Tallon's birth

Well.. do you want the detailed version? or the detailed version? LOL. Sorry if it's a bit long.. it's more for my benefit than yours! :) Anyway.. here it is.

Our baby boy was due on 28th March 2006. Having learned that 37 weeks was considered term, I had continuously told bubby that he was welcome to come any time after March 7th, as I figured after that time all he would do is grow! Well, being the obedient boy that he is.. he got the ball rolling on the 7th of March!

Tuesday March 7th: I went to my client as usual on the Tuesday morning to do their books for the final time before finishing up for a while on â?‚??“maternity leaveâ?‚?, or the closest I can get to it being self employed! I only JUST made it home late that morning with a rather severe case of the runs (sorry.. TMI :) ) This went on for the rest of the day and night and well into Wednesday as well. During this time, I started losing my plug and had quite a lot of a bloody show. I was a little concerned about going into labour with such bad diarrhoea, but it didn't happen. The body certainly knows what it's doing.. cleaned itself out well and truly before the labour started. I had rung the hospital, but they assured me it was unlikely the diarrhoea was a sign of labour (hmph!)

Wednesday March 8th: The runs eased up, and turned into rather crampy braxton hicks contractions. Having been up all night with the toilet the night before, I was rather tired, but ended up being up all Wednesday night with pretty regular contractions, eventually getting to 5 mins apart. I got DH up in the middle of the night to blow up the fit ball for me, and to help me pack the labour bag, which had been put off for so long! So I spent a good deal of the night reading BellyBelly (birth stories of course!) and using the fit ball to keep moving during contractions.

Thursday March 9th: The contractions started to ease up a bit once the sun was up, but later that morning we figured we should probably ring the hospital and see what they have to say. They offered for me to go in and have a trace to see whether they are contractions or not. So we packed up the car with all my hospital gear (just in case), hopped in the car and wouldn't you know it.. the car wouldn't start! We just had to laugh.. we just sat there and laughed. It was such a hollywood clich?ĩ, to pack the pregnant wife into the car and the car being dead as a doornail. This is a car that has NEVER broken down in the 7 years DH has had it. Anyway.. we called NRMA and they came and got it started (flat battery). During this time, my contractions had pretty much stopped all together. I rang the hospital to tell them the saga, and they said I could still go in if I wanted. We decided to go for a drive first to recharge the car battery a bit, so drove up to my mum's and back in which time things had started up again. We eventually got to the hospital and they hooked me up to the machine, and told me that the contractions were very irregular. Reasonably close together, but not really doing anything. They said I could go home if I promised to get some rest, plus we're literally 5mins away from the hospital, so they didn't mind sending me home. Rang mum, and she came down and cooked dinner for us, and she was a bit excited that it looked like it might be happening (she was convinced it would start, coz her first sign of labour was diarrhoea too.) In the middle of eating dinner, I was suddenly squirming with a contraction and just could NOT get comfortable, and I figured I had a full bladder, so went upstairs to the toilet. Only just made it to the toilet where my waters broke. Nothing too dramatic, just a fair trickle. Went back downstairs to try and finish dinner.. when WHAMMO.. big gush! Now the midwife at our antenatal class had assured us that it's unlikely to happen like it does in the movies with a big embarressing gush.. and she explained that when the baby's head is down low, there's only a small pool of water to come out when the membranes rupture. Well.. don't believe a word of it! Anyway, we called the hospital, and we went straight back, where I was hooked up to the machine again, and well.. the contractions had pretty much stopped, returning to the irregular braxton hicks type of contractions. My OB (Dr Pardey) was called in, and he said since the membranes had ruptured, if nothing happens through the night, he'd like me put on the drip in the morning. So he told me to take some sleeping pills, as I'll be needing all my energy in the morning! I was a little reluctant, but was assured they were safe for the bub, and ended up having a reasonably good nights rest.

Friday March 10th: 7am the OB comes in (and interrupts my breakfast mind you!) and decides to do an internal to see what's going on. As he was standing there with his fingers all lubed up waiting for me to move my breakfast tray etc away, I laughed and said â?‚??“that's cheating.. you already know what I had for breakfast!â?‚? This made him laugh. Anyway, he found that I was already 3cm dilated, and something-or-other effaced. Can't really remember :) He said this baby will be coming today, and to start me on the drip. He didn't want me to finish breakfast as he figured I'd only be throwing it up later anyway (which I didn't by the way :) ). On his way out he said â?‚??“Oh by the way.. you had cornflakes!â?‚? LOL. Love my OB, can always have a laugh.

