well ladies were do i start i have 4 girls christina is almost 5 and my pregnancy with her mostly uneventful apart from the odd bout of thrush. my labour on the other hand was different i woke at 3am on the 12th august 2002 my contractions had started by 9am they were around 3 minutes apart and reli quite sore. so the husband and nyself headed to hospital were i was examined and told i was 2cm dilated but as it was my 1st and they werent overly busy i wud be kept on the ward, and also because we lived half an hours drive from hospital. once on the ward i was pretty much free to do as i pleased so hubby headed home and i went and got bath and low and behold contractions almost dissappeared. Later in the afternoon my mum aunty and hubby came back up so we headed down to canteen for a cuppa were my contractions started again although mild and around 5 mins apart, so that evening my hubby mum and aunty were told to go home the baby wudnt b born until well into the next day, by 10pm i was in agony and asked 4 pain relief i was given to paracetamol and told to get some sleep, cudnt sleep so was given a sleeping tablet. At around 12am i was still awake and contractions coming every 2 mins now i called 4 midwife who examined me and said i was almost 5cms dilated and was going to take me to labour ward. my mum and husband were foned and told to come up to hospital. once on labour ward i was given gas and air and pethidine. the gas and air was great, by 3.30am i was fully dilated and baby should have been born anytime but i was exhausted and now sleeping tablet decided to work so wen i was being told to push i cudnt manage to do it 4 long enough causing my baby to get distressed. Eventually at 4.42am my daughter was born extremely distressed and with cord around her neck but was fine and screaming within a few secs. As for me well i was knackered my lovely baby was placed on top of me i had a look at her she was perfect but then i feel asleep my hubby was then given her and i didnt get to feed her or do any skin 2 skin contact with her after an hr i was taken back to ward and hubby and mum were sent home. The midwives came and took my daughter to bath and feed her while i was left to sleep, i woke a couple of hrs later feeling extremely dirty and empty and with no baby in a cot beside me. i got myself up went and found my daughter in day room with midwives who told me to go shower and freshen up they wud b fine with baby. As soon as i had showered i finally got my baby back but i feel that those precious bonding moments were taken from me. this was my 1st experience if you enjoyed reading this then read the next 1 for birth number 2 there will b 4 in total