When DS was about 9 months old, DH and I decided it would be nice not to have too much of an age gap between our children and it was time to start trying for number 2. The only problem was that I was still breastfeeding and had not yet had a period. So I stopped taking the mini pill and we waited. Finally, in May (the month after I fully stopped breastfeeding, but a few months after I got my period back), we found out we were expecting.
Things were a bit scary at first – we only got a very faint positive on our HPT, and when we went to the doc a few days later, it was still only very faint. Our doctor suggested blood tests 2 days apart to make sure my HCG levels were doubling, and they were, so that put our minds at ease a little. Then the morning sickness started, so that put my mind, at least, even more at ease. A couple of weeks later we had a dating scan and saw a little heartbeat! Our due date was officially 25 January 2011. After the scan we told our families the good news – until this point only my sister had known.
We had our 12 week ultrasound and then our 20 week ultrasound and all was well. At the 12 week one we wanted to find out the sex of the baby, but the sonographer said she never told people that early, as it was too hard to tell. By the time of the 20 week scan I had changed my mind, but DH still wanted to find out the gender, so he did. He did a great job of keeping the secret, although in the last couple of months I was fairly sure I knew what we were having (and I was right!).
I had a fairly good pregnancy, although it was a little harder on me than DS's. I had morning sickness from about 5 weeks till 14 weeks. For me this meant nausea all day, which was worst in the evening after dinner. I even threw up a few times (I hardly ever throw up!), always right before bed. I also got gastro twice and a couple of colds. To top it all off, I had problems with my hips and pelvis again (SPD), and this time worse than with DS. In the last couple of months I also found it harder to be chasing around after a toddler. Despite all this, I still enjoyed being pregnant, the changes to my body, and feeling my baby growing and moving inside me.
DS’s 2nd birthday was on 21st January, and I was hoping the baby would stay put until after that. I had a couple of nights in the two of weeks leading up to my due date when I thought things might have been happening as I had was woken up with period pains, but nothing eventuated. So, we got through the actual birthday, and then the day after (Saturday 22nd Jan) we had our families over for a birthday party. I was having period type pains most of the day – I told my family about it, but was pretty sure it was just pre-labour. The next day I went shopping in the morning and then we were heading up to Mum and Dad’s for a swim and to help Dad build a gate. Again I was having pains, but wasn’t sure whether there was anything to it. I did think the baby would probably arrive in the next couple of days. On the way home from the shops DH got a bit concerned when he noticed me breathing through a contraction, but they still weren’t too bad. We had arranged that Mum would look after DS when the time came, so we took his things and my hospital bag with us to their house, just in case.
I continued having pains all morning, although there was no regularity to them and they weren’t too painful. However, by the time we finished lunch at about 2pm I decided I should call my midwife, Jane, to let her know that things were happening and that I thought I would probably be seeing her in the next day or two. I then got in the pool for a swim and had a great time not having to carry all the extra weight around! A little while later I realised the contractions were getting a bit worse and I was having to concentrate on getting through them. I would stop talking and go into my own little space to deal with each one. I’m not sure exactly what time it was, but I’m saying that my labour officially began at around 3.30pm (I’m not counting the ‘pre-labour’ type contractions of earlier in the day and the day before).
Soon after I realised the contractions were getting stronger I told DH that it was about time for him to pack up and we made the decision to leave DS at Mum and Dad’s. I was not in a rush still at this stage, so DH had a swim and then we got organised. We left Mum and Dad’s at about 4:45pm and got home around 5.15pm. The car ride wasn’t too bad. I think I had about 6 contractions, and I got through them by tapping my feet and drumming my fingers on the car door. We had been timing my contractions on DH’s phone, and when we got home we turned the computer on and started timing them on there. They never got very regular – sometimes they were 3 mins apart, sometimes as much as 6 mins – but they were definitely getting stronger.
