AliBaby's birth story....the arrival of my baby girl!
The birth of Ashlyn Elizabeth- My first Child.
Monday 9th March 2009
I had a relatively good pregnancy. I suffered from morning sickness up unitl 16weeks and then had lots of heart burn in the last couple 8 weeks. My due date was coming around and I was starting to get really excited about meeting my little girl. It was only days away! Then my due date came and went and still no signs of labour. It was the hardest 12 days of the entire pregnancy. On Saturday the 7th March, I started to get some period type pain, started timing it (as I wasnt sure if it was contractions) and it was about 10minutes apart. I went for a walk to try and help things established but it made them go away which was really disheartening. Later that evening they picked up again to be about 5 minutes apart.
DP and I went off to the hospital with our bags packed but unfortunately after them examining me, I was only 1cm dilated but 95% effaced. Janella (the midwfie that we saw) said I am pretty sure we will see you back tomorrow night and gave me some panadeine forte and off we went home.
The next day I was still being woken up by contractions but was able to sleep until 11:30 between the contractions. I decided that I would get up and go on BB and maybe just put the contraction master timer up in another window on the computer. DP and I ordered some pizzas to be home delivered as I just didn't have the energy to do anything else. I could only eat one piece of pizza and didn't feel quite right. I settled in on the lounge at around 3:30pm and watched the movie Twister. Contractions were still coming and were about 5 min apart and ouchy but I just didn't want to get my hopes up in case it wasn't the real thing.
At 7:30pm I said to DP I was going to go have a shower as the contractions were hurting to much to stay on the couch. I could no longer post on BB as I couldn't concentrate.
After the shower I decided to try and lay down in bed. DP made me a cup of tea and as I began to drink that an overwhelming feeling of nausea came over me. I threw up everywhere and had to get cleaned up again. After that, I couldn't concentrate anymore, I was walking around the house and Leaning on anything I could when the contractions came, it was about 9:30pm and they were coming about 3 minutes apart. I msgd Laura133 to tell her and she said to call the hospital. For some reason as painful as they were I was still worried that I would get there and say I was only 1cm dilated.
DP called the hospital and was telling them what I told him to tell them. I could here him talking and discussing things with them (they were obviously asking him questions about me and the pain levels) and I yelled out at him "TELL THEM I NEED TO COME TO HOSPITAL NOW!!!" We were soon on our way!
The car ride was awful! It was a 15-20 minute ride at about 10:45pm. It was pouring with rain and I was in the back of the car doing all sorts of acrobatics when the contractions hit.
We arrived at hospital and had to go through emergency. They opened the maternity doors straight away and up we went to maternity. We were taken straight into the birthing suites when a contraction hit again. I didnt want to get on the bed but they had to do an internal exam and put some monitors on me (as I was so ovedue).
Good news was I was 4cm and then 5-6cm when a contraction hit. Bad news was I was stuck on the bed with monitors all over me. They were awful, everytime I had a contraction the monitor for the baby's heart rate would move and it would lose it (mainly because I was trying to claw myself off the bed). I told them I needed something for the pain. She said that we would start with the gas and could always turn it up. I agreed but it did nothing but make me hyperventilate. I gave up on that and said I need something else. My midwife Jo suggested that I go and hop in the shower and see if the hot water would help. She asked me if I wanted the gas in there with me and I told her that DP could have it!
The shower helped. I was sitting on the seat and hosing my belly and lower back with the water as hot as I could get it (not hot enough really) I had to stand up when the contraction hit and I kept saying out loud to myself "It's okay, It's okay" (trying desperately to believe the words coming out of my mouth). I have no idea how long I was in the shower for but I did say to DP that he was not to let them take me out of there and be put back on the bed.
A little while later (I have no concept of how long later) I said to DP I couldnt handle it anymore and I wanted an epidural. I was almost crying, they came and got me out of the shower and said that they thought I could do it without an epidural and that I was coping very well. I then shouted out "I AM NOT COPING AT ALL!!!"
They said that they would do an internal to see where I was at and call the aneathitist (sp?) who would be at least half an hour away as it was the middle of the night. Contractions were on top of each other and as they did the internal, I remember her saying something but I was in a different world. She then said did you hear what I said, You are 9cm and you are going to do this, you are doing it and you have been doing so well". They broke my waters then (as they still were had not broken).
