The birth of Anelise

Monday September 14, I had an appointment to see the Ob for my weekly check up. At this appointment the Ob asked me when I thought I would go into labour. I told him I had a feeling about Sept 23 the whole pregnancy so I believed I would go over by a week. The Ob commented that he felt that by Thursday I would be having my baby. I told him that only time would tell who was right.

Tuesday was fairly uneventful. DH went and picked up my glider rocker and set it up in the little kid's room. I had made passing comments to my Mum over the weekend how my body probably wouldn't allow me to go into labour until I had my chair. It looked lovely set up next in the room.

That night I had some problems sleeping. I was exhausted but for some reason I couldn't sleep. I tossed and turned all night
On Wednesday September 16, my due date, DH got up early for work and told me to try to rest up, as he knew I barely slept a wink all night. He left for work and I nodded off for a little while, then had to get up to do the whole school thing for the older kids.
DS1 gave me a kiss goodbye and left to catch his bus at 8am. I started getting some strong BH's and felt awful. I called DD into the room and told her that I was getting pains and that there was a chance she wouldn't be going to school that day. I also called DH at work and gave him the heads up as I had each time my braxton hicks contractions felt a little too strong. I told him I would call if & when I was certain this was labour and I needed him here.

The time came for me to take DD to school and I decided that it was best that she stayed home, if anything she could help me with DS2. After I told DD to get changed out of her school clothes, I decided to go to the toilet. As soon as I pulled my pants down I realised I'd had a bloody show. In my past labours, I'd had my show either right before or during labour so I started to think that this was the real thing. I posted on Facebook and let family & close friends know that I was in labour, even though there was still the niggling thought in the back of my head that this mightn't be the real thing. My contractions were still all over the place. At one stage I'd get some every 5 minutes and last for 30 seconds, then they'd come 10 minutes later and last for 10 seconds, then they'd come 20 minutes later and last for 15 seconds. There was no real pattern to them.

I decided after a few 3 minute apart contractions that it was best to call DH and get him to come home from work. He left straight away.
DH got home and took over watching after DS2. I decided to have a shower and try to see what would happen from there. The shower basically stopped everything and it was a relief. As much as I wanted to meet my baby, I still didn't feel ready.
At some stage during this time, DH & I decided it would be best to pick DS1 up from school as it was his sport day and it would be really difficult to find him once he was at his sport. We called DS1's school and let them know that DH would be picking him up in the next 1/2 hr.
While DH was gone, I decided to bounce on my fitball. It helped with the pain, but the contractions were still coming sporadically.

When DH arrived home he gave me a back massage. It was lovely. I was really tired by this stage and started to get really snappy. I got annoyed with DH and told him to leave the room and leave me alone. The poor thing left me to it, and about 5 minutes later I called him back in. I decided to lie down on the bed. This slowed the contractions down to every 20 minutes and made them a lot less intense. It was fantastic. I told DH I was going to take advantage of this and try to have a bit of a nap.
I stayed there like that for about 15 minutes when the contractions started coming a lot stronger, so laying down made no difference anymore. After one contraction finished, I closed my eyes and tried to rest again. About 2 minutes into my rest I felt a strange pop and I could feel fluid leaking into my pants. I told DH that my water had just broken and to put some towels down on the floor between the bed and our ensuite so I could have a shower. I was so very glad that we had a waterproof mattress protector on our bed!
I hopped off the bed and felt the fluid gush from me. It was such an amazing but kinda gross feeling. I told DH to call the hospital and let them know I was definitely in labour and that my water had broken. I checked the fluid and it was a yellow-ish colour. I then got back into the shower and that is when the contractions became fairly intense, but again they were still all over the place.
Whilst in the shower, I felt the baby move right down and I started to feel like pushing a little. DH told the midwife on the phone that I felt like this and they told us they would have a wheelchair waiting for me when I got there.
I hopped out of the shower, dried off, dressed and got into the car for the 3 minute drive to the hospital.
On the way to the hospital I could feel the baby moving down even more. It became unbearable to sit and I honestly felt like I could give birth right then & there in the car, 2 minutes away from the hospital.
We got to the hospital and thankfully were able to find parking close by. We were greeted at the car by a man wheeling a wheelchair for me. I sat down and DH pushed me up to the delivery suites whilst the kids walked behind us. It was like a movie, being pushed through the crowds whilst having intense contractions. Actually, it was a little embarrassing.

