~Kimmy~
24-03-2006, 14:07
Okay, so how it happened:
Monday, I went into work to train my replacement. They were without someone for a week. On my last day they'd made a decision on the short list of interviewees, however the lady was currently employed so she need to give notice. I spent the whole day, and was planning to come back Friday as there was still more to go over. I'd prepared an office procedures folder before I finished, but there are so many day-to-day, and monthly things that would be too much to lay out in detail. It's easier to go over in person. Anyway, that day and especially the afternoon, I felt really tired, breathless and my strong BH felt more like cramps this time. Even though I was exhausted from a full day at work, I'd been living it up for 8 days straight, I felt good. It was nice to be busy again, but pain free. There were a few weekends where I think my work week toll had held off, then knocked me for a six by Sunday, with cramps, back pain, sleepless nights and strong BH. I'd stopped drinking the raspberry leaf on Saturday afternoon, because all I was getting was lots of BH (taking since week 37, tablets from week 35) and I felt like getting a good nights sleep. Went for a really long power walk with DH Monday night. Usually he keeps my pace. That night I asked him to just go for it. If I had trouble, I'd let him tug me along, I'd hold onto his shoulders from behind. I was huffing by the time we got home, but I felt good, rosy cheeked an' all.
Around 1am, I got up to make my mid-sleep toilet run. What seemed like a few minutes later, I felt like I needed to go again. I barely made it to the toilet when my liner was soaked through. I'd had a lot of leaking before, but it was just discharge (the midwive told me pregnancy produces a lot more) and to wear a liner. And that I'd know if it was my waters. Boy did I know. I remember thinking, as I got up, "I can't need to go again. I just went." I soaked a maternity pad and my underwear in a matter of seconds. I went in search for a clean pair. What do you know there weren't any in the drawer. I managed to plug the leak with the pad and my hand, but only made it as far as the spare room door (where we hang laundry indoors), before I felt the overflow. I'd started leaving a trail. At least it was only on the tiles. It was too risky to try and cross carpet, so I went to the nearest bathroom. Sure enough it was very different to discharge. It was wet, warm and clear like KY consistency. And in the pad it appeared pink. I grabbed my mobile phone and called my sister (student midwife). This time I had a good reason to think this was it. By this time it was about 2 in the morning. She was groggy, but managed to piece together what I was asking her. She told me to call the hospital.
The interesting part saw telling DH. He was sound asleep. He sleeps like a log, and still does (just not as deeply, baby has made his Daddy slightly more aware). I rubbed his shoulder and said, "Honey, can you help me clean up." He was completely disorientated and said, "huh, what do you want? Kim, I have to work tomorrow. I need to sleep." He sure did have a job and a half to do, but not the kind of work he was thinking. "My waters have broken, and they hospital told me to come in." That got him blinking rapidly. I wanted to clean up before we went, he moped and seeing it made him a little more awake, but not as much as when the doctor came to check me out told us, "yep cm dilated, cervix very soft and your membranes have ruptured. DH blinked a few times and looked at me after she left. "Do you feel anything?" he asked. "just the regular ol' Braxton Hicks (a word he'd come to hate). My stomach was tightening every five minutes, but there was just discomfort, no pain at all.
I had to be transferred to another hospital, because baby's head wasn't fully engaged. The hospital only takes low risk, uncomplicated pregnancy/birth. I told hubby to go home, get the bags (which I didn't bring because I really thought they'd check me and send me home, till I was further in labour). That was around 4.00. DH came back around 5. He'd had breakfast and called my sister again.
By 8.30am my sister and my Dad came. My Dad begged me to wait till 3 to have the baby. I said, "It's a long time to hold on if he wants to come out." He felt my stomach when I had a contraction, (by now I couldn't talk when one came on but they weren't painful). He said to me, "Wow it's so hard. You're a pretty strong possum aren't you." I was eating breakfast at the time. I had no idea how blessed I was to have a high pain threshold till later.
