I had an emergency caesarean due to fetal distress with my DS. I went in for my 41 week check up, had an induction date booked and was then put on the fetal monitor to check how DS was going. He was fine the whole time until they were about to take me off, then there was a sudden dip. This happened a couple more times, so I was sent upstairs to be monitored overnight. However, not long after I'd been moved upstairs a doctor came and said since I was 41 weeks already, they may as well induce me. I was eager to meet DS, so agreed. I had the cervadil inserted and started having a few contractions, but it soon became clear that DS was not happy - his heart rate was dropping and staying down - and I was rushed upstairs for an emergency caesarean.
My recovery from the caesarean was pretty good, but as time passed and I started to debrief his birth, I realised I felt so robbed of the experience of child birth. I knew that I wanted a a VBAC next time, and as natural a birth as possible.
Pregnancy:
When DS was about 18 months, DH and I decided we were ready to start trying for our second bubba. I figured we'd start trying and hoped to be pregnant by the end of the year. I was still breastfeeding DS and my cycles weren't regular, so I was never quite sure when I was ovulating. I wasn't expecting it to be easy. On our first month trying it had been about 37 days since my last period, so I thought I'd try a HPT. I did one and when I first looked I was sure it was negative. But then I looked again, squinted a bit... there was a second line! I wasn't convinced, so I asked Mel (Arimeh's Eden) who was coming to visit that morning to bring a spare test she had sitting around at home.
I did that test and it was the same - at first glance there was no line, but then when I'd squint or hold it at a different angle there was a faint second line. Mel was sure it was positive, but I still wasn't convinced so I bought a more sensitive test that afternoon. I did that, and almost instantly a strong second line appeared! Finally I was convinced I was pregnant! I called the bubba growing inside me 'Twinkle'.
The pregnancy passed smoothly. A bit of nausea and tiredness in the early days which was much harder to deal with with DS to chase after. Mostly I didn't think about my pregnancy much. We went in for our 19 week scan, hoping to find out the sex of the baby. I really wanted a girl, so if we weren't having a girl I wanted to have time to get my head around it and accept it. However, at the scan Twinkle's legs were firmly crossed - so Twinkle's gender remained a surprise. I was a bit disappointed at first, but eventually learned to accept and embrace the idea of not knowing!
Because I knew I wanted a natural VBAC this time, I decided to go through a local independent birth centre with Anna, my gorgeous independent midwife. She was so lovely and so supportive and reassuring throughout my pregnancy. This being a VBAC never felt like an issue - I was simply approaching this birth as my first childbirth, since I never really got a chance to labour with DS. I felt so comfortable with Anna, and between her and Mel encouraging me I never doubted my being able to do it. In fact, I was excited and looking forward to giving birth!
Friday 29th April: My due date, which came and went as I expected it to.
Saturday 30th April: It was just another day - except I was really grumpy and completely over being pregnant. DS was in a weird mood too, and I asked him if he knew something I didn't!
It felt like Twinkle was a lot lower that day, and in the afternoon DH, DS and I went for a walk - me secretly hoping it might set something off, but not really thinking it would. I waddled along the boardwalk at the seaport, had a nice walk - I remember thinking it felt like a nice last outing as a family of three.
That night DH and I watched something and I went to bed about 10.30pm (late for me) I was just drifting off to sleep when I had a tightening that felt different. This was probably about 11pm. Another one came, and I found that if I wiggled my hips it was more comfortable to get through it. As they kept coming I started wondering if this was it? Was I finally going into labour?! When DH came to bed at around midnight I told him what was happening - that I was fairly sure I was having contractions, about 7-10 minutes apart. We decided I should just try resting/sleeping as much as I could like Anna had told me to do in early stage labour. DH drifted off to sleep, and I continued trying to sleep, but I couldn't sleep through the contractions. I would almost drift off to sleep, then feel one coming on. Lying in bed became too uncomfortable, so I would try and get out of bed and get on all fours and rock through it. I found it really hard getting in and out of bed, so at some point I moved to the couch in the lounge room. I lay on the couch resting, and then would get on the floor on my hands and knees and roll my hips or rock back and forth through a contraction. I was able to breath through them, and was also doing the 'horse lips' I'd read about in Ina May (and again in Heaven's birth story) - it was a good distraction. At almost 3am I messaged Mel to tell her that I thought my labour had started.
