Glenn's Birth story (better late then never)
My due date was the 25th of August, again I had a pretty good pregnancy compared to most & my Midwife was happy to let my baby come when he was ready. Simon had been working most nights till about 4 in the morning, as we need all the money we could get so he was doing all the overtime that he could get. Lying in bed on Tuesday night, the day before I was due. I sent Simon a text message telling him that I thought it would be a good idea to come home early tonight as I was getting back pains every 20 minutes and while I didn't think anything was going to happen that night I thought it best that he get a good night sleep. I finally fell asleep around 1 am and when I woke the next morning nothing was happening. I stayed close to home though, as I thought things where going to start happening. But I was wrong. Soon Wednesday became Thursday and Thursday became Friday. I had another midwife appointment at lunchtime so we plodded about till then and then went in. I told her about Tuesday night and that I thought I had a show on the Wednesday, she told me that it was likely just my body getting in some practice and to expect things to happen soon. She offered to do an internal to see if it helped to get things happening, but I said I was happy to just wait and see. She popped me on the monitor for half an hour to just check on things and then gave me a referral for an ultrasound on the following Thursday if I had not had the baby by then and said to come back next Friday. As much as I was happy to let things happen on there own, I was getting a little sick of waiting for the baby to arrive. I didn't have to wait long though. That night around 8pm I had more of a show, I was sure this time that that is what it was. My mum called that night telling me that they were going out and also that she had to go to a work thing in parramatta in the morning so I wasn't to go having the baby. Later I was talking on the phone with a friend and telling her about the pains I had on Tuesday when they started again. We timed them at less than 10 minutes apart but as far as pain went it was nothing at all really. As the night went on these pains hung around and by 1 am I got out of bed as they were becoming rather painful & I didn't want to disturb Simon or Evan, both asleep next to me. I watched some TV and timed the contractions. By 3 am they were just under 5 minutes apart and hard to talk through. I thought it was best to give the hospital a call and see what they though I should do. The Midwife I spoke with told me it would be a good idea to call my support team as both my Mother and Sister lived a little bit away. The idea was to have my mum there for me and Simon, and My older sister Elizabeth there to look after Evan during the actual birth. I really didn't want to call anyone at 3 in the morning so I hung tight. I was getting pretty tired so I tried to sleep and somewhere around 5 or 6 am I managed to sleep for about an hour, but I was still getting contractions. I called my mum at 7.30 and when she answered the phone she just said "your kidding right?" I told her that I was pretty sure I was going to be having a baby before the end of the day. She said to call her back in half an hour and she would ring around to see if she could get out of going to her work commitment. In the mean time I called Elizabeth, a phone call I wasn't looking forward to, as she is well known for her bad moods if you wake her in the mornings! I had sent her a few messages during the night warning her I was going to call. She said when she heard the phone ringing she looked at her mobile and saw my messages, so luckily she knew I was only waking her at this early hour for a good reason. She said she was going to go back to bed for an hour then organise her little man and then would head over. I called the hospital and the midwife said it was best to come in and get checked so I woke Simon and told him to get ready. I then called my Mum back and told her that she would probably be fine to go to her seminar and still be back before I had the baby but she said no I'm coming with you. I was glad to hear this. Its the only time I am happy to admit that I need my mum!
I floated about the house getting the last few things together in my hospital bag and getting lunch and snacks ready for Evan while Simon got ready and Evan woke up. We headed off at 8.30am. On the way to the hospital Mum calls my mobile asking were I am, she actually beat me there! Once we got there we headed up to the birthing suits & buzzed to let them know I was there. I said over the intercom “Its Fiona Fuller, you’re expecting me as I’m expecting”. We got settled in and at 9 I had my first internal and was over the moon that I was 4 cm. I was so happy that I was already dilating. My midwife sent me off to do some walking. I gathered my support team and we headed down stairs to the hospital courtyard. I hate walking so it was hard to keep walking about. Simon constantly had to tell me to stop talking and start walking! Lunchtime soon arrived and things were still pretty early. I had another internal only to find that I was still only 4 cm. My midwife suggested that I go home for a few hours and then come back but Elizabeth was already on her way and it was a long trip for everyone to go home only to have to come back again later. So off we went to do more walking. The hospital had a fate on that day so Mum took Evan down to have a look around. Simon and I headed down stairs to have a look too but I didn’t want to walk anymore and I was still in my PJs so I just hung about near the hospital doors.
Elizabeth arrived soon later and we all headed back up to the birthing suits. I was getting pretty hungry and wanted to eat. As the day went on my contractions become more painful but still nothing I couldn’t cope with. Simon decided to take Evan for a drive in the car to get him to have a sleep; it was looking to be a long day. Me, mum and my sister sat about talking about this that and the other thing. Simon and Evan came back about an hour or so later. In the late afternoon Elizabeth took Evan for walk up the street and bought him some toys to help keep him occupied. Mum and me decided to try and do some more walking, as my contractions seem to have slowed down some. Simon stayed in the room to put his feet up as he was getting tired. He actually fell asleep so we left him there until Elizabeth came back with Evan and then stayed in the waiting room where the TV was for a bit longer while Evan played with his new cars.
