Amazing waterbirth (VBAC) of Hannah

[Jennifer13]

Pregnancy

I was lucky enough to have a very easy and enjoyable pregnancy. I was keen to have a homebirth from the very outset, but I agreed to see our ob at 12 weeks (after our scan) just in case we also encountered issues with this pg (with my DD1 I had a low lying placenta, that led to a scheduled c/s at 39 weeks).

Having an EDD of 1 January meant it was very hard to find a homebirth midwife who wasn't going to be on holidays! It's complicated enough, given there are only about eight independent midwives for the whole of greater Sydney. We met up with Melanie at 12 weeks and liked her immediately.

Thankfully, all the tests and scans showed no issues at 12 weeks. Our ob said he thought we had an excellent chance of VBAC and could barely see the c/s scar on my uterus it had healed so well. He outlined the private hospital's policies on VBAC (continuous monitoring, cannula, etc) and DP and I came away with the impression that it was all about risk avoidance. We were both confident that our homebirth choice was a good one.

The risk factors of a VBAC at home were discussed at an early meeting with Mel, and after that I put it out of my mind completely. As far as I was concerned, we now had the opportunity to have the pregnancy and birth assessed on its own merits, and not a bunch of statistics and policies.

I saw my GP for the necessary test referrals and scripts and she was supportive of my choice to homebirth (even though I'm the first patient she's ever had to do so!). I booked in to the local hospital five minutes up the road in case we needed to transfer and saw both a midwife and an ob. I was pleasantly surprised at how encouraging they were of my homebirth decision as well, the ob wishing me the best and telling me she didn't expect to see me again.

I kept very active throughout the pregnancy, went to prenatal aqua aerobics, plenty of walking, gardening and normal activity. I was much busier this time around, with a five year old at school and more hectic workload.

Labour and birth

A few days before my EDD of 1 Jan we had a midwife appt and I was adamant that I didn't want to wait a week to see her next. We made an appt for Wed 4th, joking that we expected me to have a baby on 3 Jan (for some reason I'd had this date in mind since the very beginning of my pg as this baby's birthday). I'd been waking up at about 3am every morning for some reason and I told my m/w that I thought I'd go into labour at this time.

Mum came to stay on 1 Jan and now everything was ready for the birth.

I woke up at 3am on Mon 2 Jan, but this time I was getting tightenings! I didn't know if they were really contractions, since they were quite low down. I tried to get some more sleep and SMSed my m/w at around 8am asking her how I'd know if they were the real deal. She said once they were lasting about 45 secs and coming regularly. Well, they were regular, but only lasting about 30 secs. They weren't painful, just noticeable, so I got on with my normal day. Mel had also said they'd probably slow down during the day and may start up again in the evening, once things quietened down. I didn't notice much slowing down, but it was nothing I couldn't mostly ignore.

I went to bed that night and fell asleep easily. I was quite happy to have a decent amount of early labour and kept telling myself that it would mean my body was really ready when it kicked into full labour.

I woke up again on Wed 3 Jan at 3am and this time the contractions seemed a lot more purposeful. I was very excited to go to the toilet and see a fair amount of mucus. Hopped onto BB and said I thought things were ramping up. I couldn't sleep through these so I came downstairs and started monitoring them. They were 45secs-1 min long, but anything from 5 to 10 mins apart. Again, not painful, but they took a bit more concentration than yesterday's. I texted my doula and m/w at 4.40am to let them know and Christy (my doula) got back to me almost immediately to say she'd been lying in bed awake and would be over soon. Christy arrived shortly after, I was using the fit ball to move through each contraction and then the rest of the household woke.

With all the activity and then the plumber arriving shortly after breakfast, everything slowed down, despite taking a walk with Christy and my dog (so my m/w's prediction was annoyingly right). I texted my m/w to let her know and ask for suggestions, to which she replied to try to ignore things and get on with my day as though I wasn't in early labour at all. She suggested resting and snacking regularly, try not to get frustrated.

I came home, told Christy it'd probably be best if she went home and did what she had planned for the day and rested as well, and that I'd get in touch if anything changed. I went to nap on my DD's bed (since the plumber was still in the ensuite). After the plumber left, I suggested to DP that he take DD around to a friend's place just around the corner, since nothing would be happening any time soon and I felt the need to be left alone. Texted my friend, DP dropped DD off and then (bless him!) he took my Mum grocery shopping for a couple of hours. I had a blissful nap without any noise or activity. DP and Mum came home at lunch time, but then kept out of my way after checking on me.

