a birth story - part eleven

In my birth story so far:

I've had 24 hours of contractions 

no more than three minutes apart

but things are going slowly.

And after feeling lost and scared in the birthing centre

I've finally found the courage

to ask to be moved to the local hospital.

I had so wanted to have positive experiences at the birthing centre.

I had liked the small, community feel of it when I had looked round when I was pregnant.

I wanted my husband to be able to stay overnight with us on the first night.

I wanted visitors to come and go without visiting hours.

I wanted to have my baby in the same hospital where my brother had been born

and where I had spent the first two weeks of my life.

But the most positive thing that happened to me at the birthing centre 

was making the decision to leave.

I was taking control again.

I was trusting my instincts.

I didn't feel safe.

I didn't feel confident or in control of myself.

I didn't want my baby born here.

The call was made.

The hospital had a room ready for me.

I had even put in the request

that an anaesthetist be ready as soon as possible

to administer an epidural.

I had reached my pain limit,

I couldn't stand any more.

The ambulance was on the way.

The car was packed for my husband to drive to the hospital in the next town.

And we waited for the relief midwife to come and take over at the birthing unit

while my midwife travelled with me in the ambulance.

And by the time the ambulance arrived,

my contractions had all but stopped.

I walked myself into the ambulance.

I enjoyed my flashy light ride to the hospital.

It felt like I was in a rally car.

I only puffed on the gas and air a couple of time in the whole journey.

And as we pulled up at the hospital,

the midwife confessed that I had made the right decision.

With my contractions stopping like that,

she would have been forced to transfer me anyway.

They wheeled me into a sparkly new labour room

with all the latest mod-cons

and an en-suite bathroom.

And I promptly used said en-suite

to produce the much wanted urine sample.

I think it was a mixture of the fact my contractions had all but stopped

and the fact that I suddenly felt relaxed and in control again.

We had arrived at the hospital as the shift changed over,

so we waited about half an hour before we were introduced to our new midwife.

We didn't really mind,

my contractions had started back up again

but were quite spaced out and not lasting very long,

and while they were still really painful,

I had the gas and air,

and more than anything,

I'd regained my composure.

You can read the next part of my story here.