Ellie: Infertility, Positive NHS Hospital Induction, 3B Tear, Retained Placenta & Fibroids

In this episode, Ellie shares the story of conceiving her son after two and a half years of trying, following years on the contraceptive pill and eventually discovering during pregnancy that she had a large uterine fibroid. With concerns about her baby’s growth and blood flow between the placenta and uterus, she was placed under consultant-led care and scheduled for an induction on her due date.Ellie describes arriving at hospital for the induction, receiving a pessary, and unexpectedly progressing into labour quickly overnight. What followed was a fast and intense labour, where she laboured using gas and air, pethidine, and the bath before rapidly reaching full dilation just as she was being moved to the delivery ward for the epidural she had planned. Her son was born vaginally after a short pushing stage, but the birth was complicated by him being born with his arm up, resulting in a severe 3B tear.She also speaks honestly about the immediate postpartum complications that followed, including a retained placenta requiring surgery, missing the “golden hour” with her baby, significant blood loss, and the emotional impact of recovering from a serious birth injury. Ellie reflects on the challenges of early feeding, the slow physical recovery from a third-degree tear, pelvic floor rehabilitation, and learning to reconnect with her body after birth trauma. This episode offers a detailed, honest, and reassuring insight into induction birth, retained placenta, severe tearing, and the realities of postpartum recovery after a traumatic birth.This podcast shares personal birth experiences and is not intended as medical advice.British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery.These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional.Follow us on social: Instagram · TikTok · YouTubeWant to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.