The 40 Hour Labour of my First Born - Aidan

[Blondie]

1.50am Wednesday 17 November (at 41 weeks) I woke to go to the toilet and felt some mild period type cramps and pains.

By 3.00am they had ramped up to one contraction every 10 mins so I woke my Husband up and called my Mum to come from the Sunshine Coast.

Mum got to me by 7am and at that stage the contractions were 6 mins apart and getting stronger.

At around 12.30pm my contractions were around 5 mins apart and lasting around 20-30 seconds. We decided to pack up and head into Hospital.

Got to Hospital was told I was 2cm Dilated but Cervix was thinning out nicely. Sent home with Panadine and told to try and get some rest.

Approx 9 -10 hours later my contractions were now still 4-6 mins apart but were lasting up to 1 minute in length. Husband decided it was a good idea to go in to Hospital again; he was worried as I had been in Labour for quite some time.

Got into Hospital again and was told I was still 2cm dilated but my cervix was now really thin and I should start making some decent progress, was sent home with Sleeping Tablets and more Panadine.

6am Thursday morning and I couldn’t handle the pain any longer and was utterly exhausted. Husband and I both decided enough was enough – we were going into Hospital and I was going to have my baby one way or another!

Got into Hospital and was 4cm Dilated! YIPPEEE! THANK GOD! So up to Birth Suites we headed...I got in the bath and laboured in there from 4cm until 9cm. Using the Gas I managed to get through the pain and the exhaustion. I was still in the bath at around 1pm when I felt the urge to push. The Midwives got me out of the bath – did a quick check and said your 9cm and you can start bearing down when you get the urge. I pushed leaning over the bed, squatting on the floor and on the birth stool and after 2.5 hours I was utterly exhausted and still no baby.

They decided to do an internal examination and they realised that there was a flap of my cervix still in the way which was now extremely swollen and aggravated. They told me to stop pushing and to breathe...this was the hardest thing I have ever had to do and as much as I tried my body just kept on pushing. They then tried to push the flap of cervix back with their fingers while I pushed but this didn’t work. After another hour on lying on my side, trying not to push and absolutely shaking with pain the Midwives decided that the Epidural was needed so that my body would relax and dilate to 10cm so that I could push my Son out.

The anaesthetist came at around 4pm to administer the Epidural. I got the Epidural and immediately fell asleep from exhaustion. They left me to sleep for 50 mins and then came back in with the Doctor to monitor me.

The Doctor did an internal and found out that my Boy was Posterior and was still sitting very high up. They upped the Syntocin Drip to get my contractions pumping hard and rolled my on my side to try and get him down and into position but he wasn’t budging. His heart rate was erratic and had started to drop. This baby needed to come out ASAP.

They decided to let me have a go at pushing him out with the help of “the vacuum”. I pushed and pushed and pushed and FINALLY my baby Boy was born at 5.53pm Thursday 18th November..40 hours after Labour had started. When he was put on my chest my Husband and I both cried. He was so beautiful and although I was exhausted and had suffered a 3C Tear – (3rd Degree Tear combined with some tearing of the sphincter muscle) it was so worth it.

So I put him to my breast and my Husband took our First Photo together ...Mother and Son.

Aidan Peter
8 pound 8ounces (3.840 kgs)
56cm Long
Head Circumference of 35cm
Thanks for reading

Blondie