wattle
28-08-2006, 20:17
Hi Everyone. Well what a whirlwind few days it has been.
I couldn’t sleep much on Saturday night, as I was feeling too uncomfortable, so of course I was busy perusing the latest updates on Bubhub!! Around 3am I went back to bed and an hour or so later woke up with cramping. I’d been having cramps for the previous few nights and thought nothing of it and tried to go back to sleep.
At 5.30am I had my first ‘real’ contraction. Dh thought I just wasn’t feeling well and suggested I lie down, but I said that I had a feeling we were going to have a baby in a little while. He got all excited and asked if we should wake ds up and take him to his parents, but I said “No, I’m sure things will progress really slowly, let him sleep for a while longer.”
Contractions started building up really quickly then, but I was having trouble timing them as I was running (er waddling) to the toilet every few minutes. Fortunately ds woke up then so I suggested that dh get him organised quickly as things seemed to be moving along rather fast. By this time contractions seemed to be around 10 minutes apart. Dh rang the Birthing Centre and they said I could come as soon as I felt ready. I was really surprised by this as I had imagined I’d be labouring at home for quite some time before the big trip in.
Things stepped up a notch then and dh very hastily got ds into the car and drove him over to the in-laws place. As soon as they left contractions gathered momentum and were about 3 – 4 minutes apart! I ditched the idea of having a shower (I really wanted to wash my hair, but knew there wasn’t time) and struggled into some clothes in between more trips to the toilet. Then I had a massive contraction on the toilet and my waters broke. It was all feeling a bit wild by this time.
Within 15 minutes dh was back home (I shudder to think what speed he had been driving) and threw a few things in the suitcase and we were out the door. I remember having a big out-of-control contraction whilst trying to get into the car in the driveway. I recall thinking that it was lucky it was about 6.30am on a Sunday morning and there wouldn’t be any neighbours out and about to see me in that condition! Dh took off like Formula One driver, but after a few tense words from me, slowed down to only double the speed limit!!
We arrived at the hospital within minutes and I struggled up to the Birthing Centre, having about 4 or 5 contractions along the way. The midwives there were absolutely fantastic and popped me into a wheelchair and whizzed me down the hall to my lovely birthing room. They had me kneeling on the floor and leaning over a chair straight away and helped me with my breathing. Dh disappeared to park the car and by the time he returned a short time later I was feeling nearly ready to push.
Things started to stall a bit then, there seemed to be a lot of pushing pressure, but my contractions weren’t working very well for me. The midwife suggested an internal, so unfortunately I had to roll over onto my back. It seemed that the lip of my cervix was a bit stuck and that I needed to dilate a bit more before pushing. So I got back onto my knees and breathed through about 10 more contractions. I was really starting to feel like things weren’t progressing well by then. Stephanie was passing quite a bit of meconium and appeared to be stressing. A foetal monitor was wheeled in and strapped to me to make sure she was OK. I was struggling to keep it together and I recall the midwife saying “It’s ok, there’s plenty of time, it’s not even 9 O’clock yet”. I was shocked – I thought it was only about 7.30am. It’s strange the things you can think whilst in transition. I also remember thinking that one of the other midwives had perfume that was too strong, and that I wished that dh had brushed his teeth before we came in. hehehe.
Then all of a sudden I had a big urge to push. The midwife was about to do another internal, but I felt like Stephanie was on her way. With a few huge pushes she was crowning. As soon as they said, “We can see her head” I felt so relieved. I gathered strength and used each contraction to push effectively. Soon her head was out (ouch that burning sensation was full on) and with the next contraction (at 9.22am) her shoulders and body were born.
I sat back and the midwife handed me little Stephanie. Dh had managed to get the video camera operating just in time and I held my baby girl in my arms. She was quite gurgly, but managed to cough up the mucous and we had a lovely cuddle. The midwife took over the camera work, and dh and I both cut the cord together. It really was such a beautiful moment.
What happened next…. Um, I really can’t remember much. Just lots of cuddles, hugs and smiles for us while the midwives quickly went about their business cleaning up. Oh yeah that’s right, I delivered the placenta on the birthing stool with one push just a few minutes later. Then we were left alone to bond with our daughter and have a well earned rest.
I had a little graze, but no stitches – hooray. What a difference to my first labour. The midwives were so wonderful, and delivering upright instead of on my back made it so much easier. I am recovering quickly, and am delighted to be back at home settling in to family life with a newborn.