After I got home I fussed around between contractions getting some last minute jobs done – dishes, bringing in the washing, etc. Eventually I got to the point where I was on hands and knees on the floor, rocking my hips, tapping my fingers, ‘aaahing’ and generally trying anything I could think of to take away the pain. I decided it was time to go to the hospital. We called Jane and told her we would be there in 15 minutes, although it ended up taking us a little longer than that. On the way we got stopped at a level crossing for a train and just as it went past a contraction came. The boom gates went up and DH went to go, and I yelled at him ‘Don’t you dare move!’ I did not want to go over the bumpy train tracks in the middle of a contraction!
We eventually arrived at the hospital just after 7pm. DH dropped me at the door and went to park the car. The receptionist and a few other lucky people got to watch me having a couple of contractions just inside the door, but I managed to keep the noise down at least! We headed up to maternity and were shown into a delivery room where Jane was waiting. She had actually been working all day and was due to go home, but had waited until I came in. I laboured in the delivery room for a little while. Jane did an internal and assessed me at about 5–6 cm but apparently my cervix was so soft she couldn’t really tell. So she waited until a contraction came (which took forever!) and said it got to 7cm while I was having the contraction. I was stoked! Apparently the baby was still quite high, and Jane thought its head was a bit sideways, so I was advised to stay on my feet and walk on the spot in between contractions. My waters had still not broken at this stage and Jane thought that when they did the baby would arrive fairly quickly.
My contractions were now very strong and it was taking everything I had to get through them. I eventually found that the best position for me was leaning over one the table things that is used to serve food on, while drumming my fingers on the table and yelling quite loudly! I was getting a bit of pain right down low in my back, and Jane tried rubbing my back at one stage, but I quickly told her not to touch me. I heard DH laugh and say he was told the same thing last time I was in labour! At some stage around this time my noises changed during contractions from ‘aahhh’ at the start to ‘eeyyye’ towards the middle and end. This was my way of dealing with the increasing pain and pressure I was feeling. I was starting to get a lot of pressure in my lower pelvis too (at the front) – I kept asking Jane if the baby was stuck!
Jane soon asked if I still wanted to get in the bath. I didn’t really feel like it, but my plan was that I would, so I said ok. At some stage about now I think Jane rang another midwife, Heather, and asked her to come in as Jane had been working for too long. Jane was still happy to stay, but wasn’t supposed to be ‘working’. Soon the bath was ready and Heather arrived, and we moved into the bath room.
I hopped into the bath and Jane suggested I stay on my knees leaning forwards to help the baby come down. That was fine with me as I don’t think I would have been happy lying back anyway. I tried a couple of positions and ended up leaning over one of the back corners of the bath, with DH in front of me holding a cold face washer against my forehead. I was reasonably comfortable, although I did say in the middle of a few contractions that I couldn’t breathe. I think my body was so busy concentrating on getting through the contractions that my chest got quite tight and I felt short of breath. My head was also quite close to the hot water so I wasn’t breathing in very fresh air, which didn’t help either.
I had a head cushion thing that we had brought to lean my head on, and a non-slip mat to kneel on. I spent the time in between a few contractions fiddling around with the mat, as after I had changed positions we didn’t get it in a good spot and my knees kept slipping off. So even though I was in a lot of pain during contractions, I was still very ‘with it’ between them and able to do things and have a conversation. I even noticed that DH was kind of crouching and didn’t look very comfortable, so suggested he get a chair. Unfortunately there weren’t any, but one of the midwives did find a kneeling pad for him.
So, the contractions kept coming, and I was getting the same pressure in my lower back and at the front of my pelvis. At some stage during this time I told DH that once was enough (meaning that one natural labour was enough), and next time I would have an epidural! I remember one of the midwives (there were 3 in the room by this stage) laughing and saying that at least I was still talking about ‘next time’.
