My kids...

SHARLEY ROSE

We started trying 2 months before my 20th bday. We were ready!!! After 7 years on the pill, I fell pregnant 8 days after my birthday!!! Wow!
My pregnancy was really uneventful and I loved every minute of being pregnant! I didn't want it to end.
We went to one of my close friends 21st birthday on Sat 26th July. I wasn't due until 14th August and I felt great, so Matt had quite a bit to drink, and I drove. Everybody joked that I'd go into labour that night and I laughed along, knowing it wouldn't happen!!!! 3am and I get up to go to the toilet, I get to the bedroom door and I start gushing! I called out to Matt saying that either my waters had broken or I was peeing myself, very uncontrollably. 5 towels later and I was still trickling so we decided to go get checked out at the hospital. Lucky I wasnt having contractions, cos yes, I did drive myself!!
Somebody should have warned me that some people don't go straight into labour as soon as their waters break, for 72 hours later (and 3 very sleepless nights!!!) I was finally induced!! I had a mobile drip and monitor so I could walk around. We played cards for a bit and I breathed through my contractions. I had Matt, my mum and my best friend, Michelle (masseusse) as my support people! I would close my eyes and focus on my breathing during a contraction and my mum kept saying "open your eyes and stare at something" until the midwife politely informed her that everybody deals with the pain in different ways. The baby was posterior so my back was in agony and all my plans for walking around had gone out the window!!! I was already 5 cm dilated at my 1st VE so my cervix must have been doing some work during those 72 hours!! But it wasn't progressing very well, so the midwives got me on the bed, leaning over a beanbag. Well, my next contraction all I can remember is screaming for some gas and my eyes nearly popping out of my head!!!!
They told me at 2pm when I finally started pushing that the baby would be born in an hour. 3 came and I was politely informed that the baby would be here in an hour. This was when I politely told them that I couldn't push anymore! But my support people were great (despite me telling Michelle not to massage me, even tho she was there to do that). Mum and a midwife held my legs up, Michelle held my hand (and the needle in it, tightly, I didn't realise til later) and Matt gave me a sip of water and wiped my face with a cool facewasher after every contraction.
At 3:30, talk of intervention started and I was told that if the baby wasn't born by 4. this would happen. I was trying my hardest, She was stuck cos she was the wrong way around.
The baby's heart rate must have risen as the doctor demanded an episiotomy and to "get the baby out". There was a lot of yelling, as I had stipulated in my birth plan that I wanted an anesthetic before it. The midwife was preppeing it and the doc was yelling there wasn't enough time, Michelle and the midwife were yelling at her til I said "don't worry!". Silly me! OUCH!!!!!
2 contractions later and my baby was placed on my chest for us to unwrap and see that it was a girl!!!! The bonding was instant and my whole universe shifted gravity!!!!
Sharley Rose was born at 3:50pm on Wednesday 30th July, nearly 4 days after my waters broke and weighed 7lb 12oz, 3.6kg, 49 cm, and her head was a massive 36cm!


JAYLEN MIKHAEL

I was clucky again by the time Sharley was 3 months old. Thank God we waited til she was 12 months, and I concieved on her birthday!! Even more fertile this time, on the pill. I went off it for a month and we started trying, then I decided it was too soon and went back on it only to fall pregnant 2 weeks later. Lucky for us we decided to start trying again 2 weeks later and went off it again!!! Not knowing that we already were.
My first part of the pregnancy was great, then I developed Symphasis Pubis Dysfunction, cos Sharley damaged my pelvis when she was coming out!!!
I couldn't do anything!! I was in constant agony and was so happy when 3 days past my due date I woke at midnight holding my back. Not having gone into natural labour before I wondered if this may be it. I had such an easy birth with Sharley, I expected this one to be quicker and easier.
I got some more sleep and then went to the toilet and had a show. I nearly whooped for joy. I couldn't sleep so I sat in bed timing my contractions as thay went from 7mins to 8 mins to 12 then back to 7. I was sitting on the couch at 6am eating some brekky (I was famished after Sharley) when mum arrived to look after her. I was breathing thru my contractions when mum took one look at me and told Matt to call the hospital (it was 40 mins away). Whilst this was happening my contractions dropped to 2 mins apart. The midwife tried to tell Matt I didn't sound as though I was in established labour and to call back later, til she heard me yell that I WAS in labour and I WAS coming in then!!!!
My sister drove me and Matt to the hospital where my contractions stopped. I'm pretty sure the midwives thought I was pretty delusional as I tried to explain that I was in labour!!!
One of my bestfriends, Cindy arrived to support me along with my sister, Mandy and my labour resumed. I'm pretty sure they still thought I was in my early stages and were gonna send me home.
Lucky for me they did a VE and I was 7cm dilated. They informed me'I wouldn't be going anywhere', thankyou very much!!!
The contractions pretty much hit me from there. They were so intense, and once again in my back,( I was graced with 2 posterior babies!!!). I could only scream, I couldn't control my breathing like with Sharley, I screamed, cried, panicked, squirmed, just wanted him out!!! The pressure was horrible and I was informed that my membranes were bulging. And I informed them to BREAK them for me. I was told this would happen by itself. After sitting on the toilet loudly protesting and demanding a ceaserian!!!! I told them I knew my rights and that they HAD to give me one if I wanted one. I was in transition and hated every minute of it. Lucky for me thy don't have to give into your requests cos 10 minutes later I was leaning over the bed bearing down. The midwife ran off to get the trolley whilst my waters finally burst and blood, not fluid started trickling out. I was told not to push as it wasn't time yet. Yeah right!!! I was told I'd tear if I didn't listen, do you think I cared!!! One push later and his head was born, the rest dove out. He was blue as the cord had been wrapped around his neck, they thought he'd need air, but he was fine. I said "Thankyou" and the midwife said "Don't thank me, you did all the work". I didn't tell her I wasn't thanking her, I was thanking whoever for the fact that he was out!!!!
Jaylen Mikhael was born at 10:12am on 23rd April 2005. He weighed 8lb 8oz, 3.8kg.An apgar of 9 He was 50cm tall and his head was only 32 cm. No wonder he only took 2 pushes (compared with 2 hours and 36cm with Sharley)!!!
I still dunno if I'd prefer the hard and fast Jaylen style labour, or the relaxed and drawn out Sharley style labour. Maybe a relaxed, fast one would be good!

pigeonpair it was very great reading ur birth story, thansk for sharing!!!! and I see u are due again? what month??

Two very different births - lovely and thank you for sharing.

Wow both birth stories were amazing!I must say that I was PMSL at the thought of you driving yourself to the hospital!!

I agree both sotiris were amazing. Thank you for sharing. :)

Thanks for sharing Michelle - & very well done!! =D>