Induction, Labour and Delivery: Part 1

I didn't blog my account of what happened on this day last year...but I can remember it as if it was only yesterday.

I was woken up in the middle of the night by a midwife from UCLH asking me to make my way down to London as they had a bed and a cot ready for us. I remember phoning my Mam and telling her it was all systems go. Then I remember I couldn't go back to sleep; all I kept thinking was "this is it, it's happening - everything we've worried about for the past four months is happening now!"

We got up at 6am, made a panad and started putting the last few bits in our case. Then we woke the kids up and brought them to our bed, let them snuggle together as we got ready around them. We all lay on our bed for hugs and kisses, I cried so hard - how long until I get to hold them again? Will I be able to bring their baby sister home to them? Then it was time to say goodbye!!!

We caught the 7:22 Bangor to Euston. I had a KitKat and a panad - it tasted vile and I've not enjoyed a
KitKat since. It was a beautiful and sunny morning. People boarded the train who were heading to work. For them it was a regular and boring train journey - it held so much more significance for us. I remember Mark got up and went to the toilet, he'd been sick - he blames it on the rocking motion of the train... I think it was nerves.

My phone started ringing and it was a London number. We were well passed Crewe, in and out of signal so I couldn't understand what the message on my voicemail said - I'd psyched myself up by them so I was hoping it wasn't UCLH telling me they'd had to give up our Bed/Cot for an emergency. Then it dawned on me that I was the only one who'd spoken to the midwife in the middle of the night - did she really call or had I dreamt it?

There had been a fatality on the line through Milton Keynes which held our train up by over an hour. I went online to see how far away we were from London and how much would a taxi cost us to make it the rest of the way. 

It's only a 10 minute walk from Euston Station to UCLH. When we got there we had no idea where we were meant to go; were we meant to go straight to Labour ward or did we need to go to the antenatal unit first? A nurse showed us the way to the Labour ward where we were introduced to our midwife - the lady who would be delivering Martha Grace (and if I ever convince Mark that another Baby is a good idea - I want her to be my midwife again) - Connie.

She made me wear these god-awful socks to prevent blood clots forming in my legs. She explained the induction procedure and then gives me an internal examination. I am nowhere near ready to deliver. She gave me a pessary and said she will leave me for 24hrs unless I think something has happened sooner, she also needed to hook me up to the CTG every few hours to make sure baby is happy.

I wanted to do my best to get things moving so after being given the all clear we spent the afternoon wandering aimlessly around London. Stopping here and there for a panad and a bite to eat. We went back to my Labour room and I was monitored...then we headed back down to the hospital canteen for more panads.

I feel the odd tightening, but nothing more that what I'd been feeling at home for weeks.

We read magazines, we did puzzles, we sent a few texts updating people but mostly we just walked and talked. It was oddly calming. 

A couple of arm chairs werewolf wheeled in for Mark and Mam to sleep in. I am to sleep on the bed my baby will be delivered on and those things weren't built for comfort. The ward is strangely silent considering babies were being born. The only noise came from the sirens and the traffic outside - London noise.

At about 3am I'd woken up and couldn't go back to sleep, so Mam and me headed for a walk around the hospital leaving Mark asleep in the labour room. A midwife makes us a cup of tea when we get back. We settle down in the room and try to steal a couple more hours sleep.

A new day was about to begin and I couldn't begin to imagine how it would end.

GM

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You can read our post from this day last year here.