mum2be08
28-06-2008, 12:09 PM
I had a great pregnancy with no complications until my 40 week appointment. To my surprise my blood pressure was quite high... 140/100. Next thing you know I am being told that I need to be induced. I thought to myself.. why now? Everything was going so perfect and I really wanted to have my natural birth with low intervention. But there really was not much I could do I was going to be induced the next day - 20th June at 7.30pm and meet my first baby :) before leaving for the hospital my midwife suggested a stretch and sweep which I was all for. She performed the sweep and told me that the cervix was soft and could be stretched 2-3cm and was very favourable. I was very happy!!
So that night I was admitted to hospital for my induction the following morning. Funny enough once i was admitted my blood pressure went down to about 130/80 and the next morning is was about 120/80. Nothing to worry about but I was already booked in for an induction. Throughout the night I has been getting tightenings but nothing painful and was really hoping i would go into labour - this was not to be.
So at 7.30am on the 20th June the doctor broke my waters in the birth suite. About half an hour later i started getting contractions that just kept getting stronger but were a bit irregular. My midwifes were awesome and very encouraging and one of them thought that my contractions were irregular because my bub was in a wierd position, she thought as soon as she was better positioned my labour would be off and running. Saying that it wasn't like they were 10 mins apart or anything, within half an hour of breaking my waters they were ranging from 1-2 mins apart and anywhere from 30-60 seconds long. Looking back I wonder what it would be like to have a break between contractions and have a chance to eat or drink etc. My labour was quick but very full on!! The doctor came back to put the drip in about the time my contractions were starting, I really didnt want the drip and wanted my labour as natural as possible. I told the midwife this and she talked to the doctor outside and convinced her to let me go till 11.30am without the drip and see how i progress. I was so happy!!
From then on the contractions just built up and up and got stronger, longer and a lot more frequent... I was pleased but also wondering how i was going to handle all this pain. I walked around, bounced on the gym ball, leaned on the bed but nothing really helped. I even had the hot pack on my belly and back. By about 10am I moved into the shower and started using the gas. The gas was fantastic and didn't make me feel sick at all!! During my pregnancy I read 'birth skills' and I believed this book really helped me in my labour too. I mostly used vocalisation to get through contractions 'ahhing' away loudly to distract myslef and also focusing on some light shining off one of the tiles in the shower. I swear I was in another world. Not once was I left alone without a midwife, i think my labour progressed so quickly that they didnt get a chance to leave me. By 11am I was getting huge urges to push. The midwife stopped me and got me out of the shower for an internal and what do you know I was fully dilated. If I wasn't in so much pain I would have been thrilled... but at least the end was in sight.
For the next hour and a half i tried pushing while leaning over the bed and also squatting, the midwife then got me onto my side on the bed for some pushing and then on my back. I didn't want to be lying down but was so tired and was losing my confidence that i could get this baby out. I was getting really negative and didn't think I could get this baby out. Everyone kept telling me I was doing so well but I just kept shaking my head and not believing them. They then thought if I looked in the mirror it would help. I didn't want to because I thought it would be disheartening, and it was. I could see a tiny bit of my babies head and just thought I had so long to go. But finally after about 1 1/2 hours of pushing and at 12.39pm my beautiful baby girl was born and she was perfect and happy!!! Apgar scores of 10 and 10 :D
For me the pushing was the worst bit of my labour, it was so hard and I felt like it was never going to end. Hopefully with the next the pushing will be easier and quicker... I can only hope!! I had a second degree tear but recovery wasn't half as bad as i thought it would be. And i got the labour I wanted with only the use of gas... awesome!!
Emily Jane
Born 12.30pm Friday 20th June
Weight: 3.8kg 8pd8 - bigger than we expected!
