Induction Day 1

* This post was written in retrospect

Following yesterday's long visit to the hospital I was told to arrive for induction at 10:30 on Ward 32. 

After a restless night with NO sleep I found myself packed and ready to go hospital to have a baby. This was going to be day one of not travelling light!

Hospital Bags & Car Seat Readg to Go!

When I left the house I remember thinking the next time I come back here... I will be a Mummy! 

Last pic at home - 37 weeks, 4 days pregnant

We arrived on the ward dot on time and was shown to my bed. I was allocated to bed number 5 which was in a bay with 3 other beds and was next to the toilet. Yuk. 

I unpacked my bag and waited for the midwife to arrive to admit me. She told me she wasn't the usual midwife as she usually works on the ward upstairs but was helping out today. She took some basic details from me and told me that we would begin the induction process at midday. 

I lay on the bed with my husband sitting in a hard plastic chair (that we had to ask for) next to me waiting for midday. They put me on a monitor watching baby. And we waited. 

Moments before Induction begins!

At midday the midwife came back and started the induction process. This was the first time that I was examined in pregnancy. It wasn't as bad as I expected and the midwife was very gentle. She inserted a pessary into my cervix and informed me that it would stay there for the next 24 hours and that a midwife would remove it at midday tomorrow. I could expect anything from absolutely nothing, mild cramps, bleeding or full on contractions and onset of labour in the mean time. She asked me to lay down for 1/2 hour then I should stay as active as possible. 

Of course at this moment lunch promptly arrived and we had to go to the trolley to get it ourselves. I was obviously late to the party and Oliver had to go and get mine for me as I was confined to the bed for a few moments. He came back with a jacket potato and cheese. It looked awful but was actually quite nice! 

Mmmm Lunch

We then spent the rest of the day passing time in any way possible. A lot of this was being nosy, having my blood pressure done by the midwives, going for short walks around the hospital (pelvis was still in pain!) to find toilets to use as the one on the ward was gross and playing on our phones. 

In the meantime I had no pains or aches or twinges or anything, other than the pelvic pain since March. 9pm rolled around and Oliver had to go. We said our goodbyes. Wouldn't see him until he was allowed back in at 9am. 

Broke down! Cried and cried. Hate being apart from Oliver, especially being in hospital!!! 

The midwives shift changed and the night staff came in. I had a nice midwife called Jane that night (she must have been nice as I remember her name!) and she listened to baby's heartbeat, said everything was fine and told me to get some sleep. Then the midwife assistant came around, checked my blood pressure and gave me a sample pot for the wee I needed to do in the morning. 

I then tried to get some sleep but it was really difficult as the lights were on in the ward. I asked a few times to have them turned off but it didn't happen until around half midnight! Just as I settled around 2am I was woken again for a blood pressure and heartbeat check. 

The lights were this bright taken at 23:30!

Once the lights were out it was time to count the hours until Oliver was allowed back in! I then attempted (with no luck!) to sleep.....