Lot of pain for the best thing ever

He is finally here. My son, Eddie.

I have to say labour was not anything I expected. I had prepared myself with hypnotherapy, maximum relaxation and minimal pain killer requirement. Yeah right!

My contractions started on Wednesday night at ten. Quite mild at first but coming regularly every 20 minutes. I couldn't sleep. I was feeling excited and as the contractions became stronger, very achy. I phoned my midwife in the morning just to make sure, I was heading towards the labour (and not having just odd stomach cramps). I was warned that this stage might last for quite a while. And it did.

I attached myself to TENs machine around 2 pm (lovely little electric shocks to ease the pain). Kept myself busy watching films with my husband and just pottering around the house. At 6 pm the contractions were 5 minutes apart lasting good 60 seconds. I phoned the delivery suite and they told me there was no point coming in until contractions were 3 minutes apart. So I waited. At 8 pm, I made my way to the hospital feeling rather anxious.

10 pm I felt I just couldn't cope with the pain. After discussing with the midwife, that I really wasn't there to score points, I agreed to have pain killer injection. I sent me off with the fairies and helped me to catch some sleep. Contractions became stronger and at 2 am I was having onto gas & air like it was my life line. Fair a bit of shouting and certainly entertaining my hubby and the midwife talking like I was properly drunk.

16/10 5 am. Finally fully dilated and ready to push. I was not prepared for it at all. The weirdest and have to say, most horrendous sensation in the world. So far I had been fairly in control of the situation and my hubby had been the best possible birthing partner. On the pushing stage I completely lost it! I was screaming my head off, crying my eyes out and asking the midwife just do anything to get the baby out ( I had a fantastic midwife). My hubby looked helpless and he is rather traumatised by it, as am I. Occasionally I felt passing out. Little bit before 6 am when I thought I was going to die there and then, I felt the head ( how in earth do babies fit to come out is beyond me!) and what felt like a marathon, I did one more push. I saw my husband wiping tears from his eyes and heard the baby crying. Our son had finally arrived!