30 June 2008 *The early (@33wks 4 days) & quick arrival of Nakita Lily Robyn - long!*
This is a very long story, I have decided to document our journey, so we can show it to our daughter one day and just show her how special her journey into our world was. Since her arrival, and spending the time in SCBU has really opened my eyes to the amazing strength that so many parent have, the dedication they have to providing their child with breast milk, the hours of pumping, feeding and sleeping where they can, one woman that sticks in my mind was often sleeping in the waiting room between feeds, she just looked physically and mentally exhausted, but nothing was going to stop her, she was there or in SCBU day and night, it is women like this that inspired me to do everything I can for my little girl. It also makes me want to try and do something to support these women, our time was much shorter than so many others and that is only due to the Paediatrician who cared for Nakita at WCH and her new Paediatrician at North Eastern our Private Health Cover and the hospital we were booked into, were willing to take both Nakita and myself 5 days after birth, provide us with a MW for each shift, and for us both to be together in a room, rather than in a nursery, with no facilities for the mother to remain close by to help their child go forward. If were to remain at WCH we would not have been going home until she was at least four weeks old, instead we made it home on day 11.
Our Birth Story....
Monday 30th June 2008
Just like any other Monday I went to work at 7am, nothing out of the ordinary happened; in fact it was a day where I had had the least amount of niggles, pain etc. Finished work around 3pm, went home took photos of all of the gifts that we had been given at "Bean's Baby Shower" which was held on Saturday 28th June, ready to upload to Photobucket and then my Blog. Packed up at 5:30 and jumped in the car and drove into the city, picked up a friend and we went to our usual Yoga class.
It was a great class, with plenty of relaxation, playful kicks, and pokes from "Bean", at the end of the 1.5 hour class I thought that I'd better use the loo before heading home, still nothing unusual! Not even a hint of what was to come.
It was 7:45pm and I jumped in the car again, dropped off the same friend @ 7:55 and headed for home. About 1 km further along the journey I felt a "pop" and a gush of fluid, at first I thought, geez I have just been to the bathroom, and I thought my pelvic floor was a hell of a lot better than that!!!! Then I thought hmm, that was a bit unusual, and I tried to see if I could smell just to make sure, and it didn't smell of urine, then I discovered as I approached a red light and switched from pressing the accelerator to the brake and another gush of fluid. CRAP!! So I rang DH as usual to get him to pull up the roller door. On this first call I didn't mention anything, I thought, hmm I will just wait and see, the further I drove, the more I switched between accelerating and braking the more gushing. OH CRAP!!! So I rang DH again and said, "Can you bring out a towel", he said "why?", me "Umm Honey I think my waters have broken?", he said "They can't have it is too early, are you sure you didn't wet yourself?" :lol: and I responded with "Well it doesn't smell like urine, and I don't think that my bladder can hold this much (it has been the size of a thimble for weeks)!!!" DH grew increasingly worried and I just stayed calm (which looking back on I am surprised with myself)and said that everything was okay, I was not getting any contractions, and it would take me a further 10 minutes to get home. So I continued driving, while my waters continued to gush, I was pretty sure that by this stage that my track pants would only be able to hold so much fluid and that my poor car seat was going to cop it!!
I pulled into the driveway at 8:10pm, DH appeared in the doorway with a look of shock on his face, I wound down the window, he asked why didn't I get out of the car, and looked to see how wet my trackie pants were and saw that I was soaked to my knees!! OH CRAP, NO IT IS TOO EARLY!!! I said once again don't stress I will call the hospital I am booked into, even though I knew we wouldn't be able to go there to birth. I explained to one of the MW's that my waters had broken, I was 33 weeks 4 days, said who my OB was and asked what should we do. She asked how much fluid, I laughed and said a pair of tracksuit pants, a towel and my car seat, so quite a bit. She then asked if I had packed and I said oh a bit, she said to go and pack, put on a pad and she would call me back. So I got out of the car, pulling the towel between my legs like a huge nappy and waddled inside, got some clean trackies, underwear, and a "surfboard". Got my partially packed labour bag, threw in a few random items "hmm don't leave your labour bag half packed" I had been told heaps of times to pack it early, and hadn't as I thought I had plenty of time!
The phone rang again; it was the hospital asking how I was going and let me know that they had called my OB and that she would call me shortly. Soon after my OB called and asked how I was, still no contractions at this stage, she said that I couldn't go to NECH and that my other choices were Woman's Children's Hospital, Lyall Mc, and possibly Burnside Private, of these my preference was Burnside, following another call I was 4 days too early for Burnside, by this time my contractions had started. DH wasn't so great at timing the contractions, not realising that you time them from peak to peak, but the general time was 4-6 minutes, so for the sake of it we say 5 minutes apart, there is nothing like jumping in the deep end!! Our next preference was WCH, so more phone calls back and forth! Women's and Children's was almost full, as Flinders was closed as they were full so all births in the south were being sent up to WCH as well, and we would have to wait 15-20 minutes for a response. At this point I decided that I couldn't wait that long, the contractions were regular and 5 min or less apart, I thought the time could be of the essence and that we were going to have to head to Lyall Mc, not at all what I wanted to do but I wasn't having this baby at home or in the car, it was just too early!!!
It was at this point that DH said, "Just wait one more contraction, you'll be right!" umm yeah, thanks honey, easy to say that :lol:, we gathered the bags together and headed out the car, started putting everything in the car and the phone rang again, My OB said that WCH would take us and she would meet us there! We bother cheered :woot: and hopped into the car ready for the trip into town.
It is usually about a 10-15 minute trip, (the LM would have been about 20-30 minutes), and DH said we should be timing the contractions, have gave me the time once and then we didn't look at it again, got a bit too distracted, I had 3 contractions on the way into the hospital, not sure how long the trip took, so still not certain of the time between contractions. When we arrived I jumped out of the car and bolted for the Women's Admission, having not been there before I followed the signs and down a corridor, one of those corridors with lots of bends, I was wondering how far I had to go, stopped for another contraction in a corner , parents and children looking and wondering as they went past. I finally found the door pressed the button and they let me in as they had been expecting me, I went straight for a chair and kneeled on in, another contraction, the MW came out and said to come through, we got into a tiny room, where DH looked for, somewhere to put the bags, opened a door and OOPS!!! It was a toilet that is accessed from two rooms and one of the staff members was in there, :rofl:!! She should have known better!! Very amusing and lightened up the moment!! Poor DH was very embarrassed!!
The MW gave DH some forms to fill out and he just got started and I promptly had another contraction, the MW said "Um your contractions are more like 3 minutes apart than 5, you are going straight to delivery." So I got into a wheel chair - that was not enjoyable, I wanted to be back on my knees again! We went up 3 floors to the delivery suites, got in the door, put our stuff down, while the MW's discussed whether they should do an internal or wait for My OB, not knowing her or what she would or wouldn't want, as she usually only delivers at NECH and LM, they didn't have to wait long as she walked through the door just seconds later.
It was about 9:30pm by the time we got settled, and it was pants down and onto the bed for an internal :rofl:, hmm not quite sure what this was going to be like, but hmm I would have to say that yes it was a bit uncomfortable, but the words to follow shocked both of us.... "You are 7-8cm dilated already!", "How did that happen? I didn't feel anything!!", DH "OMG!", both knowing that there was no stopping this labour, we were going to be parents sooner rather than later. DH had a look and was amazed to see the head!! What followed was a crash course in labouring, we hadn't written the birth plan yet, although I had briefly discussed it with My OB and DH, preference was for no drugs - would consider gas though, full natural labour, no episiotomy and CS in an emergency only.
For me I was most comfortable on my knees, leaning over the end of the bed, and this is where I ended up staying for most of the labour. A IV was put in my left hand, and the gas was offered, but for some reason it just didn't appeal to me, and had decided that I was going to give it my best shot. At this stage the contractions were coming thick and fast, I was quite vocal, much more than I thought I would ever be. I think the word "Honey" has a whole new meaning for my DH!! As the labour went on it grew louder, more intense "HHHHHOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYYY!!! !" and my facial expressions changed and became more riddled with pain, and it was at this stage that DH shifted around to the end of the bed worried that I might attack him - or the family jewels!!!! DH, my OB and the MW's were brilliant, encouraging me the whole way, I do remember with each contraction saying "Oh no, not again" - and thinking that I couldn't do it, I wanted a break, but there was no stopping, no way back, and they just encouraged me the whole time, said I was doing great and gave me the confidence to keep ging!!
