My 1st Baby Damian Levi's inspirational NATURAL BIRTH STORY *very long & detailed*
It all started at around 4.30pm on Sunday 7th November, when DH and I were sitting at the computer after a day of shopping.
All of a sudden I started to feel some contractions, which I believed to be Braxton Hicks, as I didn't really feel any of these throughout my pregnancy.
They started to come quite consistently at 15 - 20 minutes apart, as we were looking at the clock.
Then we began timing, as they were starting to get a little uncomfortable (not painful though) and we saw the consistency was continuing for the most part.
During the afternoon, we decided it was definately time to pack the labour/ hospital bag. We made sure everything on our list was ready to go. I believe we got to sleep for a few hours, but they began waking me up with the intensity (not that I didn't have to go to the bathroom every 2 hours anyway).
It was about 4 am when some began to occur at shorter intervals, consistently between 10 - 15 minutes apart.
We called the hospital just to be told "Oh, you'll know when it's the real thing. It's just false labour, I can tell by your voice. It's probably quite a few days away yet.
They're doing nothing, it's very unlikely you've even started thinning or dialating. Trust me, you'll know when it's labour, then you call back."
Focusing on them made it quite worse as we were timing, so we decided to give that a break. I found when I was upright it helped a lot. Sleep didn't really happen that night.
Monday evening dawned on us. It had been a stormy afternoon, and that was continuing throughout the evening. How beautiful it was, the thunder and lightening.
Now the contractions had gradually increased to being really no more than 6 minutes apart, and I was needing to focus on my breathing and move around due to the intensity, we decided it was time. Time to go to the hospital to prepare for the birth... it was definately happening!
We arrived at Hospital at about 7.30pm and went to the delivery suite. DH made sure the midwives on duty had my birth plan so they knew what we were aiming for - a natural drug free birth with no intervention and minimal monitoring. I was strapped to the bed for monitoring my baby's heartrate and my contractions, I felt they were lowering in intensity as I was not moving and laying on the bed, which was restricting and uncomfortable.
Another midwife came in and said that we are going to have a while to go, that baby is OK but it looks like I'm not really in active labour because of my "demeanor", so we could be up for a very long night, which I didn't appreciate hearing.
About half an hour later, I was taken off the monitor and was able to move around, which I felt much more comfortable doing - being active. I thought I would be very much wanting the bath during labour,but I didn't like being still so I just ended up wanting to be in the shower. I experimented with different devices - hands and knees on the floor mat, rocking on the birthing ball (I found it quite uncomfortable to move in a circular motion on it though) and what I found worked really well for me was leaning over onto the bed with DH pressing into my lower back, and leaning on him slightly for support and bending over onto the handrail in the shower which was my favourite through contractions. One thing I was constantly doing was breathing through my contractions with slow, deep breaths through my nose.
The midwife returned and asked to monitor me again. I reluctantly agreed, even though I look back and wonder why I did. I think when you're in labour you are too self involved to fully be aware of what is going on around you, which is why having DH there as my advocate and birth partner helped a lot. At this point, I ended up using the hot water bottle on my lower back which was very comforting, as I was getting a lot of strong back pain, during & in between contractions.
I then did ask about getting an internal. She said if I wanted to go down the "natural" path then why would I want one. I felt I did at first just to see where I was at, because I had been getting contractions since over 24 hours ago, and it would be nice to have some sort of idea. I then agreed that it probably wouldn't be a good idea, as that's what I did have on my birth plan, as I didn't want to feel disappointed if I wasn't dialated much etc. So I decided to just let nature take it's course. We had no idea how long it was going to be!
It was getting too uncomfortable and restricting being monitered, even though I was almost upright, so I asked DH to call them and get it off me. I had been using a hot water bottle for my lower back since the beginning of being monitered, which really really helped, as I felt a lot of back pain.
Finally, I was free to move about again. I decided to jump into the shower & Anthony came in & hosed my lower back with the shower head during contractions whilst I was leaning over onto the bar. I jumped out of the shower & was labouring in the room when the midwife came back again at around 10.30ish & requested a quick monitoring which we said OK to (Anthony is jogging my memory here as I don't really remember this point). I requested that I sit on the bed & not lie down as that was way too uncomfortable at this point. They also offered me some pain relief & sleeping pills as they were strapping me in because they still felt by looking at me that it was going to be a long night. I agreed to a couple of Panadol & a sleeping pill because I was extremely exhausted & tired from the lack of sleep & all the contractions which take a lot of energy to get through at times. I took the sleeping pills, sat down to be monitered & rest, felt sort of woosy & extremely tired & then BANG my waters broke!!!! With a big "POP!!!!" Anthony sitting on the chair nearby said "what was that!!" Haha - my waters broke!!! Woohoo we're getting somewhere! Oh crap, the sleeping pills! But as shocked as they were it happened, they said it won't affect the baby. They said now I will really feel things moving along now.
After this, I remember continuing the positions I found comfortable, leaning forward on bed, DH etc and spent a lot of time in the shower. It was getting really late, and I was doing fine as the contractions didn't really seem to intensify too much, I just made sure when they occured I closed my eyes, looked inwards and focused on counting my breath. It was just like intense period cramps.
