Dispite not having an overly long labour, this story is for some reason really long.... here goes.

My Due date was FINALLY here, I was bored and sick of sitting at home. So instead of watching the clock tick until I had the baby I decided to go and visit Mum in Numurkah. Wato was a bit concerned with me going, but I wasn’t staying home. He thought I was going to stay the night there, but I reassured him that I would be back after tea (not that he would be home, as he was working that afternoon). So off we went. Didn’t do much while we were there. I went and visited Glenys (Wato’s Mum), who had been sick and told me that if I were to have the baby in the next 48 hours she would have to miss it because she didn’t want to risk getting anyone else sick especially me and the baby (I had invited her to come in with us). I was getting cramps all day, I had a feeling that I was really close to having this bub. We left for home in the evening and we all settled in for the night.

I woke at around 3am to more niggly pains, which kept me awake, so I decided to take things into my own hands. I proceeded to use nipple stimulation for half an hour or so to bring on stronger more regular contractions. I had used this technique a few times before but eventually the contractions would stop, this time they continued, so said to myself ‘if they are still going in an hour I’ll get up and check for a show’. So at about 7am I decided the contractions had been going longer than usual, and got up to check for a show and sure enough there it was. I rang Mum soon after telling her that I thought I was in labour and I would call her back in an hour to let her know if things were still moving.

An hour passed and I was still having irregular almost painless contractions, so I called her back and told her that I though this was it, and she should come over. I got off the phone and went and had a bath, which slowed things down a lot. So after I had a bath I decided to go for a walk around the campus. I took Emily up to the DSA (Dookie Student Association) lounge and began to walk back when Mum turned up, so I jumped in the car with her and went home. I told her that I was walking to try and get things going after my bath, she told me I needed to jump off the back step (she was joking). She asked if I was still having contractions, which I was, but heaps further apart.

We wondered around the house for a while, cleaned Jorge’s cage and let him out for a while, Alecia finished cooking her muffins (to snack on when I was in labour). Wato got up about 11am, and was shocked to see my Mum there, I hadn’t told him I was in labour because I wanted him to get as much rest as possible. He was very disappointed that his Mum wouldn’t be there. Glenys was also a bit upset, I rang her earlier to let her know what was going on, we spoke of the irony and she wished me luck.

Lunchtime came around and I cooked everyone lunch, trying to keep busy. Mum made a few phone calls to organise Emily’s babysitter. Sharon (my eldest sister) was going to come over and get her when she finished making something for Jesse. It got to about 2pm and Mum decided she would ring Sharon back and tell her she needed to come sooner to get Emily because things had started moving. I was beginning to have more painful contractions, which were still not very regular but between 8-13 mins apart. I rang the midwifery (spoke to Janine, She was the midwife who took us for our antenatal classes when I was pregnant with Emily) and they told me to call back on my way out the door. Sharon turned up and we put Emily’s car seat in her car and bid her farewell. I called the midwifery back and told her we were on our way.

On the way there I noted that the contractions were coming every 6 minutes, and they were getting very bitey! But I told Wato that they weren’t as bad as when I was in the car on the way to the hospital to have Emily.

Got to the hospital where they told me that I would be taken around to room 20 to labour, as the midwifery was full (that’d be right!), and I would be staying in room Surgery 2 afterwards (right next to midwifery). Helen was going to be my midwife, which was excellent, as she delivered Emily only 17 months before. So I grabbed a few things out of my suitcase and we headed around to room 20, I had to stop on the way for a contraction. We got there and Helen did my ob’s, everything was normal. I was then told someone would be around soon to put an I.V. in because I had a bleed after I had Emily and they wanted to be able to have access to it after delivery, just in case.

A lady came in with a trolley ready to put in my I.V, I was a bit nervous about it because I had always been told that getting I.V’s put in can be really painful. I got her to explain exactly what she was doing. She also said that she only tries once and if she can’t get it she gets the doctor to do it. Anyway off she went, she got it in no worries but it wouldn’t feed. I told her she could have another go cause it didn’t hurt at all! So she had another go on my wrist and got it first pop. The worst thing about it was it felt like it was in the way. After I had bub I nagged to get it taken out but they wouldn’t just in case I had a bleed and they needed access to it.

Wondered around the room and tried sitting on a birthing ball (not really to my liking). Wato took Alecia to the shop to get something to eat and drink (5 min walk down the road), Mum and I wondered outside to where I realised that the contractions were getting rather close together. Mum rang Nicole (my sister) at home to let her know what was going on (Mum was looking after her boys and dropped them off with Debbie (another of my sisters)) she was a bit upset that no one called her (she was supposed to have Emily but she was working). I knew she’d be upset and asked Mum if she should call her several times while we were at home, but Mum thought it best not to… I knew better…lol. Went to go back inside and found $3 on the ground, Mum and I though it was rather funny (I think it was because I almost ran to pick it up).

