stellarella
01-09-2006, 15:27
Oscar's Dream Arrival PART I
Oscar was due on the 26th June. 3 weeks before my EDD I started getting excited. I had read that a baby can be born anywhere between 37 and 42 weeks. Well I had decided my little man was coming early.
About 15 weeks into my pregnancy I had a dream I was having a boy and that he would be born on the 10th and that it would be a quick and easy labour. Then at 20 weeks we had a scan and found out it was in fact a boy. I was now convinced my dream would come true. It was mothers intuition I told myself. So I prepared myself for the big day which was to be the 10th June.
On the 28th June I started getting worried and booked myself in for acupuncture. Drank castor oil, ate curries, walked (alot!), massaged with prgnancy no no oils, nipple stimulation, sex, etc etc. Everyone had a suggestion that "worked for my auntie, mother, grandmother, friend etc"
Well NOTHING worked for me.
I had weeks of period like pain which came on and off, sending my spirits soaring with hope and then plunging into despair.
I was booked into the Birth Centre and was told if I needed to be induced (I was booked in for the 10th July, 14 days over) I would not be able to use the spa and have a water birth like I had dreamed of and prepared myself for throughout my entire pregnancy. I had 3 strip and stretch internals as we desperately tried to get things moving. I was 2cms.
By the 7th of July I was not taking anymore phone calls from well meaning friends and relatives wanting to know "havn't you had it yet?"
On the 8th of July I woke up with backache like period pain which was coming at regular intervals and was different to any other pain. I wondered "is this it" but didnt want to get my hopes up.
DP and I played scrabble all morning then went over to friends place and played board games all day until 11pm, pains getting closer together, stronger, "could this be it?" we all wondered.
At 11pm I had a contraction which told me "yes this is it." I class this as the start of my labour but really I had been having contractions all day, just very mild.
We walked home. I hopped into bed and tried to sleep but was too excited. Got out of bed at 3am and went downstairs. Called my mum at 4am and told her to drive up from NSW (4 hours away). Called midwife at 5am and told her contractions were lasting 30secs every 5 mins and were mild. She said "dont get too excited, could be a long way off yet."
Went to bed and slept for about an hour. Woke at 8am when mum arrived. Went for a walk. Spent all morning doing god knows what but contractions were still every 5 mins. Called midwife at 11am, she said to go into Birth Centre at 3pm for an internal.
3pm I was 3cms with contractions every 5 mins but lasting 1 min and moderate in strength. I needed to concentrate with each contraction and needed to KEEP MOVING. Baby put on trace, doing fine, sent home.
Spent rest of afternoon dealing with contractions getting stronger, needed lots of heat packs, massages, drinks, love, encouragement etc.
At 7pm called midwife, having good contractions, needing to use all fours and lots of heat, not getting closer together, very tired. What should I do?? "Get into bed she says and try to sleep." Was she joking??? "Baby is posterior" she says, "thats why this is such a long, slow labour and why it hurts so much."
Got into a HOT bath, very naughty!! Contractions become easier to deal with and I relax in the bath for a couple of hours. Bliss. Midwife calls. "Get out of bath" she says. Its bad for the baby, try shower instead".
I get in the shower and contractions continue to get longer, stronger and closer together. They are about every 3 mins now, lasting 1 1/2 to 2 mins and are moderate to strong. I need the water HOT and I change positions between leaning over a chair, kneeling on the floor, leaning against wall, all while I have beautiful hot water running down my back. Im doing my own internals. "Im only 3cms" I say, "Im not progressing".
"Your not a midwife" says DP, "Stop checking yourself!"
At Midnight I get worried because the baby is not moving. Oh no, I had the water too HOT in the bath I think. We are going into the BC. We call our midwife. "Meet me there" she says.
We get to the BC...I have a few contractions at the front of the hospital which is quite funny. I look like a complete mess having just got out of the shower and put some ridiculous outfit on.
My midwife does an internal and my waters break all over the bed. Im 5cms. Yay!! Baby put on trace. Baby fine.
I get in the shower with a birth ball and 2 shower heads. I'm making lots of noises like having sex (DP tells me later...teehee...). Contractions every 2 mins, lasting 1 1/2 mins, strong strong strong!
"When can I get in the bath?" I ask. This is my saving grace. Ive been dreaming of this forever. Anne does an internal first. 6cms. "Only 6" I cry. Its now 3am.
I get in the bath (after filling for an hour), the water is lukewarm which is doing sh!t all for the full on back ache. "I hate this" I yell, "Its worse in here".
"Keep her in there a bit longer" MW tells DP. She leaves the room. When she comes back 2 mins later i'm storming back to shower where the water is HOT.
