Tummybunny's Birth Story - Willow Mae's Speedy arrival - Long
I should start by saying I had NO idea that the events of the 13th would have lead to the arrival of our little princess.
The day was like most others, I felt heavy, had pains in my groin area, as my weight tipped over the 80kg mark my back had started to play up and of course I had a gorgeously active toddler to entertain.
We’d had dinner and while daddy was bathing DDI decided to go and have a shower, the hot water was sooo lovely on my sore back I could have stood under it for hours. Bub had been really active all day so I was convinced nothing was going to happen any time soon.
Back inside I kissed DD goodnight and hit FB while DH put her to bed. I had a strong BH type contraction, not really a real one and not quite a BH but enough for me to take notice so I stood up and walked to the living room door thinking I might have needed to go to the loo, it was a little after 8pm.
Then at the door I got hit by a big one, long strong and sharp.
I yelled out to my DH 4 times when he finally responded with a semi grumpy “What” I just said “We have to go”
While he rang his mother I grabbed my bags and headed up to the car having another long strong contraction on the way this was about 4mins from the first. When it stopped I grabbed the garbage bag and opened it over the seat along with a towel and another contraction hit but was shorter and not as sharp.
We got to the gate and another contraction; I rang the hospital to let them know I was coming in before we went through the valley.
Nothing happened for 8 mins after that and I questioned my judgement but told hubby to keep going just in case. I felt another coming on but it fizzled into nothing. Then another strong one 3 min later, followed by another 5 min later. There was no consistency to them in terms of length or strength. As we pulled into the hospital I had another big one it was about 8.40pm by this stage. Dh offered to help me out of the car but I couldn’t move my legs at all, it was like they were paralized. He didn’t know what to do so I just told him to grab the bag and go on ahead into triage. I got to the emergency and another hit, then into thehospital and was offered a chair and another hit.
Up on the ward I had a few more strong ones. I was breathing through them ok but wanted some low gas to help just take the bite off. They started hooking me up to the CTG machine to monitor bub and the contractions were on top of each other so I decided I wanted to get under the shower.
I didn’t make it
I walked a total distance of 5 normal steps (though much more for me) to the edge of the bath, not even 2 metres to the shower and I just yelled “S---! What the hell am I doing aarrrrrrrrrrrrrrhhhhhhhhhhh” Yep my body had started pushing.
I started freaking out because it was happening much faster than previously and bub wasn’t quite there yet. Another pushing contraction and my waters broke and bub slipped down. My MW kept telling me to stop vocalising and to use it to push into my bum but I had no idea what she was talking about and at one point I wanted to smack her to tell her to shut up. She was trying desperately to stretch my perineum it was the most god awful feeling ever it felt like she was trying to push the baby back up. I started yelling at the baby “GET OUT” because it felt like she was stuck. The MW’s told me I needed to get into a better position so I kind of got into the one I used to birth DD but couldn’t really kneel properly.
Next thing her head was out and I was told to just breath through the next one which I did. Then I was given the go ahead so with the next contraction I pushed and felt her little body slip out.
She was passed up for me to see but she didn’t look good. The cord was cut immediately and she was put on the resuscitation cart and they were trying to stimulate her and get her to breath but she was “flat” and unresponsive.
I was ushered over to the bed and it was all on the room filled with other staff, there was a Paed Dr and a few helpers with her and Bub was taken out of the room and put into the SCN and I was tended to. I was told that she had RDS (respiratory distress syndrome) and that she would be ok but needed some help. The Drs started working on me as I had apparently sustained second degree tears again.
The stitching seemed to take forever and I was getting really antsy. I wanted my baby, to be told what was happening with her, to have a cuddle with her, to put her to the breast and more than anything else – to hear her cry, I didn’t want anything more in the world than to hear my baby cry for the first time and get the primal “everything is ok” feeling but it wasn’t forth coming.
