I was due on Friday 1st June, but got to Hubby's birthday on 6th and no sign. We had a few people round so we had a late night after clearing up. I woke about 2.30 am with period pains & knew things were starting to happen. I didn't wake Sean and just had a long bath & then he woke at 4am ish & we had breakfast etc & generally mooched about. By 6am contractions were coming at least every 5 minutes and lasting 15 seconds or more so I made Sean put my TENS machine on me which I found a great help. My parents came over to take Ruby to nursery & they dropped us at the hospital at about 9am...this was not a minute too early in my opinion! I was found to be 5-6 cm dilated, thank God....last time I was only 1-2 cm by this stage. Because I was diagnosed with Strp B during pregnancy I had to have an antibiotic drip put in which took 4 or 5 attempts by as many doctors. Then they left us & said they would be back at 1pm to check progress. The contractions slowed if I lay on the bed, so I tried to keep moving about, including using a birthing stool which was not very dignified! By 1pm I was found to be 9cm, and felt ready to push, and a few contractions later my waters broke with a gush. I was on the bed at this point & had been on the gas & air virtually since I arived at the hospital. I turned onto my hands and knees to push & that was incredibly painful, lots of gulps of entenox & shouting that I couldn't do it...but eventually the head came out & the baby tumbled after! What a relief!

So Hetty our second daughter was born at 2.05pm weighing 8lb 11 oz