I start begging for Epidural here. I just cant see a way forward. Its been too long. Im soooooo tired. I've been in established labour for 32 hours. The pain is not so bad...I mean it hurts and its hard, but pain alone is not the issue. Im getting through each contraction. But i'm getting distressed because Im sooooooo exhausted. This is the definition of maternal exhaustion. I feel like I am passing out with each contraction. I Do what you should never do in labour. I just imagine how much longer this might last and I beg DP and mum for an epidural. They are really worried and I dont blame them, I was dead set against drugs. "What will we do when she hates us later for giving in to her?" they wonder...
"No" I say, "I really need them." And I really do. Thats the hardest part. I need an epidural if I am going to get this baby out without a c/section.
(When I was pregnant, DP and I agreed that if my midwife thought an epidural would benefit me then I would trust her judgement. Giving birth in a very pro-natural environment you know your midwife is working for you. I knew I could just zonk out and I could trust her.)
DP asks my midwife what she thinks and she says "not a bad idea, shes been in labour for a long time already and she still needs to push at the end of all this too AND the bub is posterior, could be a while yet."
With approval from my MW I am whisked off to Birth Suite for an epidural. So much for a NO DRUGS WATER BIRTH.
The aneisthetist arrives. "Dont bother telling me about all the risks" I yell with my hand in the air, "I know all about them."
"Ok" he says and puts the needle in. Somehow I manage to keep still through 3 contractions. Funny that.
The epidural is in and its cr@p. It only works on one side. They turn the epidural up and it numbs the whole side of my body including my face and hand etc. "Should I be worried about this" I ask?
The epidural is taken out an repositioned. Its working now. The drip in my arm hurts lots. A catheter is inserted, yuck! Having an epidural is disgusting. Its the most horrible feeling in the world. I was itchy and shivering and its just horrible. The saddest thing is that it was my worst enemy and my saviour at the same time. I have gone from being a rocking, labouring, free woman to a big fat whale laying lank on the bed. Its yuck and I never want to experience it again.
Its now 6am and I drift off to sleep. My MW starts syntocinon (with my approval) to get things moving along quicker now that I have pain relief. At this point I dont give a sh!t what is pumped into me. I'm beyond caring. My whole world has come crashing down around me and my pathetic body has failed me.
Continued a few posts below...
Oscar was due on the 26th June. 3 weeks before my EDD I started getting excited. I had read that a baby can be born anywhere between 37 and 42 weeks. Well I had decided my little man was coming early.
About 15 weeks into my pregnancy I had a dream I was having a boy and that he would be born on the 10th and that it would be a quick and easy labour. Then at 20 weeks we had a scan and found out it was in fact a boy. I was now convinced my dream would come true. It was mothers intuition I told myself. So I prepared myself for the big day which was to be the 10th June.
On the 28th June I started getting worried and booked myself in for acupuncture. Drank castor oil, ate curries, walked (alot!), massaged with prgnancy no no oils, nipple stimulation, sex, etc etc. Everyone had a suggestion that "worked for my auntie, mother, grandmother, friend etc"
Well NOTHING worked for me.
I had weeks of period like pain which came on and off, sending my spirits soaring with hope and then plunging into despair.
I was booked into the Birth Centre and was told if I needed to be induced (I was booked in for the 10th July, 14 days over) I would not be able to use the spa and have a water birth like I had dreamed of and prepared myself for throughout my entire pregnancy. I had 3 strip and stretch internals as we desperately tried to get things moving. I was 2cms.
By the 7th of July I was not taking anymore phone calls from well meaning friends and relatives wanting to know "havn't you had it yet?"
On the 8th of July I woke up with backache like period pain which was coming at regular intervals and was different to any other pain. I wondered "is this it" but didnt want to get my hopes up.
DP and I played scrabble all morning then went over to friends place and played board games all day until 11pm, pains getting closer together, stronger, "could this be it?" we all wondered.
At 11pm I had a contraction which told me "yes this is it." I class this as the start of my labour but really I had been having contractions all day, just very mild.
We walked home. I hopped into bed and tried to sleep but was too excited. Got out of bed at 3am and went downstairs. Called my mum at 4am and told her to drive up from NSW (4 hours away). Called midwife at 5am and told her contractions were lasting 30secs every 5 mins and were mild. She said "dont get too excited, could be a long way off yet."
Went to bed and slept for about an hour. Woke at 8am when mum arrived. Went for a walk. Spent all morning doing god knows what but contractions were still every 5 mins. Called midwife at 11am, she said to go into Birth Centre at 3pm for an internal.