Got inside, it must’ve been around 5pm by this stage, Helen offered me a shower, to which I accepted. Wato and I proceed into the bathroom and he held the showerhead on me…. Not sure how long we were in there for but I think I only had 3 contractions in there (they seemed to have gotten further apart again). Wato dried me off and I put on my nightie (the same one I had Emily in) walked out and had a drink of water. I knew things weren’t to far off happening, the contractions were really bad and almost bought me to tears, I could feel my face grimacing every time one came, even though they were still variable. Alecia rubbed my back and put my hair up out of the way and Wato rubbed my lower belly. Just before one contraction Wato had a mouthful of Twisties… and growled and told him he stunk and not to eat anymore of them… aren’t I mean. I explained myself saying, ‘you know how little things can be annoying when you are in pain?’. After another contraction Alecia ended up crying in sympathy for me and had to go and be consoled by Mum.

After one of the contractions I told Helen I was too far off pushing (must’ve been about 5:25pm), she told be to keep breathing through them, and then rang the other midwife (Leanne) and told her what I had said. When she got off the phone she said, ‘it’s not that we don’t trust you Tanya’.
I asked her what she meant, and she said ‘last time you started pushing your waters broke and you delivered in 3 minutes’.
I didn’t stray to far from the side of the bed where Wato was sitting, but went to the bedside table a few times to get a drink (especially after each contraction, my mouth would be dry from breathing so hard).

Leanne came in and they began to prepare for the delivery. I felt down below to see if I could feel her, and I could feel her not too far away. I had a few more contractions, and remember saying, ‘maybe it further away than I thought!’. I think I had two more contractions and started pushing as I exhaled, but not bearing down or anything. I really didn’t want to push too much to avoid tearing. I saw the nurses move over toward me, in preparation. That’s when my waters broke (5:40pm), the gush of fluid wasn’t and large as with Emily (I remember the relief after my waters broke with Emily… they must’ve been bulging something bad!) I looked down to watch it trickle out, it was pink (stained with a bit of blood), so I was happy with that. Next contraction I did the same as the last and only pushed a little bit as I exhaled, but could feel her coming out. I told Alecia to get the camera ready.

Helen said, ‘I can see a lot of head’,
To which I responded by saying, ‘your gunna see more in a sec!!’ everyone couldn’t help themselves but giggle.

I felt her head come out as I was saying very loudly…’C’mon baby, c’mon baby’, I had to be vocal… a bit embarrassing now I think about it! Leanne told me not to push and let her turn, I told her I didn’t need to push. The emergence of her head made me rise up on my tiptoes, and Helen told me I needed to bend my knees and squat down a little. I said ‘I can’t’, and was told by her and my Mum that I had to…. So I did.

The next contraction came quickly, and again I became very vocal… as the rest of her emerged (5:44pm), to which I lifted up again and forward. The feeling of her coming out was a shock to the system and I could barely breath and gasped for breath. I remember Mum saying, ‘she’s chubby!’. I finally caught my breath and turned my head to have a look at my new baby. I was a bit upset cause I couldn’t really see her. But what I could see was her trying to cough and fluid coming from her mouth. Wato went around to her and cut the cord, which spurted blood all over Leanne’s face…ooops! Then there was another gush from my vagina, I looked down and it was all blood. Leanne came quickly and shot something (can’t remember the name of it) up my I.V. I was then presented with my baby. Helen told me to undo my nightie to get some skin-to-skin contact with my bub. I did that and went to lie on the bed… when my Doctor walked in. I jokingly told him he was hopeless! He laughed; he missed Emily’s birth be probably the same amount of time. Helen told the Doctor that that I did a good job and was smiling all the way through it all. Which was true, I don’t think I realised I was so close to the end and was expecting things to be a little different. With Emily I lost my sense of humour because laughing really hurt, this time it wasn’t as bad. I got up on the bed and just looked at my new baby. She was trying to cough and cry at the same time, and was covered in thick vernix. The texture of the vernix reminded me of that body butter stuff you get form the body shop, but stickier. She was chubby and round. No bruises (unlike Emily who’s nose was purple and bent to one side) and a reasonable amount of dark hair, she was very cute!

So 4 minutes after my waters broke bub was born. Makes me wonder what might’ve happened if they broke at home! I think the only thing holding her in there were the membranes.

The Doctor told me there was a little bit of a tear, but it wasn’t too bad… I think I got 2 stitches. After that they took bub to examine her (on the portable trolley) and I started to shiver something drastic! Leanne went and got me a blanket while bub got cuddles from Dad, Alecia and Mum (she pooed when Mum was holding her). When I got her back bub had her first feed. After that she was taken to get weighed etc and I had a shower. After that we all went around to my room where I felt absolutely exhausted and could barely keep my eyes open. Wato, Mum and Alecia said goodbye. I gave bub another feed, and got up to go to the loo, when I felt blood dripping down my legs… it was everywhere!! I buzzed for the nurse, Helen came and cleaned me up. After I got back to bed the doctor came in and he told me I was going to get 4 suppositories to help my uterus contract… poor Helen got that job… Not nice!

So that’s it… I hope it wasn't too boring.

Tanya