We arrived at the delivery suites and we were greeted by a midwife named Sue. She was lovely. She took us down to the birthing suites and I was happy to see we were headed to the one that I liked the look of when we saw them the week previous.
We got comfortable and Sue took my blood pressure, listened to bub?s heart beat and felt my tummy. Sue told me she'd read over my birth plan and asked me if there was anything else I would like for the birth or the baby. I told her that I wanted to have DH catch the baby, to wait for the cord to stop pulsating before clamping, a physiological 3rd stage and that I wanted the baby checked for a tongue tie when it was born. All these things were already in my birth plan and Sue agreed to them all.

So, contraction after contraction happened. I started staring at the tiles on the ceiling to keep me focused. Sue kept in the background, only coming over every now and then to put the Doppler on me to check bubs heart rate.

After what had felt like hours, I asked Sue to please do an internal examination on me to let me know how dilated I was. Sue told me if I really wanted it done, then she would do it, but I had stated on my birth plan that I wanted no internal examinations done and that she wanted me to trust my own body. She was also worried that if she did the examination and she told me I was less dilated than I wanted to be, that I could get disheartened and set myself back. I agreed to stay how I was.
A few more contractions and I found myself starting to push. I didn't want to push, I didn't mean to push but push I did. Sue came over to put the doppler on me once again and I told her no. She left me alone. I pushed some more and DH lifted my dress up and could see the baby's head. This made me more & more excited and I started to really enjoy my labour as I knew I would be meeting my baby in a matter of minutes. A few more pushes and Anelise Lynette was born. She was so beautiful. She looked exactly like her big brother, only with girlier features. Anelise weighed 4000gms (8lb 13oz) and was 49.5cms long with a head circumference of 35.5cms.
10 minutes after she was born, I naturally delivered the placenta. I was in labour at the hospital for almost an hour, even though it felt like a lifetime.
It has been recorded that I was in active labour for 4 hours.

Although I didn't get my home birth, I must say I am happy with the way Anelise was born. It is a little sad to know she is my last baby, but I am happy to have ended my birthing days by at least having my waters break naturally, and to have delivered the placenta naturally too. The biggest bonus is the amazing little princess that was born into my husband's arms and our family that day.

Awww thats so beautiful!!!! I'm so happy for you :clap:

Well done and Congratulations :D

Well done! Congratulations on your little girl!

Wow, you did a fantastic job! Congratulations!!

Thank you for sharing your story :D

Bawling here... I know that the lead up to Anelise's birth was such a stressful time for you and your family but reading over this made me forget about all of the stress and I just enjoyed reading about how your little one entered the world.

I've been waiting to hear how it all turned out for you and I'm so very happy that it was perfect the battle you had to get there :hug: Enjoy your babymoon with your precious wee girl as I know only too well how fast the 'last baby' grows up *sniff*

What a beautiful birth story - congrats on gorgeous Anelise!

awww wonderful!!

Congratulations hun what a lovely story xxx:clap:

that is such a lovely birth story.. very sweet indeed ;)
Congratulations on the birth of your gorgeous daughter xx

Oh Lisa, what a fantastic birth story of the picturesque Anelise! I'm so proud of what a fantastic labour you had given the weeks leading up to her arrival were nothing short of shocking for you!

Well done on a wonderful edition to your beautiful family!

Enjoy every little inch of her - because she is worth it!

Love Jayne, Alan, Jess & Claudia.

Aw Lisa, that is beautiful! What a wonderful midwife you had!!! How awesome that your DH was able to catch Anelise, and that your kids were there to welcome her. Sounds just amazing. Well done. :)