After I had been in the bath for a little while (I’m not sure how long, but I think probably around half an hour or so) my waters broke with a big gush. I yelled out ‘My waters just broke’ and then pretty much with the next breath, ‘The baby’s coming!’ Jane was right, as soon as my waters had broken, the baby started descending. I didn’t exactly get an urge to push, the baby just started coming on its own. I think it was pretty much the contraction after my waters broke (possibly the one after that, but I don’t think so) that I felt the baby’s head move down. I didn’t realise, but I was unconsciously tensing up and holding everything in. One of the midwives told me to relax and when I did I could feel the difference. So I told DH to keep reminding me to relax. He said it once and I had to tell him, ‘I know it feels dumb, but keep saying it.’ The next contraction I could feel the head crowning (I think – or at least very close to crowning) and I remember saying, as the contraction ended, ‘No, don’t stay there’, as it was quite painful. I didn’t really get the ring of fire though, just felt a lot of stretching. Up until now I had still not pushed, I was just breathing through the contractions.
The next contraction the baby came a bit further, but the head still wasn’t completely out, so the midwives told me to push a little. Strangely, I actually found it harder to push this time than I did with DS (when I had had an epidural). Most people seem to struggle more with pushing when they can’t feel what they’re doing, but in my case it was the opposite. Anyway, I gave a little push and said, ‘The head’s out’ and told DH to have a look. I would have loved to look myself, but wasn’t really in a position where that was possible. The next contraction came and baby came out a little further – again the midwives told me to give a little push and, when I did, the whole body slithered out. I was quickly told to sit back and the baby was passed on to my stomach. The cord was a bit short so I couldn’t pull the baby up any further, and couldn’t see what sex it was. I waited a few seconds then said, ‘I can’t see what it is – DH, what is it?’ but he wouldn’t tell me in case he was wrong! One of the midwives helped me manoeuvre the baby around and – it was a little girl! I guess it must have been about now that we announced her name as Layla Frances Joy.
I held her on my stomach for a couple of minutes while DH cut the cord and I was given the injection for the placenta, then I had to get out of the bath so I could deliver the placenta. The midwives told DH to take his shirt off and he was given Layla to hold. I climbed out of the bath (which was difficult with a cord and clamp hanging out of me!) and was told to lie (leaning on a bean bag) on a mattress on the floor in the bathroom. The midwives then fussed around for a while delivering the placenta. It wouldn’t come out so eventually they asked me to give a small push and it was out.
We finally remembered then that we hadn’t taken any photos, so got a couple of quick ones before heading back to the delivery room. I’m a little disappointed that we didn’t get any in the bath, but it’s not the end of the world. DH still had Layla at this stage as I had to climb on to the bed and get stitched – I had a ‘small second degree tear’ again. Heather started stitching me up (which REALLY hurt!) while DH enjoyed cuddles with Layla. Eventually I got her back and started feeding while DH made phone calls to announce the news. Our families came in to visit as soon as the stitching was finished. While they were there Layla was weighed, measured and given her injections. Soon after that they all left and we settled in to get to know our little daughter.
Layla has been a dream baby so far – she pretty much just feeds and sleeps. DS was a bit unsure about his sister at first and wasn’t interested in holding her, but as soon as we got her home he wanted to hold her and hasn’t looked back since.
All in all I’m very happy with how everything went. I am very proud of myself for achieving my natural waterbirth, without even trying the gas, although I don’t know how I would have managed if my labour had been longer. The only downfall for me would be that I had to get out of the bath so quickly and was so distracted by birthing the placenta and then the stitching, that it was quite a while until I really gave Layla the attention she deserved. But, I am glad that DH got to enjoy this time with his daughter, as I think it really helped him bond with her.
Name: Layla Frances Joy
Time of birth: 8.24pm
Length of labour: Officially 5 hours, with a pushing stage of 9 minutes
Weight: 3.45 kg or 7 pound 10 ounces
Length: 50.5 cm
Head circumference: 34 cm
Apgars: 9 and 9
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My all natural, hospital waterbirth
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