greenlady
Mum of two gorgeous girls
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First let me say this is very long so get yourself comfortable if you wish to read on!
The night before my due date , DH was at work and I was in with my parents who are staying from Australia. Mum decided I should reorganise my CD shelf which was a bit of a mess. I had been out during the day walking and was tried but got bossed into more activity! I was a bit resentful and not myself.
Went to bed late around 11 and was reading waiting for DH to come home from work, he got back after 12 and then stayed up speaking to a friend in NZ, so it was after 1 when he came to bed. I hadnt slept by then and was feeling a slight period pain. Within an hour I knew something was up, I went to the loo and had clear mucus with a slight pinkish tinge. The period pain starting coming in waves, it was gradual though so I wasnt sure if it meant anything. I popped onto BNB knowing I couldnt sleep through it and wondering if it might have been then start of things.
The lovely BNB ladies, (at first those in Oz, NZ, USA and Canada) helped me through those few hours, as I left DH to get his rest in as I had a feeling it was going to be a long day! I was feeling quite regular contractions all morning and was breathing through them. I had phoned the birthing centre but it had been closed overnight and wasnt opening till 8am. By 8 my contractions had grown further apart (I had been using the contractions timer all night), so I waited longer and waited for peak hour to die down. I had a small gush of waters I think about 9 or 10am, so we went to the birthing centre, I was examined and was only 2cm but my cervix was soft and favourable. She gave me a sweep and sent me home for a while. Of course the sweep kicked off painful contractions and the trip home was awful! DH started making a curry (they suggested trying to get things moving) but I was contracting every 3 minutes or so and wasnt interested in curry thanks! I put my rented TENS machine on moved around, bounced on the ball, etc tried all the active birth methods! Had a shower and went back to the birthing centre at about 4pm. Contractions seemed to ease off at that point and I was a bit embarrassed when we got there and hoped they wouldnt send us away! She found I was 3cm and gave me another sweep, but let me stay in because it was quiet.
The next 4 hours or so was just contracting in private in our room using all the active birth equipment and my TENS machine. The midwives changed over at 8pm and I was re-examined and was now being looked after by 2 midwives, one very firm and efficient one (who was amazing as well as effiecient) and one return to practice midwife who was adorably sweet to me. By now I was 5cm nearly 6 when stretched (they said my cervix was really stretchy). The efficient midwife gave me the mother of all sweeps, and then they filled the pool for me. I got in the pool - with DH - round about 9pm. What follows is mostly a blur, but I remember the midwife suggesting I hold off on the gas and air as long as possible. At one point they left us alone and advised we try some ... loving techniques to get the natural oxytocin flowing. I think this must have had some good effect and was very beautiful. I dont remember contracting in the midst of this but I must have done.
Eventually I was on the gas and air because the contractions were getting REALLY painful. (I thought they were painful all day but boy do they get worse). I have to say it didnt take the pain away: what it did was make me focus on the breathing through the contractions, and made me pretty out of it between contractions. I kept having awake dreams and I remember telling the lovely midwife that Id dreamt about her. I think I was just off my face! DH was great, spaying me with cool water and massaging me between contractions, feeding me ice cubes. During each contraction at this point I as nearly climbing out of the bath and screaming louder than I ever thought I would. I remember crying and saying I couldnt do it anymore, but the rational part of my brain was telling me that this was the transition stage and it would pass.
Not sure how long after, the contractions felt different and I felt sure I was nearly ready to push. However the efficient midwife made me continue to wait and breath through them steadily, the idea is to breath the baby down as far as possible before pushing, so you dont get too exhausted with the pushing. At last she suggested I stop listening to her and just let my body guide me. Pushing was very intense and went on for about half an hour, I was facing out of the bath and hanging on to the edge, with everyone behind me. Flora came out all in one on the last push (after about 5 or 6 pushes, half an hour) at 2:27am on 1st April (just outside my EDD) and they passed her me to me between my legs and I brought her up to my chest. I sat back and cradled my baby next to my husband in the gunky bloody water, she didnt really cry just breathed and looked around very calmly. Only after a little while remembering to check what the sex was to discover that we had a little girl!
We cuddled and kissed Flora while the cord was left to pulsate. When it had finished pulsating DH cut the cord which he found very weird. We were all left in the bath while the midwives made notes and a short time I delivered the placenta naturally in a single gentle push.
Short time later I was out of the bath, showered and up on to the table for stitching. The efficient midwife had a reputation for being a total expert at suturing, which made me feel happy I had a second degree tear. She gave me the gas and air and made me inhale it for a while, which I didnt really like at first as I felt the weird rushing sensation (which I didnt get at all while having a contraction), and then suddenly I was just off my face while she stitched me and I barely felt a thing. Flora was being weighed and checked over she was perfect and weighed in at a lovely 6lbs 10oz (3.015kg). After all was done it must have been about 4:30am. They left us alone to sleep (in the double bed!) and would be back at 7am for further checks. Flora was checked at 7 and again at 12, and she was completely perfect and we are so lucky. We went home at about 1pm that day.
So in all, it was a really amazing incredibly intense, but yet calm, experience. The midwives were really truly amazing and I was chuffed that for them it was a beautiful birth the lovely midwife had never seen a waterbirth and she told me afterwards that it had restored her belief in positive calm birthing. Throughout the whole thing Floras heart rate was perfectly fine and so she was born a calm baby.
Since then it has been all the usual rollercoaster of establishing breastfeeding, milk coming in, trouble sleeping etc! She is sleeping really well now, a little too well as we have to rouse her to feed a lot of the time. But we are absolutely in love with our little angel!
