reAllytee
14-08-2007, 20:35
Hope you are prepared for this saga !
I had decided I wanted this birth to be as natural as possible but was also realistic about needing help if need be. I employed a Doula who gave me books to read & a cd called '25 Way To Awaken Your Birth Power'. I also got the book called 'Birth Skills' by Juju Sundin featuring Sarah Murdoch. I found this to be easy to read & understand plus was also easy for DP !!! hehehe. I practised all of skills breathing, visualisation etc not knowing what I would be comfortable with when the time came but wanting to be prepared. Was still petrified especially after Boof's birth but had so much positive support in the end it was awesome.
After having pre-labour pains weeks ahead of my due date I was sure this baby was going to arrive early. Then a week out I got the flu & ended up with bronchitis so everything stopped.
On Tuesday 7/8/07 I woke up early morning with mild labour pains I was overdue & thinking " meh will probably all go away as usual ! ". They started to become regular so I asked DP to stay home because maybe this was it. They became irratic & all over the place so we tried to get things going by doing some more walking & using the exercise ball but to no avail. By the time I went to bed I had no pains at all so resolved myself to going to the hospital the following day for day assessment in regards to induction.
I remember waking a few times through the nite having some mild pains again but wasn't worried. Boof woke around 5am on Wednesday 8/8/07 & came into us which is when I realised I was having pains every 10mins but still fairly mild. At 6am DP got up & started getting ready for work because we thought he may as well go as my mum & sister would come to the hospy with me. By 7am while they were still 10mins apart they had become stronger & something made me want him here so decided to make him stay home again.
DP took Boof downstairs to start the day to allow me to stay in bed & rest a little longer because we knew we were in for a long haul. At 8am I asked DP to call my mum & sister to let them know what was happening but that I still wanted them to come so they could take Boof when it was time. They of course got into a flap lol. We advised my Doula that things were happening but we would wait due to it still being early for her to come round & I was coping no dramas.
When my mum & sister arrived around 9am I got up & decided I had better call the hospy as I hadn't advised I wouldn't make the appointment. I spoke with the Birthing Unit who advised me I should still go in & be assessed because wait for it " it may all stop " ( ggggrrrr geees way to make me feel awesome ! ). So we got ourselves organised leaving my mum with Boof.
Got to the Assessment Unit & the midwife took one look at me asking if I was ok. To which I nearly burst into tears saying I was having contractions 10mins apart & I just wanted to stay at home. She was absolutely wonderful saying she couldn't believe BU had made me come in & got me comfy in a recliner. She chatted away with DP & I through all of this helping me keep my mind off it all etc cause laying on my back made me more uncomfy. I was monitored for an hour & a half to which she advised the contractions were really good but still classified as irratic.
The next step was to have an internal if thats what I wanted & if that was favourable I could then have a S&S. I decided to take the internal even though I could be dissappointed with the outcome & I was LOL ! My cervix was still closed but as the midwife said this meant nothing & not to let it get me down. She advised that she would book the induction for Monday morning but that she expected me to have bubs by the weekend or maybe tonite if I was lucky ! By this stage I kept thinking this was going to become exactly the same journey as I went through with Boof was trying to be positive but it was hard. On the way out of the hospy I saw the midwife who had looked after me for the majority of the pregnancy she started reminding me of positions & to walk & rock etc. She really pushed the postives onto me so made me perk up a little more.
So it was back home ! My sister went & got us all lunch as I decided it was best to have everyone there to take my mind off things & help me relax. By 3pm the contractions were a little stronger so I went back upstairs to lay down & relax. This allowed me to use the cd my Doula gave me this was just the best thing. It helped me relax & breathe which allowed me to stay in control. DP kept coming upstairs to just be with me & to give me my heat pack as needed otherwise he kept Boof occupied with my mum & sister while tidying things up around the place etc. My mum & sister decided after 4.30pm it was best they get Boof home so he could have dinner & get to bed as well as allowing us to rest or go for walks as needed etc.
