Brock's arrival 23rd June 2008
The plan for the birth was basically to listen to the midwives and go with the flow, to use gas, not use pethidene and to have an epidural. Didn't quite work out that way.
I woke at 6.30am on Sunday 22nd June to a show and AF type cramping. The show continued throughout the day, as did the cramping (on and off). One of my neighbours remarked how low my belly had dropped. We went to a shopping centre around lunch time as a bit of a distraction as we didn't really know if it was labour starting, or just a bit of a practice. We were only at the shopping centre about an hour and as time went on it got increasingly difficult to walk. I saw the neighbour again and she could not believe how much more my belly had dropped in just two hours. We then realised this was probably it. Wherever we went that day my hot water bottle went with me to ease the pain.
By 5pm I was getting some decent pain. My DstepD (5) went home to her mum then and I was very grateful for this as it was starting to be difficult to hide my pain in front of her and I didn't want her to worry about me. She had been fussing over me and putting blankets on me and told me to forget the pain and it would all be OK.
After she'd gone I could see my DF was getting very nervous. He'd been through it before with his ex but she'd been induced at hossy so it was all very different this time around. He did a great job of timing the contractions.
By 9pm I was getting lots of contractions but they weren't at timely intervals, I would get them at say 5 mins, then 7 mins, 15 mins, then back to 5 mins. The pain was really low down (just over the pubic bone) and when my DF called the hospital (4 calls that night, all made by him) they kept telling me that I was just in pre labour - real labour pain is all over the abdo area. I couldn't believe that pre labour could be that painful. By the third call I was told to take some panadeine forte (luckily had some in the house) and try to get some sleep. It took the edge off the pain a little.
I tried to sleep but every time a contraction hit I would get the shakes. It made me feel just awful, even though the pain was managable. Had to walk around to stop the shakes. Lots of tears. DF called the hospital for the 4th time at around 2.30am. They still tried to tell me it sounded like I was in pre labour. By then I was getting contractions at 3-4 minute intervals. Still really low down. Still getting the shakes. The midwife told me I could come and get checked out if I liked but that she predicted that I would be sent home. We got straight in the car.
At that hour it was only about a 10 minute drive to the hospital. We drove there in my little Barina and the car just felt sooooo small. I was hanging on to the dash and every bump was excruciating. Had a couple of really nasty contractions on the way. DF drove very carefully. We entered the hospital through emergency - the triage nurse took one look at me and said "you'll be needing maternity - head through that door over there". Up in the lift then along what seemed like a very long corridor - it seemed like the longest walk of my life.
Finally reached the maternity ward. They put me in a monitoring room and were surprised by how strong my contractions were. I had two more before they got the chance to check how dilated I was. She announced "well you aren't going home, you are 6cm's dilated". I was so relieved. I had been so worried they were going to send me home in all this pain. Went to the loo and there was heaps of blood, the midwife checked it out and said it was all normal, just a show.
They transferred me to a labour suite. Got into one of their gowns. Started to use the gas straight away. Sat in a chair for a long time. Then knelt by the bed, until my knees couldn't take it any more. Ended up having pethidene the moment the midwife offered it. I couldn't believe how easily I accepted it seeing that I was determined not to have it prior to the birth, but I was not expecting it to be as painful as it was.
My 1st stage was 15 hours 15 minutes.
2nd stage was 1 hour 56 minutes (prolonged).
3rd stage 7 minutes.
Total labour 17.18.
I eventually got on the bed and spent most of the time on my knees leaning over the head of the bed. I had my DF there for support and also had his mum there through a lot of the labour. My parents came later and were there for some of the labour. It was great to have someone there to hold my hand and encourage me through it all. My waters broke during an examination.
Eventually I got too tired to kneel on the bed so I laid down. Had more peth. Was using gas throughout. A doctor and a student doctor visited a couple of times. I didn't like the doctor. She had a strange manner. I was glad when she went away. Afterwards I was told she'd made some smart comment about me not bothering to push before she walked out. Luckily I didn't hear her say it or I would've punched her out. DF almost did. The midwives were fantastic. I was pushing with all my might on all the contractions but he just wasn't coming out. Somewhere during the labour I slapped DF in the face. Got him a good one. I didn't mean to, but he just got in the way of a movement.
The next time a doctor visited it was a nice one (Dr Steven Lee). He told me that once I got to 2 hours of pushing they would have to assist the baby out with either a ventouse or forceps. That scared me a bit but as my contractions were now receding I couldn't really do a lot about it.
Somewhere along the line they put in a catheter. It was so good not having to get up for the loo, although I'd spent quite a lot of time sitting on it as it was quite comfortable to sit that way. They took the gas away from me and I had to keep pushing without any pain relief at all, it was surprisingly less painful by then. I was sooooo tired. On several occasions the midwives would check for bubs heartbeat but it got increasingly difficult to hear it as he was so low down. I worried that he might not make it.
He came back in a little later and told me they were going to give me syntocinon to improve my contractions. He told me it would take 20 minutes for it to take effect. It worked much quicker. He was back after 5 minutes and announced "let's get this baby out". I was so shocked, as was my DF. They broke down the bed, put me in stirrups and got me to push one last time. It didn't work. The room seemed to be filled with people but in reality it was only 7 medical staff there. My parents and MIL had left the room. Dr Lee did an episiotomy and out came the ventouse for the vac extraction. Another couple of pushes and Brock's head was out. I felt so much better as I knew that it was almost over. Another push and with the aid of the ventouse he was out. Absolute pure relief.
Lots of activity at the resus trolley.
Apgar 6 at 1 min, 9 at 5 mins.
4 minutes to established respirations. IPPR Bag and Mask.
Narcotic Antagonist.
While all this was going on I could hear the doctor tell the student doctor that it had been partial shoulder dystocia. No wonder I'd had trouble pushing him out. Then the stitches were done by the student. She started to do them wrong so had to do them again. Didn't feel a thing. The doctor told me I also had a small tear.
Brock was put on my chest and he nuzzled at breast. It all seemed so unreal. He looked like my DF - just as expected from the 3D ultrasounds. My DF went out to announce the birth to my parents and MIL. He was so overemotional that my parents both thought that one of us had not survived the birth. They came in behind the curtain while I was being stitched to meet the little man. I could hear them welcoming him to the world. My mum yelled out "he's got your mouth" though the curtain to me.
Birth weight 3550g 7 lb 13. Length 49cm Head circ 35.5. Born at 2.11 pm on Monday 23rd June.
One of my very first thoughts after it was all over and done with was that I was never going to do that again. I have no idea why I never asked for an epidural. I just didn't. I wanted one, but just never asked for it.
Brock ended up in special care that night with suspected sepsis. After 5 days of antibiotics and phototherapy in an isolette we took him home. Our family is now complete.
