Waiting {Flashback Friday}

Carrying on from the start of my birth story for Flashback Friday last week; I was waiting to find out if I was going to be admitted to hospital or be sent home for the second time. I was sent into a little room to be examined and we waited anxiously for a midwife. I was walking around the room gripping onto the bed everytime a contraction hit. When I lay on the bed the to be examined the pain just seemed so much worse and I was holding onto my husbands hand; I waited to hear if I had progressed since last time I was examined nearly 24 hours ago...I had, but I was only at 2cm! I was devastated  I had been getting regular pains for nearly 2 days and I was making slow progress. Just as I was preparing myself to be sent home the midwife told us she was just sending for an obstetrician because I had bled during the examination. I was worried but she assured me it was fine but they needed to check me over. The obstetrician said everything was fine but they would keep me in so they could keep an eye on me. Although I was anxious I was so relieved that I didn't have to go back home!

I was put up on the maternity ward with the new mums but given a private room with a bathroom thank goodness! It was about 2am by this time and my husband had come up to the ward with me carrying my bags; very kindly they said he could stay with me overnight. As I looked over at him and he looked shattered so I decided to send him home. He wasn't sure about leaving me but I reasoned that at least one of us should get some sleep; baby was showing no signs of hurrying and I would need him more towards the end of labour. They told me he could come back whenever I wanted the next morning; he made sure I was settled and headed home. I was given codeine and left to rest. The codeine knocked me out so I managed a couple of hours sleep; I woke up and just started pacing the room and then the corridors hoping that it would help things move along. The midwives changed shifts at 8am so after their briefing I was introduced to my new midwife duo, an older woman and a young trainee. They were both lovely but the younger lady was great; I met quite a few midwives during my labour and I will never forget their kindness. 

My husband came back and settled in for the day with snacks. They had found me a ball to bounce on but it was too painful for me to sit on. The midwife tried rubbing my back but again I found that really uncomfortable. When they hooked me up to the monitors to check my contractions they could barely get a trace on them, although I definitely felt them! Maybe I should have twigged then that my darling boy was back to back but I didn't find out until afterwards, whether someone had said and I didn't hear I'm not sure. It all clicked into place when I found out later and maybe it was best I didn't know because I would have known I was in for a long, uncomfortable labour. When I was getting contractions the midwife was feeling my baby bump, waiting for it to harden up; it never did and my contractions were all over the place right up until I gave birth.

This was the longest day of the whole labour. I stopped taking the codeine because it's pain relief was barely felt and it made me woozy so I couldn't walk around. Lying on my back was agony and they lifted the bed up for me so I could lean over it with my elbows when I needed to rest. A few of our close family and friends knew I had been admitted to hospital and both our phones were full of texts and calls but neither could summon the energy to reply  Later that afternoon a midwife came into our room and asked if I knew a Linda; yes, I replied, she's my mother. She had phoned the ward all of a fluster to find out if I was okay and they couldn't give out any information so could we let her know! I couldn't help but smile; everyone was waiting for the news of a birth and it just wasn't happening. The time passed slowly and before I knew it I was hitting the next shift change at 8pm and I think this threw me over the edge...I had hit 'The Wall.'

I'm linking this up to Mummy Mishaps and Real Housewife of Suffolk Country.