Well.. let the fun & games begin. They started the drip at 5ml/hr which of course did nothing, and every time the midwife came in, she cranked it up a notch. By the time it was on 20ml/hr I was getting a little uncomfortable with the contractions, but I made the mistake of smiling at the midwife when she came in, so she cranked it up some more.. to 40ml/hr! I was getting a little worried, as I thought they were getting quite strong, and she wasn't even checking the monitor or asking me how I was before cranking it up each time! Anyway.. it wasn't until it was at 60ml/hr and I was getting a bit teary (I think it was nerves more than the pain actually), that she decided it was enough and left it at that. This was at about 10am, and my visitors (who were there to keep mum company) had left the room, as they could see the contractions were getting a bit too real, and that they should leave. I breathed my way through each contraction and concentrated on relaxing, and thought.. ok this is pretty easy, I can handle this. I'll just add at this point, because I was on the drip, I was hooked up to the monitor for most of the time, but I actually found it really good, coz DH could tell me when the contraction had reached its peak and was starting to come back down. I was still able to get up and move about a bit, and I was allowed to take it off if I wanted to go into the bathroom for the loo or a shower or something. At 11am, the OB came to see me, and could see I was starting to have some fairly heavy duty contractions, and told me he likes there to be at least 3 hours of good contractions. I was gobsmacked.. I thought I couldn't handle 3 more hours of these sorts of contractions.

That started my clock watching. And I think counting down those 3 hours helped me to stay away from the pain relief. Well, the contractions got stronger and closer, and closer and stronger. Sometimes I stayed sitting on the edge of the bed, sometimes I stood up and swayed, leaning on the table. I held a hotpack under my belly which helped a bit. I actually had no desire at all to use the shower or the bath at all during my labour. I just kept breathing through each contraction, and relied on the fact that each one must come to an end (helped by DH watching the monitor to tell me it was finishing). The contractions got very intense to the point where they actually came and turned down the drip, coz they were a little too close together and I wasn't really getting a break. By the way.. the baby was doing just fine during all this... heartbeat stayed at around 150 the whole way through. Glad someone was having a relaxing time!! My goal was to make it through those 3 hours and see the OB. I was in a bad way, and DH helped me to the toilet, where I just sat, bent over and cried through the next contractions. The midwife all along was offering me pain relief and I was getting sick of saying no, actually, I pretty much ignored her. DH ended up going out to tell her to stop offering me pain relief because I didn't want any, and if I did want it I'd ask for it. She was good after that. But I have to say, the last hour was agony, and I was absolutely exhausted. I think the breathing wore me out! I got to the point where I was too tired and a bit too wobbly on my legs to stand during the contractions, so I ended up lying on my side, and actually trying to sleep between contractions (which was only ever about 1 minute!) The midwife came in and I said â?‚??“if the doctor comes in and tells me I'm only 6cm.. I'm just gonna DIEâ?‚? and she said I shouldn't be too surprised if that is the case. At this point I was starting to panic, and thought if that's the case, I'm asking for an epidural coz I need a rest!! (so much for drug free! LOL) After another little while I think DH was getting a little nervous, and he even asked me if I wanted to try the gas (we had agreed that if I really couldn't handle it, that the gas would be the only thing I'd accept). I reluctantly said I'd try the gas, as I truly was getting desperate, so the midwife came in and got it all ready, explained how to use it, and I gave it a go with the next contraction. I took 2 breaths and hated it. It tastes like baygon! It had no effect and since it was the breathing that I was struggling with anyway, the gas really wasn't for me, coz I didn't have the energy to breathe as heavily and as fast as it required to be effective. Anyway, I handed it back to the midwife (she wanted me to keep trying) and she left. The very next contraction.. I felt a push. I said to DH.. I think I'm pushing.. call the midwife!! She came straight back, and when I said I think I'm pushing, she called the OB (he was due to come in anyway.. my 3 hours were up!) and when he came and examined me, I was 10cm and ready to go (thank goodness!! and HA! to the midwife who said I'd only be half way) I was a little disappointed in myself for even trying the gas on what turned out to be the last contraction before pushing, but I still consider it completely drug free :) Everything you read about the transition phase is true.. you feel out of control and desperate, and its the time you're most likely to cave with the pain relief! It's also true that you get a bit of a break before the pushing gets underway. During this little rest I was just shaking. It was like I was in shock. But I had a new burst of energy, and just went with my body and started to push.. it felt so good to push!

