital doors, and set off. Five minutes down the road we'd forgotten my maternity notes so that was a fun extra 10 minutes, bracing myself in the car to deal with contractions that were now coming thick and fast, maybe every 3-4 minutes.
I've never been quite so uncomfortable, every little bump seems like rally driving when your whole body is tensing up and you can't bear to be touched.. David dropped me at the entrance at about 6pm armed with a heat pack on my stomach and notes. I had another contraction leaning against the car with my eyes closed, unable to even properly say 'hello' to Mary.
Poor Vivienne was emotional by this point - I kept telling her I was concentrating and between contractions I kept saying 'Look, now! I'm fine. It's not bad pain, it's useful pain. I just need to concentrate.' but it was all getting a bit much for her. David's Mum took her away (she only lives five minutes away from the hospital) for a sleepover at their house.
I also felt so self conscious having contractions. I must have looked an awkward sight rushing through to hide behind a door in the maternity assessment unit as my next one was starting. I went in and just said 'I rang and this is it I'm sure'. They pointed me to go in one of the assessment rooms and when someone came to see me I was 'stuck' to the wall, leaning against it with my forehead against the cold surface whilst having contractions. They confirmed my waters had gone (pretty obvious by now) and that I'd reached 6cm. I was so past it by this point that I didn't even feel that pleased, just glad that they couldn't send me home. With Vivienne it took me four days of contractions to reach 4cm.. my labours were already poles apart..
They took me into the delivery suite and I immediately asked for the gas and air - it's free in hospital after all (joke..) and it took the edge off straight away. I also asked to get straight in the bath, and they brought portable gas and air for me there too. I made sure I was leaning forward the entire time - not easy when you're 5ft 9" in a corner bath, and the warm water really helped soothe my aching bump.
The pain in my lower back was getting too much by about 7.30pm, and I was worried I was having another 'back' labour. The midwives suggested something called 'Water Blisters', which is sterile water injected into pressure points in your back to help relieve pain in this area. It stung like hell but immediately I felt like my back was no longer breaking. I got back in the bath and started clock watching, feeling completely past myself and saying to David 'No time is passing. They're coming every thirty seconds.' only for us to realise that the clock had stopped (!)
After an hour or so I started saying 'I can't do this any more, I need more pain relief. Is it too late for an epidural?', and the midwives would ask 'Do you want one?' and then I'd decline. Afterwards I realised that this was probably the transitioning moment. My contractions went from virtually no breaks between them to getting a little rest between. The difference was that my whole body started seizing up and pushing without me trying - it was the strangest thing. I told them I could push more and they said 'Let's try that then', and a few contractions later I was getting somewhere.
I was on my back in the bath at this point, her head had been born and I worried, in my state, that she didn't have a face because all I could see was the back of her head. A push later she was out and I had the 'OHMYGOD' moment you can see below..