3pm I was 3cms with contractions every 5 mins but lasting 1 min and moderate in strength. I needed to concentrate with each contraction and needed to KEEP MOVING. Baby put on trace, doing fine, sent home.
Spent rest of afternoon dealing with contractions getting stronger, needed lots of heat packs, massages, drinks, love, encouragement etc.
At 7pm called midwife, having good contractions, needing to use all fours and lots of heat, not getting closer together, very tired. What should I do?? "Get into bed she says and try to sleep." Was she joking??? "Baby is posterior" she says, "thats why this is such a long, slow labour and why it hurts so much."
Got into a HOT bath, very naughty!! Contractions become easier to deal with and I relax in the bath for a couple of hours. Bliss. Midwife calls. "Get out of bath" she says. Its bad for the baby, try shower instead".
I get in the shower and contractions continue to get longer, stronger and closer together. They are about every 3 mins now, lasting 1 1/2 to 2 mins and are moderate to strong. I need the water HOT and I change positions between leaning over a chair, kneeling on the floor, leaning against wall, all while I have beautiful hot water running down my back. Im doing my own internals. "Im only 3cms" I say, "Im not progressing".
"Your not a midwife" says DP, "Stop checking yourself!"
At Midnight I get worried because the baby is not moving. Oh no, I had the water too HOT in the bath I think. We are going into the BC. We call our midwife. "Meet me there" she says.
We get to the BC...I have a few contractions at the front of the hospital which is quite funny. I look like a complete mess having just got out of the shower and put some ridiculous outfit on.
My midwife does an internal and my waters break all over the bed. Im 5cms. Yay!! Baby put on trace. Baby fine.
I get in the shower with a birth ball and 2 shower heads. I'm making lots of noises like having sex (DP tells me later...teehee...). Contractions every 2 mins, lasting 1 1/2 mins, strong strong strong!
"When can I get in the bath?" I ask. This is my saving grace. Ive been dreaming of this forever. Anne does an internal first. 6cms. "Only 6" I cry. Its now 3am.
I get in the bath (after filling for an hour), the water is lukewarm which is doing sh!t all for the full on back ache. "I hate this" I yell, "Its worse in here".
"Keep her in there a bit longer" MW tells DP. She leaves the room. When she comes back 2 mins later i'm storming back to shower where the water is HOT.
I start begging for Epidural here. I just cant see a way forward. Its been too long. Im soooooo tired. I've been in established labour for 32 hours. The pain is not so bad...I mean it hurts and its hard, but pain alone is not the issue. Im getting through each contraction. But i'm getting distressed because Im sooooooo exhausted. This is the definition of maternal exhaustion. I feel like I am passing out with each contraction. I Do what you should never do in labour. I just imagine how much longer this might last and I beg DP and mum for an epidural. They are really worried and I dont blame them, I was dead set against drugs. "What will we do when she hates us later for giving in to her?" they wonder...
"No" I say, "I really need them." And I really do. Thats the hardest part. I need an epidural if I am going to get this baby out without a c/section.
(When I was pregnant, DP and I agreed that if my midwife thought an epidural would benefit me then I would trust her judgement. Giving birth in a very pro-natural environment you know your midwife is working for you. I knew I could just zonk out and I could trust her.)
DP asks my midwife what she thinks and she says "not a bad idea, shes been in labour for a long time already and she still needs to push at the end of all this too AND the bub is posterior, could be a while yet."
With approval from my MW I am whisked off to Birth Suite for an epidural. So much for a NO DRUGS WATER BIRTH.
The aneisthetist arrives. "Dont bother telling me about all the risks" I yell with my hand in the air, "I know all about them."
"Ok" he says and puts the needle in. Somehow I manage to keep still through 3 contractions. Funny that.
The epidural is in and its cr@p. It only works on one side. They turn the epidural up and it numbs the whole side of my body including my face and hand etc. "Should I be worried about this" I ask?
The epidural is taken out an repositioned. Its working now. The drip in my arm hurts lots. A catheter is inserted, yuck! Having an epidural is disgusting. Its the most horrible feeling in the world. I was itchy and shivering and its just horrible. The saddest thing is that it was my worst enemy and my saviour at the same time. I have gone from being a rocking, labouring, free woman to a big fat whale laying lank on the bed. Its yuck and I never want to experience it again.
Its now 6am and I drift off to sleep. My MW starts syntocinon (with my approval) to get things moving along quicker now that I have pain relief. At this point I dont give a sh!t what is pumped into me. I'm beyond caring. My whole world has come crashing down around me and my pathetic body has failed me.
Continued a few posts below...