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I was 39+4 weeks pregnant and nesting was in full swing, my house had never been so organised and clean. I always had it in the back of my head that I would be overdue but I was prepared and pack for the hospital non the less.

Sunday morning I notice some cramping but nothing major, I put it down to braxton hicks which I had not felt until this point and being a first timer, I wasn’t quite sure what I was meant to be feeling. The cramping came and went and followed no real pattern and by night it was completely gone. The next day (Monday) I had some more of the same irregular cramping and by this time by husband had decided to play it safe and not go into work nothing really happened and agin the cramps went away for the most part of the day. Tue morn I had nothing at all but again, hubby took the day off just to be safe.

Our change table had not arrived and the baby was due on friday so I was starting to get a little apprehensive. We decide to go into the baby shop to follow it up and then the cramping hit again this time every 10 mins but I kept telling my husband it was just wind pain and I was fine.

We got home and the pains were bad enough to get me on my hands and knees now, making what the neighbours would describe as a sick farm animal. My husband called the midwife against my wishes (I was adamant I wasn’t in labour and just had gas) and by this time the contractions were every 3 mins and our midwife said come straight to the hospital which, thankfully is only 15 mins up the road. On the way to the hospital I’m saying to my poor husband “I’m telling you I have gas pain and if they send me home I will be so angry with you!”

We park the car n the parking station and the contractions were now coming so close together I could hardly walk 2 steps without crouching to the floor.

We got into the birthing unit and my midwife checks to see whats going on and tells me I’m 8cm dilated already to which I replied “No, really? I thought it was just wind pains.” The midwife ran the bath as I had requested a water birth and it still hadn’t clicked to me I was in labour. I jumped into the bath and my husband and I are talking and laughing, not at all what I pictured labour to be like. I planned a natural birth with no drugs or gas and at this stage I thought to myself this is going to be so easy because it wasn’t any different to gas pains. Within 5 mins my midwife came to check on me and to see how things were moving along and suddenly said “oh you are ready to push! You’re are progressing fast!” Suddenly I panicked and then It was all becoming real, we were taking a baby home with us! After 5 pushes our princess came into the world and I could see the love instantly overflow in my husbands face. I asked how long I was in labor and the midwife said three hours in total. I was very blessed to have an easy labour and birth but, if it wasn’t for my husband making me go into the hospital, we would of had our princess at home or even in the car. I guess I was just waiting for agonising pain which never kicked in. I hope this story bring peace to mothers about to give birth for the first time. You never know what it’s going to be like until you go through it and then your body does an amazing thing and just takes over. After all, its what it was designed for.

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Posted by miranda_blackmore, 6th February 2014