The story of Angus Blake's long awaited, but speedy arrival!

[DoulaRelle]

OK well I could write a novel about all of the pre labour I had, starting with some tightenings a week before my due date. I had a massage from the lovely Yael on Wednesday the 4th of July and this increased my "tightenings" significantly for the night, but alas these trailed off as well.

For the following 10 days I had increased tightenings, which generally lasted the first half of the night, then were gone when I woke up in the morning.

Finally on Monday night I went to bed with the normal tightenings, but a slight backache as well, but thought nothing of it and went to bed expecting to have them gone again in the morning.

I was laying there just feeling the tightenings at 1.15am when I heard/felt a bit of a pop and wondered if perhaps my waters had sprung a leak, then immediately followed by a completely different, but far more intense pain. After another couple of pains, I was pretty sure we were finally good to go, so I got up to investigate what the pop may have meant.

It wasn't my actual waters, but it was my mucus plug, and I had a bloody show as well, so FINALLY this little man was going to make an entrance. The pains were very reminiscint of Campbell's birth, so I got up and got dressed, but told my DH that we would wait and see what happens for a little bit before making any phone calls.

After about 20 mins I was pretty sure things were going along quite well so I rang the hospital to tell them that I was in labour and the midwife stressed to me to get moving and get the babysitters here as this was my 3rd baby and she said things could change at any time.

My DH rang his mum at 2am and asked them to come over, they had a trip of about 20 mins, but his Dad decided to go through the city rather than the freeway!!!! Big mistake!

I rang Kelly to let her know that we were on at 2.15am and that I would call her once the in laws were here and we were heading to the hospital.

No sooner had I got off the phone then my contractions got even stronger! They never got any longer than 30 secs long, and were coming every 2 mins, this didn't change from the minute I went into labour to when I delivered, they just got more intense.

I rang Kelly almost straight back ( I think) and told her that I was starting to feel the urge to push and that we were going to have to head to the hopsital immediately and that we would meet her there. We tried to ring DH's parents but their mobile was off, so then we were in a dilemma about what to do with the boys. As it was the middle of the night, we decided that the best option would be for us to leave them in bed and pray the DH's parents got there asap.

By this stage I was starting to involuntarily squat next to the car as it was the only way to get through the contractions, and I started getting very vocal about NEEDING to get to the hospital and that I was afraid we wouldn't make it. The Hospital is a 3 min drive, thank goodness, so we parked, went in and went up to delivery, by which time I was a bit out of control cause it was so intense and I didn't have a chance to breathe or collect myself during the contractions.

The midwife examined me and I was 8cm dilated and going through transition and begging to push and having to try with all of my might not to push - easier said than done!!! lol I wanted to be upright for the birth, but gravity was helping too much by this stage, and the only way I could get through the contractions was on my side and groaning/screaming lmao. They rang my OB and told him where I was upto.

Finally 5 mins later she did another internal and I was fully dilated and good to push - thankgoodness! At this point DH's phone rang and Kelly arrived, so DH took the call and it was his parents ringing to say they had got there and were fine. I started pushing and DH walked back in just as bubs was crowning, and OH my goodness - I have now felt the burning ring of fire and that totally primitive urge to push, that I have not felt with the other 2.

After 7 mins of pushing Angus Blake was born and placed straight onto my chest for skin to skin and his cord was left to pulsate. I then decided not to have the injection to expel the placenta, but let it happen naturally, which it did about 5 mins after birth. My OB arrived just in time to deliver the placenta!

We were then left alone and as bonding was of huge importance to me, we left Angus to do the breast crawl, which he did over the space of an hour. I then gave him his first feed, and he fed like an absolute champ first go!

I had hoped on having as natural birth as possible, but honestly did not expect to get through the ENTIRE thing with both Angus and I completely drug free with just hormones at work. I only had a very minor 1st degree tear and the OB was more than happy not to stitch it ( another of my goals - no stitches) A 90 min labour all up with him born at 2.47am.

I can now truly understand how awesome birth can be, when there is absolutely no interference and just what a high and sense of achievement it can be!

Wow - for such a short labour it is a long story! lol Sorry!!!

[BellyBelly]

YAY congrats Relle! You did such an awesome job, I was honored to be there to share your journey. It is so cool to get that natural high of homones... well worth the wait xx You did soooo well

[kayla_b]

Thanks for sharing your story, i too hope to have a drug free labour and reading all these birth stories is making me more and more excited! All the best, Kayla Xx

[Trish]

Relle, Thank you so very much for sharing your story with us.

You know how proud I am of you. You did a fantastic job sweety.

Huge big hugs to you and little Angus. The spunk that he is

[Isiss]

What a great birth story, well done hun!!!

[DoulaRelle]

Thankyou ladies!

Kelly, as I have said before, the support both you and Trish gave me in the finaly week in particular mean the world to me, I could not have got through it without you both! *mwahs* to you both!

Kayla - I hope you do get a drug free birth hun! Goodluck with it, it is sooooo worth it!

[bebebebe]

Congrats again Relle. Im so pleased for you that you finally got this birth. It's really inspiring and gives me lots of hope for a beautiful birth next time around.

Well done!

[paradise lost]

Congrats Relle! What a woman

Bx

[briggsy's girl]

what an awesome birthing experience - well done! sounds like it went exactly how you'd dreamed.

[~Jayne~]

WOW! He certainly got things moving fast when he decided to come didn't he? Congratulations!

[Tobily]

Congratulations relle! What an awesome story Welcome baby Angus!

[jemima]

Yay Relle - what a fantastic job you did. It made me feel really emotional reading your story and it was obviously such a rewarding and amazing experience for you. From what you have said in your other posts it sounds like Angus is going along beautifully and has settled into your family so well.

Your comment that
"I can now truly understand how awesome birth can be, when there is absolutely no interference and just what a high and sense of achievement it can be"
is exactly how I feel.

Well done.

Jem

[Meluchja]

Your right Relle, the births of Angus and Jack are alot alike.

You did so well, big congrats to you. So glad you got the natural active birth you were longing for.

[Enchanted]

What an awesome story Relle!!

Congratulations on your little man!

[Adnil]

Wow Relle!! That's amazing! What an inspiration!

[DoulaRelle]

Thanks everyone!!!!

It was great and I want to shout it from the rooftops of just how wonderful it can be. After having a traumatic 1st birth, then a really good 2nd birth, this by far out did my expectations!!

[~Raven~]

Congrats again Relle! What a terrific birth experience for you

[Feathertop]

Wow Relle, I can't believe your son has exactly the same names as mine!!!! How long had you had those in mind?