Around 5.30pm DP & I started walking around the block the pain was way more intense so I had to rock through each contraction. We started to try the stomping which helped make the contractions stronger I found it wasn't working for me so just continued walking normally. All the while DP was amazing helping me remember how to breathe through them. He also reminded me of my mantras such as 'This is healthy pain' & 'That I was a contraction closer to meeting our baby'. I was beginning to hate those words !
We came back home around 6.30pm so I used the exercise ball in the lounge room while DP had dinner but I became tired again so wanted to go back upstairs & lay down. We watched 'Thank God Your Here' & 'House' with me breathing through contractions & rocking on all fours on the bed. Things were beginning to intensify at 7mins apart but I kept thinking we had plenty of time so when DP said he would have my Doula come out I told him just to update her but nah things weren't urgent yet. We both decided he needed some rest so he went & had a sleep on Boof's bed while I kept timing my contractions myself & had the cd up quite loud by this stage trying to keep myself calm. I started hating the cd immensely & wanting the woman to go jump. I tried a few different positions etc to help with pain but nothing felt right except the breathing which now had added vocalisation at the exhalation. Everytime I exhaled I would breathe the pain out with an "aah" while rocking on all fours or on my side tapping my feet together.
At 11pm DP woke up after his power nap & decided whether I liked it or not he was calling BU & my Doula lol. BU advised that I still stay at home while I was coping but for him to put me in the shower then call when we were ready to come. I had the shower but hated it funnily enough because I couldnt hang onto anything through the contractions so got out after 30mins which is when I started vomitting. The thought came to me that maybe this was transition but being the negative basket case that I am all I figured it could be was me reacting to the pain like I did through Boof's entire birth. I remember hanging onto the vanity taps in our bathroom for grim death my 'aahs' becoming louder as the pain became stronger & every 5mins. DP kept me breathing & 'aahing' when I would feel overwhelmed.
I managed to get back downstairs where I threw myself over our ottoman rocking & sooking saying " I want drugs & lots of them, anything I don't care anymore I want the morphine, the gas, the epidural everything ! ". DP kept me going with lots of encouragement ... I hated him. My Doula arrived & she took turns with DP holding my hands as I leant over the ottoman breathing & banging my feet their pure presence was all I needed they made me feel like I could do it. I was still using my 'aahs' as I exhaled through the contractions but as DP reminded me I wasn't doing it right & that I wasn't loud enough etc. I started following my Doula & his queues which helped but I still begged for drugs. It was around 1am that I started asking to go to hospy because I really wanted the drugs. DP & my Doula were fantastic in saying let's see how we would go through the next 3 contractions because they knew how I didn't want to go to hospy too early. They held me off for another 20mins or so when we got organised to leave.
The drive to the hospy was agony. I thought I was dying to be honest lol the pressure from sitting down was excruciating & I was groaning the 'aahs' out by this stage. Thought I woke the neighbourhood up when leaving due to it & couldn't believe I was being so vocal. Arrival at the entrance to the hospy at around 1.45am saw me trying to walk through the doors with contractions every 3mins apart. A security guard advised DP that they could get me a wheelchair to which DP said " It's ok she will walk ". I nearly killed him on the spot I swear I screamed I wanted the wheelchair but DP has since told me I just said I wanted it in a normal voice lol. All I kept thinking was " I want drugs, drugs " & as far as I was concerned upon arrival at BU I was going to have lots of them ! My wheelchair arrived which caused a fight between a security guard & the orderly cause he stood with the chair a few metres away while I rocked through yet another contraction. The security guard told him off saying he should come round behind me saying I shouldnt be made to walk etc etc lol. He was a grumpy old man who then decided he would tell me how I should get through each contraction ! This apparently meant breathing a particular way I nearly choked him ! As I was breathing etc it just happened to be in a particular way which helped ME !
