27th July - Due Date
Midwife tried to do a membrane sweep but the little ones head was no longer engaged so she didn't attempt the sweep :-(

28th July - DD + 1
Had a hospital appointment to check fluid levels - all was OK and little ones head had engaged again, however my cervix was still too far back for them to attempt a sweep :-(

2nd Aug - DD + 6
Another hospital appointment, everyhting OK, and my cervix was now in a mid position so they were able to perform the sweep. However it had no effect :-( They booked me in to be induced on 8th Aug.

8th Aug - DD + 12
Started the induction at 5:30pm with a pressary and the wait started. Not much had happened by 9:30pm so Phill went home for the night. I had a few contractions during the night but nothing a paracetmol and a bath couldn't sorted out.

9th Aug - DD + 13
Had a second pressary at 10:30, again didn't really result in any contractions. Was examined at 18:00, this was my first real insight into pregnancy pain and the joy of gas and air! I was 2cm dilated so was transferred to delivery suite where they broke my waters. Quickly after that the contractions started and I was having to use gas and air to get through each one. At 9pm I was 3cm dilated but the cervix was still 1 cm long. At this point I asked for an epidural (having thrown my birth plan out the window which said I did not want an epidural!!!). I was fitted with a drip to try and speed up the dilation process so for the next 2.5 hrs the contractions got stronger and stronger and stronger, coming every 2-3 minutes and lasting a minute, the noise I was making to push each contraction away sounded like a cow mooing ...nice....and it got louder and louder. I had the epidural fitted at 11:30......ahhhh blisss!

10th Aug - DD + 14
At 1:00am I was examined and still only 4.5 dilation and also the baby's heartrate was dropping with each contraction. Doctors took a blood sample from baby's head, everything was ok with baby. At 4:00am I was examined and still only 5cm dilation with babys heart rate still dropping with each contraction. Decision was made at 4:15am to do a c. section.

James Jonathon Leslie Pearce came into the world at 5:10am with an Apgar score of 9, then 10 and 10!!