Are you ready for it? Junior's Birth Story!!
Well…I guess it’s about time I get around to doing my birth story!
After my pregnancy flying by, we were approaching Junior’s EDD of the 30th of April, 2007.
At approximately 34 weeks my GP “thought” Junior was breech, so I went to have a scan which was great as I got to make sure he was still a boy one last time! The scan determined that he was indeed breech and in a footling position (feet first) and that he was very unlikely to turn due to his positioning.
So I was off to the hospital and a c-section was booked for the 20th April which cut my countdown by 10 whole days, I was over the moon. And so was Dale!
The thought of going into labour before the operation was never an option to me, I never thought it could happen :rolleyes:
On Sunday the 15th April, we had a huge list of things that MUST be done by the end of that day, ready for the arrival 5 days later.
We quickly managed to DTD that morning and it was the only time where I didn’t find it uncomfortable which was strange.
Dale and I rearranged the whole house and made it look even messier than before, then decided to take a break and head down to Coles to get our last minute things to stock up on, then we were going for lunch as I was starving.
As we got to the shops I told Dale I was having some pains so he told me to stop whinging. I kept walking and just as I was about to step foot into the supermarket, I felt a pop and a small trickle. I stopped and said to Dale that I thought my waters had broken and I don’t think he believed me until 2 seconds later when I uncontrollably bawled my eyes out!
In a matter of seconds my pants were saturated and I was standing in the middle of the shopping center in a HUGE puddle…the water didn’t stop coming and I was wearing my t-shirt that said “BUB INSIDE”, so EVERYONE knew exactly what was happening.
Dale remained so calm and kept saying “its ok, its ok”, but kept looking around…we just had no idea what to do, and I refused to walk or move as it made the gushing worse and people stare more! I rang my Mum screaming into the phone as I was shaking. Lucky she was around the corner and came racing in.
A nice lady helped me to the car with a bright pink towel that Coles kindly donated to us. People kept walking past congratulating me and wishing me all the best! Now I was laughing and crying, I couldn’t believe that my baby would be born that day…we were so not ready! (And I was starving!!!)
So Mum called the ambulance and I had to ride all alone as Dale had to rush home to get all my things…poor guy must have been so stressed. I spent the 30 minute drive in the ambulance laughing and laughing…I was in shock. Every time we hit a bump, I lost another litre! I thought it was hilarious at this stage. My bump had also halved in size!
So my Mum and Sister met me at the hospital, and Dale was there shortly after. Everyone was in shock and then I started to get upset as I needed to pluck my eyebrows! Luckily Mum had tweezers in the car and rushed them to me.
The midwives were great and we threw our my pants and the lovely pink towel (sorry coles). They took some blood and said he would definitely be born later that day. 30 minutes later they came to say they were ready for me! I was stunned, but lucky I had finished plucking my brows!
So I was wheeled downstairs with Dale by my side and my Mum and Sister had tears as I was taken into theatre…I couldn’t believe I would be wheeled out soon with my son!
I had to wait as a real emergency was put in front of me but that was fine with me, I needed 5 minutes to collect myself. A lot of tears were shed in the waiting area and I held onto Dale’s hand for dear life.
I kept rubbing my tummy and talking to Junior—I was in such denial that he was about to be born.
Next thing I was taken in and prepped and we were ready to go! I was amazingly calm at this stage…
The anesthetist asked Dale if he would like to look and he did. He then told me he could see Junior’s legs being born and I bawled my eyes out. I desperately wanted to see but they wouldn’t let me. Then they told me he would be born within a minute.
2 minutes passed and I began to get very worried. I asked what was going on and I was kindly told that Junior’s head was a little larger than expected, and they needed to make a bigger incision! I was so concerned that he would be 15 pounds with a massive head!!
Then they said he was stuck, but not to panic. How could I not! He had his head wedged back so there were 3 people pulling him, twisting him and pushing on my tummy. They were so rough I couldn’t believe it…I felt so much pressure.
Then I was told that Junior is about to be born, but is a lot smaller than expected and he will need to go to the Special Care Nursery and I won’t be able to hold him. I was so devastated and confused…didn’t they just say he had a big head??
So he was born at 4:29pm after my waters breaking at 1:10pm that day. He did not make a sound and I was panicking. I was told it was normal but I kept screaming, “why isn’t he crying, he should be crying!”. The midwife told me he WAS crying, but I just couldn’t hear him! I later found out it took him 2 minutes to breathe and he needed some help.
Basically he was stunned and in shock from being stuck and from the birth. I was told that he seemed to not be ready to be born, and maybe my membranes were ruptured due to his kicks rather than labour.
I got to see him for literally 2 seconds and all I noticed were big red lips and HEAPS of black hair.
So he was taken straight away to the nursery and Dale followed. I had a horrible time alone in recovery and was finally taken upstairs to see my Mum and sister, and my younger Sister was there then too.
Dale came and showed me some pics of Mason and he looked so big! All my family went to see him and this broke my heart that they all got to see him.
Then about 11:30pm Dale came to see me with a surprise! He had Mason in a crib and I had never ever been so happy in my life. I finally got my first hold and some really nice pictures. It was such a beautiful moment and I had never seen Dale glowing so much.
Mason had to go back to the nursery but was regularly bought in to visit, until the next morning when he was officially mine!
So Mason Jack weighed 2.8 kilos at birth, 48cm long and a head circumference of 36cm.
I am recovering well…my wound is totally healed and you can’t even see the scar. Although I do have quite a bit of pain still from the bruising of them trying to yank him out so violently.
He is now 9 days old and we are a perfect little family. He is absolutely perfect and certainly is our tiny miracle.
Thank you to all of you who have followed our ttc and pregnancy journey so closely, and for all of your well wishes.
Mason is certainly a very loved little man who is truly growing into a beautiful and very special person.
