A little bit of history to set the scene, After my first baby’s birth of 2hrs, 15mins from contractions starting to delivery, my obstetrician advised that I would likely have another quick labour, so the plan was that when my waters broke or contractions were at 10 minute intervals, I would head to hospital. However my first birth was an induction due to Group B strep after my membranes ruptured, so it was assumed that the labour was fast partly due to that. Bailey had been born at 36weeks, 3days however with him, when my membranes ruptured, this had been the first sign of anything happening. However, this time from 30 weeks onwards I regularly felt Braxton hicks, and from 37 weeks onwards I would get sparodic, but often single contractions, but they were fierce, they just never had a pattern or continued. On the day before birth I had about 3 or 4 in a row and was cancelling a playdate when they just stopped, the playdate was re-organised I went on with my day.
On the morning of Annika’s birth, I woke up cranky. I’d had period like cramping most mornings for a week which would disappear once I started my day, and I was ready to birth and feeling impatient. After having an early baby, I felt three weeks overdue, even though my due date was technically still 2 days away. I went and visited a friend, sat on the couch for a while when I got home, then picked up Bailey from childcare at 3pm, when we got home we were sitting cuddling on the couch when at 3:50pm I heard a pop, at first I thought it was an involuntary pop off, then I realised I could feel some liquid rushing out and it was the same as when Bailey’s waters broke. I jumped off the couch before it hit the cushions and went to the loo, it was pretty obvious my waters had broken as it continued to leak. I rang the hospital telling them I was heading in, the midwife asked if I’d had any contractions, I hadn’t at this point but of course as soon as I got off the phone I was hit with one, and Sean rang my Mum to come and get Bailey. While we waited for Mum we put a few things in the car and Sean had a shave, and then after a teary kiss (from Me, Bailz was fine) we headed off, I’d only had 2 or 3 contractions at this stage. It was peak hour but luckily we were driving towards it most of the way, so we got to the hospital in about 30 mins, I had another 2 fierce contractions in the car – about 10 minutes apart, and another as we were about to enter the hospital. The front desk staff must have seen me leaning up against the wall panting as a midwife came out with a wheel chair and asked if I was Naomi. I was wheeled into the delivery suite, the same room Bailey had been born in 3 years, 3 months and 2 days earlier! I had to wait a few minutes while they dried the floor as it had just been mopped, then I walked in as another contraction hit me, just a few minutes gap now. When it finished I went to the loo to wee, came out and another one hit me, this time another one came straight on top of it and I couldn’t stand, I kneeled on the floor and yelled through it, I was getting a bit panicked by this stage as everything was just happening so fast. I told the midwife Jane that I was panicked and she helped calm me down and breathe, and said to hop on the bed so she could she what was happening. Another contraction overwhelmed me and I just groaned as loud as I have ever have heard myself and felt the ‘ring of fire’ as my baby crowned. I told the midwife I needed to poo (I did the same thing when I started pushing Bailey out hahahaha) and I somehow got on the bed with some assistance, as I lifted my legs up the midwife and Sean could see my babies head between my legs, and in the next contraction she was born and placed on my chest. We’d been at the hospital for just 10 minutes. It was 515pm. We were all in shock, even the midwife was surprised. It took a while to birth the placenta and even though those contractions were still painful, I was absorbed in this little girl that was on my chest and cuddling into me. There was no time for any pain relief or interventions which is how I wanted it anyway, but obviously due to the speed of birth nothing was really an option anyway. Sean and I kept saying things like “Oh My God”, “How quick was that” and were just in happy shock that it all happened so quickly. As there were 8 births in the maternity ward that day, it was rather busy (we just added to the pandemonium) but this meant we were just left in the birthing suite alone for a little while to absorb our little girl and what had just happened, which was lovely as Bailey had been whisked away to the special care nursery. Our Obstetrician arrived about 40 minutes later and stitched me up and checked me over, we joked that our little girl just wasn’t going to wait. Our baby girl is perfect in every way, and was on the breast quickly which was just beautiful. I needed a few stiches due to her speed of delivery, but otherwise I was on my feet and we went back to our room to bond further – a purely magical but speedy birth!! Annika Lee completes our family of four (just as well as any future labours would be even quicker, however I guess this is a perfect way to get it done quick, nothing to really recover from! From Waters breaking to birth there was only 1 hour and 25 minutes, only 10 of which were actually at the hospital. We came home yesterday and life is perfect in every way – I am the luckiest Mummy in the world
Annika Lee
B. 25/7/2012 / 5:15pm
3.380kg / 7pd7oz
51cm long / HC 34.5cm
talk about a prompt arrival lol
Beautiful story, congrats again xo
I wish my 3rd was just as quick (ds2 was a 3hr labour from 1st contraction to delivery, only 45min in hossy) but alas not to be she was LONG lol, so i am very jealous
The Speedy Birth of Annika Lee
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