MrsScatterbrain
29-11-2008, 11:50
I have decided to write my birth story to celebrate my little man’s first birthday today! :goodvibes:
During the birth of my first son, everything was going perfectly – I was relaxed and excited – until my waters broke! I lost all control over my pain, and something didn’t feel right to me. It turned out DS1 was a big bubba, posterior and stuck. He was pulled from me under epidural using rotation forceps, in distress. My poor little bruised bubba had to be checked the next day for broken bones.
There was no way that was going to happen the second time around! ;) As pregnancy no. 2 progressed and I was told that this baby was posterior as well, and I read up on how to get as far as I could before the epidural.
Closer to his due date, after a couple of roller coaster false labours, I started to get some regular 30 min contractions a week before his due date. By this stage the pressure on my pelvic floor was immense (I suspect due to my being, well … short!), and my tummy and lower back were in agony.
That night, at 2am, my contractions started coming 10 mins apart. I stayed in bed to try and get some rest despite being ridiculously excited! In the morning, I rang the hospital to let them know what was happening, and they suggested I come in as it was my second baby, and things could happen very quickly if my waters broke.
As soon as I set foot in the elevator at the hospital, the contractions had all but stopped. The midwife examined me and sent me home with some strong pain killers and sleeping tablets, and a message from my obstetrician to make an appointment for Monday (3 days away!:(). I left the birth suite with my baby firmly ensconced inside me, devastated and humiliated. The minute I got out of the car at home, the contractions started again! DH and I had a rest while DS1 had his sleep, and I distracted myself from the sporadic contractions my squishing little foam cricket balls up against the wall.
My late afternoon, I was beginning wear out. I was exhausted, in pain, and with labour nowhere in sight! I was getting some powerful contractions but nothing regular. I rang my obstetrician to update him on what was happening. He told me he was confident he’d be seeing me at the hospital within 24 hours. In my exhausted state of mind, 24 hours seemed like an insanely long time! I desperately wondered whether I was going to be like this for days. Little did we both know it, but I would be seeing my OB in less than 2 hours!
I then did what any self respecting clothie does in times of crisis – straight to the nappy websites for some emotional therapy! I sat in front of the computer screen sobbing like a 5 year old! ... Out of the blue I was bombarded by a quick succession of contractions! I rushed to the shower to ease the onslaught. I had a huge energy surge – this was it! DH called the hospital, and after my hospital visit that morning the midwives weren’t too convinced I really needed to come in, but I was sure.
Once the hospital room was ready (I spent 15 mins labouring in the lobby!), they hooked me up to the monitor. I wanted to have an active labour, so I stood by the side of the bed and leant over with each contraction as DH used the hot packs on my lower back – bliss! We were quite relaxed we just chatted, laughed, watched telly and the view of the bustling city below.
My midwife was amazing – positive and empowering. When she looked at the monitor, she told me if I could get through contractions like I was experiencing, I’d get the whole way without pain relief! Could it possibly be true?
Within half an hour my obstetrician arrived and did an internal – I was no less than 8cm dilated! Woo hoo! My OB broke my waters then left asking to be paged when I was ready to push. The midwife rushed out in an panic to prepare, and DH rushed out to move the car from the 5 min parking zone outside.
I was completely alone! I was standing over the bed, trying to keep the heat pack on with one hand, leaning on the other hand on the bed. All of a sudden I felt very tired and scared. When DH and the midwife came back in, I told them I wanted to go home! There were two quiet giggles behind me – I was officially in transition! I told myself very firmly that I was an adult and could do what I wanted, and I could leave at any time. (Good one!:p)
My respectable panting had turned in to ‘owwwwwwww’! The midwife came in and instructed me to hold my breath, as saying ‘ouch’ (at top volume!) will waste energy. Soon, I felt I thud below the uterus, and I knew that was bub’s head, ready to begin its journey out. I told DH I wanted to push.
It was so hot, there was no fan, so I decided I had to do a little strip! In a moment of madness, I’d packed a sparkly little nightclub top to wear in the shower, so I didn’t wreck my bathers. So that singlet was my official labour outfit! What a sight! Red faced and puffing, a very tight nightclub top! :laughing:
I started pushing on all fours to try and keep the baby off my spine (he was still stubbornly posterior), but I couldn’t visualise what I was doing, so the midwife suggested I take on the time-honoured flat-on-your-back position! It worked much better and soon I was pushing effectively.
Pushing was really, really hard! With my first birth, I was under epidural at this point, and couldn’t feel a thing! With each push, my body would take over. I was in awe, but at the same time I felt like everything was going to fall out! I was completely exhausted, and started falling asleep between contractions. All I wanted was a little break! I ignored one contraction, so I could have a little rest. (Surely my OB knew exactly what I was doing!!)
Bubs still had not turned, and had started going into distress as the pushing was taking too long. I was starting to lose faith in myself. My obstetrician decided to turn him using his hands, which was excruciating, but no worse than the contractions. I felt fresh energy, knowing my baby was now facing the right way for delivery. All of a sudden, I felt the crowning, and so excited I gave a massive push (oops, 2nd degree tear!) One more push and Thomas entered the world. He was handed to me straight away, and took his first breath in my arms.
He was tiny and warm and soft, and clung to my chest for dear life! I was totally in love with this tiny human. I was on an absolute high – no forceps … no drugs – just a lovely experience for DH and I to heal our first experience of labour.
Stats: Weight: 3380g, 49cms long, 34.5 head circ.