It was early morning on Tuesday and Anthony saw that I was doing fine and thought we were in for a very very long time, so said he was going to lie down and have a bit of rest whilst I was in the shower. He was exhausted, as we had practically been up since Sunday night without a good rest. Not very good! I said it was fine and I stayed in the shower by myself.
I loved the feeling of the hot water on my back (which had been very sore during most contractions) and as the contractions occured, (which we had not been timing whilst at hospital) I leant over and held the handrail in the shower, and breathed. Whilst I was in the shower, I got this very weird feeling during a contraction and started feeling a little out of it and confused. It was a grunty feeling, almost like I needed to push, but I wasn't 100% about that so I didn't say anything. I felt this urge to get an internal done to check me out, so I then called out to Anthony and said that I have to get an internal now. Right now. I was feeling weird.
Anthony then called out to the midwife who said "are you sure" in a voice that seemed to think I was not very far at all, based on the way I was acting.
They did the internal and looked at me with these wide open eyes saying Oh My God you are amazing - you're going to have this baby very soon. You are 9 cm - I cannot believe it! You are a silent labourer. I honestly thought you'd be about 4cm, max 5cm. Lets get ready!"
Wow, Anthony was so excited and shocked. I knew something was shifting in the way I was feeling, which is why I demanded the internal then and there.
Yay, it was time to push! On I popped to the bed at 1.55am. The midwife tried to get me to lay on my side, but I felt the need to be on my hands and knees on the bed, even though she thought I would get very sore hands and knees!
There was quite a long pause in getting any contractions. She said I was in transition which was the worst part and that it would be over soon. Time didn't mean anything to me, I had no idea how long anything was taking, I was just very inward focused. At this point I felt a bit hot, weird, confused and tired. It didn't seem to last very long.
During contractions at the pushing stage I basically froze up in whatever position I was in, as it was almost impossible to move, so I tried to make sure I was in the correct position when they came around. It was extremely intense, more intense than the labour as I felt it just take over my body, but I was still focusing on my breathing and sort of pushing out with my breath and moved with it. All in silence.
I kept being positive in my mind and telling my body that I trusted it to birth my baby. That I am capable.
I didn't think as much as I thought I would, I just trusted my body and let it take over, but never stopped focusing on my breathing. Not once did I consider pain relief or gas.
As intense as the pushing contractions were, they were not painful and there was a very long break in between them, much longer than my labour contractions.
It's amazing how your body adjusts so that you won't go through anything you can't cope with. I never felt anything I would call "pain" through the labour, just cramping, tightenings and intensity. I completely took off my nightie because at this point nothing really matters about how you are looking or acting.
The long breaks during contractions at pushing stage helped me catch my breath. Everything around me didn't matter, it was all a blur. I remember Anthony telling me how well I was doing, how it's not much longer now and the midwife saying positive things and coaching me to push.
It then came time before I knew it to call the Obstetrician. Time really flew by through the whole thing. I felt a sense of excitement, because I knew the end was near.
The Obstetrician arrived at about 2.15am and soon i was being told that they could see my baby's head - Anthony said he has beautiful dark hair like Mummy. Even though I was not really present mentally (very inward focused) I remember being told that and feeling so happy inside.
Towards the end of the pushing, they told me that they could see baby coming down but slipping back up, and I needed to help him "go around the bend".
They said that breathing through the pushing wasn't enough to get him out at this point, so they told me to hold my breath and to push as hard as I can (which I wasn't very happy about). At first I was reluctant to listen, because I wanted to make sure the area was stretched (to help tearing) and tried to see if this would work, (as I had read that it isn't good or necessary to hold your breath whilst pushing).
When I began to stop my breathing techniques the experience changed quite a bit, as I was grunting a lot more & the intensity was higher than ever as I felt him down there. Anthony made sure there was cold wet cloths on my neck, as I was extremely sweaty & hot. (He also made sure I was drinking water throughout the whole labour). The midwife helped move my body down with the contraction to help the force of gravity & kept making sure my shoulders were higher than my hips. The breaks between contractions were very very long which helped me be able to get through it, as I could hold up a conversation & drink some water etc to try & replenish my energy. After about 4 long pushes of holding my breath & grunting my way through them, then came the push where his finally crowned which was an amazingly intense feeling, feeling a head pass through your vagina. Then I heard a baby's cry - which was the most beautiful astounding sound. Then came the final push where I birthed his body. I don't recall this much, but Anthony said he jumped down from being by my side to helping the Obstetrician pull the baby's body out of my body.
Then Anthony cut the cord & the baby was brought underneath to me & I turned with the baby & he was put on my stomach, skin to skin. He soon calmed down & within the hour of being alone with our newborn baby & bonding, he did the breast crawl & attached to my breast & started suckling perfectly.
My beautiful, healthy boy Damian Levi was born at 2:56am on Tuesday 9th November 2010 weighing 3.945kg.
Damian Levi's BIRTH STATS:
2:56am Tuesday 9.11.2010 @ Norwest Private Hospital
3945 grams / 8pd 11oz | 50cm
35 hours labour | approx 7 hours active labour (no internals to judge)
My birth was such an amazing, wonderful experience & I feel so lucky, blessed & happy to be able to share this with other Mums/Mum-to-be's as a beautiful natural birth is possible for anyone :) I hope this is an inspiration for some of you ladies out there.
