I still cannot believe my baby boy is here and just how amazing his labour and delivery was. I thought it was finally time to share the story with you (I've filmed a more detailed version which you can watch too!).

Sunday 2nd August 
We had spent the whole weekend walking, cleaning, preparing and enjoying time as a family of 3. Sunday evening I started getting period pains that were coming and going in waves. They got worse throughout the night - the hot water bottle wasn't working, I couldn't sleep and I was sick - I really thought this was the start of something.

Monday 3rd August
After finally getting to sleep Sunday night I woke up and most of the pains were gone, I was just left with a few aches and pains. I spend the whole day doing absolutely nothing (Indiana was at nursery) and catching up on sleep.

Tuesday 4th August
I woke at 5am to my waters trickling. It wasn't much but I knew it wasn't nothing! I put a pad on and got back into bed and told Jack. We called triage around 9am who said if nothing had happened since it was probably nothing; so Jack went to work and we carried on as usual.

Just before 1pm I went to the toilet and I'd had my bloody show - a sign something was happening at least haha - and then not long after, I lost a lot more of my waters (there was no denying it this time)! I got Jack home from work and we went into triage to get things checked over.

I'd not had any pains since so we weren't worried. They offered us a scan while we were there, as there was a group of trainee midwives who needed volunteers haha. They measured my fluid levels and according to the main midwife she didn't think they had gone; it may have been my hind waters. However when I went to get properly checked they went again all over the bed! As I wasn't in labour they booked me in for an induction and sent us on our way.

By 3pm we were back at Gemma's (my sister who was my second birth partner) and within half an hour my contractions started. They were ALL in my back and never went around to my belly throughout my whole labour. They started around 6/7 minutes apart and by 5pm were every 3-5 minutes lasting around a minute! Indiana was collected by Jack's parents at 6.30pm and that's when they became a lot more intense.

I was now making noises throughout each contraction so I knew things were progressing a lot faster than with Indiana. I got in the bath around 7/7.30pm which did help but not massively. By this point they were coming as close as 1/2 minutes apart and lasting a minute - and bloody painful!! We decided to go into hospital at this point as things were going SO fast.

We arrived at 8.15 and I was checked pretty quickly (after the midwife tried to get me to do a urine sample!). I was 6cm dilated but she said she could stretch me to 8cm! I was given gas and air finally and we were wheeled over to the delivery suite where I got the pool room I wanted. I had to wait for it to fill up though which was the longest wait of my life!

Since arriving at hospital I was getting loads of pressure in my bum; by the time we got to the room I felt like I needed to push. I will admit I was screaming in pain at this point and almost accidental broke Jack's finger haha. I was hanging over the back of the bed where I begged for the epidural - yes I know how dramatic haha - but there really wasn't time.

I finally made it into the pool and within two contractions our baby boy was born. Once in the pool I really got into the zone and was much more focused. The sensation of pushing is the strangest thing I've ever experienced and they don't lie about the 'ring of fire' haha. His arm came out next to his head so I did suffer a 2nd degree tear; but honestly that has felt like nothing compared to the episiotomy I had with Indiana!

Parker was born in the pool at 9.30pm after just 12 minutes of pushing and Jack got to cut the cord. It was the most painful but also the most amazing experience, and I'm so glad I got the birth I wanted. He latched on really well and wasn't the huge boy we were expecting, weighing 8lb 9oz.

He's now 2 weeks old and I can't believe it.  It's gone even faster than my pregnancy - if you missed my weekly updates you can find them all here!

How different were your labours? Parker's birth was completely different to Indiana's!

My Labour and Delivery Story | Indiana Rose

I was due the 24th November 2013 and after everyone telling me my little lady would be early, I was still pregnant when my due date came around. So I got on my hands and knees, scrubbed the bathroom then went on a long walk with Jack around some local shops. After a well needed Costa break (this will be a recurring theme in my blogs as it's our favourite place haha) we headed home.

It got to dinner time and I'd given up home of a due date baby when all of a sudden I started getting back pain on and off. By 7.30pm they were coming every 10/15 minutes and I was having to squeeze Jack's hand as it was pretty intense. It was at this point we started roughly timing them and they were becoming more 5-10 minutes apart. We got in bed to try and get some rest but the pains were getting stronger so I got zero sleep (Jack was snoring away much to my annoyance haha).

By midnight the pains were around 5 minutes apart and much stronger. I felt and odd 'pop' sensation so got up to check. I had finally lost my mucus plug! It was then Jack got up to go to the loo that my waters broke. We had spent my whole pregnancy saying how waters breaking weren't like in the movies, but boy were we wrong. They gushed out all over our bedroom floor with a massive splash! Jack didn't even realise they were my waters bless him. It was after this the pain got 10x worse and we called triage for the first time. We were adviced to go on so at 1am off we went.

On arriving I was checked and told I was only 2cm dilated :(. I was given co-coda mol as paracetamol was useless (so was this but worth a try ay?). I was given a sweep and sent on our way much to my disappointment. So home we went and we got back in bed and watched Bedtimes Stories. I say we but Jack was snoring away from the second his head hit the pillow. The film ended and the pain was getting worse so I woke Jack up and we called triage again. They suggested a bath to ease the pain.

Baths have never helped me with any pain yet I thought I'd give it a go. The midwife said he water had to be covering my bump for it to work, but I'm sorry this is impossible! My bump was pretty average and there was no way it was going to be covered. I had to lie a sideways angle to keep my bump under, all that's while Jack fed me gingernuts biscuits as I was starving!

