Well girls here the birth story of our beautiful little girl.. Ashley.
As most know i had been having irregular but Stronger BH since last friday (8th June) as well as a show. Anyhow I woke up around midnight on the saturday night (sunday am) with strong period like pain and back ache that would come on gradually, build up then go away after about 30-60seconds. They were 10ish minutes apart. I tried to get some sleep overnight because i though for sure... another false alarm! mmmm
I called the hospital about 8am and the contractions hadnt gotten any stronger but were about 5mins about. I could walk through them and talk but they kinda took my breath away.. and the funny thing i noticed is my belly didnt get as rock hard as with previous BH's...They said to come in and they will put me on the CTG to see if they are real contractions or BH and to take my time, have breaky etc. So i did. Eventually we got in about 930am. The midwife looked at me happy and laughing, walking around through the contractions, put me on the CTG which wasnt really registering anything! And my contractions slowed down to about 5-10minutely again (makes you feel silly when they do that!).
Anyhow the midwife was thinking perhaps it was strong BH's but said - since you are here were may as well do a VE (vaginal examination or internal). Lucky! Well the first thing she said was "do you feel like you are carrying a bowling bowl between your legs!" - supposably Ashleys head was so far down and ready it wasnt funny. And I was 3-4 cms dilated.
Because we live in a small rural town, if you are a primip (first pregnancy) our little country hospital will only let you give birth if there is an obstertician and anaesthetist on call incase of complications... Well there wasnt on sunday!
So we called the Ambulance service to take me to the closest major hospital which is 150km from where we live. The midwife told Hubby, that although i am 3-4cm my waters were intact and so i could go on for hours. So he went home to get a some warm clothes (in case we had to stay down at that hospital for a while), drop the furry babies at a friends and meet me at the hospital.
STill waiting for the ambulance the contractions were regular again about 5 mintuely, can only describe them as when you have a really full bladder and some one squeezes you! ouch.. at 1130am the midwife said we should do another VE to see if things are progressing. She did and i was 4-5cm dilated. She gave me 25mg of fentanyl to see if they took the edge of the contractions but it didnt effect the pain of the contractions... only my eye focus.. ha!).
So... Ambulance arrived and they were taking time trying to secure the humidicrib in the back safely (requirement to have one there) and i was still walking through the contractions. Eventually we set off at 12 midday - i was comfortable enough to sit up for a little while as the stretcher is so narrow and uncomfortable... no room in there to move anywhere with 2 seats, a stretcher, a humidicrib, a preggy woman and a midwife (anyone who has been in the back of any ambo will know what i mean!).
As they got stronger i moved on the bed. The MW gave me another 2 x 25mg fentanyl on the trip but it still didnt effect the pain of the contractions so we didnt have anymore... I had some maxolon too for carsickness (made worse by the contractions).
The 1 and 1/2 hr drive down seemed like forever. There was nothing the MW could give me for the pain - not even gas, nothing (so much for birthplans! lol). My contractions were about 3 mintuely apart now. All i could do was breathe through it and that was hard Cause i couldnt sit still on this narrow little bed. We were about 1/2hr from the hospital and they were really strong, the midwife told me to hop on all fours and lend over the upright back of the bed on the pillows and she rocked my hips and massaged my lower back - i felt like i was going to pee... but in fact it was my membranes rupturing (waters breaking)... ( how lovely!) but at this time i didnt care was the ambulance looked like ! ha.
The MW did a quick VE and i was 10cm dilated! but i didnt have the push urge yet. When we were about 10-15minutes from the hospital and i needed to push. The MW kept saying just breathe through them... it was very distressing and painful, i asked for painrelief but she said there is nothing i could have this late... (i knew that but at the time it was worth a try). MW kept reassuring me we were going to have this baby somewhere civilised not in the paddock on the side of the road (although she did say she saw some nice tree lined areas lol). We got to the hospital and they rushed me to the labour ward - i transfered to the bed and the 3 midwifes from that hospital, my MW and the ambo were all there! what a gallery huh. The headMW said you can start pushing. I asked them to call my husband and find out where he was. He said he just pulled into the carpark. They told him to come straight to the labour ward.
The pushes were hard - but a different feeling to the contractions.. in some way a better feeling. i was scared at first but my MW assured me that pushing wasnt the same type of pain and she was right. (smart girl!). After about what i can guess as about 10 minutes of pushing - hubby arrives, not expecting me to be at this stage. He walked around my bed and the MW told him what he could see what the head and bub was about to be born. He stayed with me for the last 2 pushes and Ashley was born.
She came out with no problems - straight to my chest. I didnt need stitches or anything - although it hurt alot down there afterwards.
She was born at 39+2 weeks, 5lb 13, 2pm Sunday 10th June. She is absolutely perfect! Looks like both mum and dad.
All I can say it was a perfect ending to what seemed like a huge adventure in small timespan of 2 hours!
Last edited by PinkPalace; June 14th, 2007 at 12:28 PM.
Wow PrincessMya a hugs congratulaions to your new family. I'm was very curious to know if someone who has pre labour symptoms for so long would have a short labour, and you proved this theory right. I just hope so do I.
Congratulations again on the birth of your beautiful little girl. And what a wonderful story to tell her when she is older.
Well done, you did so well.
Thanks girls... At the time i felt jibbed because i didnt get to do the nice... bath, then aromotheray, tens, walking around with DH and massage etc etc.... but now i think.
Wow i did it and now i know i can do it again with whatever is thrown at me next time!.
I feel so proud that i had such a natural birth and that our bodies just cope and do what they are designed to do... so amazing. I am still in awe...
Mummy Mel - i hope you have a quick birth too .. How are the symptoms going? I never thought about long prelabour = short birth etc but i suppose not knowing i was already 4-5cm probably cut out time of counting how the labour was progressing. Kinda like a bonus... surprise ! lol
Thanks girls! I hope everyone elses bubs comes soon (those still waiting). And I have one more thing to say.... i went into this birth with NO birth plan.. i mean i would have liked to have my husband there giving massages and aromotherapy, i bought my tens etc... but i was very open minded (luckily!)... and i am am now not dissapointed at all.
I think the stricter your birth plan the more dissapointment you set yourself up for if things dont go the way everyone 'tells' you labour and birth is supposed to happen!.
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Introducing Ashley.....
. I'm was very curious to know if someone who has pre labour symptoms for so long would have a short labour, and you proved this theory right. I just hope so do I.
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