31/05/09 - Hayley Nicole's arrival (looong!)
I'm so glad to finally be writing this! It will probably be long, as I tend to waffle on a bit, so consider yourselves warned :)
My first birth was induced, so I really had no idea what I was in for this time around - with Emily I had never felt so much as a slight twinge of BH, just excruciating pain in my pelvis as my hips spread around 34 weeks (which was what led to me asking for an induction, I was practically bedridden towards the end and just wanted it over!).
I'd been feeling period-like pains, back pain, and mild BH nearly every day since the 36-week mark this time around, and I was so excited - I took it as a sign that Hayley would be arriving before her due date. To encourage this, I was as slack as possible when it came to getting organised - I tend to be one of those people who, if prepared for something, it never happens, but if I pretend it's not happening it falls into my lap, kwim? So I hadn't packed my bags, didn't buy any baby clothes until a couple of weeks ago, and basically sat around willing my waters to break :)
My due date came and went without a whisper. I was sorely disappointed, but took heart at the fact that it was truly a matter of 'any old day now'. Impatient as I am, though, that notion was out the window by Tuesday (my due date was the Sunday) and I was sooooo over being pregnant. I had my last antenatal appt on Thursday and as soon as I walked into the room, I told the doctor, 'I'm not leaving here without an appointment for an induction - Monday if not tomorrow, thanks.' I had been so adamant about a spontaneous labour after my 3.5L PPH with Emily, and I wanted to experience a completely natural labour (by 'natural', I mean spontaneous - gimme the gas!!). But I'm a smoker and was concerned about my placenta failing, and tired of the comments from my family and the general public, and frustrated at things just not going 'to schedule', so I decided an induction would be preferable to this interminable waiting, and thinking every little niggle was 'it'.
The doctor agreed to book me in for Monday morning, and gave me an internal just to see how things were going. He informed me that I was 2cm dilated, and I was so ecstatic that *something* was happening, I didn't think to ask any further questions (about effacement etc) - just wanted to go home, put Emily to bed and drag DH to bed to try and get things moving further!
However, nothing more happened and again I was back to frustrated, tired, and generally wishing evil things towards the lazy baby in my belly who was refusing to come out.
On Saturday morning, DH and I went shopping for a new car seat (lol told you we weren't organised!) and visited our friends in the afternoon. I was feeling a bit twingy, but put it down to yet more of those annoying BH and said nothing. But around 5:30pm, the contractions were starting to feel a bit 'clearer' and stronger, and I was in tears when I asked DH if I could get my parents to take Emily so we could go to the hospital to get checked out.
We went up at about 6:30, and of course the contractions vanished. I was feeling like a real drama queen, then the midwife gave me an internal and informed me I was 4.5cm dilated, 1/2 a cm thick and was on the 'point of no return'. She gave us the option of sticking around for a while to see if things progressed, or going home and seeing how we went from there. DH and I opted to go home, relax, try to get some sleep, pretty much convinced that nothing would happen and it would be a Monday morning induction for me, despite my dilated cervix.
We dropped by my parents' house to update them, and the contractions came back. We asked if they could keep Emily overnight in case something happened, and then went home at about 9pm to relax. The contractions were coming hard and fast but I didn't think they were close enough together to warrant going back to hospital, so I spent a couple of hours on the couch, on all fours, reading the newspaper and watching TV with DH.
At 11:30 the contx had eased off again and I was cursing my body for messing with my head. I timed the contx and found they were 8-10 mins apart, and I felt they were quite weak, so we decided to go to bed and get some shuteye, as nothing was happening.
Then, at about 2:45, a couple of really strong contx literally jolted me out of bed. My back was aching and I woke DH to tell him to be prepared before jumping in the shower to stand under hot water for a while.
We put the kettle on while I called the hospital and got the rest of my stuff together (we'd packed my bag just before going to the hospital earlier on and it was in the back of the car), then arrived at ER at 4am and we were taken up to Maternity.
I was still having strong contractions, but they were spacing out again and I was really getting annoyed. The midwife, who coincidentally was the one who caught Emily on her way out nearly 2 years ago, checked me out and told me I was 8cm and started preparing for what was to come. I was shocked to hear how far along I was - my waters were still intact, I was starting to feel a little bit pushy but nothing major, and I could still walk, talk and smile through my contractions.