Now the fun really begins…..:D
I couldn’t sleep much on Saturday night, as I was feeling too uncomfortable, so of course I was busy perusing the latest updates on Bubhub!! Around 3am I went back to bed and an hour or so later woke up with cramping. I’d been having cramps for the previous few nights and thought nothing of it and tried to go back to sleep.
At 5.30am I had my first ‘real’ contraction. Dh thought I just wasn’t feeling well and suggested I lie down, but I said that I had a feeling we were going to have a baby in a little while. He got all excited and asked if we should wake ds up and take him to his parents, but I said “No, I’m sure things will progress really slowly, let him sleep for a while longer.”
Contractions started building up really quickly then, but I was having trouble timing them as I was running (er waddling) to the toilet every few minutes. Fortunately ds woke up then so I suggested that dh get him organised quickly as things seemed to be moving along rather fast. By this time contractions seemed to be around 10 minutes apart. Dh rang the Birthing Centre and they said I could come as soon as I felt ready. I was really surprised by this as I had imagined I’d be labouring at home for quite some time before the big trip in.
Things stepped up a notch then and dh very hastily got ds into the car and drove him over to the in-laws place. As soon as they left contractions gathered momentum and were about 3 – 4 minutes apart! I ditched the idea of having a shower (I really wanted to wash my hair, but knew there wasn’t time) and struggled into some clothes in between more trips to the toilet. Then I had a massive contraction on the toilet and my waters broke. It was all feeling a bit wild by this time.
Within 15 minutes dh was back home (I shudder to think what speed he had been driving) and threw a few things in the suitcase and we were out the door. I remember having a big out-of-control contraction whilst trying to get into the car in the driveway. I recall thinking that it was lucky it was about 6.30am on a Sunday morning and there wouldn’t be any neighbours out and about to see me in that condition! Dh took off like Formula One driver, but after a few tense words from me, slowed down to only double the speed limit!!
We arrived at the hospital within minutes and I struggled up to the Birthing Centre, having about 4 or 5 contractions along the way. The midwives there were absolutely fantastic and popped me into a wheelchair and whizzed me down the hall to my lovely birthing room. They had me kneeling on the floor and leaning over a chair straight away and helped me with my breathing. Dh disappeared to park the car and by the time he returned a short time later I was feeling nearly ready to push.
Things started to stall a bit then, there seemed to be a lot of pushing pressure, but my contractions weren’t working very well for me. The midwife suggested an internal, so unfortunately I had to roll over onto my back. It seemed that the lip of my cervix was a bit stuck and that I needed to dilate a bit more before pushing. So I got back onto my knees and breathed through about 10 more contractions. I was really starting to feel like things weren’t progressing well by then. Stephanie was passing quite a bit of meconium and appeared to be stressing. A foetal monitor was wheeled in and strapped to me to make sure she was OK. I was struggling to keep it together and I recall the midwife saying “It’s ok, there’s plenty of time, it’s not even 9 O’clock yet”. I was shocked – I thought it was only about 7.30am. It’s strange the things you can think whilst in transition. I also remember thinking that one of the other midwives had perfume that was too strong, and that I wished that dh had brushed his teeth before we came in. hehehe.
Then all of a sudden I had a big urge to push. The midwife was about to do another internal, but I felt like Stephanie was on her way. With a few huge pushes she was crowning. As soon as they said, “We can see her head” I felt so relieved. I gathered strength and used each contraction to push effectively. Soon her head was out (ouch that burning sensation was full on) and with the next contraction (at 9.22am) her shoulders and body were born.
I sat back and the midwife handed me little Stephanie. Dh had managed to get the video camera operating just in time and I held my baby girl in my arms. She was quite gurgly, but managed to cough up the mucous and we had a lovely cuddle. The midwife took over the camera work, and dh and I both cut the cord together. It really was such a beautiful moment.
What happened next…. Um, I really can’t remember much. Just lots of cuddles, hugs and smiles for us while the midwives quickly went about their business cleaning up. Oh yeah that’s right, I delivered the placenta on the birthing stool with one push just a few minutes later. Then we were left alone to bond with our daughter and have a well earned rest.
I had a little graze, but no stitches – hooray. What a difference to my first labour. The midwives were so wonderful, and delivering upright instead of on my back made it so much easier. I am recovering quickly, and am delighted to be back at home settling in to family life with a newborn.
Now the fun really begins…..:D