I spent the afternoon resting with the contractions still happening, just not regularly. I noticed the baby would kick every now and then and set off contractions. At some point during the afternoon she had moved from lying on my LHS to completely anterior, head down and in perfect launch position. I had a good nap from 4pm. DD was dropped home.

At about 6pm I couldn't rest comfortably in bed any longer. I had a huge amount of mucus when i went to the toilet. DP organised dinner for everyone. I told him I did not want anything to eat at all and I was starting to feel things ramping up a bit. I knew this was really going to be it, it certainly wouldn't be stopping tonight. I was using the fit ball and a huge pile of pillows to lean on in front of me (on both Christy and Mel's advice), so that I could rest in between.

DP came up just before 8pm and I felt like I wanted Mel and Christy to come (Mel had a 45 min drive). DP called Mel and she asked him if I wanted her to come and I was very emphatic in my "Yes!" I texted Christy and told her to head on over whenever she was ready as this was the real thing.

I moved downstairs (can't remember if this was before or after Christy arrived) and set up station near my birthing space (pool and beanbags, etc, all set up in the dining room). Stacked all my pillows on a chair and lent forward from the fit ball, taking Mel's advice to rest in between each contraction. For some reason, I really wanted DP's pillow, with his smell, on the top. I found that really comforting, as well as having him there anyway. I was in good spirits, talking and laughing with everyone in between (when I wasn't trying to rest).

Mel arrived somewhere after 9pm (her observation notes start at 10pm). I was still coping fine on the fit ball but dying to get into the pool! I waited a little while after she arrived and then asked if I could get in. I was worried about slowing things down, not sure why. Mel said we could deal with that if it happened, but if I wanted to get in the pool, to go ahead. I'd had a few small drinks of water, tried some soft drink but it left a taste in my mouth that I just couldn't abide, so I stuck to water for the rest of the labour. (DP had filled the pool once Mel arrived - he had jobs to do that he managed beautifully in the background).

I LOVED being in the pool. I'd started making some noises during each contraction now, really concentrating and occasionally joking that I'd like a body double or a break! I didn't feel like I couldn't cope, but I was wondering how long this would go for. Someone started saying something about the time and I called out that I didn't want to know what the time was and not to tell me or mention it. I knew I'd get past midnight and I didn't want a reference point for how long I'd been in labour. I had no issue with the length of the labour, but after hearing of women at my homebirth get together who were in labour for a long time (and one in particular, who eventually transferred to hospital after 50 hrs), and knowing I would not transfer to hospital, I just didn't want to be aware of how long I'd been doing this for. I was determined to keep going for as long as it took, at home.

After about half an hour in the pool, a few contractions had a lot of pressure behind them. Next contraction and I felt a small pop and looked up to tell my midwife that I thought my waters had broken. The relief of the pressure was fantastic! Mel had been checking baby's heartrate every now and then with the doppler and had also checked my blood pressure and temp, but that was the only monitoring we received. All were consistently good. After my waters broke my midwife has put down in her notes that I was in established labour (so 10:30pm). I talked to the baby during the labour, telling her we could do this together. I also prayed, asking for strength.

Mel asked me to try going to the toilet to wee half an hour later. I was soooo reluctant to leave the pool, but grudgingly waddled over. I had a big bloody show on the toilet (that just seemed to go forever). I refused to get up until it was finished! I was joking with Mel and Christy about how much there was. Christy says it was around this time that she noticed a few signs of transition, but I completely missed it and certainly didn't feel emotionally any different. Just before I left the pool I made a comment about not wanting to do this anymore, that it wasn't fun (in the same vein as my earlier jokes about wanting a body double!), then I said something about feeling sick on the toilet (I don't remember this) and then my legs were a little shaky (I thought it was just the way I was perched on the toilet). I asked Christy to keep her hand applying pressure on my lower back. She was fantastic - I have no idea how she held that hunched over position during my contractions in the toilet!

DP was amazing support during the whole time - he would come over and tell me what a good job I was doing every now and then and just said exactly the right thing each time. Christy and Mel said similar things, but it really meant a lot to me that DP was around.

Once the show had stopped I went back to the pool - relief! Mel had called the back up midwife Emma around this time and she arrived at some stage (I barely noticed - Mel was worried she'd miss it in the end). It was around 11:45pm when I got back in the pool. Within a couple of contractions I noticed my noises had changed, deeper and more intense and I realised I'd been pushing for the last contractions involuntary. It was nothing like I expected! This felt like really hard work!