Things were getting painful. They wre telling me to slow my breathing down but I felt out of control and kept screaming at them that it hurt. I saw her getting some sort of apron on and protective eye wear, I heard her ask DP to press some button so that the other midwife Janella could come in. (I knew in my mind then that I must be getting close). The pain was incredible, words can't describe, but I knew I was in transition. Nausea hit and DP held the little bag for me to throw up in several times. I was trying to climb up and off the bed as the pain was so bad. I suddenly knew the only thing to do was to push. (It is amazing how you all of a sudden just know). They got me in a better position as I was half hanging off the bed trying to escape from the contractions (like I had any hope of that) and it was action time.
I remember DP asking me if he could do different things for me but I couldn't answer, I couldn't talk. I closed my eyes and concentrated on pushing. It took about 2 pushes to work out how to do it properly. I was pushing through my throat at first making some very strange noises and then as soon as they told me to push through my bottom and focus all that energy down to there, it became much easier. 3 pushes per contraction. I heard her explain to DP that it is like 3 steps forward, 1 step back as the head was coming down and slipping back up a little between contractions.
The midwife then said to DP can you see the head here? (Previously DP and I had spoken and we both decided it best not to see down there as it might pass out or not be able to get the picture out of his mind). Well that went out the window, not that I overly cared at the time and I think it gave him an appreciation for exactly what my body was doing. I also heard one midwife ask me if I was a natural blonde...I couldnt answer her at the time but I heard her and for some reason stored it in the back of my mind. I kept on pushing and at the time when the head was crowning, that burning and stinging sensation took over. I did feel myself tear a tiny bit and began to panic and they quickly assured me everything was okay.
Soon I had pushed her head out and the next thing I knew the body was out and she was straight onto my chest. It was 3:12am. I cried and kept looking at DP and then back at her. She had a bit of a cry and then started looking around at the world very wide eyed and interested. DP was crying and we both were just amazed at what was presented in front of us, of what we had created...It was amazing! DP even cut the chord.
After 45miutes of pushing (which felt like about 5 minutes) I gave birth to my beautiful little girl Ashlyn Elizabeth. I then told the midwife that I was born blonde but my hair went darker with age so now I coloured it. She laughed and said she was surprised that I remember her asking me that.
I then started seriously shaking so much as my body went into shock and I told DP to take her as I was afraid that she would shake right off me. I delivered the placenta and my body went into shock. They put a heated up blanket over me but I kept on asking for the next hour and a half. They weighed her and measured her and I looked over in awe of what I had just done. They called the doctor who arrived about half an hour later to stitch up my first degree labial tears. The doctor told me to suck on the gas while she put the locals in. THIS HURT SO MUCH!!! I was so tender and sensitive down there and I was sucking on that gas so hard but it just made me feel dizzy. DP told me that I wasnt sucking in the gas properly and this was the first and only time that I swore so loudly at DP and said "I am effing sucking the gas properly" there was a stage during the stitching that I screamed so loudly in pain and it turned out that the stupid doctor sewed something wrong where there was no local! Grrrrrrrrr!
We then had our first breast feed and it was so special.
I was then told that I needed to go and do a wee before they would let me leave the birthing unit. THis was like asking a miracle to happen! I drank 4 bottles of water and thought lots of waterfal thoughts but stil couldn't wee. I had a shower and tried to wee there but I just couldnt bring myself to let it out. I did manage to wash my hair though :ROFL: Priorities!!:D Finally after a bit of a sleep I did a wee and at 7:30am was allowed to go to the maternity ward into my room.
Details-
Stage 1 - 7.5 hours
Stage 2 - 42 minutes
Stage 3 - delivered placenta 18 minutes later.
Blood loss - less than 500mLs
1st degree labial tear and perenial tear.
I would describe my birth experience as perfect for me. I didn't have a birth plan, but what I did have was a very supportive partner, two incredible midwives who knew that minimal intervention would be the key to success and these three people helped me birth my baby girl.
I have not had any pain relief after the birth and even went to the physio class at the hospital 7 hours after the birth!
I feel very blessed at what I have been given and to have had the experience that I did.
