imakara
First time mum-to-be
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- May 18, 2010
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Finally getting round to doing my birth story... six weeks late (but can't believe how quickly time flies now).
Eliza Vivienne (my first) was welcomed to the world on 2 November at 21:44 weighing 3.4kg at 41 weeks.
On Tuesday (the 2nd) I started feeling period pains (none in the back) around 10 in the morning coming every 10 minutes, and to be honest didn't really think a whole lot of them (they were uncomfortable but thought this was false labour). My husband called to see how I was doing around noon and I said I was having cramps but again was sure it was false labour so didn't ask him to come home. By mid-late afternoon they were getting more painful but not overly regular so put the TENS on which helped sometimes but not all. By around 5/6pm I couldn't really talk through them (still didn't believe I was in labour) when I called the hospital for a bit of advice. As they were still anywhere between 6 - 12 minutes apart I was told to take paracetamol and have a bath. I was told I would feel the contraction from the top down (they still just felt like bad cramps).
So take paracetamol I did and I got into the bath. Didn't really take the edge off, in fact I think it got worse by this point (and I was still doubtful this was labour - I was waiting for this back and top down pain everyone kept talking about). The hubster got home from work and started preparing dinner but came to see how I was doing and he was sure I was in labour (though he didn't say this to me). I was still in the bath writhing around in pain - he popped his head in the door and I promptly told him to leave me alone (using perhaps more colourful language). I think by this point I started thinking I wanted to know what was going on, if this was false labour I didn't want to know what the real thing felt like. While I was coping with the more frequent and painful aches he ran around the house preparing a labour haven complete with low lights, candles and soft music. By this point I could do nothing buy lie on my side on the bed tense with pain (husband kept saying relax and asked if I wanted to get into one of the coping positions - I almost punched him - lucky for him all of my strength was being used to cope).
The main feeling during these pains was that I had to do a poo or at least break some wind so I decided to go to the loo and (sorry about the too much information) had a pee only and wiped away blood (not fresh looking but there was a fair amount) so he got on the phone to the Birth Centre and they said to come in and they would assess me - I think I spoke to the woman as well but don't think I got very far with her. He ordered a cab and we were off (bringing our incomplete hospital bag with us). On the bumpiest, longest journey I have ever experienced we got to the hospital. Went upstairs (and for once I didn't have to wait ages for a lift thanks to a lovely lady who held it for us as she saw me waddling in). Got to the Birth Centre to find about 10 other women waiting to be seen - apparently the centre was very full that evening. Having waited 15 minutes I had to go to the loo but someone was being assessed in there (thankfully the guy behind the desk got me in there next and assessed by the midwife - she didn't think much of what I told her but had doubled over in pain twice during our few minutes together - she left and I went pee and saw what was definitely my show - stood over the sink to wash my face and POP my waters gushed out down my trousers all over the floor and into my shoes creating a massive puddle on the floor. I yelled for the hubster who went to get the midwife and I was walked (very slowly and creating puddles with every step) to the Home from Home centre. Husband told me after he was not happy with the assessing midwife and her blase attitude (but I was his wife in labour and nothing would have been speedy or good enough).
Got into the room and a different Midwife and a student tried to assess me but all I could do was stand there holding on to husband for dear life. The only thing I remember telling them was that I felt like I had to poo. I got to the bed was shown the gas and air and took myself off to a happy place. Had trouble getting it going but once I did you couldn't pry the tube out of my hand/mouth. They checked me out and I was fully dilated and the baby was on the way. They did ask me if I wanted to get into another position to give birth but I felt like I could not move for the life of me and so stayed in one of the worst positions to labour in (in the bed not lying down but proped up). The next 15 minutes I moaned, groaned, screamed, and felt the ring of fire and Eliza gushed out (the feeling like I needed to poo was always there - whether I actually did I don't know). And that is that - did get a second degree tear though (I couldn't pant effectively enough). We had gotten to the hospital around 8:30pm and Eliza was born at 9:44pm.
The midwives couldn't believe how quickly it all went being my first - and I couldn't believe it having spent most of the day thinking this was false labour (I don't even think it really hit me when my waters went).
Truth be told I don't feel like I did much - my body did it all for me - even the pushing, I feel, was done for me. Thankfully I can't remember what the pain felt like - but am still overwhelmed by the shear joy I felt when my 10 fingered, 10 toed beautiful little girl was put onto my chest. It's like there was no one else in the world - just me and her - and that was just fine by me.
I didn't have a birth plan (I figured it wouldn't go to plan anyway) and had always assumed I would be in labour for days ending with a c-section. I know I am a lucky one Maybe my sheer ignorance to being in labour actually made it easier... that's what I tell myself anyway.