I don't know what time it was when I asked to have my membranes ruptured, but I had been 10cm for a fair while and was not progressing, so I requested that we give it a go and see if it got things moving. The midwife kindly obliged and within a couple of minutes of the gush, I was well and truly on my way. I felt like I was having a lot of trouble bearing down this time, all the pushing was in my stomach rather than down into my pelvis, and I mentioned this to DH and the midwife. They assured me I was doing fine, and I tried squatting on the floor rather than on all fours on the bed as the head of the bed was raised too high and it just wasn't comfortable.
Squatting was getting me nowhere either, so I tried flat on my back again, the way I laboured with Emily. Again, that strange feeling of being somehow 'blocked' from bearing down properly was there, and I began to feel like something was wrong.
Shift change came as I was back on the floor, on all fours, and *omg GROSS* I was in too much pain mid-contraction to get up and go to the toilet - yup, I pooped on the floor while the midwife was out of the room. DH cleaned up after me, and then I got back on the bed to try labouring on my back again. Every time I took a deep breath to push through a contraction, the baby would kick me in the ribs and knock the air right out of me, so it just wasn't working.
The new midwife came in and checked baby's heart rate - it had dropped to practically nothing and she started telling me to get on with it. Let me say now that I am NOT one of those people who thrive under pressure - I crumble, I panic, I completely lose my head. I burst into tears, pushed as hard as I could (to no avail) and started screaming for a doctor and forceps to help me out. The midwife told me bub was 'stuck in the s-bend', so to speak, and I panicked - she wasn't even halfway there, she was stuck, I was going to kill her and the midwife wouldn't even call a doctor!
She popped out of the room for a moment and through my panic I told DH, 'She. Isn't. HELPING. Make her call the doctor - I AM trying, it's NOT working, I NEED help.'
Without her putting me off my game, I was able to get in a few good pushes and then I felt it - the baby was getting close. She came back, checked baby's hear rate (which had improved dramatically) and then switched on the 'you're doing an amazing job' routine (which is the only thing that works with me!). Another couple of pushes, and Hayley was crowning - I stopped to breathe through a couple of contractions, adamant that I would tear if I kept going, then went, 'the hell with it' and *pop*!
The midwife asked if I wanted to have a look down there to see her head. I declined, as seeing Emily's head poking out from between my legs was more than enough birthing I ever need to see - bad enough that I have to feel it! Then there came the slither of her shoulders and body sliding out, and Hayley was laid on my chest. It was 7:37am.
DH worked up a couple of tears, I put her on my breast to feed and checked her out.
She had a huge divot in her forehead, and the midwife told us she was posterior and that posterior births were notoriously difficult - I TOLD THEM SOMETHING WAS WRONG lol.
DH cut the cord, and the midwife administered the anti-D and injection to help get the placenta out. It took its time coming, and looked in a pretty sad state, so I was glad I'd booked the induction even though I was only a week overdue, just in case. Hayley was covered in a thick layer of vernix, which was surprising (she had much more than Emily, and Emily was born 2 days before her EDD), had a bit of blonde hair, and looked just like Emily did (except a lot skinnier).
I was able to get up and go have a shower straight away, which felt amazing, and then we were transferred over to the ward. I wolfed down the breakfast that was sitting there waiting for me, had a little nap, and then my mum brought Emily up to meet her little sister. I'd already decided I wanted to talk about early discharge (6 hours at our hospital) as the ward was really crowded and I just feel more comfy at home in my own comfort zone. The midwife who was then on duty told me I was dreaming, considering the PPH I'd had after Emily, but I felt like a million bucks, wasn't bleeding much and felt really confident about coping at home. So when she finally brought a doctor to see me at around 3pm, he agreed that I could be discharged if I felt well enough to go - I'm only a 2-minute drive from the hospital anyway so if anything went wrong, I could get there in time.
DH had gone home to tidy up the house and get a bit of sleep, so I called him at 4:30 to come and pick me up. We went through the discharge process with a different midwife (who was AMAZING!) and I was home less than 12 hours after giving birth.
Hayley is beautiful. She's feeding really well, I feel like I'm coping much better this time around, even with a toddler to wrangle as well, and I'm really glad it all went well :)
And, it looks as though she wants another feed so I'd best get off this computer and go sort that out :)