No surprise to me the bath didn't help so triage was called again and we went back in. Checked again and I was STILL only 2cm dilated. I was so upset, I was in agony and for no reason! I was given another sweep and sent home again. My waters were still leaking too; luckily Jack had a mat in his car to protect the seats haha.

By now it was around 7am and the pain was excruciating. My sister Laura came over as she was my other birth partner. She was so helpful as I was becoming so distressed and upset with the pain and lack of progress. Wherever I was or however I positioned myself the pain was no better. I remember kneeling on the floor with my head in Jack's lap rocking. I needed more pain relief badly! By 10am I couldn't take it anymore. I was crying in pain through being so tired and from the pain. So we went back to triage to see where we were.

Anyone who has experienced labour will understand just how bad contractions are. But contractions in a car are by far the worst. You're stuck sitting with no way of moving, and where my pain was all in my lower back sitting was so so painful. We then had to park ridiculously far from the entrance as I didn't want to be left alone during my contractions. Crying in pain I walked back to triage.

I WAS STILL ONLY 2CM! Hearing this news made me break down again. I felt like I was doing something wrong. I also had the most horrible midwife who basically told me to take some more co-coda mol and go home. She even gave me a sweep during a contraction which was awful! Jack also became upset as he felt useless and hated seeing me in so much pain. So we left again, but decided to go to my mums for more support and change of scenery.

My mum had run me a bath and made us lunch while we were there. She was literally the most amazing person at this point, I'm so glad we went. She helped me to breath through the pain and never left my side. The bath helped a bit more this time and I had lots of company while I was in there for over an hour. I got out and we started to time my contractions again. By 3pm they were less than 5 minutes apart lasting about a minute and so painful. So we tried our luck and went back to our second home, triage.

From this point on I had the most amazingly lovely midwives and care. I was given the best news that I was finally 4cm and allowed to stay! Yay! I was taken straight to the delivery suite and given my best friend gas and air. I loved the stuff and it was such good pain relief. I was more in control and my normal self between contractions now! I had asked for an epidural but while being set up for it I told my midwife Claire that I felt pressure. She checked me again and by 6pm I was 8cm dilated - how the hell did this happen haha!? It was this point I decided I'd try with just gas and air as things progressed so quickly.



I was laughing and giggling on my gas and air. I remember telling Jack and Laura I wanted to watch Friends Witg Benefits and even had a giggling fit but for no reason at all haha. This didn't last however as it got to 8pm and the pain was getting worse again, and after being checked I was only 9cm. This is where things took a downward spiral again.

I was in so much pain and had stopped making progress again. So I gave in and got my epidural at around 9/10ish. The first attempt hit blood so it had to be done twice. But omg it was amazing. Yeah having a catheter and canular wasn't nice (this was actually more painful than the epidural) but hey it was worth it. I was also put on a hormone drip at this point to get me progressing again. Soon enough I was 10cm but was told to get some rest before pushing to let her drop into the right place more.



After a blissful 2 hour nap I was woken and told it was time to push! Not the best wake up call but I was so excited to finally meet my baby girl. Pushing is so hard! My epidural was wearing off too so I felt everything and this was definitely the worst pain yet. My bum felt like it was going to explode haha. Sorry tmi but hey I think it's best to be honest! As I had my epidural I found pushing harder so I had my legs in stirrups with Laura and Jack holding a leg each. By this point the midwives had switched and I had a lovely midwife as well as a student midwife (I was always against having one but she was amazing and I'd definitely recommend them as they're very supportive!).

I was pushing for over an hour with not much progress. I was literally exhausted, after being awake for over a whole day now I was running out of steam. Labour really does mean what it says! The pain was awful and I remember screaming at Jack telling him to make it stop and saying I couldn't do it haha, cringe! A doctor was called in to give me a hand. Within a few seconds the bottom of the bed was whisked away and he had given me an episiotomy! I had asked at my antenatal classes if I'd be told and was reassured I would - this was not the case at all! However he gave me a hand with a ventouse and out came her head, followed seconds later by the rest of her at 2.12am on the 26th November!

We were in complete shock, our baby girl was finally here.. And she had hair haha! She was placed straight onto my chest and I couldn't believe how big she was (Jack was of crying again bless him, he's so emotional it's cute). I had some skin to skin time with her until she was taken away to be cleaned up. I was upset to learn the doctor cut the cord and not Jack, but I guess it had to happen! She had her checks which she passed with flying colour, and we discovered she weighed a chunky 8lb 4oz!

I was stitched up while Jack and Laura had cuddles with our little girl, who we had decided to name Indiana Rose. It wasn't until I read my notes that I discovered I had lost 1000ml of blood. This is considered a post partum hemorrhage. This explains a lot as to why I was now anemic and felt awful for the first few weeks post partum!

I was taken up to my room around 4/5ish which was a private room with our own bathroom and tv. We were given a sandwich each and left to bond with our baby. I couldn't even sleep despite being knackered as I just couldn't stop staring at her she was perfect.

We were allowed to go home on Wednesday around lunch time. We would have gone earlier but I had a high pulse and had to have extra checks. I now know it's because of my blood loss, but obviously at the time I just wanted to go home and rest with Jack and Indiana, not stay in a stuffy hospital (Jack agreed as he had to sleep on the floor for two nights haha).

So that's it, that's my very long story! You wouldn't believe I left bits out haha, but I tried to be as thorough as possible. I hope you enjoyed and look forward to reading others stories as I love seeing what other people went through to get their babies!