Keebs
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The Birth Story of Cara Fay born 12 July 2012 at 00:18 weighing 7lb 8oz 
Things began to happen for me at 40+3, nothing much just some tightening in my lower abdo now and again, certainly nothing painful. These got to about 15 minutes apart and then fizzled out late afternoon. At 23:30 that night they started back up again but this time they were painful. I popped the TENS on (ever hopeful
) and decided to time things just in case.
This proved tricky as for the first 3 hours I was constantly vomiting between contractions. In order to use the counter on my laptop I had to put it outside the bathroom door and crawl to it when a tightening began (then crawl back to the loo once they were over). Not the best method as moving during these contractions was not easy. Thankfully, the nausea eventually went and the laptop and I decamped to the living room. Right up till I got in the pool the most comfortable postion for me was standing, leaning over the birth ball (which was on the couch) and rocking to and fro.
At around 7:30am the contractions were coming between 2 and 5 mins apart and I was having to kind of retreat into myself to get through them. Phoned my sis (birthing partner) to advise she may want to cancel her plans for the day. She arrived shortly after and at 9am made me phone the hospital as the pains were coming every 2 mins. As I was booked for a homebirth they sent a midwife out. Sods law dictates that no sooner had I made that call than the pains began to decrease coming every 6 mins and down to every 10 to 15 when the midwife arrived at 10am.
She asked where I was feeling the pains (very low in my pelvis and radiating down the front of my legs) and advised this was just BH and at best I was in very early pre labour. She told me to look out for tightenings in my stomach as an indication true labour had begun and call back when these pains were coming every 5 mins or less and off she pootled. I was gutted, took the TENS off and sent my sis home.
The tightenings continued every 15mins or so until 2pm when they stepped up to every 10mins. Ever the optimist I put the TENS back on even though I was still not feeling anything in my stomach (and besides, these blinking hurt!!!). By 8:30pm I phoned my sis in tears because I couldnt do it any more. It felt like someone was shoving a hot poker up my bum, the pains were every 3 minutes but still nothing in my stomach. I was inconsolable and she rushed round (in hindsight I realise this was transition
).
She wanted me to call the hospital but I refused as still no stomach contractions. By 9pm I was having tightenings every 2 minutes and mooing like a cow through each of them (or so I thought, apparently I was just hitting a really low note and holding it this helped more than any of the breathing techniques I was taught) so she made me call. At this point I inadvertently turned the TENS off instead of pressing boost during a contraction . OMG!!! It was horrendous and I nearly pulled the radiator clean off the wall.
Midwife arrived 9:30pm, felt my tummy through a contraction and wasnt hopeful. I had put no internals in my birth plan but she asked if she could do one anyway as it was really the only way to determine what was happening. I readily agreed as I was convinced these were just BH and if so I fully intended heading off to the nearest hospital for an epidural as no way would I be able to endure the real thing.
Midwifes eyes nearly popped out her head during the exam and she announced I was 9cm and could push at will (this was handy as Id been pushing involuntarily since I called my sis, how anyone can tell a labouring woman not to push
its like asking them to stop a train by stepping in front of it and holding out their hand). She called her second to come ASAP and my sis quickly filled the pool, I was in it by 10pm. Felt odd at first, really increased the pressure I was feeling but most likely this is because Id just taken off the TENS. After that I was left to it (just as Id asked), the midwife monitored babys heartbeat every 15 mins with the Doppler and that was it. At one point she thought I may have to get out the pool as the fetal heart rate was way up at 250BMP but she agreed to wait 5 mins by which time all was back to normal.
At midnight I announced my waters had gone, at 15 minutes past midnight I then announced her head was out (later found out the midwifes thought I was mistaken as I was showing none of the signs of a woman actively delivering) and by 18 minutes past the hour I was catching her. Totally awe struck. Never even noticed she had the cord around her neck so midwife had to stop me and untangle it before I could bring her up for skin to skin.
