Edward's arrival : my successful VBAC
Wednesday seemed like a very uneventful day. I had been getting cramps and contractions for over a week, but Wednesday there was no sign of imminent labour except that my back was aching more than it had been.
DH and I finally got to bed around 10.00, but only DH slept. I lay there for about an hour before getting up to go to the toilet. Back to bed where I got maybe half an hours sleep before I woke up feeling uncomfortable.
As I had had a few night of contractions come to nothing I didn't think much of it at first, but this time the pain was also in my back so after a couple I decided to time them. They were coming every 10 minutes and lasting about 30 seconds.
I tried to go back to sleep but it was no good. I decided to get up and have a drink and move around to see if the contractions would stop. Instead they started getting closer and at 1am Thursday morning they were coming 6 or 7 minutes apart. They were not any stronger or longer though. They stayed like that for about an hour so I again tried to go back to bed for a while but they soon picked up in strength and were coming every 5 minutes, still only lasting around 30 seconds. By 3.00 I had to get up and walk through them.
Since I had agreed to go in to hospital early because I was a VBAC I decided at 3.30 that I should call the hospital. The midwife was quite calm. She just told me to organise my babysitter and have a shower and come in when I was ready.
So I woke up DH and called my friend to look after DS1. She arrived just after 4.00 and after DH and I had a small bite to eat (I knew they didn't want me to eat during labour at the hospital) we were on our way. We arrived at the hospital at 4.30.
I was put straight into a birthsuite and all my checks were done. The baby was happy and my contractions were still coming every 5 minutes. I had my first internal at 5am and found that I was already fully effaced and at 4cm. I was very excited as this was as far as I had gotten during my labour with DS1.
The midwife took off my monitor and left DH and I to it for about an hour and a half. I tried my best to rest, and did OK; I was exhausted by now. I found that I could just lie there with my eyes closed and count through the contractions if I really relaxed. I was feeling pretty good at this point. DH had a sleep in the chair... nice for some. :lol:
The contractions really picked up around 6.30. They were still about 4 minutes apart but were lasting about 50 seconds now, and felt much stronger. I asked for the gas. It just took the edge off and I was feeling good again.
The monitor was put on again at this point and it stayed on. I was still able to move around but didn't really want to.
My ob came to see me at 8.00. He did another internal and broke my waters. I was at 8cm!
The contractions quickly got stronger and closer, but were tolerable with the gas. I felt really calm and the midwife kept commenting on how controlled I was during contractions. I just didn't feel that yelling was going to make them hurt any less, I was just focussing on my breathing.
By 9.00 I thought I wanted to push so the midwife checked my cervix and said I had a small lip left, it was loose though, so if I really felt I needed to push then I should. A couple of minutes later the lip was gone and I understood what is meant by 'uncontrollable urge to push'. The midwife and DH helped me hold my legs and the midwife just kept telling me to push like I was constipated. :) DH held my hand and kept telling me I was doing a great job and we would meet our son very soon.
It took around 30 minutes to push my little boy out. It was obviously a bit too fast in the end as I ended up with 2nd degree tearing, mostly internal. There was no way I could have stopped pushing though. My ob arrived just in time to see my son get pulled out and put on my chest. It was 9.35am, only 4 and a half hours of active labour.
Edward was put straight on my chest all slimy and bloody and crying. I held him for half an hour before he was weighed and measured and wiped off a bit. They did that right next to my bed so I could watch. DH held him for a little while then as I was feeling quite weak. But I got him back shortly after and he latched on for his first feed straight away.
It took over an hour to stitch me up after the birth, but the ob and midwife assured me that it all looked fantastic again when it was done. :lol: I finally got to eat and then shower at 11.00, and was moved to my room before lunch.
It is now a day and a half later and I am still very sore, but I am feeling soooo much better than I did at this point after my emergency c/s! I got to hold and feed my little boy straight away. I got to hear DH and the midwife telling me I was doing a great job. I got to experience the feeling of relief when the pushing was done. I got to walk to the bathroom within hours of giving birth. :D All the things that I missed out on the first time. I am incredibly happy and proud, and totally in love with my beautiful baby boy.
