The beautiful birth of Elizabeth Joy
Our beautiful second daughter Elizabeth Joy was born at 6:43pm on the 12th of May after a 3 hour labour. The story of our labour:
My waters broke at 6am, thanks bubby for the good night's sleep! I found it quite annoying that for the next few hours they seemed to keep breaking every half hour or when I stood up lol! We let our Doula and Midwife know things were starting, but then started going about the day fairly normally, including some cleaning and a few loads of washing lol. I was pretty sure bub had moved itself Anterior whereas she was between ROT and ROP the previous day! This meant I felt contractions in my lower tummy much more than I did with DD1 (posterior through most of labour).
I had some mild really irregular niggly contractions start around 7ish. They gradually increased and around 11 we started timing with contraction master. By midday they were around 10 - 15 minutes apart and just starting to get on the painful side but easily bearable. My Doula arrived around 12:30 and Dad came and took DD1 to his place. So the three of us sat around on the couches watching TV (As Time Goes By), and just letting things start happen. About 2pm the contractions dropped to about 5 minutes apart and I was starting to breathe through them. By 4pm they were starting to get quite painful to the point where I was stopping to breathe, and just leaning over the birthing ball. My Doula, DH and I think around 4 is when I really kicked into established labour - hovering around the 4 - 5 minute mark still in frequency. But I was coping really well, listening to Norah Jones and feeling really positive! We were all trying to decide if baby would make it before midnight and share a birthday with her Uncle Ben!
By 5:10pm they were around 3.5 - 4 minutes apart and I decided I wanted to go to the hospital. Unfortunately my midwife wasn't on call, so was a good thing I met her backup yje previous week (funnily enough I had the backup OB when DD1 was born!)!
we almost got stuck in peak traffic on the way...slowed us down about 5 minutes - so thankful to God it wasn't worse given it was 5:30pm! so it was about 20 minutes drive to the hospital, contracting 3 minutes apart by this stage! then the long walk up to maternity! stopping in the middle of the cafeteria to have a contraction, would have laughed if I hadn't been in pain!
We got to the birthing suites before the midwife did, she had suggested waiting at home another half hour till she could be in but I wanted to go in there and then, so we had half an hour in the suite before she got there...and we lucked out! we got suite 1 - the one with the big bath and double bed! took me about 10 minutes to start relaxing again and remember to breathe through the contractions, but hopped in the shower just after we arrived - about 6 - and that was sooo good! I had no idea how wonderful a shower could feel lol! It was a double shower too so water on tummy and on back!! Brett came in with me cause by that point I was really wanting him to lean on and cuddle with each contractions, prior to that I was feeling relaxed and happy to work through each one on my own. Crisis Point came fairly quickly all of a sudden I was saying 'I don't want another contraction', but DH was a champion and told me I really do and how great I was doing!
Wasn't long after that I started feeling like I needed the loo...and I thought..hmm this could be soon! my Doula had started filling the bath so I went and knelt in there whilst it was filling. All of a sudden Transition happened and I kept saying I wanted a break, just a couple of minutes, and asked for my mum (she was coming up to the hospital once she had got DD sorted for bed, we had all thought it would be a few hours yet!) - unfortunately she missed the birth because the next contraction I was like 'I need to push!' That's when the Midwife arrived lol talk about timing! no Head on View with that contraction! they asked if I wanted to get out but I literally couldn't move! all of a sudden there was a roomful of midwives everyone grabbing bits and pieces to make sure they had everything they needed because I had gone from labouring well to second stage so quickly. They drained the bath because it was only half full, and the next contraction bubs head was there and I couldn't stop, she was coming! (they asked if I wanted to feel the head but as with DD1 I really wasn't interested lol! I just wanted them out!)
My body and gravity did all the work without me consciously having to push and voila a rush of relief - she was out and passed straight up to my arms!! As soon as they checked and told me it was a girl I knew she was going to be Elizabeth and I just said 'Hi there my little Lizzuie' - DH and I had discussed the name but he didnt get a chance to object once she was born! fortunately he still liked the name!
My placenta came out of its own accord (natural third stage!) about 7 minutes later (I was still kneeling in the tub, couldn't move, I was in shock at how rushed it was in the end and that I was holding my baby in my armsl!!)
Birthing in the bath was awesome even without water..the position was awesome (although difficult angle for midwife!) and afterwards they hosed me off before I stood up lol! I still find it hard to comprehend how quick it went in the end...I didn't even contemplate any pain relief this time apart from the water in the shower! Lizzie latched on like a pro and I felt so great after the birth we were discharged within 3.5 hours! And the recovery has been great!
phew, sorry that was long!! It was so amazing though!