By 5am my contractions were mostly 6-8 minutes apart, but I would then get an occassional one after 3 minutes, and another one about 11 minutes. I was hanging out for DS to wake up so I could go about my business without worrying about waking him. I also wanted to try going for a walk around the block to see if it helped move things along. At 5.30am DS woke up, so I thought I'd wake DH up so I could concentrate on getting through contractions... I messaged Mel not long after saying that I loved how even when I was in labour DH took his sweet time getting out of bed, lol. By now contractions were mostly 4-5 minutes apart, but I was still able to cope with them pretty well. I was getting a bit of backache with the contractions too, so I wondered if Twinkle was a bit posterior.
At about 8am we called my parents to tell them what was happening and to ask them to come and take DS for the day. My parents showed up about 9.30am. DS looked so upset when he left - that was hard . He was fine once he got to my parent's house though. DH and I then went for a walk round the block in the rain. During the walk contractions got down to 3 minutes apart - but then when we got home they were back to 8 minutes apart - how frustrating! I had started losing some of my plug though - yay, something was happening! I was still able to breath through contractions at this stage, and talk a bit, so the intensity wasn't too bad.
I messaged Anna to tell her what was happening. She said because the contractions weren't staying regular this was probably just pre-labour, and that this could go on for awhile. She suggested I try a bath, as it should either slow things down so I can rest or get things going. DH ran the bath and I lay in there on my side with head leaning on a towel on the side of the bath. This was so nice, I really felt like I could relax between contractions. I just lay there, almost sleeping while DH poured water over my body. It was hard dealing with the contractions in the bath though cause I couldn't move out of the position I was in. While I was in the bath contractions got very regular at 8 minutes apart, but once I got out they became less regular again.
My parents brought DS back home around 1pm so he could have his day sleep. Once he was in bed they left. I messaged Mel again telling her that my contractions were still not regular, but definitely getting more intense. I felt a bit shivery after a contraction. I kept trying to relax between contractions, aware that I could still have days of this. We put on some episodes of Sex and the City to watch - I lay on the couch, getting up to kneel and rock through a contraction. Throughout the afternoon I lost more and more of my plug.
Anna called again at some point and said that my second midwife Anna F would be in the neighbourhood later on, and that she could come and check on me and see how things were going. She reminded me again that this was all probably just pre-labour, and to just try and rest and eat as much as I can.
Anna F stopped by late afternoon and checked on me and Twinkle. As I suspected, Twinkle was slightly posterior, which is probably why my labour hadn't become regular yet. Twinkle was going well, and Anna F just told me to rest and eat - everything I'd already been doing. She said it could still be 24 hours before labour really started. I felt really disappointed to think that these contractions might not be doing much - I was so tired and had been having contractions without a break for 18 hours already.
My parents took DS again for tea, and my dad brought some tea round for DH and I. I ate a little of it, but eating wasn't overly appealing. I had another bath and again found it really good for relaxing between the contractions. I got out of the bath, and at around 8pm I noticed there was some streaks of blood in with the plug I was losing. I hoped this meant something was happening. My parents brought DS home and he went to bed.
As the night wore on I was finding the contractions harder to cope with, and started really vocalising through them, rather than just breathing or using the horse lips. I also felt a few sharp bladder pains, which I hoped meant bub's head was spinning around a bit.
By late Sunday night I was starting to wonder if it was time to go into the birth centre. I was really having to vocalise through the contractions now, and starting to feel quite shaky afterwards. I tried lying in bed (I was so tired, I'd already missed one night's sleep), and when lying down the contractions were staying quite regular at 6 minutes apart - not all over the place like they had been all day. At 11.30pm I messaged Anna to say I thought I was ready to come in to the birth centre, so we arranged to meet there at midnight. DH called my mum to come round to our house to watch DS, and she showed up 5 minutes later.
