Cara's arrival (vba2c!) 31st May

[CathyS]

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".