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the_queen · #1 14-05-2006, 07:40 AM

Wednesday 3rd May, approx 3:00pm: Had just been on a long outing, walking around a huge carpark and then an unfamiliar KMart. Went to pick Vallerie up from kindy. Started to get a little bit excited because I'd just had 3 definite contraction-ish pains, 10 minutes apart. The other mums at kindy ask me if there's any niggles, I say "YES hopefully you won't see us at kindy tomorrow!!"

Got home, continuing to have regular pains every 10 minutes. Nothing too extreme, just like period pain, lasting about 10 seconds each. I had about 4 of these the night before, and they stopped, so I wasn't letting myself get too excited yet.

About 5pm I was still getting them, I surreptitiously told my sister (who was staying with us) that I think I'm in early labour. Didn't tell Vallerie yet, in case it was a false alarm. Got a bit of an adrenaline rush and made a delicious spinach and fetta pie. Went into my bedroom and realised I had NOTHING ready for the home-birth I'd planned!! I hadn't bought the plastic sheeting, hadn't changed the bedclothes to old sheets, hadn't even tidied up!! So I spent about an hour cleaning my room and trying to improvise the "list of things i need". Instead of plastic sheeting I had garbage bags. I took my brand new quilt off my bed and put the old one on. I set everything up so there was room for the MW to do her thing, and room for me to labour actively.

I decided to have a nice hot bath, during which time Vallerie came into the bathroom. She seemed to instinctually know that I needed pampering, she poured water over my back for me and kept asking me "does that make you relax mummy?"

I went to bed, to try to conserve my energy. Vallerie went to bed about 8pm, and I set myself up watching TV and trying to fall asleep, but of course I was too excited! At the end of ER I decided it was time to page the MW, because the pains were closer together and getting stronger every time. The on-call MW advised me over the phone, to try to get some sleep, and to call back when the pains were so bad that they woke me up. I still couldn't sleep, but I did lay down for the next few hours, so my body got some much-needed rest.

About 1:30am I paged the MW again, the pains were so bad now I couldn't lay in bed. My wonderful MW arrived at my house about 2am and helped me focus through a few contractions, then examined me. I was 1cm dilated.

I laboured actively, had quite a few hot showers (which helped me relax, and being relaxed made the pain much more easy to cope with) and at about 6am the MW examined me again. I was now 5-6cm dilated

This made me feel quite positive, I felt like I had coped pretty well so far. Then the pains intensified, and I found a great position to labour in - unfortunately in retrospect this particular position probably caused more problems than it solved. I sat on a Swiss Ball, leaning right back, my husband was sitting in a chair behind me supporting me under my arms, and I would relax my whole body as much as possible. Flop my head forward, relaxing my jaw and neck. This position made the pain much more bearable. At 10am however, when my MW examined me again, I was only 6-7cm dilated - and bubs had flipped over to the posterior position. This really upset me, because I'd spent so much time in my last trimester doing the "optimal foetal positioning" etc. And everything was perfect until I started leaning backwards on that ball! MW told me that my progress had slowed because of his new position; the widest part of his head was now trying to fit through, instead of the narrowest part. By this stage I was really despondant, I had been awake for 28 hours and labouring hard for 12. I felt like I had no energy. I'd tried to eat some honey on toast but just couldn't. Looking back, it was my mental state more than my physical state that was exhausted. I decided that I wanted to go to the hospital so I could have pain relief.

We got to the hospital, and having had a couple of pushy contractions on the way, I'd decided to go for the epidural. I was adamant that I hadn't wanted it - but the contractions were hurting my lower back worse than my belly now. I got onto the bed, was given the gas thingo, and the epidural doctor was called. At this point I turned into a drug-crazed raving lunatic, apparently

I remember the MW's (I had 2 plus a student, all of whom I'd had regular contact with during my pregnancy) laughing quite a lot at me. I remember my husband telling me to be quiet, and I remember telling him to F*** off a lot

I remember going on a strange and wonderful trip but couldn't explain it to you if I tried. It felt like hours went by, but it was only about 45 minutes.
The epidural doctor came, did his thing, and then I laid back on the bed to wait for more to happen. The epidural wasn't very strong - I could still move my legs, and could still feel each contraction. It was about midday Thursday 4th May. My sister was with us, and she took Vallerie for walks around the hospital and bought her some lunch.

