Renstar's birth story..... the arrival of Ava!!
(Grab a cuppa!!)
Here is Ava's birth story. She is our first born.
I was 41wks pregnant and very much ready to meet our baby girl. We knew what we were having and were so excited to know that any day we would be meeting our little girl. I was due for my appointment with an OB at the midwife clinic in two days time on the Tues, and it was Sunday. I was so scared I would need to be induced and I often worried about the cascade of interventions that possibly would then follow after an induction. I had been having prelabour pains for 2-3 weeks.
It was on this day, Sunday, when I went into labour, that I had found peace within myself and accepted that I was 7 days overdue and found myself relaxing about the situation and not letting it bother me like it had days prior. I knew that my body knew what to do, baby knew what to do and that it would all happen as it was meant to.... I believe this helped it all happen! On this day, DH and I decided to do some shopping. It was a hot day and being out in the car and walking all day was a bit tiring but it was good for me to keep my mind busy. In the afternoon we came home and vacuumed, tidied up all bits and pieces from underneath our bed and basically "got rid of the cobwebs" so to speak! :lol: in our bedroom.... we had been meaning to do it for ages. I felt so organised. Also cleaned a few other things around the house.
This night was like any other night.... had some dinner, watched some TV and had showers then off to bed around 9:30pm. I was pretty tired from shopping and cleaning that day and I hadn't had my "1hr nap" in the afternoon like I had made sure I did every day just incase I went into labour! It was at 10pm that I was lying in bed, lights out, staring at the ceiling trying to sleep when I felt my first contraction!! It just felt like a sharp period pain and it only lasted for a few seconds then left. I thought "that was strange" and tried to go back to sleep.... 5mins later, another one.... then 5mins later another one... after 20mins I started timing them and that's when I got excited and woke DH!! I said "don't get excited but I think I'm in labour" and he of course, got excited!! I said "go back to bed, could be hours away or could stop and be false labour!" and he said "no way, I can't sleep now!" and I said "I should not have told you" hehe
By 11pm my contractions had become stronger and there was no way I could lie down and try to rest even though I so badly wanted to because I remembered being told many times to rest in early labour.... lol yeah right as if that was going to happen.... my contractions were too painful to rest from the start!! DH sat on the computer and timed them for me... they came no more than 5mins apart and sometimes were 3mins apart, 2mins apart, 4mins apart, very sporadic and random :o I had always thought my contractions would come on say 10mins and then reduce down but this wasn't the case so I was taken by surprise. I also had thought my contractions would be all over my tummy like a Braxton Hicks but nope, was totally different to anything I'd had before.
By 12 midnight, I was leaning over the couch in agony every time a contraction hit, even the fitball I had planned to use was too uncomfortable and all i could do was walk around or lean over on all four's or over the couch. DH got the clary sage oil and I smelt it and said "yuck don't want that" haha all these things I had planned to use in labour, just didn't appeal to me anymore. I just went with my body and followed it.... remembered to breathe through each contraction and focused on each one and never worried about the next one. I was in a good state of mind. I was excited yet nervous.... scared yet trusted my body and knew I could do this.... I was going to meet my baby soon!! It was 1am and the contractions were still full on and even closer together sometimes lasting longer sometimes shorter, sometimes 2mins in between sometimes 5mins in between, sometimes they took my breath away and i couldn't talk and other times I could talk during it. DH rang the hospital. The midwive asked a few questions and I said to her that to expect us to come in within an hour or two. She could tell I wasn't too far away but wanted to labour at home as long as possible. I knew that was important to getting the birth i wanted.
It was about this time, 1am approx that I had a shower to freshen up and just before getting in, I felt sick and vomited in the sink. DH held my hair back (awww) whilst I threw my stomach contents up! I was so violently in... but geez it felt good to get it out. It was funny actually because I even pushed it down the sink and as I did I found a piece of watermelon (hahahaha!!) and said to DH "oh look some watermelon, i didnt even eat watermelon today!" and DH and I just laughed and laughed.... (typical of us).
I had about 3 showers between 12 and 2am as it was soooo comforting being in the hot water and having the water on my back. My back was killing me..... so much pressure.
It was at 2am that DH called the hospital to let them know we were on our way. I text Mum to let her know I was in labour and she text back "won't be long now, good luck" and DH had run around the house looking at the "last minute" list I had made him weeks prior so he wouldn't forget anything. He was so good getting it all ready for me. I kept asking him about 10 times "did you get the camera?" hehehe "yes" he would say "yes yes" hehe.... 2am I was in the car and it took 10mins to get there.... DH kept saying "do you want me to pull over?" every time a contraction hit and I'd say "nooo way just get me there!!" DH had also printed out a piece of paper that said "wife in labour" and stuck it on the car haha even though it was 2am in the morning and I don't remember seeing a single car on the road that morning.....but never mind!
