The slow and steady birth of my daughter
In the lead up to the birth of DD, I'd been woken up at night with pains and back ache. Every time, I'd think "Is this it?" then before I knew it it'd be morning and the pains had stopped - another false alarm.
Monday evening, 16th Feb, DH and I went to bed and almost immediately the back pain set in, quite badly. I took some panadol and went to lie on the couch with a heat pack. In the back of my mind I knew this is how my sister's labour had started, so I was hopeful but worried it could be another false alarm. After spending all night on the couch watching dodgy TV and checking BB (how come no one is on at 4am?? :lol: ), the back pain had turned into pains at the front - contractions. At about 7am I woke up DH and said "Time for the TENS machine." When I said this, he knew it was action stations and was awake immediately. He began timing for me with the help of contractionmaster.com and we began to see a pattern - 7-10mins apart, lasting about 60 secs.
My mum and sister turned up at noon with some lunch and we called the hospital. Got the standard "take some panadol and call back" so I tried to do this and keep going at home. Walking and standing seemed best so DH set up a "catwalk" of towels in my favoured spot, JIC my waters broke while I was walking.
Not long after having some lunch, I was sick and brought it all back up again. So I decided it was definitely NOT a false alarm. Called the Obs to cancel my 2pm appt and let them know what was going on. Lasted at home til about 4pm, then decided to go to hosp.
Got to hosp at about 4.45pm, checked in and set up in the birth suite. I got onto the gas almost straight away and kept walking and standing and swaying. My sister and mum had come in too but they stayed outside, offering to spell DH when he needed a break.
The gas and TENS seemed to be keeping the pain at bay and I was doing well (I thought) breathing through each contraction. By now they were a few minutes apart, getting intense but still bearable. I was confident I'd have my bubs in my arms relatively soon - I was still following a similar pattern to my sister and she birthed my niece about 8hrs after arriving in hosp.
Unfortunately it took me a while to get the hang of the gas and I was breathing on it too heavily, which made me sick - I had a whole lot of those hospital sick bags scattered around the room so I always had one in easy each. With some coaching from DH and the MW, I learned how to breathe on the gas, it was much more effective and the nausea subsided.
My lovely Obs arrived at about 6pm, did an internal and announced I was 4-5cm dilated. I was pretty happy with this effort - I'd wanted to avoid coming into hosp too early. She was going to rupture the membranes at this point but as she was doing an internal they ruptured on their own, so that was good. She said I was doing really well and left me to it, told me she'd see me at 10pm. Came back at 10pm, checked again and I was 7-8cm. Said I was progressing well and she'd expect to be back to see me around midnight, that bubs would be here "in the early hours of the morning".
The end was in sight. I was starting to get really tired by this point and my sister and mum had joined us in the suite for a bit of extra support. I kept my mind on the midnight goal and continued breathing through the contractions.
Well then everything slowed right down. I asked what time it was and midnight had come and gone. Nothing had happened. Got to 2am, nothing. I was still having contractions but they seemed to have spaced right out and even though they were still reeeallly hurting, I hadn't had "the urge" to start pushing that everyone raves about. I was expecting to feel this overwhelming urge to push but all I felt was tired and sort of like I needed to go to the toilet. I kept asking why my Obs hadn't come back yet and the MW (who was lovely, really patient) would say "You're not ready yet. She will come back when we call."
By this stage it was about 3am. I was completely exhausted and really struggling but kept to my plan of just the TENS machine and the gas. Every time I changed positions it required a mammoth effort by all my support crew as I was so exhausted I couldn't really move much by myself.
Around this time, my Obs actually called the hosp to ask why she hadn't been called, what was happening with me? (Pretty good for an Obs I think!) So the MW did an internal and I was fully dilated and effaced, should have been ready to go. She spoke to my Obs and they decided I should start pushing to see if anything happened. So about 4am I started pushing. I still wasn't sure what I should be feeling but soon enough, I started feeling the urge to push and began to go with that.
Also around 4am, the decision was made that my Obs should come in. I'd been pushing for an hour, with the MW on her knees straining for a sighting of bubs, but nothing. Thankfully, at this point my Obs arrived.
She got me on my back, did an internal and could feel Isabel's head was on a bit of an awkward angle that was stopping her moving down. While doing the internal I had a contraction and she said "Ok then push through it" and all of a sudden Isabel moved down a good few cms. The Obs was quite surprised and said "Let's stay in this position then". I'd been avoiding lying down as it made the contractions hurt even more but it was helping, so I stayed in that position. TBH it was a nice rest in between contractions, considering I'd been on my feet since about 7am the day before!
Tried that for another few contractions, everyone could see Isabel moving down but she was still not quite coming. The Obs took stock and said "Right, I can see what is happening - we need a bit of extra help to get bubs out. We're going to get you in the stirrups, you're going to push, I'm going to pull with the suction." We tried that for another contraction but it was still not quite enough, so she said to me "I'm going to have to drain your bladder and also give you a small episiotomy as I can see bubs is getting stuck on a small tendon there."
I made unhappy noises as this was looking like things I'd wanted to avoid but she said to me "I know this is not exactly what you wanted, but if you trust me, I guarantee in one or two contractions she will be here." I was freaking out a little bit so I grabbed DH's hand and said "You need to pray for us." So amongst all the chaos of the MW setting up stirrups etc, we all stopped and prayed.
It was a very emotional moment - somehow (thanks to God I suspect) I did not have a contraction and we were all still while DH prayed. We asked for God's protection and strength to get through and then it was all happening.
I had the cut (DH stupidly had a look and almost passed out!), catheter was in and out, I worked through one contraction and began to feel the absolute burning pain that everyone talks about. I knew the end was close when I felt this but oh my gosh, did it hurt! The contraction passed and we waited for the next one - when it came, I pushed pushed pushed through the burn burn burn and all of a sudden there was a red, wriggling, crying baby on my chest.
I was completely shocked. I'd been in "active labour" since noon the day before and was seriously wondering how this baby was going to come out as it just did not feel at all like she was going to make it out. DH and I had been thinking (privately but the same thought) that I'd end up in for a caesar - but lo and behold, she was there.
It was amazing. Half an hour after my Obs arrived, I had my bubs. I'd gone from doom and gloom and possible c/s to having my little one in my arms. It was great when she arrived - things really started happening. Apart from the epi I didn't have any other tears or grazes so that's fantastic. Once I recovered from the shock I cried a bit, we had a cuddle and she was off to get cleaned up a little. Straight back on my chest and straight onto the boob. She has been a champ with the feeding - one of the MWs in hospital actually came in to our room and said "Oh looking good, is this your second?" I was pretty stoked with that comment.
We had a specialist paediatrician (referred by our Obs) come and check her out while in hosp, based on our scare with the thickened nuchal fold and she is perfect. There is no sign of anything thick at the back of the neck. She is just a normal bubs. Needless to say we are both extremely relieved. I am so glad I trusted God and myself and we have been blessed with our gorgeous baby girl.
Here are her stats:
Born 5.35am 18/02/09
Weight: 3738g
Length: 52.5cm
Head: 34cm
Apgars: 9 and 10
Active labour: 18hrs
Total labour: 31hrs
A few days after the birth, my mum asked me if I remember the first thing I said to DDwhen she was born - apparently I looked down at her and said "Hello beloved little girl, we almost didn't get to have you... thank you God." And then I cried.
Well done reading if you made it this far!!!!