At about 1pm I was fully dilated - and bubby had flipped back over to the right position!! In retrospect, I think the trip to the hospital and the sitting forward for the epidural probably helped flip him over. I watched some TV, had a bit of lunch, and just basically hung out waiting for more of those pushy contractions. About 2pm they started in earnest, and I started pushing. I was very scared of tearing, because I'd had a very brutal episiotomy with Vallerie and I was worried that I would split those scars open. MW suggested I push in a different position, but I just couldn't be bothered getting up. I was pretty exhausted. MW said she could give me a small episiotomy to quicken things up - I think she only said this to fire me up, because that's what happened! I sat up more, pushed harder, opened my pelvis up more and followed her instructions to pant or push. MW catheterised me to empty my bladder - out came about 1.5 litres of urine!!! She said that my full bladder had been slowing things down too. Vallerie and my sister came back into the room. About 3pm I could feel his head moving right down. As I pushed his head out, I could feel myself tearing in half down there. I was worried I would tear downwards, but the pain I was feeling was upwards. His head came out about 3:05pm, then with the next contraction I pushed his little body out. He was born at 3:09pm. He was put up onto my chest and to be honest I didn't look at his face for a few minutes, I was just in awe of this amazing little person I'd just birthed. Vallerie was down "the business end" so she saw him be born. We had asked that the cord not be cut until it had finished pulsating. My husband got to feel the cord as it pulsated, and once it had stopped he cut it. I delivered the placenta not long after that. He was weighed and measured as my hoo-ha was inspected for damage. I was sure I'd torn quite badly - but my MW happily informed me that I only had slight grazing!!

Even though Curtis was a whole half a kilo heavier than Vallerie, I had not torn at all. I did not require stitches at all. They brought him back to me and it was time to give breastfeeding a go. I was very nervous about this, I had so many different emotions about breastfeeding and I so desperately wanted it to go smoothly with this baby. And it did!! He latched on like a trooper, he sucked really well, and today 10 days later he is still a very good feeder. My nipples got a bit bruised and battered the first couple of days, but THANK GOD for Lansinoh is all I can say!!!

I think that is all.... My apologies if this is not very well written!
He's a fantastic sleeper, he cluster-feeds between 6pm and 10pm and then goes to sleep, wakes me up once during the night for another big feed (usually about 2 or 3am) and then wakes me up about 6am for another, then back to sleep until about 10am. He has a big sleep in the afternoon, for about 4 hours. Of course, now that I've said all that I've jinxed myself haven't I LOL hopefully he continues with this magnificent routine he's put himself into. He's a very happy and contented baby. His big sister is extremely proud and loves helping with nappy changes and loves giving him kisses and cuddles. I'm doing well with the cloth nappies! Unfortunately he is an "every-nappy-change-pooer" LOL but being breastfed they don't smell and they're very easily rinsed off into the toilet. His dad is completely in love with him; in fact, we all are! Our little family is very happy.

Funkychicken · #2 14-05-2006, 07:49 AM

CONGRATULATIONS

WELCOME TO YOUR BEAUTIFUL PRINCE!!!!

What a beautiful birth story. I'm sorry you didn't get your homebirth but how stoked are you that you didn't tear! That was my greatest fear 2nd time around-that the episiotomy scar from DS#1 would tear.

Elfin · #3 14-05-2006, 07:50 AM

What a great birth story Queen and huge congratulations to you and your family. Curtis is a lovely name for a boy

Sounds like Vallerie would make a great midwife when she grows up

lukaelmo · #4 14-05-2006, 07:52 AM

What a great story queenie, I am glad it all went so well for you, sounds like it was a great birth... Welcome little Curtis WIlliam - or would that be Curtis Chomper William?

And congrats on the BFing, everything is falling into place isn't it?