One year later, I am still on a high, and will tell by birth story to anyone who will listen! Thanks for reading my birth story. :sunshine:
During the birth of my first son, everything was going perfectly – I was relaxed and excited – until my waters broke! I lost all control over my pain, and something didn’t feel right to me. It turned out DS1 was a big bubba, posterior and stuck. He was pulled from me under epidural using rotation forceps, in distress. My poor little bruised bubba had to be checked the next day for broken bones.
There was no way that was going to happen the second time around! ;) As pregnancy no. 2 progressed and I was told that this baby was posterior as well, and I read up on how to get as far as I could before the epidural.
Closer to his due date, after a couple of roller coaster false labours, I started to get some regular 30 min contractions a week before his due date. By this stage the pressure on my pelvic floor was immense (I suspect due to my being, well … short!), and my tummy and lower back were in agony.
That night, at 2am, my contractions started coming 10 mins apart. I stayed in bed to try and get some rest despite being ridiculously excited! In the morning, I rang the hospital to let them know what was happening, and they suggested I come in as it was my second baby, and things could happen very quickly if my waters broke.
As soon as I set foot in the elevator at the hospital, the contractions had all but stopped. The midwife examined me and sent me home with some strong pain killers and sleeping tablets, and a message from my obstetrician to make an appointment for Monday (3 days away!:(). I left the birth suite with my baby firmly ensconced inside me, devastated and humiliated. The minute I got out of the car at home, the contractions started again! DH and I had a rest while DS1 had his sleep, and I distracted myself from the sporadic contractions my squishing little foam cricket balls up against the wall.
My late afternoon, I was beginning wear out. I was exhausted, in pain, and with labour nowhere in sight! I was getting some powerful contractions but nothing regular. I rang my obstetrician to update him on what was happening. He told me he was confident he’d be seeing me at the hospital within 24 hours. In my exhausted state of mind, 24 hours seemed like an insanely long time! I desperately wondered whether I was going to be like this for days. Little did we both know it, but I would be seeing my OB in less than 2 hours!
I then did what any self respecting clothie does in times of crisis – straight to the nappy websites for some emotional therapy! I sat in front of the computer screen sobbing like a 5 year old! ... Out of the blue I was bombarded by a quick succession of contractions! I rushed to the shower to ease the onslaught. I had a huge energy surge – this was it! DH called the hospital, and after my hospital visit that morning the midwives weren’t too convinced I really needed to come in, but I was sure.
Once the hospital room was ready (I spent 15 mins labouring in the lobby!), they hooked me up to the monitor. I wanted to have an active labour, so I stood by the side of the bed and leant over with each contraction as DH used the hot packs on my lower back – bliss! We were quite relaxed we just chatted, laughed, watched telly and the view of the bustling city below.
My midwife was amazing – positive and empowering. When she looked at the monitor, she told me if I could get through contractions like I was experiencing, I’d get the whole way without pain relief! Could it possibly be true?
Within half an hour my obstetrician arrived and did an internal – I was no less than 8cm dilated! Woo hoo! My OB broke my waters then left asking to be paged when I was ready to push. The midwife rushed out in an panic to prepare, and DH rushed out to move the car from the 5 min parking zone outside.
I was completely alone! I was standing over the bed, trying to keep the heat pack on with one hand, leaning on the other hand on the bed. All of a sudden I felt very tired and scared. When DH and the midwife came back in, I told them I wanted to go home! There were two quiet giggles behind me – I was officially in transition! I told myself very firmly that I was an adult and could do what I wanted, and I could leave at any time. (Good one!:p)
My respectable panting had turned in to ‘owwwwwwww’! The midwife came in and instructed me to hold my breath, as saying ‘ouch’ (at top volume!) will waste energy. Soon, I felt I thud below the uterus, and I knew that was bub’s head, ready to begin its journey out. I told DH I wanted to push.
It was so hot, there was no fan, so I decided I had to do a little strip! In a moment of madness, I’d packed a sparkly little nightclub top to wear in the shower, so I didn’t wreck my bathers. So that singlet was my official labour outfit! What a sight! Red faced and puffing, a very tight nightclub top! :laughing:
I started pushing on all fours to try and keep the baby off my spine (he was still stubbornly posterior), but I couldn’t visualise what I was doing, so the midwife suggested I take on the time-honoured flat-on-your-back position! It worked much better and soon I was pushing effectively.
Pushing was really, really hard! With my first birth, I was under epidural at this point, and couldn’t feel a thing! With each push, my body would take over. I was in awe, but at the same time I felt like everything was going to fall out! I was completely exhausted, and started falling asleep between contractions. All I wanted was a little break! I ignored one contraction, so I could have a little rest. (Surely my OB knew exactly what I was doing!!)
Bubs still had not turned, and had started going into distress as the pushing was taking too long. I was starting to lose faith in myself. My obstetrician decided to turn him using his hands, which was excruciating, but no worse than the contractions. I felt fresh energy, knowing my baby was now facing the right way for delivery. All of a sudden, I felt the crowning, and so excited I gave a massive push (oops, 2nd degree tear!) One more push and Thomas entered the world. He was handed to me straight away, and took his first breath in my arms.
He was tiny and warm and soft, and clung to my chest for dear life! I was totally in love with this tiny human. I was on an absolute high – no forceps … no drugs – just a lovely experience for DH and I to heal our first experience of labour.
Stats: Weight: 3380g, 49cms long, 34.5 head circ.
One year later, I am still on a high, and will tell by birth story to anyone who will listen! Thanks for reading my birth story. :sunshine: