jojojonsey
01-03-2007, 01:08 PM
Well at 11 days overdue I was doing all I could to bring myself into natural labour before I was due to be induced on Tuesday 27 February but with no luck! This baby was high and not wanting to budge.
We were in to the hospital for 7am for our induction and after check up they thought they would do a gel application just to get my cervix a little more ready so after one application it was up to the ward to walk around and wait. They had hoped they would call me down at 3pm to break my waters but there were a lot more women actually in labour coming in so there was no room for me. So we waited... and waited and waited... finally at 8pm they said that I'd have to wait until the next day. The Prostin had given me some mild contractions but they were going to have to break my waters.
So the next morning at 8.30 we headed down to the birth suite again and did the usual monitoring etc and they waited for the doc to be able to break my waters. They wanted the Ob to do it as bubs head was still really high up and they wanted to do a controlled ARM (artificial rupturing of membranes) with the the middie pushing the baby down so that his head didn't trap the cord. It went well and while uncomfortable it was bearable.
So we waited for a couple of hours to see if my body would start natural contractions so there was lots more walking around but unfortunately no contractions so it was onto the drip. I had really been dreading this! I'd had a drip with my first baby and was worried about the pattern of intervention that can follow.
They put the drip in and it took a while for my body to start contractions. I was sad because having the drip also means constant monitoring and no shower and was concerned about not being able to have an active birth. We had a midwife shift change and my middie suggested I kneel on the bed and over the back of the bed that was raised most of the way up because bubs was amost posterior and we needed him to twist down so he came out the right way. So up on my knees and the contractions started to get some bite to them. I tried to go with them - thinking about what my body was trying to do.
As they got stronger I asked for some gas and remembered how much I love the stuff! The contractions started getting strong and I was a bit freaked out because I thought that labour was a long way off and I was worried about the pain levels and only having gas. (I had an epidural with my first and pethadine with my second). It wasn't that I was worried about the pain that was happening it was more the expectation of the pain that was to come and I'd never done it with just gas before. I was really conflicted as I thought to myself "I don't want to have a drug free birth!!" but at the same time I was surprising myself by coping so well. I asked for the pethadine out of fear of more pain than I could handle but my midwife was so encouraging and basically things were happening so fast it was a bit too late for it.
My Mid wife was amazing! I can't believe how well she would read my body language! So here I was still up on my knees leaning over the back of the bed (I have decided this is the best birthing position for me ever as gravity is fantastic). I could feel the urge to push and was encouraged to just do what my body was wanting to do and I felt the burning sensation and recognised that he was crowning. I knew I wasn't too far off and it was exciting. I still only had the gas (my DP had to pick it up 3 times as I kept ripping the mouth piece off at the beginning of contractions!) and I can remember clearly trying to convince myself that birth was natural and that my body would know intinctively what to do just like a cow!!
Anyway, bubs head came out really well and I remember being a bit scared because everything was really controlled and quiet. I thought something was wrong as the middies were telling me to just take it easy and ease him out. Once I knew his head was out and the next thing I know he basically fell into the world and I now know why midwives are often called "babycatchers" because he had to be caught - he took them by surprise.
He wad turned himself around the right way! So he was passed through my legs as I turned around and I got to hold my precious baby. We took a while to cut the cord and DP was thrilled that he was able to do it (third times a charm). DP was amazing with his massage and support. It was our first birth with just the two of us as well.
I never got my pethadine and I am so glad for it! Though I didn't think that during transition. I had a minor graze - no stiches. In total it was a labour of 1 hr and 15 minutes! It was a really enjoyable and empowering birth. We both feel like a million bucks and are home already at 19 hours old. He is dozing in my lap as I type this!
Thanks for reading my birth story.
Name: Baxter Alexander
Date: 28 February 07
EDD: 16 February 07
Time: 4.45pm
Weigh: 3940kg (8lb 11oz)
Length: 54cm
Head Circ: 37.5cm
We were in to the hospital for 7am for our induction and after check up they thought they would do a gel application just to get my cervix a little more ready so after one application it was up to the ward to walk around and wait. They had hoped they would call me down at 3pm to break my waters but there were a lot more women actually in labour coming in so there was no room for me. So we waited... and waited and waited... finally at 8pm they said that I'd have to wait until the next day. The Prostin had given me some mild contractions but they were going to have to break my waters.
So the next morning at 8.30 we headed down to the birth suite again and did the usual monitoring etc and they waited for the doc to be able to break my waters. They wanted the Ob to do it as bubs head was still really high up and they wanted to do a controlled ARM (artificial rupturing of membranes) with the the middie pushing the baby down so that his head didn't trap the cord. It went well and while uncomfortable it was bearable.
So we waited for a couple of hours to see if my body would start natural contractions so there was lots more walking around but unfortunately no contractions so it was onto the drip. I had really been dreading this! I'd had a drip with my first baby and was worried about the pattern of intervention that can follow.
They put the drip in and it took a while for my body to start contractions. I was sad because having the drip also means constant monitoring and no shower and was concerned about not being able to have an active birth. We had a midwife shift change and my middie suggested I kneel on the bed and over the back of the bed that was raised most of the way up because bubs was amost posterior and we needed him to twist down so he came out the right way. So up on my knees and the contractions started to get some bite to them. I tried to go with them - thinking about what my body was trying to do.
As they got stronger I asked for some gas and remembered how much I love the stuff! The contractions started getting strong and I was a bit freaked out because I thought that labour was a long way off and I was worried about the pain levels and only having gas. (I had an epidural with my first and pethadine with my second). It wasn't that I was worried about the pain that was happening it was more the expectation of the pain that was to come and I'd never done it with just gas before. I was really conflicted as I thought to myself "I don't want to have a drug free birth!!" but at the same time I was surprising myself by coping so well. I asked for the pethadine out of fear of more pain than I could handle but my midwife was so encouraging and basically things were happening so fast it was a bit too late for it.
My Mid wife was amazing! I can't believe how well she would read my body language! So here I was still up on my knees leaning over the back of the bed (I have decided this is the best birthing position for me ever as gravity is fantastic). I could feel the urge to push and was encouraged to just do what my body was wanting to do and I felt the burning sensation and recognised that he was crowning. I knew I wasn't too far off and it was exciting. I still only had the gas (my DP had to pick it up 3 times as I kept ripping the mouth piece off at the beginning of contractions!) and I can remember clearly trying to convince myself that birth was natural and that my body would know intinctively what to do just like a cow!!
Anyway, bubs head came out really well and I remember being a bit scared because everything was really controlled and quiet. I thought something was wrong as the middies were telling me to just take it easy and ease him out. Once I knew his head was out and the next thing I know he basically fell into the world and I now know why midwives are often called "babycatchers" because he had to be caught - he took them by surprise.
He wad turned himself around the right way! So he was passed through my legs as I turned around and I got to hold my precious baby. We took a while to cut the cord and DP was thrilled that he was able to do it (third times a charm). DP was amazing with his massage and support. It was our first birth with just the two of us as well.
I never got my pethadine and I am so glad for it! Though I didn't think that during transition. I had a minor graze - no stiches. In total it was a labour of 1 hr and 15 minutes! It was a really enjoyable and empowering birth. We both feel like a million bucks and are home already at 19 hours old. He is dozing in my lap as I type this!
Thanks for reading my birth story.
Name: Baxter Alexander
Date: 28 February 07
EDD: 16 February 07
Time: 4.45pm
Weigh: 3940kg (8lb 11oz)
Length: 54cm
Head Circ: 37.5cm