I was two weeks overdue and still vomiting several times a day, so needless to say I was more than willing to be induced when suggested by my doctor.

I had Prostaglandin Gel inserted which was supposed to ripen my cervix so that my waters could be broken etc. However, I was in pain as soon as the gel was inserted even though the contraction belts weren't picking anything up.

I was sent to the ward where I continued to be in pain and was finally taken back to Labor and Delivery where I thought they would tell me, at the very least, my cervix was ready for them to break my waters the next day. Of course they told me nothing had happened (try telling my poor battered body that!) so I had MORE gel inserted - which was extremely painful. I started to get quite hysterical because I was thinking if I can't even handle this slight discomfort (as they told me it would feel like) then how on earth was I going to handle the real thing. My wonderful husband proceeded to tell me that I was doing great and just to breathe through the pain - which eventually settled me down. The contraction belts were still not picking up anything, but I was still in considerable discomfort and getting worse.

I was sent back to the ward and my husband was sent home at 11 p.m. only to be called back three hours later as I was in fact in labor!! Although all night the midwife kept telling me nothing was happening. So she gave me Panedine Forte, Pethadine and sleeping tablets (because nothing was happening and I was being a baby) before I even left the ward! I was laying in bed feeling sorry for myself in the middle of the night when I thought I had lost total control of my bladder which turned out to be my waters breaking. So eventually the midwife believed that I was in fact in labor and took me to Labor and Delivery where the pain started to really take hold of me.

I tried to labor in the shower but it wasn't helping, so I asked for an epidural. I was put back into bed while I waited for both my husband and my epidural. My husband and my sister arrived and I totally ignored them. I knew very well they were there, but I was unable to speak until my sister asked if I was all right to which my husband replied I think she's drugged out. I snapped my head around and hissed through gritted teeth I AM NOT DRUGGED OUT. And until I got my epidural that was the only word I uttered.

So the anesthesiologist arrived to insert the combined epidural/spinal block. Only the spinal block worked and then it only worked on the right side of my body, so I could feel everything on the left side. The medication went into my lungs, so they were worried I would stop breathing. Then they gave me something to reverse the effect of the spinal block and very quickly I could feel everything on both sides again. Then they sent the head anesthesiologist in to give me a plain epidural. It may sound pretty bad, but really the worst bit of all that was trying to keep still during contractions and trying not to vomit (I was vomiting with every contraction).

Eventually my doctor came in to check how far I had come and to my surprise and relief I was already 5 centimeters. The catch was he had noticed that the baby's heart rate seemed to be dropping with each contraction, but he was keeping an eye on it and we would take it from there. Meanwhile the contraction belt was still not picking up anything and it was established by the midwives that I was indeed in labor. So the midwife kept putting her hand on my stomach to feel the contracts -- very annoying.

About 10 minutes later my doctor came in to say there was definitely a problem and I would have to have a Cesarean - hooray!! It would all be over soon!!

I am not a very calm person, but my guardian angel was definitely with me because I was very cool, calm and collected and I just went with the flow.

Before surgery I asked the doctor not to tell me what sex the baby was as he was pulling it out, but to let me discover it for myself. So we went to surgery and my husband was with me and they pulled out my baby. They held it up to me and I said with a huge smile on my face, that didn't leave for two days, We've got a boy!! and then I heard silence and then a huge big beautiful cry. He was checked out by the doctors and I sent my husband off with our new little son to be cleaned while I was stitched up.

My perfectly healthy, not distressed 8.9-pound baby boy called Connor John, was finally here and worth every second of discomfort (see, as time goes I don't even remember it as pain anymore!!)