Mad Margaret's Birth Stories

15.5.87

James was certainly born around or on his due date.

I remember waking quite suddenly at 1am with appalling pain in my back. I had never been in labour before so it seemed probable that this was it. I timed the pains and they were coming quickly, every 6 mins or so. As the next 20 minutes passed, they became closer, until they were just 3 minutes apart. The hospital didn't seem too interested, but said I should come in.

I was bitterly disappointed to find that I was hardly dilated. And yet the pains were still very close together and now forming a tightening band across my uterus too. I tried gas and air, but that was ineffective and so I had a jab of pethidine. In retrospect it's easy to see that I over reacted to it, but hindsight is a wonderful thing. I found myself drifting off into another lovely world, without pain, without agony. Unfortunately, I seemed to forget to breathe in this world and it occurred to me that I could happily die and just fade away. I woke with nurses telling me to breathe and gradually I was back in the room and back in that horrible pain.

I have no idea how I managed to get through the gruelling 9 hours or so, but I managed to be ready to push. And push I did. But nothing was happening. Everyone was telling me to push harder, but still the little so and so would not come out. Over an hour of this and the nurses, sensing something was not right, got an obstetrician to take a look. He declared that James was in the posterior position, so his spine was against mine and he probably would not be able to get out without help. At which point, out came the dreaded stirrups and I was given a J cut (don't ask) and a Keillands Rotation. It was the stuff of nightmares and I had no idea that any human could remain conscious through such appalling pain. After the rotation he was pulled out with forceps (as was common practice 25 years ago - nowadays it would be a caesarian). He was a beautiful and perfect, healthy little boy. They took a while to stitch me back together (28 stitches, the gentleman told me) and a very, very long time before I was well again.

22.11.89

2 and a half years later....I suppose having had the birth from hell, it was quite a miracle that I would actually want to go through with it again. Nature is rather clever though and it's hard to recall pain. Tom was not a planned baby and I really am not sure how he even happened, but it was such a wonderful thing and I really looked forward to having another child. I share my birthday with my late father and it would have been very special if this little one could be born on the same day. And I did well, 2 days after our birthday (11 days before he was due) he decided to enter this world. So off I went again.

This time it was easier and more natural. The pains started around 9 in the morning and were a bit like period pains. As the morning moved on the midwives popped in and said, yes, labour is going well. The pains became closer and stronger. I had to go upstairs so as not to frighten my toddler. My exhusband lay on the bed while I was on all fours on the floor and sweetly said "Can't you keep the noise down?" He was not the happiest of people that day. I resolved there and then that if I did have more children he would not be my birthing partner.