"They are the only people who would listen to me"

My daughter was born recently at the Princess Royal Maternity Hospital in Glasgow.

I was booked for an induction and started the process the evening before. At around 1am I started to have what I thought was contractions and was told it was cramps, so we proceeded with a further round of the induction gel, by 7am the next morning I had started using my contraction tracking app and was convinced I was as having contractions 10 minutes apart, I was told it was just the medicine giving me cramps and we proceeded with a further round of gel.

By this point around I was in a lot of pain around lunch time the paracetamol was cutting it and my partner was tracking my contractions at 4 minutes apart I was given morphine which helped and we continued to wait for my check at 4:00pm to see if I was finally starting to dialated. The midwife informed me at 4:00pm that the doctor would have to check me, but the doctor was late, and I would have to wait.

I begged and pleaded to be given more pain relief and for the midwife just to check me as the contractions had reached 2 minutes apart. I was told it would be best to hold off on pain relief until the doctor came to check me as it would be uncomfortable.

I buzzed repeatedly asking for pain relief and asking to be checked as they had been doing my examinations until this one. Finally a doctor came in just before 7 and informed us all I was around 5cm dilated and needed to be taken to the delivery suite. - I was less than happy but in too much pain to care.

Within 15 minutes we had been taken to the labour suite and informed that there would be no birthing pool but that I’m on the list for an epidural because the morphine I received is doing nothing and the gas an air is making me feel sick.

The two midwives in the labour suite are finishing their shift up but doing their best to get me hooked up to everything while I’m now screaming in pain, everyone is telling me to just breath and nobody is listening to me when I say I can’t, it feels like I have no control over my breath, so much pressure is on my back.

My partner is doing my best and the midwife thinks I’m nuts when I say maybe the baby is here, because I’ve been in the room like 10 minutes and I’m only 5cm gone.

Then the shift change and what I can only describe as two of the greatest people in the world come in. The midwives that delivered my baby - Gillian and a student midwife, Fiona. They asked me to breathe through my contractions and I explained I couldn’t and told Gillian I thought my baby was ready and asked her to just check and she said okay.

For the first time since I got to the hospital someone just listened to me, even though I sounded nuts. I don’t think she told me, it’s all a blur I was in pain but she spoke with Fiona, and it was somewhat clear I was fully dilated now. They couldn’t monitor the heart rate of baby because I was freaking out too much so a cap was to be put on baby, but then my waters had to be broke and the cap was soaked and from that point it was go.

The doctor came in, who was also an absolute angel, I have forgotten her name, but she remained calm against my freak out, Gillian and Fiona both spoke me through and cheered me on. I owe them both a hand because I could have broke anyone’s in the delivery. I gave birth to my baby, back to back, no pain relief, without a real monitor to of her heart rate and while freaking out and screaming at everyone. 

My partner, Gillian, Fiona and the doctor all deserve a medal. But Gillian and Fiona deserve a special recognition as they are the only people who would listen to me and I honestly don’t know what would of happened if I was forced to sit in that pain much longer. If someone had listened sooner, perhaps I would have received pain relief and coped a lot better.

But thank you if you read this, I will remember you forever.