I'm Olivia, 19 years old, this was my first birth and I was 39+2 when Iris Teresa was born on April 1st 2012:
I woke up feeling like I had really bad PMS on the 31st of March; weepy, irritated and flustered with really mild crampy feelings. I didnt really think much of it until I was at my parents house for dinner that night and we were talking about me and my siblings births and Id noticed them becoming much stronger but still quite irregular. My OH picked me up after dinner and asked if I minded him having a friend stay over the following night. I said I didnt really mind but he should wait to invite him because I thought things might be getting started, but didnt want to get too excited yet.
After we got home I went to the bathroom and there was a bit of pink tinged mucous. We took the dog for a walk around the block and contacted my Mom, she decided shed come for a sleepover and my OH went off to his mothers to call work and get the next day off. I managed some sleep between 12 and 2am before contractions got too painful to sleep through. My MW came round at 10 to check on me and I was put to bed to try get some sleep. I think I managed to get a couple hours of dozing between contractions but it felt like I didnt sleep at all.
While I was sleeping my mom and OH set up the birth-pool (better late than never!). I cant really remember what happened when between 10 and 4 in the afternoon apart from my MIL showing up and my mom giving me a back rub. At 4pm I went to the toilet and wound up sobbing into the toilet bowl. After this everything is super hazy, and Im going off of the notes my MW has.
My mom gave me a backrub while we waited for my MW to show up and my OH took me to get in the shower just before she got there. The water was super helpful during contractions. My MW has written down that I was vocalising beautifully during contractions. They were 2-3 minutes apart at this point according to my notes.
My OH was the most amazing support, as was my mother and MIL. I remember looking up at one point and seeing my OH with tears in his eyes which he later told me was because I was crying out from the pain so much. He was with me the entire time, holding my hand until we got into the pool. I had been literally begging to get into the pool after hot compresses and rocking side to side stopped helping with the pain. I lay back on my OH and I do remember saying I cant do this, I really cant over and over and everyone trying to convince me otherwise.
In between contractions I would totally relax into a trance, nearly falling asleep which I can remember, I also remember begging for them to take her out because I wanted to sleep and making a joke that at that point Id welcome a poo just as much as I would my baby because something needed to come out! Then I started to push and kept saying I just want to sleep, can this be over? I pushed for 36 minutes and the bag of waters broke a push or two before her head was born.
Iris was born at 8pm April 1st after 4.5 hours of active labour, weighing 7lbs 7oz. I got out of the birth pool and greyed out and started to shake until they laid me down. The placenta got stuck and my Mom ended up yanking the cord while my midwife pushed on my tummy and I pushed, ouch! I didnt tear and breastfeeding has been going well so far. Im so lucky to have had such amazing support! I dont think my birth would have been nearly as wonderful without all of them!
And here are some pictures:
https://i1190.photobucket.com/albums/z444/Olivia_Barrett-Hogg/irisand-1.jpg -minutes after the birth
https://i1190.photobucket.com/albums/z444/Olivia_Barrett-Hogg/CIMG3729.jpg -Iris and her daddy just he cut the cord (once he got back from taking a shower)
https://i1190.photobucket.com/albums/z444/Olivia_Barrett-Hogg/CIMG3792.jpg - Iris and daddy
https://i1190.photobucket.com/albums/z444/Olivia_Barrett-Hogg/SANY0240.jpg
I woke up feeling like I had really bad PMS on the 31st of March; weepy, irritated and flustered with really mild crampy feelings. I didnt really think much of it until I was at my parents house for dinner that night and we were talking about me and my siblings births and Id noticed them becoming much stronger but still quite irregular. My OH picked me up after dinner and asked if I minded him having a friend stay over the following night. I said I didnt really mind but he should wait to invite him because I thought things might be getting started, but didnt want to get too excited yet.
After we got home I went to the bathroom and there was a bit of pink tinged mucous. We took the dog for a walk around the block and contacted my Mom, she decided shed come for a sleepover and my OH went off to his mothers to call work and get the next day off. I managed some sleep between 12 and 2am before contractions got too painful to sleep through. My MW came round at 10 to check on me and I was put to bed to try get some sleep. I think I managed to get a couple hours of dozing between contractions but it felt like I didnt sleep at all.
While I was sleeping my mom and OH set up the birth-pool (better late than never!). I cant really remember what happened when between 10 and 4 in the afternoon apart from my MIL showing up and my mom giving me a back rub. At 4pm I went to the toilet and wound up sobbing into the toilet bowl. After this everything is super hazy, and Im going off of the notes my MW has.
My mom gave me a backrub while we waited for my MW to show up and my OH took me to get in the shower just before she got there. The water was super helpful during contractions. My MW has written down that I was vocalising beautifully during contractions. They were 2-3 minutes apart at this point according to my notes.
My OH was the most amazing support, as was my mother and MIL. I remember looking up at one point and seeing my OH with tears in his eyes which he later told me was because I was crying out from the pain so much. He was with me the entire time, holding my hand until we got into the pool. I had been literally begging to get into the pool after hot compresses and rocking side to side stopped helping with the pain. I lay back on my OH and I do remember saying I cant do this, I really cant over and over and everyone trying to convince me otherwise.
In between contractions I would totally relax into a trance, nearly falling asleep which I can remember, I also remember begging for them to take her out because I wanted to sleep and making a joke that at that point Id welcome a poo just as much as I would my baby because something needed to come out! Then I started to push and kept saying I just want to sleep, can this be over? I pushed for 36 minutes and the bag of waters broke a push or two before her head was born.
Iris was born at 8pm April 1st after 4.5 hours of active labour, weighing 7lbs 7oz. I got out of the birth pool and greyed out and started to shake until they laid me down. The placenta got stuck and my Mom ended up yanking the cord while my midwife pushed on my tummy and I pushed, ouch! I didnt tear and breastfeeding has been going well so far. Im so lucky to have had such amazing support! I dont think my birth would have been nearly as wonderful without all of them!
And here are some pictures:
https://i1190.photobucket.com/albums/z444/Olivia_Barrett-Hogg/irisand-1.jpg -minutes after the birth
https://i1190.photobucket.com/albums/z444/Olivia_Barrett-Hogg/CIMG3729.jpg -Iris and her daddy just he cut the cord (once he got back from taking a shower)
https://i1190.photobucket.com/albums/z444/Olivia_Barrett-Hogg/CIMG3792.jpg - Iris and daddy
https://i1190.photobucket.com/albums/z444/Olivia_Barrett-Hogg/SANY0240.jpg
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