Honestly the most amazing experience ever, could not have asked for more. I delivered the placenta naturally (good god that was hard work) and had sutures for a second degree tear (Id asked for no sutures if possible and the midwives were great, we discussed my options and in the end I agreed to stitches in the muscle but not the skin). By 3am everyone had pootled off home and it was just baby and I. I got my prefect birth and am very grateful for it
Some piccies:
30 minutes into the world
12 hours old
Pooping in her fresh nappy
24 hours old
Things began to happen for me at 40+3, nothing much just some tightening in my lower abdo now and again, certainly nothing painful. These got to about 15 minutes apart and then fizzled out late afternoon. At 23:30 that night they started back up again but this time they were painful. I popped the TENS on (ever hopeful
) and decided to time things just in case.This proved tricky as for the first 3 hours I was constantly vomiting between contractions. In order to use the counter on my laptop I had to put it outside the bathroom door and crawl to it when a tightening began (then crawl back to the loo once they were over). Not the best method as moving during these contractions was not easy. Thankfully, the nausea eventually went and the laptop and I decamped to the living room. Right up till I got in the pool the most comfortable postion for me was standing, leaning over the birth ball (which was on the couch) and rocking to and fro.
At around 7:30am the contractions were coming between 2 and 5 mins apart and I was having to kind of retreat into myself to get through them. Phoned my sis (birthing partner) to advise she may want to cancel her plans for the day. She arrived shortly after and at 9am made me phone the hospital as the pains were coming every 2 mins. As I was booked for a homebirth they sent a midwife out. Sods law dictates that no sooner had I made that call than the pains began to decrease coming every 6 mins and down to every 10 to 15 when the midwife arrived at 10am.
She asked where I was feeling the pains (very low in my pelvis and radiating down the front of my legs) and advised this was just BH and at best I was in very early pre labour. She told me to look out for tightenings in my stomach as an indication true labour had begun and call back when these pains were coming every 5 mins or less and off she pootled. I was gutted, took the TENS off and sent my sis home.
The tightenings continued every 15mins or so until 2pm when they stepped up to every 10mins. Ever the optimist I put the TENS back on even though I was still not feeling anything in my stomach (and besides, these blinking hurt!!!). By 8:30pm I phoned my sis in tears because I couldnt do it any more. It felt like someone was shoving a hot poker up my bum, the pains were every 3 minutes but still nothing in my stomach. I was inconsolable and she rushed round (in hindsight I realise this was transition
). She wanted me to call the hospital but I refused as still no stomach contractions. By 9pm I was having tightenings every 2 minutes and mooing like a cow through each of them (or so I thought, apparently I was just hitting a really low note and holding it this helped more than any of the breathing techniques I was taught) so she made me call. At this point I inadvertently turned the TENS off instead of pressing boost during a contraction . OMG!!! It was horrendous and I nearly pulled the radiator clean off the wall.
Midwife arrived 9:30pm, felt my tummy through a contraction and wasnt hopeful. I had put no internals in my birth plan but she asked if she could do one anyway as it was really the only way to determine what was happening. I readily agreed as I was convinced these were just BH and if so I fully intended heading off to the nearest hospital for an epidural as no way would I be able to endure the real thing.
Midwifes eyes nearly popped out her head during the exam and she announced I was 9cm and could push at will (this was handy as Id been pushing involuntarily since I called my sis, how anyone can tell a labouring woman not to push
its like asking them to stop a train by stepping in front of it and holding out their hand). She called her second to come ASAP and my sis quickly filled the pool, I was in it by 10pm. Felt odd at first, really increased the pressure I was feeling but most likely this is because Id just taken off the TENS. After that I was left to it (just as Id asked), the midwife monitored babys heartbeat every 15 mins with the Doppler and that was it. At one point she thought I may have to get out the pool as the fetal heart rate was way up at 250BMP but she agreed to wait 5 mins by which time all was back to normal.At midnight I announced my waters had gone, at 15 minutes past midnight I then announced her head was out (later found out the midwifes thought I was mistaken as I was showing none of the signs of a woman actively delivering) and by 18 minutes past the hour I was catching her. Totally awe struck. Never even noticed she had the cord around her neck so midwife had to stop me and untangle it before I could bring her up for skin to skin.
Honestly the most amazing experience ever, could not have asked for more. I delivered the placenta naturally (good god that was hard work) and had sutures for a second degree tear (Id asked for no sutures if possible and the midwives were great, we discussed my options and in the end I agreed to stitches in the muscle but not the skin). By 3am everyone had pootled off home and it was just baby and I. I got my prefect birth and am very grateful for it
Some piccies:
30 minutes into the world
12 hours old
Pooping in her fresh nappy
24 hours old
and your little girl is just so darn cute!