They got me upright leaning over a beanbag, coz bubs needed to turn just a little, but I found it hard to breathe leaning on the beanbag, so I turned around and being semi-reclined, I had my feet up on DH & the midwife (they were my human stirrups!) and that's pretty much the way I stayed. I found this position quite good. All the time I had it in my head that upright is best, but while I wasn't upright, the position simulated a squat so I was happy that my pelvis was opening up ok. I knew I wouldn't have the energy to hold myself upright and I was quite comfortable as I was. Well, the pushing lasted for the textbook 1 hour, during which DH was down the business end, and watched as the head started to make its appearance. The baby was still doing just fine, he even got the hiccups when he almost out (which felt weird!) During the pushing, the midwife kept reminding me that it will feel like I'm doing the biggest poo in the world, and that it won't feel like it's coming out anywhere else until the very end. This is soooo true..and while on the subject of poo.. I asked DH if I pooed.. and yay! I didn't! Hehe. After a bit more pushing, and bit more head showing, the OB was called, and he got all setup ready to deliver this baby. As the head was crowning the midwife tried to get me to reach down and feel it, but I didn't want to, but I had a look, and it was really weird! It looked like a black hairy walnut! LOL. I said â?‚??“it looks really small... but it FEELS really big!â?‚? and I cracked myself up. Dr Pardey laughed and said â?‚??“if you can laugh during this part of 2nd stage of labour.. you're doing really well!â?‚? A few more pushes, and the OB's fingers helping the skin over the head (ouchies by the way!!) and my beautiful boy was born. Dr Pardey had offered for DH to deliver the rest of the baby after the head was born, but he was a little nervous about the baby being slippery and dropping him, so he didn't. But DH did cut the cord. I could see a tear glistening in his eyes, and he told me later it was quite emotional seeing my reaction to the baby being born, calling out â?‚??“oh! My baby!â?‚? and taking him in my arms. (He completely denies the glisten in his eyes tho!!). So this screaming little bundle of joy was placed in my arms, and I was a little oblivious to whatever the OB was doing after that. I do remember the placenta being delivered, and even now it makes me shiver.. it was the most disgusting feeling ever! LOL. I had a small graze, and there was a little flap of skin that the OB stitched back into place with one stitch, no anesthetic was needed.

So in the end, we had a healthy baby boy who we named Tallon, weighing 2.72kg (6lb), 48cm long, head circ 34cm. Labour was officially 5 ?‚½ hours, and drug free! DH was very proud of me, and even now attributes our bright eyed boy to the fact that I resisted pain relief, and looked after myself during the pregnancy. Probably a little far fetched, but he's proud none-the-less :)

Ivana that is an amazing story Congratulations on the birth of baby Tallon, and your drug free birth =D>

i thoroughly enjoyed that story-- a real inspiration for me!

well done =D>

Ivana, it sounds like a calm and relaxed birth. Congrats on the no drugs \:D/
Bec

Ivana, congratulations on the birth of your little boy Tallon and thanks for sharing your story with us. YAY for going drug free too.


Take care
Trish

Wow, what an awesome birth story, Ivana! Congrats!!

Oh what a wonderful story, thanks for sharing it with us :D

What a gorgeous birth story Ivana!!

JP was my Ob with my DD & is with this bub as well...he is just the best huh!!

Wow Ivana, what a lovely story - if i'd read it pre-Esme it'd have made me feel better about the possibility of induction (which we managed to avoid by 3 days!).

I know what you mean about the gas which i took, feeling desperate, in what MIGHT have been my transition since i delivered an hour later, still trying not to push, LOL! All that raspberry leaf tea...

Anyway, well done and congrats!

Love

Hana

Yay Ivana and DH (well, he did have to watch the monitor!)! =D> Thanks for sharing your story with us.

Why do I always cry when I read birth stories now...?

Congratulations Ivana! Your story is amazing.

Can I ask a quick question, whats the drip for that you had? Im so scared of needles I was hoping that drug free didnt include a drip?!

Thanks
Bel
xxx

Thanks everyone :)

Bel - It was Syntocinin (oxytocin) to augment the labour coz everything had stopped when the waters broke.

Ivana,

Thanks so much for the infomation, Im so happy to hear you are going really well!..

Bel
xxx