Around 12 the contractions were strong enough to have me deep breathing through them and doubling over for comfort. My sister and my mother in-law took turns rubbing my back through them. My mum and dad both had to work. So my sister, my mother in-law and DH took turns with me. DH dozed in the corner till around 10 because he was so tired. He needs a lot more sleep than I do.
In the meantime I'd had a real scare when a doctor, who looked like a stranger who'd just wandered in for a peek (no joke), came to assess me. She lubed up and stuck her fingers in. I was having a contraction at the time and it was more painful because of her. Then she yanked her fingers out and said, "I think something grabbed me." I think everyone, including the two midwives were just as shocked by her actions as they were by what she said. I was inconsolable for a little bit after that. I have a way of distancing myself by focusing, but she shattered my focus by what she said. I don't know what I thought, but it was enough to send me sobbing. DH was asleep at the time (people were drifting in and out since 5 in the morning, so log-stage had happened long ago) He said, "Honey, what's the matter?" After the nut doctor left, my sister explained what happened.
Around 2pm I was moved from the assessment room to a birth suite. It was just in time too, because I was starting to enter the stage where I was loosing contact with everything around me, but coping with the pain. On arrival the head midwife had threatened that I might have my baby in assessment because there were no rooms. By 3pm I was having enormous pressure on my bowels and I was holding it all in because I didn't want to fart in front of my mother in-law. Thankfully she left when DH came back with lunch for my sister and himself. I was grateful for her helping me out in the morning, but I wasn't comfortable enough to have her see me through full blown labour. DH had bought me a Fillet o'Fish, he'd left when they hospital forgot I was there, and I didn't get lunch. But just the smell of it had me gagging and about five seconds later, I lost the cereal they'd given me in the morning.
I tried the bean bag and the shower for comfort. The water was brilliant. I so wish I'd been able to use a bath, it had been the plan initially but the hospital I was transferred to doesn't have one. I wanted to stay in the shower but I wasn't strong enough to stand and I was beginning to have the urge to push. They took me back to the bed, and the "scary" doctor came back and broke my forewaters, and said, "Go ahead and push now." I don't know how long I was pushing probably from 5 to around 7pm, but another doctor came and checked me and he said, "She shouldn't be pushing, she's only 9.5cms. Breathe through them for an hour and I'll be back."
I don't know how many bowel motions I had over that "not supposed to be pushing" stage but thankfully, neither my sister or DH mentioned anything about it. I really had no concept of time during that hour and fifteen minutes I had to wait. I only remember feeling three contractions and begging for relief. They gave me gas but it didn't work. At first it wasn't turned on. And then I wasn't aware enough to realise it only worked if you breathe in through your mouth. By the end of the hour, DH had to remind me why I didn't want a c-section. It was too late for pethadine or an epidural. The doctor returned 15mins later and happily pronounced, "Now you're ready to push." The pain was at the back of my mind now, I had something else to focus on. They turned the lights back on. And away we went. By this time I was completely exhausted, I had trouble complying with their request. DH did it for me. She needs to sit up. She needs to turn around. She needs to try squatting. Okay, on her back again. In between, he kept giving me sips of water and mopping my face. When he wasn't doing that, his arms were my anchor. He saw our baby coming into the world but I only looked after I felt his body slide out.
It seemed like forever that they were saying we can see the head. I was so realieved when I heard them say, "Now just pant, honey." Only to have my fears return when they gave each other worried looks, and I felt things slow to a stop. "Well, you're going to have to push again." They want you to pant so you don't tear as bad, but I found out later that it didn't work for me because baby had his fist by his face. Seems he might have made a grab for that crazy doctor after all.
I felt a flash of sharp pain, then his slid out of me. What felt like a slippery trout. Only a lot bigger than any trout I've seen. He cried twice and stopped the second they put him on my tummy. I was speechless. Everything from that moment on felt like a dream, too surreal. I was so wasted, I didn't have the strength to lift him and help him latch on. My sister tried to do that for me but he wasn't interested. He was happy just to look up at me with his big dark eyes.
I had a bad 2nd degree tear, but I couldn't even feel it. That would be later when a resident sutured me, and a few days later when it got infected and it had to be re-done, but that's another story.