50 minutes after arriving in the delivery suite it was time to push, I looked at the clock and saw that it was 10:15, thought of the Baby Bonus and said to myself that is sooo not going to happen!!!! The MW and my OB were trying to check bubs HR, but the round disc like doppler being pushed on my belly was painful and I kept telling them to take it away, as the harder they pressed to find the HR the more painful it was, and I told them to stop, she was fine I could feel her kicking me!! I couldn't believe the pressure, I have been asked since to explain it and the best way was having to do the biggest No. 2 that you can imagine, yet it not moving. The gaps between each contraction were shorter, I was quite vocal, but this was wrong and my OB and DH both, said to be quiet and internalise, put all the energy that I was making verbal into pushing, when I did this things started moving better, in each contraction I was getting 2-3 real good pushes, I felt the burning and stinging sensation and knew we were getting closer, but I had started to tear in a couple of places, there wasn't time for my perineum to stretch it was all happening too fast. My OB then told me I had to spin over "OMG" how on earth was I going to do this, I have no idea how I managed to get around but I did, with lot of help. My OB asked if I wanted to feel the head, and I looked at her with terror and shook my head - not sure why this freaked me out at the time!! It was at this point it saw the scissors and knew what was to happen, even though an episiotomy was something I didn't want, I had complete faith in my OB that she would be doing it for a very good reason. I was given a local and the cut made and a couple of pushes later, out came my beautiful little girl. She was placed on my belly and I was astounded, I had done it, it was the most amazing feeling I had ever experienced, this wiggling squirming most beautiful baby on my belly was mine, I couldn't believe that I had given birth, without the drugs, and so quickly. Words cannot sufficiently describe those feelings, but it is a feeling I will never forget.
I got to hold our little girl for quite a while, and DH cut the cord, we didn't end up getting to store the cord blood as the kit hadn't arrived yet (I received a call a week and a half after the birth saying they were packing the kit up to send out and had to say not to bother, and that next time perhaps they need to send it earlier!). I was administered the Oxytocin, and birthed the placenta minutes later. Shock set in, the adrenalin was pumping, and I was shaking like a leaf! After a while (not sure how long), she was then taken to Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU), DH followed her and I stayed back while I was stitched up, this took a while, it was a bit of a mess down there, I have been referring to it as being sliced and diced!!! I have no idea how my OB managed to stitch me up I was shaking so much. The IV had to be replaced as I had pulled out the first one during labour, it took a couple more shots to get one in, as my veins kept spasming.
DH returned a while later with our video camera and showed me video and photos of our little girl, it was just wonderful, took my mind off the stitching, and made me feel connected to her. I had a shower and OMG it was the best shower I have had in ages, felt so much better after it. Then I hopped (slowly!) into a wheel chair and we went down to SCBU. It was such an emotional time, seeing my little girl in the humidi-crib, she looked pretty good, she was on oxygen, and her blood sugars were very low 0.9, so she was going to be in for a while, after a few tears, and a talk to the staff who explained everything we went upstairs to my room were given a sandwich as we hadn't eaten dinner, which I shared with DH, as I wasn?t all that hungry anyway, I felt exhausted and decided that I was ready to sleep, it was about 3am, in the end I didn't sleep, the clock ticking and the bell ringing outside my door and OB's kept me awake, I just couldn't rest, not surprising I guess.
DH and I are just so proud of each other, he was brilliant and he couldn't believe that I had done it and was just amazed, and had felt helpless and struggled to see me in so much pain but not be able to do anything.
I was going to put the rest of our journey in here but wasn't sure if it was appropriate, so if you want to read more about our time in SCBU, and journey home, follow the link to our Blog in my signature, it will be updated over the next week or so.
Labour Stats::dance:
First Stage: 2 hours 5 minutes (45 minutes, of which from waters breaking to the first contraction)
Second Stage: 17 minutes
Third Stage: 3 minutes
Nakita Lily Robyn's Statistics::cheer:
Gestation: 33 Weeks 4 Days
Weight: 2350gms
Length: 45.5cm
HC: 34cm
Apgars: 1 Minute = 9
5 Minutes = 9
Thank you for reading
