Cara's arrival (vba2c!) 31st May

**CathyS** · June 1st, 2009, 11:19 PM

I am SO HAPPY I changed hospitals!! Cara was almost born via c-section on the 25th of May at the Logan hospital. I changed to the Mater Mother's (public) hospital... Here is my story! Thank you to all the wonderful staff at that hospital!

Cara is just beautiful! Labour started out on her due date (3oth), with what I thought were just more intense braxton hicks. I scrubbed the floor (as my Mum told me to do) after lunch and went for a walk around 4pm. Had lots of raspberry leaf tea. By 5pm I was having contractions every 15 min or so...but wasn't sure until I got backache with it. They quickly ramped up to VERY BLOODY painful by around 8pm (worse than Ronan's labour and a lot of backache..oww!!). By 10.30pm they were 5 min apart, so we headed off to hospital. Strapped to a bed in the assessment centre of the hospital for half hour (agony!!), then off to the birth unit. WONDERFUL midwife!! I had monitoring on, but was allowed to walk near the bed with it. I sat on birthing ball, and I stood up and rocking in my partner's arms. Had MASSIVE pressure on my backside! (doesn't help I've had haemorroid issues this week). I felt I needed to push soon, so I got helped up on the bed, leaning over a bean bag on my knees. (midwives were surprised it was happening so fast!). About 1-1.15am my waters broke away, and after about 20 hours of controlled pushing (I didn't want to stretch it or force myself when the head was crowning, so I let it slip back once or twice), out came CARA!! OMG! I can't believe I did it!! My 2nd VBAC!! And....NO TEAR!!!! (Epi-No helped me I think!) I had a great midwife who just said "Let your body do what it's telling you to do" as I was pushing her out (the PERFECT words to say). Did not rush me!! AWESOME!. And they even let my partner FILM the birth!! So I have it on video!! (he even showed me digital pics of her crowning to spur me on!). I have some bloody photos LOL....will keep them for personal use hehe. Won't shock the kodak people hehe.

Cara arrived at 1.35am on the 31st of may and weighed 8lb 4o (3.71kg), 55cm long. 36cm head circ.

I have breastfeeding issues...sore nipples again.. But, I've been there twice before (all girls are slack feeders at first! My son got it right lol).

My bum is a little sore, but no grazes or anything on the vaggie LOL. Unbelievable...

I felt like quite a hero in hospital...many midwives said how it was almost unheard of for someone to have a natural delivery after 2 sections. And I had one midwife (pregnant with 2nd) asking me advice!!! (on continuous monitoring for vbac etc). I just told her at the end "Believe in your body".

**Maruschke** · June 1st, 2009, 11:26 PM

Congrats! I went through Mater Mothers (public) and the middies were great. One of mine was pregnant too!

Well done on getting the birth you wanted!

**CathyS** · June 1st, 2009, 11:38 PM

It's an awesome hospital isn't it? I had great middies too!! (I wonder if the middie you saw was the same one..young 20s girl with blondish hair?).

The middy that delivered Cara; Brenda (in her late 40s/50?)..was just wonderful!! They were supposed to put a canullar in my arm, but it all happened so quickly, they didn't bother hehe

So nice to have a totally midwife run birth. I did not have to see a Dr at any point during my birth or hospital stay. :-D Midwife delivered my son also in 1999 (at Logan), but I needed a dr to insert the drip of syntocin (to start labour up again and as waters had broken), and he also stitched me up as I tore a little with first vbac.

I'm off to get some sleep now. Giving birth in the early hours (1.35am) was first for me. I've had a morning birth (c-section breech baby-Laura 8.54am), afternoon birth (c-section breech baby-Yasmin 3.19pm-got pushed back due to other emergency c-sections that day!), evening birth (my son Ronan vbac 8.01pm).

**Maruschke** · June 2nd, 2009, 12:19 AM

Yep, she was young, blonde, and this was her second bub. Hooray to all the MMH middies out there!

Rest well Cathy, and congrats again!

**Arimeh** · June 2nd, 2009, 06:25 AM

Congratulations

You did an awesome job.

Thanks for giving the rest of us attempting a VBA2C hope that it can happen

**NaeNae** · June 2nd, 2009, 08:53 AM

COngratulations Cathy,

Sounds like it was a wonderful experience for you. Welcome to the outside world little Cara.

NAe x

**Ilithyia** · June 2nd, 2009, 08:56 AM

Congratulations Cathy!

You did an AWESOME job to beat the system and get the birth that you so deserved!! Your an amazing, strong woman!

Enjoy your babymoon hun!
x

**Fleur** · June 2nd, 2009, 09:09 AM

Congratulations!!

What an amazing story, thankyou, it's just what those of us hoping for VBACs need to hear! Well done

And welcome Cara

**Jahzara** · June 2nd, 2009, 09:58 AM

Well done and congratulations !
Take care
xxoo

**Tegam** · June 2nd, 2009, 11:06 AM

I am SO HAPPY I changed hospitals!!

Won't shock the kodak people hehe.

Cara arrived at 1.35am on the 31st of may and weighed 8lb 4o (3.71kg), 55cm long. 36cm head circ.

I have breastfeeding issues...sore nipples again.. But, I've been there twice before (all girls are slack feeders at first! My son got it right lol).

My bum is a little sore, but no grazes or anything on the vaggie LOL. Unbelievable...

Woohoo on changing hospitals!, also what a big head and no TEARS, clever girl

Boys always know what to do with BOOBS :LOL

Congrats on it all going well!

**Snacks** · June 2nd, 2009, 12:24 PM

You did such a fantastic job, Cathy! Well done! (So pleased that all your hard preparation work with the epi no paid off! A bit jealous of you tbh, lol!)
Brilliant story, thanks for sharing with us. And enjoy baby Cara

**blackduckies** · June 2nd, 2009, 09:19 PM

A bit jealous??? I'm a lot jealous

I tried for VBA2C did'nt get there I'm afraid...

good on you though, big congrats on a job well done, welcome little Cara (a gorgeous name).

**kristi14** · June 3rd, 2009, 01:16 AM

Well done

Congratulations

**BekZ** · June 3rd, 2009, 09:23 PM

Great birth story Cathy. I am so happy that you got the birth you wanted

**~mamaspice~** · June 3rd, 2009, 10:01 PM

Cathy, I'm so happy you changed to the mater and got the VBA2C you were hoping for. Congrats! And well done

**Ryatha** · June 3rd, 2009, 10:18 PM

Congrats on getting the VBA2C - it is so great to hear. Also nice that the middy was so supportive of letting your body doing it and not pushing you to do anything you didn't wanted

CONGRATULATIONS!