TBC...
Monday, I went into work to train my replacement. They were without someone for a week. On my last day they'd made a decision on the short list of interviewees, however the lady was currently employed so she need to give notice. I spent the whole day, and was planning to come back Friday as there was still more to go over. I'd prepared an office procedures folder before I finished, but there are so many day-to-day, and monthly things that would be too much to lay out in detail. It's easier to go over in person. Anyway, that day and especially the afternoon, I felt really tired, breathless and my strong BH felt more like cramps this time. Even though I was exhausted from a full day at work, I'd been living it up for 8 days straight, I felt good. It was nice to be busy again, but pain free. There were a few weekends where I think my work week toll had held off, then knocked me for a six by Sunday, with cramps, back pain, sleepless nights and strong BH. I'd stopped drinking the raspberry leaf on Saturday afternoon, because all I was getting was lots of BH (taking since week 37, tablets from week 35) and I felt like getting a good nights sleep. Went for a really long power walk with DH Monday night. Usually he keeps my pace. That night I asked him to just go for it. If I had trouble, I'd let him tug me along, I'd hold onto his shoulders from behind. I was huffing by the time we got home, but I felt good, rosy cheeked an' all.
Around 1am, I got up to make my mid-sleep toilet run. What seemed like a few minutes later, I felt like I needed to go again. I barely made it to the toilet when my liner was soaked through. I'd had a lot of leaking before, but it was just discharge (the midwive told me pregnancy produces a lot more) and to wear a liner. And that I'd know if it was my waters. Boy did I know. I remember thinking, as I got up, "I can't need to go again. I just went." I soaked a maternity pad and my underwear in a matter of seconds. I went in search for a clean pair. What do you know there weren't any in the drawer. I managed to plug the leak with the pad and my hand, but only made it as far as the spare room door (where we hang laundry indoors), before I felt the overflow. I'd started leaving a trail. At least it was only on the tiles. It was too risky to try and cross carpet, so I went to the nearest bathroom. Sure enough it was very different to discharge. It was wet, warm and clear like KY consistency. And in the pad it appeared pink. I grabbed my mobile phone and called my sister (student midwife). This time I had a good reason to think this was it. By this time it was about 2 in the morning. She was groggy, but managed to piece together what I was asking her. She told me to call the hospital.
The interesting part saw telling DH. He was sound asleep. He sleeps like a log, and still does (just not as deeply, baby has made his Daddy slightly more aware). I rubbed his shoulder and said, "Honey, can you help me clean up." He was completely disorientated and said, "huh, what do you want? Kim, I have to work tomorrow. I need to sleep." He sure did have a job and a half to do, but not the kind of work he was thinking. "My waters have broken, and they hospital told me to come in." That got him blinking rapidly. I wanted to clean up before we went, he moped and seeing it made him a little more awake, but not as much as when the doctor came to check me out told us, "yep cm dilated, cervix very soft and your membranes have ruptured. DH blinked a few times and looked at me after she left. "Do you feel anything?" he asked. "just the regular ol' Braxton Hicks (a word he'd come to hate). My stomach was tightening every five minutes, but there was just discomfort, no pain at all.
I had to be transferred to another hospital, because baby's head wasn't fully engaged. The hospital only takes low risk, uncomplicated pregnancy/birth. I told hubby to go home, get the bags (which I didn't bring because I really thought they'd check me and send me home, till I was further in labour). That was around 4.00. DH came back around 5. He'd had breakfast and called my sister again.
By 8.30am my sister and my Dad came. My Dad begged me to wait till 3 to have the baby. I said, "It's a long time to hold on if he wants to come out." He felt my stomach when I had a contraction, (by now I couldn't talk when one came on but they weren't painful). He said to me, "Wow it's so hard. You're a pretty strong possum aren't you." I was eating breakfast at the time. I had no idea how blessed I was to have a high pain threshold till later.
Around 12 the contractions were strong enough to have me deep breathing through them and doubling over for comfort. My sister and my mother in-law took turns rubbing my back through them. My mum and dad both had to work. So my sister, my mother in-law and DH took turns with me. DH dozed in the corner till around 10 because he was so tired. He needs a lot more sleep than I do.