I was pushing for about half an hour and starting to get a bit impatient at how long this was taking (haha!). I did ask a few times, how long is this going to take? Christy was still applying pressure on my lower back, which was perfect. She went to massage at one point and I growled at her to leave her hand still. Poor Christy! She was kneeling by the pool at this point, can't possibly have been comfortable. I could feel the baby's head really low and I was sure I should have been able to feel something when I reached down. Mel checked the baby's heartrate a couple of times and once I pushed her hand away and said "Not now!" during a contraction. (I can't imagine how I'd have gone if I was in hospital with the constant monitoring, etc, that was 'policy'!).

I started gripping the handles on the outside of the pool while pushing (so that's what they're there for!), that really helped me with bearing down. I was still able to talk, etc during contractions. I kept reminding myself that I was made for this, that I was 'wonderfully made' and I could do this. That this birth was going to be joyous.

My Mum was having difficultly operating the video camera and at one point I felt like getting her over to show her what to do so she'd stop pestering DP! Around now I reminded everyone to get Lucy out of bed to see her baby sister being born. Mel already had this in hand, DP told me later, she told him when to get her out of bed (about half an hour before baby was born she came down). I could hear Lucy a bit upset at the noise I was making, but DP told her, with reassurance from Mel, that Mummy was doing fine and it was just hard work. I think DP also felt better just by calming Lucy down.

I got a little frustrated at how long it seemed to be taking to push her head out. Mel reminded me that the baby was doing the right thing and gradually stretching me by taking her time. As soon as she said that I relaxed and thought she was right and let it happen. My labour notes say that baby's head was visible just after 12:30am, after about half an hour of pushing. I was facing forwards, leaning over the pool and still gripping the handles on the outside. I felt her head start to come out and stop half way. For the first time I felt stinging and pain - at the front of my labia (from leaning forwards), as that stretched. I tried massaging it myself and asked Mel if there was anything I could do (this was ouchy). Her head was half born in one contraction and I automatically blew out fast while I waited for the next contraction as she sat there, just stretching me further (I can't believe how my body did everything automatically, without any need for prompting or instruction).

Her head was born in the next contraction and it was an incredible relief. I told Mel she'd need to catch the baby after all, because I couldn't see how I'd be able to reach her from the position I was in (in my birth plan, I wanted to catch her). Mel says that the baby was blinking and opening her mouth underwater while we were waiting for her body to be born.

Next contraction and her body was out and Mel somehow got me to lean backwards and pushed the baby through into my arms at the same time. I caught her!! I picked her up out of the water and was amazed at how tiny and slippery she was! I felt like I was about to drop her. I put her straight on my chest and felt the most amazing exhilaration - I had done it!! I was crying and laughing at the same time - I couldn't believe I'd just given birth!!! It was the most joyful of births that I could have possibly imagined.

DP, my Mum and Lucy were all behind me. Lucy had tears of delight streaming down her face as she reached in to touch her new baby sister's face. We were going to try and collect the cord blood if possible, depending on the pulsating (Mel and Emma had already decided that the baby looked too small to bother taking any). Mel checked the cord after a minute to see if it would still be possible while it pulsated, but it had already stopped. The cord was really fat!

I was just in awe of my new baby girl (I checked to make sure she was a girl!) and what we had done. She had quite a loud cry for a new baby, wasn't interested in latching, but looked at me with the most wide open eyes. Mel put a nappy and towel over the baby so we could lay in the pool and cuddle until the placenta was born. Lucy came to cut the cord after while - it was so big it took her three cuts to get through it!

I had a real aversion to birthing the placenta (completely psychological - I just did not want to push out another thing). I had no further contractions, so after 45 mins Mel suggested I get up and go to the toilet to see if that would help it along. I handed baby Hannah to DP and Lucy and gingerly walked to the toilet. The placenta literally fell out into the bowl Mel had placed there with minimal fuss. No idea why I was so worried about this!

(DP took the placenta out and put it into the pot we'd organised, where we are planting a tree for Hannah).

It was all around a perfect, perfect birth. I had a small labial tear, but nothing to note. We opened a bottle of Moet that we'd chilled in preparation and toasted Hannah's birthday in style! Mel and Emma stayed until about 4:30am and then we all went to bed, at home. We got to sleep in, although I was far too excited to spend much time sleeping for most of the day!

My recovery was fantastic, bit of muscle soreness (especially by the end of the day!) and the need to sit comfortably. Hannah has done beautifully. We love the fact that she has not been out of my or DP's sight since her birth.

Stats:

First stage: 1 hr 27 min
Second stage: 52 mins
Third stage: 50 mins

Hannah Jane - 2835 gms, 34 cm head circ, 47 cm long (Apgars all 9 at 1 min, 5 min and 10 min)

Born Wed 4 Jan 12.48am