Annie's story - Jake

We had been booked in for an induction on 8 June, which was two days before my first EDD and three days after my second EDD. I had always thought my baby would be born on 5 June, though, so was a bit disappointed at the induction date. But the midwife based the date of the induction on my first due date, so I was told.

I'd had high blood presure and since finishing work on 28 April, about five weeks before my due date, I had been in for monitoring about every third day as sometimes baby wasn't moving around a lot. Every time I was in, and got sent home with another appointment, it was like a reprieve!

I rang the hospital on 2 June, worried because I hadn't felt Baby move all day. As my best friend had a stillborn baby in December, I was painfully aware of what could happen. I went into hospital at about 4pm for monitoring, and my urine sample showed traces of protein. My blood pressure was high as well, but they were comfortable enough to send me home as I had an appointment with my midwife at 9am the next morning.

After an uneasy night, I went to see my midwife. She checked me over, read through the results of the previous night's blood tests, and decided to book me in for an induction on the following Wednesday. She thought that I would be all right on bed rest over the weekend, as Baby's head wasn't down just yet. I went home, crying all the way, and told my husband that on Wednesday we would be parents, so we'd better make the most of our last weekend as a childless couple!

We planned to go to a friends' place to watch rugby and have tea, but I was feeling very uncomfortable with indigestion. I also had that "bowling ball between the legs" feeling. But I told Rod to go hard out and drink all he wanted, as it would be the last time for ages.

When we went home, I sat up by myself in the baby's room (it was too uncomfortable to share a bed with Rod at this point), unable to sleep as the indigestion was very uncomfortable. At around 1am I felt a strong urge to go to the toilet. The "wees" came out really fast, and I saw that I had a show. I wasn't sure if my waters had broken or not, so I went and hopped into bed with the electric blanket on high as my back was sore.

I felt the urge to use the toilet again and when I got into the loo, sure enough, I had another gush -- so I knew it was my waters. It was about 1.20am. I burst into tears, as I was excited but also scared and really felt SO NOT READY FOR THIS! I didn't wake Rod, who was sleeping off his beer and snoring like a buzz saw.

I rang the hospital, and the midwife on duty said, "Just try to relax and get some sleep as probably nothing will happen for a while yet. Don't wake your midwife yet."

So I went back to bed (after texting Mum and my best friend to tell them I was in labour, like I had promised) and at 2.20am, a strong period-like pain ripped through me. "Oh, my God!" I thought. I tried to close my eyes after the pain left, but then another pain, not as strong as the first, came about five minutes later.

I felt the urge to go to the toilet yet again, so I got up and was immediately gripped by another strong pain. I stood there swaying, holding onto the bed, my waters gushing everywhere.

My pains subsided and I got some towels, turned off the electric blanket and got back into bed, trying to breathe through the pains like I had learned at antenatal class. My dog knew something was up, as she wouldn't leave my side and was whimpering and licking my hand.

At about 3.30am I decided to run a bath. The pains weren't getting any closer together, but were hurting more and more. The dog went and woke Rod, who found me writhing in the bath, holding my "When you go into labour, this is what you do" pamphlet!

I rang the hospital again, and got the same midwife that I had spoken to before. "That was fast!" she said. "Come in when you are ready for pain relief." To which I replied, "I needed it an hour ago!"

My midwife was already at hospital as another of her ladies was in labour as well. Rod had a long, hot shower and several black coffes to sober up. There was no way I could drive as I was vomiting as well as having painful contractions.

We got to the hospital, where I was told my midwife would be in as soon as she was able to leave her other lady, so I had another lovely midwife to help me in the beginning. I felt a little panicked by that, as I knew my midwife so well, and was scared stiff.

I asked for some gas at first, as I wanted to see how I went with it, but it made me feel very "wasted". By then, I was about 5cm dilated and feeling very restless. The gas was making me puke, I was gushing water everywhere, and I SO didn't want to be doing this.

The anaesthetist had to have a Sunday lie-in and didn't come until after 8am, by which time I was climbing the walls. The epidural allowed me to sleep some, but by 10.30am, the pains were back and "rolling". I was still able to rest and tried to just breathe through them.

At 11am I had a top-up, as the pains were starting to get very strong and relentless again. I was frightened to go with them. The top-up didn't work and I was in agony.

At 11.30, I was able to start pushing. "Do you want to touch the head? There's lots and lots of thick hair!" said the midwife. Um, no thanks! "Do you want to see it?" Hell, no! Rod was waving a travel catalogue in my face for Fiji, promising to take me as a reward (he thinks I hallucinated this part).

Finally, one more push and the head was out... One big push and all of baby came out. "It's a boy! Look at all his hair! Look at his big blue eyes!"

He didn't even cry, just a little whimper. Jacob Russell Bruce Thompson, born 5 June, just like I knew he would be...

My midwife did make it to the birth in the end, and me and her other 5 June lady often get together with our babies.