It was my first mid-wife appointment with Karen and I was so excited. When asked how far along I was I promptly answered 22 weeks and 5 days. Karen gave a small chuckle and said ?Your first baby?? ?Yes? I answered, ?How did you know?? ?Most women only count the days for their first pregnancy. So what does that make your due date??replied Karen. ?March 4th? ?Okay, I suggest you tell your family and friends you?re not due until the 10th to 16th, that way if the baby is late, you won?t need to put up with everyone asking you where the baby is?.
If only I had listened. March 4 came and went without even a whisper of a contraction or a sign of labour. I was eager for the baby to arrive so I could spend as much time with him as I could before returning to work. I sat back and watched some movies, organised and reorganised the baby?s room, and took long relaxing baths by candlelight to the sounds of Michael Buble. But bub wasn?t moving, he was quite happy all tucked up inside. Come March 14 and I had an appointment with Karen. I knew we would be talking about the big I word ?Induction? and I didn?t particularly care for it. We decided to go for as long as possible and were booked in for Monday 17th March. Karen suggested an internal examination, and if my cervix was favourable, a stretch and sweep to try and encourage some contractions. I was three centimetres already and within 10 mins of the S&S I was having mild contractions at regular intervals. Karen was sure I would be back that evening or on Saturday and went about preparing a room just in case.
I returned home feeling positive that my little man would be arriving soon. I was timing the contractions and praying they would get closer and stronger. By 11pm they were still mild, so I had a shower and went to bed. I awoke the next morning with nothing. I was so disappointed.
On Sunday the 16th, I had another appointment with Karen to take a reading of the baby?s heart rate. We decided to have another stretch and sweep, a last ditch attempt at avoiding the induction the following morning. Again my very mild contractions started almost instantly. I monitored them all afternoon, carefully timing them and writing them down to see if there was a pattern. They were neither strong, nor regular and I had just about given up hope of a spontaneous labour. I decided to have an early night as I was due in the hospital at 7:30am and knew I would be in for a long day. So I had a shower and went to bed at 9:30, now with no contractions at all.
At 12pm I awoke suddenly with a strong stomach cramp. I sat on the toilet for a few minutes and felt nothing more, so passed it off as bad gas pain. Back to bed and asleep, I then awoke again at 12:30pm. I went back to the toilet, passing my husband on the way who was heading to bed after watching the F1. I told him I was just having bad gas pains and with that he went to sleep. As I sat on the toilet, the pains were coming quickly and slowly getting stronger. After three or four, I got up and fetched my clock from the bedroom. I started to time them and to my surprise they were coming every two minutes and lasting around a minute each.
After about 20 mins I was starting to feel like I wanted to make some noise, so I thought I?d try the shower for some pain relief. As soon as the water touched me the pain intensified and I had an overwhelming need to get closer to the floor. I only lasted two contractions in the shower before I got out, dried off and redressed. I sat back on the toilet which was the most comfortable place to be, but began to feel like I needed my husband with me. I waited for the next contraction to finish before rushing into the bedroom to wake my husband and ask him to call the midwife. The thought running through my mind was that Karen wouldn?t believe me the contractions were so strong and regular so quickly. But after a quick call we decided to meet Karen in the birth centre.
It took me a while to get out of the house, mainly due to walking being incredibly uncomfortable and not getting much time between contractions to actually move. I made it just two meters from the toilet before I needed to throw up, and felt much better for it. I waited for the contraction to finish and then rushed down the stairs. I had a contraction right at the bottom which I verbalised through, thinking all the time that I would be waking the neighbours, and then thinking stuff the neighbours, this hurts.
Into the car and I instructed my husband to go, quickly, and don?t worry about the red lights. This baby was on his way, and quickly. As we arrived at the hospital around 1:56am, Ian found me a wheelchair and pushed me up to the birth centre. I was making so much noise I had a nurse pop her head around the corner stating ?Goodness, any one would think you were having a baby! Oh, you are!?
Karen heard me coming and directed us into the Birth Centre. I don?t remember how or when, but somewhere along the line I became naked. I got onto all fours on the bed for a contraction, but didn?t feel comfortable with all the air beneath me. Then in the break, Karen did a quick internal and told me I was 5cms. I then had to sit on the edge of the bed while the foetal heart monitor was strapped to my belly. That was the most uncomfortable time through the entire labour. I felt restricted and wanted to move. I didn?t want to sit, and after what felt like an eternity, it was removed and I could finally move around. I went to the end of the bed and knelt on the floor, leaning on the bed.
In my birth plan I had expressed my desire for a water birth, so Karen ran the shower for me while she started to prepare the bath. Again, as soon as the water was on my skin the pain intensified and I felt out of control. So after about three contractions and I think the breaking of my water (I don?t remember my waters ever breaking) I went back to the foot of the bed. Karen kept encouraging me and then let me know she was taking the CTG printout to the registrar, assuring me the baby would be here soon. As soon as she left the room, I wanted her to return. I needed to push.
Then my memory becomes a little fuzzy. I remember Karen returning and me telling her I thought I needed to push. She was very calm and told me to push if I felt the need. It all went very quickly from there. It felt good to push and I could feel the baby moving down into the birth canal, and then crowning. I remember another midwife entering the room, and then another big push, the head was out. Then what felt like the longest break I?d had all night, and another big push to feel the baby slide out. I remember being told to sit back and pick up my baby, but I felt winded and it took a few minutes for me to get a good breath. I sat back and picked up my baby boy. He was just beautiful, and still covered thickly in vernix which I didn?t expect given he was 13 days overdue.
We sat back and cuddled for a long time, covered in warm blankets. When the cord stopped pulsating, my husband cut it, and with one push the placenta was delivered. I had no idea what time it was, and asked Karen what time the baby had been born. 3:06 am was the answer; just two and a half hours after it all began.
I am in awe of what my body has achieved; a beautiful healthy baby boy, born in two and half hours, with no intervention, no drugs and minimal tearing. I couldn?t ask for anything more.
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The Birth of Noah Riley 17-03-08
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