At 5pm there was shift change and my nice and understanding midwife was swapped for one who on my first impressions was going to be a cow. She gave me another internal and although my contractions had become more painful and we all thought that I would be at least 7 or 8 cms, I was still only 4cm! I couldn’t believe it. I was so disappointed and started to cry. The midwife soon realized that I was truly upset and softened up towards me and turned out to be rather nice and understanding, to me at least… She explained to me that even though I was having contractions they were not constructive, the way one minute it would be a long painful one and the next a shorter painful one meant that I was not actually getting much of a rhythm happening and not dilating. She suggested I hop in the spa for a while and see how things go. Once I was in the spa things did seem to become more intense and after an hour it was getting hard to cope with the pain. The pain seem to change after awhile and I was rather uncomfortable being in the spa but was so scared of getting out. My midwife suggested that seems the pain had changed then I should try changing my coping technique. I said I was scared that If I got out and nothing helped I would need a caesarean, I think she had to try and not laugh at me as she asked where I had gotten that idea from. They finally convinced me to get out and try leaning over the gym ball. I found in hard to get comfortable because the ball was not big enough for me, it was meant for a short person! I was getting frustrated at being told to do this and to try that. In the end I got up on the bed on my knee’s leaning over the back of the bed.
The nurse came in to give me another dose of antibiotics and questioned what had happened to my catheter and was dumbfounded when I said I didn’t get put in as the first midwife just put in my vein, as she couldn’t get the catheter in. Off she ran to find a doctor who could get a catheter in. It hurt so much and I cried. I was really getting to the point of not being able to cope with pain any more and had said to my mum that I didn’t want any drugs but I think I was going to need them. She told the midwife who told me to hang in there for another half hour and she would do another internal to see how I was going. Elizabeth came in and said she had to leave but wouldn’t be far away if I needed her. So mum went and stayed with Evan so Simon could be with me. I didn’t want Evan to see me anymore, as it would have upset him to see his mum in so much pain.
Finally I had another internal and HOORAY I was 8 cms and the midwife said not to worry about the pethiden, as I would be having the baby soon. I was happy, this gave me the energy I needed to get through the rest of the birth. Before long I felt I needed to push so the midwife said with the next contraction to push, but being up on my knee’s with my back to everyone I was so self conscious of passing more then just a baby I could feel myself holding back. I said I needed to change position. I couldn’t stay that way. They tried talking me into staying in that position as it was a better way, and I know that it was but I couldn’t help the way my body was reacting. I got down and on my back. With each contraction as I tried to push I would get a shooting pain in my right hip that would stop the contraction, I later learned that a nerve was being pinched. Soon my baby’s head was making his its way down but it seemed forever. The midwife said that she thought he was facing the wrong way up, I panic and said “can’t they get stuck that way” she said that yes they could but really didn’t think it would be a problem with me and made no mention of it again. As I pushed my waters started to come out as they had not ruptured as of yet and the midwife nicked the bag to help them break. Now my boys head was just there, ready to enter the world but he sat there for a while and thought about it. My god it was painful I said to push him back up for a bit as I needed a break from the pain, but of course this wasn’t done. The midwife stretched my leg up into the air with the next contraction as I tried again to push my baby out but the pain that caused in my hip again brought the contraction to a halt. Simon tried hard to encourage me but he couldn’t put a word or foot right as far as my midwife was concerned, she was so belittling towards him but I appreciated his words of encouragement nonetheless.
Someone stuck the head in the door and said your sister is here and wants to come in, YES I said she could come in here. Elizabeth was about to head home but thought she would check in to see if I had had the baby and made it just in time for the birth. With Simon in one hand and Elizabeth on the other I finally pushed my boys big 38cm head out. The feeling of relief was a good one. With another push his body was born and he was out. “Thank god” I said. I looked at Simon and said my god its Evan! Elizabeth ran to get mum and Evan so they could meet our new baby. Glenn Joseph. Evan was a little upset and confused but soon came round. Simon cut the cord and then mum went with Glenn while he was cleaned up and weighed and checked over. Evan and I had a cuddle and then I got cleaned up and dressed. Another successful birth with out any tears or need for stitches and I did this one with out any drugs. Glenn weighed a healthy 8 pound 3 and the midwifes where all amazed I managed to push his head out with out tearing. I later learnt that he was born facing up instead of down and that he had become a little stuck on the way, which explained why it took so long to get the head out.
He took a few goes to get the hang of breastfeeding but when he finally got the hang of it he was an old pro at it and never missed a beat.
Hopefully I can go into my next birth with a bit more under my belt and get through the next one with a bit shorter labor seems my first two where very similar and I know what I could do better next time to help them along, but I said that with this one too!