Thanks for reading xx
The night before my due date , DH was at work and I was in with my parents who are staying from Australia. Mum decided I should reorganise my CD shelf which was a bit of a mess. I had been out during the day walking and was tried but got bossed into more activity! I was a bit resentful and not myself.
Went to bed late around 11 and was reading waiting for DH to come home from work, he got back after 12 and then stayed up speaking to a friend in NZ, so it was after 1 when he came to bed. I hadnt slept by then and was feeling a slight period pain. Within an hour I knew something was up, I went to the loo and had clear mucus with a slight pinkish tinge. The period pain starting coming in waves, it was gradual though so I wasnt sure if it meant anything. I popped onto BNB knowing I couldnt sleep through it and wondering if it might have been then start of things.
The lovely BNB ladies, (at first those in Oz, NZ, USA and Canada) helped me through those few hours, as I left DH to get his rest in as I had a feeling it was going to be a long day! I was feeling quite regular contractions all morning and was breathing through them. I had phoned the birthing centre but it had been closed overnight and wasnt opening till 8am. By 8 my contractions had grown further apart (I had been using the contractions timer all night), so I waited longer and waited for peak hour to die down. I had a small gush of waters I think about 9 or 10am, so we went to the birthing centre, I was examined and was only 2cm but my cervix was soft and favourable. She gave me a sweep and sent me home for a while. Of course the sweep kicked off painful contractions and the trip home was awful! DH started making a curry (they suggested trying to get things moving) but I was contracting every 3 minutes or so and wasnt interested in curry thanks! I put my rented TENS machine on moved around, bounced on the ball, etc tried all the active birth methods! Had a shower and went back to the birthing centre at about 4pm. Contractions seemed to ease off at that point and I was a bit embarrassed when we got there and hoped they wouldnt send us away! She found I was 3cm and gave me another sweep, but let me stay in because it was quiet.
The next 4 hours or so was just contracting in private in our room using all the active birth equipment and my TENS machine. The midwives changed over at 8pm and I was re-examined and was now being looked after by 2 midwives, one very firm and efficient one (who was amazing as well as effiecient) and one return to practice midwife who was adorably sweet to me. By now I was 5cm nearly 6 when stretched (they said my cervix was really stretchy). The efficient midwife gave me the mother of all sweeps, and then they filled the pool for me. I got in the pool - with DH - round about 9pm. What follows is mostly a blur, but I remember the midwife suggesting I hold off on the gas and air as long as possible. At one point they left us alone and advised we try some ... loving techniques to get the natural oxytocin flowing. I think this must have had some good effect and was very beautiful. I dont remember contracting in the midst of this but I must have done.
Eventually I was on the gas and air because the contractions were getting REALLY painful. (I thought they were painful all day but boy do they get worse). I have to say it didnt take the pain away: what it did was make me focus on the breathing through the contractions, and made me pretty out of it between contractions. I kept having awake dreams and I remember telling the lovely midwife that Id dreamt about her. I think I was just off my face! DH was great, spaying me with cool water and massaging me between contractions, feeding me ice cubes. During each contraction at this point I as nearly climbing out of the bath and screaming louder than I ever thought I would. I remember crying and saying I couldnt do it anymore, but the rational part of my brain was telling me that this was the transition stage and it would pass.
Not sure how long after, the contractions felt different and I felt sure I was nearly ready to push. However the efficient midwife made me continue to wait and breath through them steadily, the idea is to breath the baby down as far as possible before pushing, so you dont get too exhausted with the pushing. At last she suggested I stop listening to her and just let my body guide me. Pushing was very intense and went on for about half an hour, I was facing out of the bath and hanging on to the edge, with everyone behind me. Flora came out all in one on the last push (after about 5 or 6 pushes, half an hour) at 2:27am on 1st April (just outside my EDD) and they passed her me to me between my legs and I brought her up to my chest. I sat back and cradled my baby next to my husband in the gunky bloody water, she didnt really cry just breathed and looked around very calmly. Only after a little while remembering to check what the sex was to discover that we had a little girl!
We cuddled and kissed Flora while the cord was left to pulsate. When it had finished pulsating DH cut the cord which he found very weird. We were all left in the bath while the midwives made notes and a short time I delivered the placenta naturally in a single gentle push.
Short time later I was out of the bath, showered and up on to the table for stitching. The efficient midwife had a reputation for being a total expert at suturing, which made me feel happy I had a second degree tear. She gave me the gas and air and made me inhale it for a while, which I didnt really like at first as I felt the weird rushing sensation (which I didnt get at all while having a contraction), and then suddenly I was just off my face while she stitched me and I barely felt a thing. Flora was being weighed and checked over she was perfect and weighed in at a lovely 6lbs 10oz (3.015kg). After all was done it must have been about 4:30am. They left us alone to sleep (in the double bed!) and would be back at 7am for further checks. Flora was checked at 7 and again at 12, and she was completely perfect and we are so lucky. We went home at about 1pm that day.
So in all, it was a really amazing incredibly intense, but yet calm, experience. The midwives were really truly amazing and I was chuffed that for them it was a beautiful birth the lovely midwife had never seen a waterbirth and she told me afterwards that it had restored her belief in positive calm birthing. Throughout the whole thing Floras heart rate was perfectly fine and so she was born a calm baby.
Since then it has been all the usual rollercoaster of establishing breastfeeding, milk coming in, trouble sleeping etc! She is sleeping really well now, a little too well as we have to rouse her to feed a lot of the time. But we are absolutely in love with our little angel!
Thanks for reading xx
Thanks for taking time to write it out. Sounds like an amazing experience! Huge congrats hun! xx
Beautiful pictures!! 