To Be Continued ....
I had decided I wanted this birth to be as natural as possible but was also realistic about needing help if need be. I employed a Doula who gave me books to read & a cd called '25 Way To Awaken Your Birth Power'. I also got the book called 'Birth Skills' by Juju Sundin featuring Sarah Murdoch. I found this to be easy to read & understand plus was also easy for DP !!! hehehe. I practised all of skills breathing, visualisation etc not knowing what I would be comfortable with when the time came but wanting to be prepared. Was still petrified especially after Boof's birth but had so much positive support in the end it was awesome.
After having pre-labour pains weeks ahead of my due date I was sure this baby was going to arrive early. Then a week out I got the flu & ended up with bronchitis so everything stopped.
On Tuesday 7/8/07 I woke up early morning with mild labour pains I was overdue & thinking " meh will probably all go away as usual ! ". They started to become regular so I asked DP to stay home because maybe this was it. They became irratic & all over the place so we tried to get things going by doing some more walking & using the exercise ball but to no avail. By the time I went to bed I had no pains at all so resolved myself to going to the hospital the following day for day assessment in regards to induction.
I remember waking a few times through the nite having some mild pains again but wasn't worried. Boof woke around 5am on Wednesday 8/8/07 & came into us which is when I realised I was having pains every 10mins but still fairly mild. At 6am DP got up & started getting ready for work because we thought he may as well go as my mum & sister would come to the hospy with me. By 7am while they were still 10mins apart they had become stronger & something made me want him here so decided to make him stay home again.
DP took Boof downstairs to start the day to allow me to stay in bed & rest a little longer because we knew we were in for a long haul. At 8am I asked DP to call my mum & sister to let them know what was happening but that I still wanted them to come so they could take Boof when it was time. They of course got into a flap lol. We advised my Doula that things were happening but we would wait due to it still being early for her to come round & I was coping no dramas.
When my mum & sister arrived around 9am I got up & decided I had better call the hospy as I hadn't advised I wouldn't make the appointment. I spoke with the Birthing Unit who advised me I should still go in & be assessed because wait for it " it may all stop " ( ggggrrrr geees way to make me feel awesome ! ). So we got ourselves organised leaving my mum with Boof.
Got to the Assessment Unit & the midwife took one look at me asking if I was ok. To which I nearly burst into tears saying I was having contractions 10mins apart & I just wanted to stay at home. She was absolutely wonderful saying she couldn't believe BU had made me come in & got me comfy in a recliner. She chatted away with DP & I through all of this helping me keep my mind off it all etc cause laying on my back made me more uncomfy. I was monitored for an hour & a half to which she advised the contractions were really good but still classified as irratic.
The next step was to have an internal if thats what I wanted & if that was favourable I could then have a S&S. I decided to take the internal even though I could be dissappointed with the outcome & I was LOL ! My cervix was still closed but as the midwife said this meant nothing & not to let it get me down. She advised that she would book the induction for Monday morning but that she expected me to have bubs by the weekend or maybe tonite if I was lucky ! By this stage I kept thinking this was going to become exactly the same journey as I went through with Boof was trying to be positive but it was hard. On the way out of the hospy I saw the midwife who had looked after me for the majority of the pregnancy she started reminding me of positions & to walk & rock etc. She really pushed the postives onto me so made me perk up a little more.
So it was back home ! My sister went & got us all lunch as I decided it was best to have everyone there to take my mind off things & help me relax. By 3pm the contractions were a little stronger so I went back upstairs to lay down & relax. This allowed me to use the cd my Doula gave me this was just the best thing. It helped me relax & breathe which allowed me to stay in control. DP kept coming upstairs to just be with me & to give me my heat pack as needed otherwise he kept Boof occupied with my mum & sister while tidying things up around the place etc. My mum & sister decided after 4.30pm it was best they get Boof home so he could have dinner & get to bed as well as allowing us to rest or go for walks as needed etc.