Eliza Vivienne (my first) was welcomed to the world on 2 November at 21:44 weighing 3.4kg at 41 weeks.
On Tuesday (the 2nd) I started feeling period pains (none in the back) around 10 in the morning coming every 10 minutes, and to be honest didn't really think a whole lot of them (they were uncomfortable but thought this was false labour). My husband called to see how I was doing around noon and I said I was having cramps but again was sure it was false labour so didn't ask him to come home. By mid-late afternoon they were getting more painful but not overly regular so put the TENS on which helped sometimes but not all. By around 5/6pm I couldn't really talk through them (still didn't believe I was in labour) when I called the hospital for a bit of advice. As they were still anywhere between 6 - 12 minutes apart I was told to take paracetamol and have a bath. I was told I would feel the contraction from the top down (they still just felt like bad cramps).
So take paracetamol I did and I got into the bath. Didn't really take the edge off, in fact I think it got worse by this point (and I was still doubtful this was labour - I was waiting for this back and top down pain everyone kept talking about). The hubster got home from work and started preparing dinner but came to see how I was doing and he was sure I was in labour (though he didn't say this to me). I was still in the bath writhing around in pain - he popped his head in the door and I promptly told him to leave me alone (using perhaps more colourful language). I think by this point I started thinking I wanted to know what was going on, if this was false labour I didn't want to know what the real thing felt like. While I was coping with the more frequent and painful aches he ran around the house preparing a labour haven complete with low lights, candles and soft music. By this point I could do nothing buy lie on my side on the bed tense with pain (husband kept saying relax and asked if I wanted to get into one of the coping positions - I almost punched him - lucky for him all of my strength was being used to cope).
The main feeling during these pains was that I had to do a poo or at least break some wind so I decided to go to the loo and (sorry about the too much information) had a pee only and wiped away blood (not fresh looking but there was a fair amount) so he got on the phone to the Birth Centre and they said to come in and they would assess me - I think I spoke to the woman as well but don't think I got very far with her. He ordered a cab and we were off (bringing our incomplete hospital bag with us). On the bumpiest, longest journey I have ever experienced we got to the hospital. Went upstairs (and for once I didn't have to wait ages for a lift thanks to a lovely lady who held it for us as she saw me waddling in). Got to the Birth Centre to find about 10 other women waiting to be seen - apparently the centre was very full that evening. Having waited 15 minutes I had to go to the loo but someone was being assessed in there (thankfully the guy behind the desk got me in there next and assessed by the midwife - she didn't think much of what I told her but had doubled over in pain twice during our few minutes together - she left and I went pee and saw what was definitely my show - stood over the sink to wash my face and POP my waters gushed out down my trousers all over the floor and into my shoes creating a massive puddle on the floor. I yelled for the hubster who went to get the midwife and I was walked (very slowly and creating puddles with every step) to the Home from Home centre. Husband told me after he was not happy with the assessing midwife and her blase attitude (but I was his wife in labour and nothing would have been speedy or good enough).
Got into the room and a different Midwife and a student tried to assess me but all I could do was stand there holding on to husband for dear life. The only thing I remember telling them was that I felt like I had to poo. I got to the bed was shown the gas and air and took myself off to a happy place. Had trouble getting it going but once I did you couldn't pry the tube out of my hand/mouth. They checked me out and I was fully dilated and the baby was on the way. They did ask me if I wanted to get into another position to give birth but I felt like I could not move for the life of me and so stayed in one of the worst positions to labour in (in the bed not lying down but proped up). The next 15 minutes I moaned, groaned, screamed, and felt the ring of fire and Eliza gushed out (the feeling like I needed to poo was always there - whether I actually did I don't know). And that is that - did get a second degree tear though (I couldn't pant effectively enough). We had gotten to the hospital around 8:30pm and Eliza was born at 9:44pm.
The midwives couldn't believe how quickly it all went being my first - and I couldn't believe it having spent most of the day thinking this was false labour (I don't even think it really hit me when my waters went).
Truth be told I don't feel like I did much - my body did it all for me - even the pushing, I feel, was done for me. Thankfully I can't remember what the pain felt like - but am still overwhelmed by the shear joy I felt when my 10 fingered, 10 toed beautiful little girl was put onto my chest. It's like there was no one else in the world - just me and her - and that was just fine by me.
I didn't have a birth plan (I figured it wouldn't go to plan anyway) and had always assumed I would be in labour for days ending with a c-section. I know I am a lucky one Maybe my sheer ignorance to being in labour actually made it easier... that's what I tell myself anyway.