We got to emergency and nurse called midwife to come and get me. A heavily pregnant lady was standing near me and said "oh lucky you in labour, i've got 3 weeks to go" and I said "I sure don't feel lucky right now but thanks" hahaha and she kept talking to me and I would just smile and nod.... I didn't really feel like making any friends at that stage. :lol: I walked down the corridor with DH and the midwife and heard her say "take the drugs, take all the drugs" haha!! And I just nodded.... :lol: conserving energy.
We got up to the birthing suite and I remember walking through the corridors, up the lift etc and it all felt so surreal! I was here and I was going to birth our baby within a few hours.... it was very surreal. Very exciting yet scary at the same time. I said to DH "I'm a bit scared i'm actually doing this" and he said "you are going to be great honey". I realised there was no backing out of this.... I was doing this! We got settled into the birthing suite and our midwife looking after us was Jenni. She was softly spoken and a calm lady so I liked her as it made me feel comfortable straight away. Within 20mins I was in the bathroom on the floor and had lost my mucous plug! Finally! I remember saying "gross it sure does look like snot!" and we both laughed. I tried going to the toilet to pee but I couldnt' even sit down the pressure in my lower back/tailbone was excruciating so I couldn't! I ended up in the shower a couple of times and must have gone in there as I could stand up and had the water on my back. I was naked and didn't care even though I'd always thought I'd at least wear bikinis!! But at this stage I so didn't care who saw me.
I laboured alot standing up, walking around, swaying, leaning on the sofa they had in the room and found it hard to rest as I was too uncomfortable in most positions. My contractions would hit and I would start saying "pressssuurrre" that's all I could explain it to be as the period type pains were sharp and fast yet the back pain would overtake the pain of the contraction at times and I would just have immense pressure front and back like someone was running me over with a truck! I couldn't explain it and still can't. I was to soon find out that DD was posterior!!! :o What got me through each contraction was when one hit, I would ride it like a wave and when it peaked I would say "it's going down now" and ride the wave back down again.... I would also look at the crib in the corner of the room with the baby blanket and nappies underneath it and think to myself "our baby girl will be in that very soon and I'm going to push her out very soon" and I always said "I can do this"..... I was so positive and had a really good frame of mind. I knew I could do this and without drugs. It was funny though cos' a few times during labour I said to DH "how come noone is offering me drugs?" and "how come midwife keeps leaving the room?" and he would remind me "because you didn't want drugs" and "because you wanted to be left alone remember" hehehe
I wondered when the midwife would want to do an internal on me, but I didn't want to ask as I didn't want to be disappointed if I was only say 5cm or so, so I waited.... It must have been about 5am approx 3hrs after arriving, that the midwife asked me to get onto the bed and lie down so she could check me.... uh oh I thought! Here it is....
This was about the same time my contractions were REALLY strong and VERY close and about 1-2mins apart and I was actually in transition..... I was getting quite vocal by this stage and at one point, Jenni left the room and so did DH to get a cup of tea and I said "go but be VERY quick!!!" and it was at that point a contraction hit so fast and it really hurt.... DH was so good the whole time he'd offer to rub my back etc and at times I needed it but towards the end, I didn't want to be touched or spoken to. Just left alone.... this was me doing this and I felt I needed to be in my own zone. No distractions. At one stage, during transition it turns out, Dh said "can I take a picture honey" and I just shook my head. LOL We'd discussed prior to labour whether i'd mind if he took photos or not and I said it didn't bother me so that's why he asked but now that I was in labour, I didn't want a piece of it!
Internal was done and I was 7cm!! Yeah! No wait.... 8cm... then midwife says, "hang on a minute, you are 9cm, the cervix is disappearing right in front of me.... " DH and I looked at each other and he said "this is it babe, you are so close now!!" and I said to Jenni "so very close now?" and she said "yes very close now" it was so motivating to hear those words. I got up pretty fast and kept on my feet and rocking back and forth and by this time it was time for Jenni's shift to finish and my new midwife who would be helping to deliver our baby was Belinda. Turns out my DH had gone to university with her and studied nursing with her!! So throughout some of my contractions when I was ready to push, they were chatting away and I was thinking "um hello, what about me!!" haha but in a way it was a nice distraction from what was really happening.
I got on the birthing stool to push and as I moved down to sit on it I said "i have to do a poo" and that was a good sign I was ready to push. The contractions at times slowed down it was really annoying and I felt like in between some of them it was a long wait.... It was about 5:45am when I started pushing and (3hrs 45mins from when we arrived- the time went so fast) and I sat on the birth stool for about 45mins until about 6:30 when I found the position wasn't helping and this was where the nurse who came in said "so it's OP?" and I said "whats that?" and she said "posterior" bub is posterior. Any wonder I was having so much trouble pushing her out and so much pain in my lower back!!! It was soooo bad..... at this stage I thought "geez I can understand why ppl ask for drugs!!!" but it was too late for any anyway..... I'd come this far, I could do it.