In the meantime I'd had a real scare when a doctor, who looked like a stranger who'd just wandered in for a peek (no joke), came to assess me. She lubed up and stuck her fingers in. I was having a contraction at the time and it was more painful because of her. Then she yanked her fingers out and said, "I think something grabbed me." I think everyone, including the two midwives were just as shocked by her actions as they were by what she said. I was inconsolable for a little bit after that. I have a way of distancing myself by focusing, but she shattered my focus by what she said. I don't know what I thought, but it was enough to send me sobbing. DH was asleep at the time (people were drifting in and out since 5 in the morning, so log-stage had happened long ago) He said, "Honey, what's the matter?" After the nut doctor left, my sister explained what happened.
Around 2pm I was moved from the assessment room to a birth suite. It was just in time too, because I was starting to enter the stage where I was loosing contact with everything around me, but coping with the pain. On arrival the head midwife had threatened that I might have my baby in assessment because there were no rooms. By 3pm I was having enormous pressure on my bowels and I was holding it all in because I didn't want to fart in front of my mother in-law. Thankfully she left when DH came back with lunch for my sister and himself. I was grateful for her helping me out in the morning, but I wasn't comfortable enough to have her see me through full blown labour. DH had bought me a Fillet o'Fish, he'd left when they hospital forgot I was there, and I didn't get lunch. But just the smell of it had me gagging and about five seconds later, I lost the cereal they'd given me in the morning.
I tried the bean bag and the shower for comfort. The water was brilliant. I so wish I'd been able to use a bath, it had been the plan initially but the hospital I was transferred to doesn't have one. I wanted to stay in the shower but I wasn't strong enough to stand and I was beginning to have the urge to push. They took me back to the bed, and the "scary" doctor came back and broke my forewaters, and said, "Go ahead and push now." I don't know how long I was pushing probably from 5 to around 7pm, but another doctor came and checked me and he said, "She shouldn't be pushing, she's only 9.5cms. Breathe through them for an hour and I'll be back."
I don't know how many bowel motions I had over that "not supposed to be pushing" stage but thankfully, neither my sister or DH mentioned anything about it. I really had no concept of time during that hour and fifteen minutes I had to wait. I only remember feeling three contractions and begging for relief. They gave me gas but it didn't work. At first it wasn't turned on. And then I wasn't aware enough to realise it only worked if you breathe in through your mouth. By the end of the hour, DH had to remind me why I didn't want a c-section. It was too late for pethadine or an epidural. The doctor returned 15mins later and happily pronounced, "Now you're ready to push." The pain was at the back of my mind now, I had something else to focus on. They turned the lights back on. And away we went. By this time I was completely exhausted, I had trouble complying with their request. DH did it for me. She needs to sit up. She needs to turn around. She needs to try squatting. Okay, on her back again. In between, he kept giving me sips of water and mopping my face. When he wasn't doing that, his arms were my anchor. He saw our baby coming into the world but I only looked after I felt his body slide out.
It seemed like forever that they were saying we can see the head. I was so realieved when I heard them say, "Now just pant, honey." Only to have my fears return when they gave each other worried looks, and I felt things slow to a stop. "Well, you're going to have to push again." They want you to pant so you don't tear as bad, but I found out later that it didn't work for me because baby had his fist by his face. Seems he might have made a grab for that crazy doctor after all.
I felt a flash of sharp pain, then his slid out of me. What felt like a slippery trout. Only a lot bigger than any trout I've seen. He cried twice and stopped the second they put him on my tummy. I was speechless. Everything from that moment on felt like a dream, too surreal. I was so wasted, I didn't have the strength to lift him and help him latch on. My sister tried to do that for me but he wasn't interested. He was happy just to look up at me with his big dark eyes.
I had a bad 2nd degree tear, but I couldn't even feel it. That would be later when a resident sutured me, and a few days later when it got infected and it had to be re-done, but that's another story.
TBC...