The birth of Aimee Hope

[Novella]

On Tuesday the 11th of November I awoke at 1am and felt a trickle, I wasn't sure if it was my waters or if I was wetting myself, I went to the toilet put on a pad and then got back in bed. (I didn't want to flood the bed if it was my waters lol). Within minutes I had my first contaction, after 20 minutes of regular contractions I decided to time them, they were 6 minutes apart so I woke Tony and got up to call my midwife. As I got to the hallway my waters went in a gush, luckily I was off the carpet and on the tiles, I made tony throw me a towel to put between my legs and waddled into the lounge to make the call. It was my midwifes day off and her partner was attending another birth, however the back up mw was the same lovely woman who delivered DD1 (the same thing happened with DD1 both of my MW were unavailable). I was so happy that it was going to be the same mw again as she was great with my first labour. She told me should was going to have a shower and meet me at the hospital at 2:30.

I called my parents who came over and watched DD1 for me, gave them a hug and left for the hospital. As I was only 36+1day I had to labour in the labour and delivery ward, not the birth centre as I had planned. (The same thing happened with dd1 I was 36+2 with her) I was only slightly disappointed with this as I had considered a water birth and that was no longer an option, however I still had a midiwfe who supported my plans for an active labour. Got to the hospital and had to be hooked up to a CTG as I was in pre term labour however I was able to use a portbale CTG monitor and it was fantastic, I could walk and move and even shower with it on! Whoever came up with the idea of a portable monitor is a hero. If I had been told I had to stay on the bed for CTG I would have refused! The hospital policy is to have IV antibiotics for pre term labour but after 2 failed cannula attempts I declined as I didn't want to get nipple thrush again.

I was 5cm dilated at the time and my contractions had slowed down to about 8mins apart, I wasn't happy about that. Julie (my mw) got me her bottle of clary sage oil to sniff, I looked like some kind of junkie sniffing on a bottle between contractions. I then decided walking would help and lost count of the number of laps of the ward I did. The ward midwives asked laughingly if I really was in labour because I looked to good and was walking to much, I said I had better be! The contractions started to get closer together and the pain was increasing but bearable, I found standing over a bench and swaying my hips really helped get me through each contraction. I got tried and asked for a fitball, it was wonderful to sit on and bounce through contractions but they seemed to slow down when I sat so once again I got to walking.

About 6am the contractions were getting pretty painful and about 4mins apart I was shaky and nauseous but I figured I was getting closer as I remembered this feeling from my first birth, I had another internal and was 8cm, things were starting to happen. 7 am came and I needed to get on the bed, I knelt on all fours and felt the need to take my undies off. My mw came back in the room and got bean bag for me to lean into on the bed, it was much more comfertable. All of a sudden I felt like I couldn't do this anymore, but I relaised I was probably in transition and just kept going, tony was giving me great back rubs between contractions.I started pushing about 7:40 I think, it felt so much better to push. My second stage was short and I remembered so hard trying not to push as she was crowning (with DD1 I pushed and tore and I did NOT want to tear again), I ended up biting the sheet over the beanbag to stop myself pushing and it worked, Her head popped out and then with the next contraction i delivered her body at 7:48, Julie helped me pull her up between my legs and onto my belly, she was perfect, crying and absolutely covered with vernix.

I had planned on leaving the cord to stop pulsing but it was extremely short and I couldn't lift her above my waist so Tony cut the cord and I got to cuddle my beautiful girl. My placenta was deliverd 7 minutes later intact, I did have IM synto as I tend to bleed heavily. Aimee had apgars of 9 and 9. As she was prem she had a check by the neonatologist at about 15mins of age then I got to feed her it was wonderful, tony dressed her while I had a shower. No SCN and other than checking her Blood Sugar Level twice, which was normal each time, no extra intervention was required and she stayed with me. I walked her to the ScN nursery for the BSL check myself.

Aimee Hope was 3.120kg (6lb 14oz) 48.5cm long HC 34cm almost 4 weeks early, she would have been a booffa had I gone to term. I had a really wonderful birth experience and hope if we have more children that the births could go so well. We were discharged home the next day as I was well and Aimee was thriving, as I was part of the midwife group practice I have had lots of home vists with my midwife. My only regret is that she came early and after having 2 pre term labours (with no complications and healthy babies) I may be excluded from the midwifery group practice in the future, but we will have to wait and see. I couldn't thank my midwives enough they helped me get the birth I wanted.

Thanks for reading our story, sorry if its a bit long winded and disjointed lol

ETA according to my medical notes she was actually 35+6 not 36+1 and I am able to have my third and final baby with the support of the midwifery group practice