By this stage I was still not sure if things had really ramped up or if it might still be pre-labour. I was worried that we'd get to the birth centre and things would slow down or stop and I was wasting Anna's time.
The drive to the birth centre was only short, the roads were quiet and it was really foggy. I had one contraction in the car - it was probably only a 5 minute car ride. We got to the birth centre, and I'd only had the one contraction,
so I was convinced that my labour had slowed down again... and then another came on after I got out of the car. Anna came out to greet us and watched me through the contraction - said something like "That's right Selina, great work" - so I thought okay, this must be proper labour.
We went inside and settled in the bedroom at the birth centre. I paced the room a little, DH sat in a chair looking tired. After I had a contraction, Anna checked my blood pressure which was good (which surprised me, because it had been on the high side most of the pregnancy - but Anna told me the hormones actually bring down your bp). I then had another contraction, after which Anna checked Twinkle's heart rate which was all fine.
Anna kind of left us to it for a while then. My contractions were still 5-6 minutes apart, but getting stronger.
Monday 2nd May, 1am: I was tired, so Anna suggested I try lying on the bed between contractions. I did, but it was so hard to get up when a contraction came on that I tried just lying on the bed through them - which, like at home, was really not very comfortable.
My concept of time and what happened from here on is pretty hazy. So the bits I'm writing could have happened in any order! I kind of just kept doing my thing. Sometimes I tried lying on the bed, but as things progressed this was too uncomfortable. Sometimes I paced the room (very slowly), or stood rocking/swaying between contractions, and would then lean on the end of the bed, or hang off DH through a contraction. Other times I was kneeling by the bed resting between contractions and having DH or Anna rub my back or apply heat packs to my back through a contraction. I didn't really say anything in between contractions, apart from occasionally asking for a drink of water or powerade. I asked DH if I said anything, and he doesn't remember me saying much of anything either. I guess I'm not much of talker in labour! During contractions I kind of just vocalised - not really screaming, more of a low-pitched yell.
I'd go the toilet a fair bit too, which always seemed to result in another contraction - so I'd be in the bathroom stuck on the toilet during them! Throughout the night I had more bloody show as well. One thing I remember about the bathroom is that when I was sitting on the toilet, the way the light was shining on a certain tile made the shape of a skull. I noticed it most times and wondered about it being some kind of bad omen... and the a contraction would come on and I'd be absorbed with that.
At around 5am I got in the bath. It was sooo nice for relaxing in between the contractions. Then I'd have to move to kneel through a contraction. DH sat with me and at one stage offerred me a cracker with cheese. I hadn't eaten for a while, so I thought I'd try it - but my goodness it was awful! The cheese was really dry, and with the cracker it just formed a big, dry paste in my mouth. It was a struggle to try and eat it and swallow it before the next contraction came on! Apparently it wasn't just me who found that cheese a struggle though. DH had had a few, and sometime afterwards he threw up. Poor DH - he wasn't very well for most of my labour.
During one of the contractions in the bath I felt a bit of bowel pressure, so thought I might need the toilet. I got out of the bath and onto the toilet, but nothing happened. Just lots of pressure. At 7am Anna must have messaged Anna F to come in, and she arrived some time after. It was only around now that I realised it was day light outside. I was so completely oblivious to time passing I had no idea.
By now I was struggling more with the contractions. They were lasting a lot longer, so I didn't get as much of a break between them. I remember thinking at one point, 'How on earth does any woman ever do this in a hospital!?!'
7.45am: I think it was around now that I must have been in transition. On my birth notes it says they were applying hot towels to my back and I remember feeling like I couldn't go on much by then. I never actually said any of this though (really not a chatty labourer!). Apparently my contractions were still about 5 minutes apart, but they were lasting a long time - I think they may have had double peaks too, so I didn't really feel like I was getting a break between them now. I was starting to feel a bit out of control though them - a bit panicky. My vocalising by now was more of a scream mixed with wimpering. I remember feeling a bit out of control at the start of a contraction, then Anna would apply a hot towel to my back, and it seemed to help somehow - not so much with the pain, but I guess it distracted me temporarily and calmed me down.