Belinda started talking about putting me on Synto drip to help speed up contractions so I could push more often but I didn't want this.... bub was doing fine and heartbeat was good. No fetal distress etc so why did I need it? I then feared that if I had to push for so long that I'd get exhausted and need a c.section. All this fears started entering my mind but I would quickly push them away. It wasn't good to be thinking like that.... any negative fears would be pushed away straight away and DH was wonderful helping me with this too. He would keep saying "you can do this you are doing so well i'm so proud of you sweety" I could hear it in his voice he was so proud of me. About this time a midwife who was to help Belinda, came in and said "would you like a student doctor in here to witness the birth?" (it's a teaching hospital so I didn't mind) and I said "as long as she doesn't talk!!" haha turns out it was a guy and DH gave him the camera and said "here you go!" and he took some great photos.
I then got up on all fours and leaned over the bend for a few pushes, nope, no good.... by about 7am I was exhausted and had kept looking at the clock since 5:45am when i started pushing so i was becoming aware of how long I was pushing for which was not good. I wished I didn't know the time. All labour I hadn't looked at the clock until now.
I got up onto my back on the bed, gosh knows how I managed to do this looking back now because the whole labour I couldn't lie down let alone sit on the toilet. I was on my back, feet up resting on the foot rests and i was going to push this baby out. I looked at the clock it was 7:15am. I said to myself.... at 7:30am our baby is going to be out!! I had set myself a goal.... LOL
Belinda said at about 7:25am "you are going to feel some intense burning soon as the head crowns, don't be scared it won't last long..... " I thought ... here we go..... I'd read about this part!!! I felt this immense burning pain, stinging pain as her head came out it was the most excruciating burning and pain I'd ever felt in my whole life and have to say that was the hardest part of the whole labour, more painful than any contractions or back pain.... this was the hardest part for me.... I screamed and released alot of tension and breathed really fast until DH reminded me to slow my breathing. I was exhausted, i'd been pushing for 1hr 40mins approx and i was so ready for it to be over. I pushed before a contraction hit as I just panicked and I think this is why I tore so badly.... 3rd degree tear. A mirror was placed in front of me and I said "OMG!" and touched her head it was so strange seeing that!! It felt like about 10mins before a contraction hit but I think it was only about 4-5mins but OMG felt like forever.... next contraction or two, her head came out and then that wonderful feeling of her body wriggling out with little effort and DH caught her!! I had DONE IT!!!!!! Ava was born at 7:36am..... 6mins after the time I had set myself!!!
Ava was placed immediately on my chest as DH caught her and brought her to me and he got to cut the cord few minutes later.... it was such a beautiful moment and one I will never forget. I cried, and cried, and sobbed with so many emotions it was amazing. Even DH had tears and he said to me later "i could have just sobbed but didn't want to in front of the midwives" awww..... Ava came out screaming for about the first 45mins she was so full of life!! It was just beautiful holding her and one of the midwives said "you know it's a girl but have you checked to be sure?" and we said "oh yeah!" so we did and I saw the cord and got a fright for a minute thinking "uh oh!" not that it would have mattered of course.... we just wanted our baby!!
Belinda showed us the placenta afterwards and the cord and it was amazing to see what had helped support my baby's life while in the womb. I was so interested to see it. She asked me if I was a smoker and I said "NO!!" and she said because it looks a bit deteriorated and I said "well she is 41wks gestation!" and she said that would explain why!
I was stitched up immediately but unfortunately it took about 1hr as there was a training medical doctor doing it..... normally only takes 30mins I was told. Oh and I was pretty torn too! Meanwhile, I was feeling the pain of the stitches and needles (they put a few in!!) and was trying to bond with our DD and get the breastfeeding happening. Our post birth midwife Sue, who we knew from the pregnancy, helped get Ava onto the breast and she sucked for a bit. After the stitches were done everyone finally left the room so all three of us had some privacy. We rang our parents. 2hrs later Sue came back in to get Ava weighed etc.... this is her stats below.
Date - 02/02/09
Time - 7:36am
Weight - 3.66kg or 8pds1
Length - 51cm
Head Cir - 35cm
Apgar scores - 9 & 9
Active labour - 5.5hrs
Total labour - 9.5hrs
Thank you for reading my birth story. I had the birth I had hoped for. Drug free, active, natural birth. So very proud of my DH for supporting me... he was amazing and so proud of myself!! And we are both very proud of our little Ava Joyce.
