Rory’s birth story – 6 minute labour

So those of you that read my previous blog post on Elsa’s birth story (see here) will know that I am the proud owner of a super womb, in medical terms it’s called precipitate labour (quick births in under 2 hours). Due to not making it to the hospital and my husband Joe having to deliver Elsa on our en-suite floor nearly 2 years ago after 40 minutes of labour, a consultant at the hospital agreed to induce me at 39 weeks pregnant so at least I would be in a safe environment.

On Tuesday 7th April I waddled into Poole hospital to meet our little man. After a few hours of waiting around I was examined and told that my cervix wasn’t ‘favourable’ but they’d try the pessary option and give it 24 hours before going down another route. 30 minutes after it was inserted I started getting pains every 3 minutes, however the midwife (who I’ve put in an official complaint about) kept telling me that they weren’t contractions, I wasn’t in labour but these were merely induction pains…quite unmotivating! She refused to examine me when I told her I was feeling like I was in labour as apparently my body language was telling her differently and she couldn’t take my previous history into consideration as ‘every labour is different’. I was only going to be moved onto the delivery ward if either my waters broke OR I felt like I needed to push.

I was opposite a small toilet surrounded by other beds with expectant mothers in for various reasons, and told the midwife that I would give birth in the toilet if she didn’t take me seriously. Little did I know how true that would be.

I was hooked up to a monitor which measured not only babies heart rate but also any contractions, this showed the exact moment my first contraction hit at 6.55pm….6 minutes later at 7.01pm, Rory James Valentine was born in the toilet. Luckily the midwife ran in upon hearing my screams, pulled my leggings down and delivered him. The midwifes only words to me as I was being pushed into delivery suite was “you ruined my shoes”. Lovely.

Despite another dramatic entrance into the world, the last 5 days have been incredible. I struggled to bond with Elsa due to being so poorly after her birth (shock but also needing a blood transfusion and needing so many stitches that it’d make your eyes water) and also really struggled with breastfeeding but put so much pressure on myself that I was miserable. Fortunately this time around I am absolutely smitten and on cloud 9…i can’t stop staring at him and am taking every second in seeing as this will be our last baby. I know all too well how quickly they grow and I don’t want to miss a moment.