Length: 51cm Head: 36cm
Labour: 4hrs 40mins
Photos:
Just born - http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll297/7475naomi/DSC02003.jpg2hrs old - http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll297/7475naomi/DSC02029.jpg
Weighing - http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll297/7475naomi/DSC02011.jpg
Proud mum the next day - http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll297/7475naomi/DSC02065.jpg
Cuddles with dad - http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll297/7475naomi/DSC02073.jpg
My little girl - http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll297/7475naomi/DSC02072.jpg
So that night I was admitted to hospital for my induction the following morning. Funny enough once i was admitted my blood pressure went down to about 130/80 and the next morning is was about 120/80. Nothing to worry about but I was already booked in for an induction. Throughout the night I has been getting tightenings but nothing painful and was really hoping i would go into labour - this was not to be.
So at 7.30am on the 20th June the doctor broke my waters in the birth suite. About half an hour later i started getting contractions that just kept getting stronger but were a bit irregular. My midwifes were awesome and very encouraging and one of them thought that my contractions were irregular because my bub was in a wierd position, she thought as soon as she was better positioned my labour would be off and running. Saying that it wasn't like they were 10 mins apart or anything, within half an hour of breaking my waters they were ranging from 1-2 mins apart and anywhere from 30-60 seconds long. Looking back I wonder what it would be like to have a break between contractions and have a chance to eat or drink etc. My labour was quick but very full on!! The doctor came back to put the drip in about the time my contractions were starting, I really didnt want the drip and wanted my labour as natural as possible. I told the midwife this and she talked to the doctor outside and convinced her to let me go till 11.30am without the drip and see how i progress. I was so happy!!
From then on the contractions just built up and up and got stronger, longer and a lot more frequent... I was pleased but also wondering how i was going to handle all this pain. I walked around, bounced on the gym ball, leaned on the bed but nothing really helped. I even had the hot pack on my belly and back. By about 10am I moved into the shower and started using the gas. The gas was fantastic and didn't make me feel sick at all!! During my pregnancy I read 'birth skills' and I believed this book really helped me in my labour too. I mostly used vocalisation to get through contractions 'ahhing' away loudly to distract myslef and also focusing on some light shining off one of the tiles in the shower. I swear I was in another world. Not once was I left alone without a midwife, i think my labour progressed so quickly that they didnt get a chance to leave me. By 11am I was getting huge urges to push. The midwife stopped me and got me out of the shower for an internal and what do you know I was fully dilated. If I wasn't in so much pain I would have been thrilled... but at least the end was in sight.
For the next hour and a half i tried pushing while leaning over the bed and also squatting, the midwife then got me onto my side on the bed for some pushing and then on my back. I didn't want to be lying down but was so tired and was losing my confidence that i could get this baby out. I was getting really negative and didn't think I could get this baby out. Everyone kept telling me I was doing so well but I just kept shaking my head and not believing them. They then thought if I looked in the mirror it would help. I didn't want to because I thought it would be disheartening, and it was. I could see a tiny bit of my babies head and just thought I had so long to go. But finally after about 1 1/2 hours of pushing and at 12.39pm my beautiful baby girl was born and she was perfect and happy!!! Apgar scores of 10 and 10 :D
For me the pushing was the worst bit of my labour, it was so hard and I felt like it was never going to end. Hopefully with the next the pushing will be easier and quicker... I can only hope!! I had a second degree tear but recovery wasn't half as bad as i thought it would be. And i got the labour I wanted with only the use of gas... awesome!!
Emily Jane
Born 12.30pm Friday 20th June
Weight: 3.8kg 8pd8 - bigger than we expected!
Length: 51cm Head: 36cm
Labour: 4hrs 40mins
Photos:
Just born - http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll297/7475naomi/DSC02003.jpg2hrs old - http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll297/7475naomi/DSC02029.jpg
Weighing - http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll297/7475naomi/DSC02011.jpg
Proud mum the next day - http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll297/7475naomi/DSC02065.jpg
Cuddles with dad - http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll297/7475naomi/DSC02073.jpg
My little girl - http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll297/7475naomi/DSC02072.jpg