The hospital VBAC of my DS - 16/02/2011
DS’s EDD 28-02-11 Born 16-02-11
Background: DD was born by elective c-section due to placenta previa so I had never experienced a contraction, not even pesky Braxton hicks! I never had any negative feelings towards my c-section, no feelings of failure etc but I knew I didn’t want to do that again unless it was absolutely necessary. I had a great recovery apart from throwing up the whole day after she was born. Not nice, especially with the painful wound to try and protect while its going on!
So 2 years later when I found out I was pregnant again I knew I wanted, no, was GOING to have a VBAC :) I did lots and lots of reading (as I’m sure you VBAC mummas know all about) to give myself the best chance of achieving a natural birth. I would have loved to have had a homebirth, but unfortunately for us it came down to money, we just weren’t willing to pay what it would take to make it happen.
For a couple of weeks before DS was born I had been having pretty bad lower back pain on and off. Just thought it was aches and pains of being big and pregnant, but looking back I think it was most probably pre-labour. On Saturday the 12th Feb I started to lose my plug! I got excited, scared, didn’t quite know what to think so of course started googling! I tried not to get too excited after reading that some people don’t go into labour till 2 weeks or so after losing their plug. I continued having ‘shows’ over the next few days until Tuesday afternoon I got up after having a lie down to feel a bit of a trickle happening ‘down there’. Went to the toilet and yep, I was definitely losing fluid!! Oh the excitement!! I think I called DF first to tell him I thought DS would be on his way soon and then I had a bit of a panic thinking maybe I should call the hospital. I really wanted to avoid going into hospital too soon but wasn’t expecting my waters to break before having contractions. I called my doula and she reassured me that it was fine to just wait and told me to try to get some rest.
I continued to leak all afternoon. When DF got home from work we decided to go for a walk over to the shops to get some snacks and hopefully help things along a little bit. Went about our usual business in the evening, put DD to bed and then I packed my hospital bag and made sure everything was ready to go.
9.30pm “I think i just had a contraction!!” I was so excited, never been so happy to feel some pain lol. About half an hour later, “yep definitely contractions” I texted my mum to let her know things were happening cause I was so excited I just had to tell someone. From about 10.30pm the contractions were regular and no more than 10 mins apart. I got DF to put the TENS machine on right away which I loved! So for the next few hours I was bouncing on my fit ball, rocking with DF, leaning over the bed every time hitting that lovely button on the TENS machine :) I tried to lie down once but the contractions were to close together to get any rest, and the pain was so much more intense so there was no way I was trying that again! Somewhere in those few hours I did a massive vomit that I thought was going to last forever! Poor DF, I didn’t quite make it to the toilet :redface:
At around 1:40am I asked DF to call our doula who was with us in about half an hour. She warmed up a heat pack and helped with some counter pressure on my back. At around 3.30am contractions were 3 mins apart and I decided I wanted to get in the shower so I took the fit ball in there (luckily we have a corner spa) and DF held the shower on my back which was lovely. Once the water had filled up a bit a sat in the bath for a little while, but my contractions slowed down so I got out and stuck with the TENS machine. Somewhere after there I had another vomit, and around 4.30am I decided I wanted to head into hospital, so DF called to let them know we were coming and I could tell he was getting frustrated by all the questions they ask :) He then called his mum to come stay with DD. My doula told us to go and she would wait for DF’s mum to arrive which would only be about 10 mins.
We arrived at the hospital at around 4.45am and I was put in an examination room for the standard 20 min monitoring. Bub was doing wonderfully! It took me a few contractions to finally lie back so the midwife could check my dilation as they were just so close together and I couldn’t stand the pain lying down! Finally we got there and I was 6cm. We were moved into the birthing suite at around 5.30am just as the sun was rising. I remember being surprised that it was light when we got in to the room, the time had just gone so fast! A Dr came to put in the cannula....OUCH!! It hurt more than the contractions!! I guess it was my fault for requesting it in my arm rather then my hand because they give me a lot of trouble in my hand. So 2 attempts later it is in, thank goodness that over!!
With that over I get back off the bed, standing and rocking with DF and my doula. The midwife offers me a fit ball which I use but I use DF to put myself up with each contraction, standing was just the most comfortable position for me. Not too long later I asked for the gas which I loved! I was just enough to take the edge off. The midwife told me I had until 8am to birth or I would have to have I.V antibiotics because my waters had been broken so long. At around 7.40am I felt my body involuntarily double over and my breathing turned into a bit of a grunt. I say to my doula “I think I’m pushing”. I get up on the bed for the midwife to check me and sure enough, I’m fully dilated!
I got onto my knees leaning against the raised back of the bed. I took a deep breath of the gas at this stage and blacked out for a second. That was such a strange feeling, like I forgot where I was!! I remember that as I was pushing I tried to push as hard as I could to get him out quick and then I remembered no don’t push too hard as I don’t want to tear. I’m still surprised that I was thinking clearly enough to remember that!! As he was crowning the student midwife told me to reach down and feel his head. That was so cool, I’m so glad she told me to do that. I think it helped me to realise how close it was to being over. A couple of pushes later, at 7.58am DS was born! I did it!! I don’t know how many times I said it but all I could think was I did it!!
Within a few minutes DS had his first feed and once it stopped pulsing DF cut the cord. Not long after I birthed the placenta, without the oxytocin injection. I had a tiny tear not requiring stitched, i couldn’t have been happier!
4 months on I am still over the moon about how perfectly it all went and I still have my little ”i did it” moments :)
The best part was that there was not a Dr in sight!! ;)
So there you go, a positive hospital VBAC story. Thanks for reading.