Around 5.30pm DP & I started walking around the block the pain was way more intense so I had to rock through each contraction. We started to try the stomping which helped make the contractions stronger I found it wasn't working for me so just continued walking normally. All the while DP was amazing helping me remember how to breathe through them. He also reminded me of my mantras such as 'This is healthy pain' & 'That I was a contraction closer to meeting our baby'. I was beginning to hate those words !
We came back home around 6.30pm so I used the exercise ball in the lounge room while DP had dinner but I became tired again so wanted to go back upstairs & lay down. We watched 'Thank God Your Here' & 'House' with me breathing through contractions & rocking on all fours on the bed. Things were beginning to intensify at 7mins apart but I kept thinking we had plenty of time so when DP said he would have my Doula come out I told him just to update her but nah things weren't urgent yet. We both decided he needed some rest so he went & had a sleep on Boof's bed while I kept timing my contractions myself & had the cd up quite loud by this stage trying to keep myself calm. I started hating the cd immensely & wanting the woman to go jump. I tried a few different positions etc to help with pain but nothing felt right except the breathing which now had added vocalisation at the exhalation. Everytime I exhaled I would breathe the pain out with an "aah" while rocking on all fours or on my side tapping my feet together.
At 11pm DP woke up after his power nap & decided whether I liked it or not he was calling BU & my Doula lol. BU advised that I still stay at home while I was coping but for him to put me in the shower then call when we were ready to come. I had the shower but hated it funnily enough because I couldnt hang onto anything through the contractions so got out after 30mins which is when I started vomitting. The thought came to me that maybe this was transition but being the negative basket case that I am all I figured it could be was me reacting to the pain like I did through Boof's entire birth. I remember hanging onto the vanity taps in our bathroom for grim death my 'aahs' becoming louder as the pain became stronger & every 5mins. DP kept me breathing & 'aahing' when I would feel overwhelmed.
I managed to get back downstairs where I threw myself over our ottoman rocking & sooking saying " I want drugs & lots of them, anything I don't care anymore I want the morphine, the gas, the epidural everything ! ". DP kept me going with lots of encouragement ... I hated him. My Doula arrived & she took turns with DP holding my hands as I leant over the ottoman breathing & banging my feet their pure presence was all I needed they made me feel like I could do it. I was still using my 'aahs' as I exhaled through the contractions but as DP reminded me I wasn't doing it right & that I wasn't loud enough etc. I started following my Doula & his queues which helped but I still begged for drugs. It was around 1am that I started asking to go to hospy because I really wanted the drugs. DP & my Doula were fantastic in saying let's see how we would go through the next 3 contractions because they knew how I didn't want to go to hospy too early. They held me off for another 20mins or so when we got organised to leave.
The drive to the hospy was agony. I thought I was dying to be honest lol the pressure from sitting down was excruciating & I was groaning the 'aahs' out by this stage. Thought I woke the neighbourhood up when leaving due to it & couldn't believe I was being so vocal. Arrival at the entrance to the hospy at around 1.45am saw me trying to walk through the doors with contractions every 3mins apart. A security guard advised DP that they could get me a wheelchair to which DP said " It's ok she will walk ". I nearly killed him on the spot I swear I screamed I wanted the wheelchair but DP has since told me I just said I wanted it in a normal voice lol. All I kept thinking was " I want drugs, drugs " & as far as I was concerned upon arrival at BU I was going to have lots of them ! My wheelchair arrived which caused a fight between a security guard & the orderly cause he stood with the chair a few metres away while I rocked through yet another contraction. The security guard told him off saying he should come round behind me saying I shouldnt be made to walk etc etc lol. He was a grumpy old man who then decided he would tell me how I should get through each contraction ! This apparently meant breathing a particular way I nearly choked him ! As I was breathing etc it just happened to be in a particular way which helped ME !
To Be Continued ....