I sent DH off to find out what was happening with bub and while he was gone the Dr who was stitching me had this funny look on her face. She explained the Apex of the tear had gone further than she first though (even though she was ¾’s of the way finished) and she wanted to get her boss to have a look and do a rectal exam to see if there had actually been damage done to the sphincter.
Dh came back and said that Bub was doing better but they needed to do an Xray on her lungs and start her on a drip and give her antibiotics just as a safety measure.
The Drs had come back by this stage and were discussing removing all the stitches that had been done in order to do a proper check to correctly measure the degree of tearing and they gave us a few minutes to talk about it and what the implications would be. I reluctantly agreed fearing the worst case scenario that all that would be revealed was JUST second degree tearing and having to go through over an hour of restitching again for nothing. They had a look and did another internal exam and yes I had infact sustained 3rd degree tearing. I was so over joyed because it meant I could have a spinal done which meant no more pain from all the poking and prodding.
100 min later I was stitched up and ready to have a quick cuddle of my girl ..... 4.5 hours after her birth.
I almost cried, but did manage to hold it together for the 10 mins she was with us and it was love at first sight. We tried to get her to the breast but she wasn’t interested and then she was gone again. At 4am I asked the MW when I could see Bub again and told her I was concerned about the fact that she hadn’t gone to the breast and I needed to start getting my milk etc going. I was pretty much fobbed off and I got a little narky at the MW and she offered to hand exress me so DD had some via a syringe.
6am I heard a trolley coming and Bub was bought in to me and had her first feed at the breast before being taken away back to the SCN.
Over the next few days there were so many visits from Paeds, Drs, my Ob and the MWs that I am so glad we decided on no visitors in the hospital and enforced that because it was exhausting and completely overwhelming.
There are a few more things that make up this story that I have chosen not to go into as I am still processing things but the most important things are:
Willow Mae (akaTummyBunny)
Time born 9.20pm
Date 13/12/11
3885gms (8lb 9oz)
52cm length
35cm head circ
Total labour: 1.31 hours
1st stage – 1.05hours
2nd stage (pushing to out) – 0.15
3rd stage – 0.11 (placenta)
She is absolutely gorgeous of course. A spitting image of her older sister however is much much darker. We’re still trying to get the BF right and having a few small issues which I am hoping will resolve very quickly.
You WERE awesome
Willow does look so much like DD!!
ETA:
What transpired is just so much to throw at a mama, no wonder it's still taking you a while to put it all where it belongs - you take all the time you need, and none of this "get over it" business from me! Those of us who have the luxury of longer labours can only cringe in admiration (I know, it's a bit of a juxtaposition, and it's the only way I can think to describe it!) that you got through it. Your post makes me want to go back in time and make those staff members go in help you with BFing, and to tell you what was going on with Willow and to be kinder about how you were labouring. They probably would think the same thing, in hindsight. It really sounds like a challenge for those attending, and most of all for you.
You rose to it (ok, out of necessity)!
Last edited by Smoke Jaguar; December 17th, 2011 at 03:26 PM.
: kids annoying me while posting
Thanks all, I have a really excellent support network and have quite a few appointments etc over the net couple of weeks including a referral to a woman councellor who specialises in traumatic births etc so I expect that in time some of the things that may arise will be dealt with quickly.
Sadly some of the treatment I received from 2 MW's on during 2 separate night shifts left a bitter taste and upon discussion with my gorgeous KYM MW's will be writing a letter of complaint addressing a few issues but I will be leaving it a few days to collect my thoughts so its not to emotive and more factual and to the point. I almost didn't butI was assured thatits probably a regular occurance that is never addressed.
I can help you with letters, if you want. Is your appointment with Joanne? If you're not happy with who you see I'll put my feelers out!
Seriously, I'm so proud of you - DH taking his time to respond to your calling is just how I imagine he'd respond
I have a little boy here who is dying to meet this gorgeous little bubba
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Tummybunny's Birth Story - Willow Mae's Speedy arrival - Long
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