Birth Story

Baby is here!!

Here is the birth story!

Thursday (8 days overdue)

I had an appointment at 1030 (but we weren't seen until 1130) with the doctor at the hospital to discuss induction. I had said to Andrew that I wanted to leave there with being induced right then, or  come back in the afternoon or at the very least - the next day. The doctor tells me they don't induce on the weekend, so she goes to check the schedule. Come back at 0600 tomorrow! Finally, I get what I wanted, but now that it's written down and all official, it's frightening. Tomorrow, I'll have my baby. Doctor does an internal exam and I'm already 3cm dilated and the cervix is soft but still has a bit of work to do. 

To be induced, I'll need a cannula inserted in my hand to administer the induction drug.

I head home finally, to pack the last of things - which doesn't get done. I did clean the house a bit, and just basically sat at the computer. I am freaking out. Tomorrow, I'll have a baby.

At 9pm, the first of the contractions start. They're irregular, and very short and not really painful.

10pm - more regular, but still irregular, and still not painful.

11pm - Bit more painful, so I take some panadol and manage to fall asleep... for an hour.

12pm - woke to more painful, still irregular contractions. It's going to be a long night. Manage to fall back asleep.

1am - AWAKE!  Contractions are now regular - 4 1/2 to 5 mins apart, each lasting 40-50 seconds.

2pm - Rang the hospital. They've told me if I'm not coping, to head in. I decide to stay at home. I put on a load of washing in the machine and then in the dryer.

3pm - decide to have a shower. I swear I was in there for a whole half an hour.  One of the contractions I had in there  really hit home that - yep. This is labour. It was painful and immediately reminded me of being in labour with Jensen. All I could think was "what have I done!?" From about 3:30am they were painful and I was breathing through them. Andrew was asleep this whole time. I purposely didn't wake him coz we had to be up at 5 - to call his mum to watch Jensen and be at the hospital at 6. We were going to have breakfast first.

4:15am - for the next half an hour the contractions are still 4 1/2 to 5 mins apart, each lasting 40-50 seconds but are now really really painful. I'm still breathing through them, but I can see and feel that I'm shaking. Andrew has his back towards me and I'm lying on my left side facing him. As I breathe through the contraction, I found I was massaging his back! 

5am - FINALLY! I can have some company! He doesn't get out of bed til 5:30, and his mother arrives at 5:45. Jensen wakes up and all three of us are having a family hug. I have a contraction - and they're coming faster now - and Andrew and Jensen have their hands on my belly when it happens. They're both amazed how tight and firm my belly goes through the contractions. So I'm standing there, in pain and they've got their hands on my tummy. It was a little odd at the time, but a good memory now.

6pm - we're at the hospital, and I only had one contraction in the whole 15 mins it took to get there. We didn't have breakfast coz we were running late. Jennie, my student midwife, met us at the nurses station.  We're directed to a birth suite, with all our things, as there are no rooms available for me to put my things in there. Probably for the best anyway. I haven't had a contraction, or at least a decent one, for a while now.

From here, I sort of lose what time things happen.

Between 6am and 9am, I'm still having contractions, but they are in now way regular anymore. Nor as painful. A midwife tells us that they're not going to induce me right now because there are 3 other ladies that have been induced, and not enough staff (they had to have one dedicated staff member to each induced lady, plus others who are there without having to be induced, or those that come in). I can go home or I can stay and they can do it after lunch. This frustrates me. She leaves and I look to Andrew and Jennie and cry. I came in to be induced - induce me! They haven't asked if I've been having contractions already, or anything. Basically, we'd been on our own since 6am.

About 10am, that midwife comes back (after I told her I came here at 6 to have a baby today, and I'm going to have it today).  She's said that the head midwife has said after lunch they'll break my water, and if I consent the midwife can do another internal, another stretch and sweep and try and see what my body can do on it's own.

11am - She does the internal and gets all excited that I'm now 6cm dilated and my body's been very busy overnight. This cheers me up heaps, but still nothing happens.  I'm told to walk the halls and go up and down stairs to try and get things restarted. 1130, the contractions are back, but irregular. Hop in the shower after being told to bounce around a bit. So I got in the shower and did the time warp :p Thats bouncing ! I get out and get on the fit ball. This brings contractions a little more frequent.