8.30am: I was starting to feel slightly pushy, but Anna F said try not to push unless I can absolutely not help it yet, just to be sure. Not long after my waters broke while I was standing leaning against one of the bed posts at the end of the bed. DH tells me I apologised to Anna for getting it on the floor, lol. I was pretty happy when my waters broke - finally it felt like things were starting to happen!
9.10am: I started having some spontaneous pushing. It was so strange - I just couldn't stop it from happening! Around now Anna had a go at trying to get a reading of Twinkle's heartrate, but didn't have any luck. I was aware this was happening, but for some reason I was never actually worried. Anna didn't really seem worried and I guess I just didn't feel like anything was wrong.
Because I was so tired, they got out the birthing stool so I could sit for a bit while pushing. Both the Anna's had a go at trying to hear Twinkle's heartbeat again in between pushes, but with no luck. In the end they got me to move to lie down on the floor so they could try from that position - and oh my goodness, that felt impossible!!! It took me ages to get on the floor, it was so awkward. However, they did manage to hear Twinkle's heartrate which was a relief.
I got back on the birthing stool to push some more, as it felt like the best position for pushing. I was sitting on the birth stool, leaning back slightly on DH, holding onto the bed rail with one hand and the other on the stool. I remember pushing feeling like it was taking forever. The midwives would say "here comes the head" "you can see the head" - making me think it would be out soon... except every time I was pushing they'd say this! In the birth notes it says 10.15am: Head crowning, then at 10.25am: head still crowning. Pushing was such hard work, and so stingy - but at least the contractions didn't hurt anymore! Anna got a mirror at one point so I could have a look and I could see the top of the babies head - covered in vernix and black hair! Eventually the head was born, along with the babies left hand curled into a fist next to her face. Once the head was out, apparently the baby spun really quickly and I was able to push the rest of the body out without waiting for another contraction - so at 10.55am our baby was born!!! It was amazing to look down at this baby on the floor who had been inside me only moments before. They handed the baby to me and I held her against me (and got blood all over my face in the process). With the next contraction I birthed the placenta... now that was a whole lot easier than birthing the head!
I then had quite a big bleed, so they gave me the syntocin injection and cut the cord so they could get the bleeding under control.
We checked the sex - a girl! I had so wanted a girl!
So, the final stats for my labour:
Stage 1: 15.30 hours
Stage 2: 1.25 hours
Baby Born: 10.55am
Stage 3: 5 minutes
Total length of labour: 17 hours (or, if you go by my very first contraction - 36 hours!)
Blood loss: 800ml, and I also had a second degree vaginal wall tear (probably because of her fist being by her head) and a small labial tear.
Our beautiful VBAC princess Adele Rose was 3.85kg (8 pound 8 oz), 54.5cm long with a 36cm head circumference. We are so in love with our gorgeous baby girl, and I still can't believe that I birthed her completely naturally!
Not once through the labour did I ever think about wanting to go to the hospital or wanting drugs, and not once did the thought of it being a VBAC enter my mind. I can't believe I did it!
just beautiful. damn hormones making me tear up.
Well done on such a great effort and a beautiful little girl for a beautiful lady.
A VBAC! well done! enjoy those pink snuggles all the best to your new little family of four
Aawww, just beautiful Congratulations on the birth of your precious daughter- and congrats on your VBAC. You were awesome. Thank you for an inspiring, interesting and eloquent birth story.
You DID do it sterla, you did a fantastic job too. I take my hat off to you. I did chuckle about the cheese cracker though. Your dd is adorble, just like her muma.
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The amazing VBAC of Adele Rose (2nd May, 2011)
. He was fine once he got to my parent's house though. DH and I then went for a walk round the block in the rain. During the walk contractions got down to 3 minutes apart - but then when we got home they were back to 8 minutes apart - how frustrating! I had started losing some of my plug though - yay, something was happening! I was still able to breath through contractions at this stage, and talk a bit, so the intensity wasn't too bad.
Congratulations on the birth of your precious daughter- and congrats on your VBAC. You were awesome. Thank you for an inspiring, interesting and eloquent birth story.
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