12pm - about 1215, I hop on the bed so they can break my waters. Becuase my body is doing this all on it's own, I don't need a cannula, or to be induced. Just need my water broken. The midwife (the head midwife, actually) comes in to do this. She does an internal,  but has to stay "there" until a contraction starts, wait through it, THEN she can break the waters. Andrew says she was there for about 2 and half minutes before she could break my water. Apparently, the membrane was quite tough for her to break!

Now, between 1pm-2pm, all I remember is having contractions.  I remember listening / watching Andrew and Jennie notice when I had contractions and them commenting on how long they lasted and how far between. I remember Andrew and Jennie and any midwife that came in and out throughout the day comment on how they could see just how tight my belly got during a contraction. Apparently this was a good thing, coz they then could visibly see when and how long a contraction happened. A midwife asked if I wanted gas and I remember saying "No. Well, yes I do, but no, I don't." That poor midwife was confused and Andrew explained I was trying to do this drug-free.

Between 2pm and 3pm things happened really fast! I don't remember but from somewhere there was beanbag on the bed and I was told to lie belly first on it. Oh, that was comfortable. Another midwife came in, with a student. I remember the student asking if that was ok that she was there... All I remember thinking was, I already have a student in here, what difference would another one make? Everyone has to learn, so it was ok. When the contractions started getting more intense, I threw up. Not much though.  I had an awesome midwife (who, coincidently, was the same midwife that gave Jensen his first bath!) who knew that I wanted to do this drug-free.   The pain was getting too much for me (hence the reason I threw up), so I 'caved' and asked for gas. She set the machine up, took her sweet time doing it too.  I think I had 2 or 3 big contractions in the time it took her to set it up. I knew what she was doing though, trying to help me labour the way I wanted. (thank you to that midwife!). She finally gave it to me, and explained how to breathe it in and use it properly and oh, so grateful. I felt the urge to push, and tried during a contraction. I had to pant through the next one, so they could check to see if I was dilated properly and I was! At one point, after the pushing stage started I had to have the hospital gown off! It was too hot! I couldn't stand having anything on me! Then, despite knowing that labouring on my belly was better better for me and baby, it was too painful and I had to be on my back (which isn't as good an idea coz then you're essentially pushing baby uphill really).  A few contractions later and baby's head was out! I didn't believe them! I remember the head midwife standing on my right near my head (calling me Renee, which isn't my name!) saying that baby's head was out, and baby was trying to talk  to us! Baby was looking around and opening and closing it's mouth. Jennie had been telling every midwife all day that I didn't want to be told what baby was, I wanted to find out for myself. One or two more pushes and baby was out!! Baby slipping out was an awesome feeling. To be honest, I couldn't believe that it was over! Baby was placed on my chest. The midwives told me to have a look! 

I hold baby up, towards Andrew and say "I think it's a GIRL!" He tells me that "Yes! It's a GIRL!" I remember asking 4 more times "Are you sure it's a girl?!" (this is a big thing, as even though I didn't know what I was having, I was expecting a boy. Andrew is one of 2 boys, his dad is one of 2 boys, the uncle has 2 boys - you can see where this is going).

But yes. Baby is a GIRL!

Born 3:01pm

8lb 5oz

52cm

We had named her Elizabeth Eden, but were not convinced. By the time we got to our room, her name had changed to Eden Elizabeth. 

I had to be wheel-chaired back to my room as I'd lost more blood than what they liked.

Eden slept terribly Friday night, finally falling asleep and staying asleep from 1:30am (After being attached to the breast for hours and when she wasn't there, she was crying). I reckon I'd been awake for 24 hours!

She made up for it Saturday and is an awesome sleeper. Only cries when she's hungry - but she can feed for up to an hour at a time, and usually takes both 'sides'.

Eden is a week old tomorrow and only now have I had the chance to sit here and write this.  She's been asleep for about 2 and half hours now, and will wake shortly.

Jensen loves his little sister, has trouble saying Elizabeth, but has to help with everything! I'm so proud of him how well he's taken on the big brother role!

I put on 17kg during my pregnancy, and I've lost 8.2kg just by having a baby! Hopefully, I can get the rest off quickly.