Tulip
Ruby <i>, Dils, Rowan
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- Aug 5, 2009
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Woke at 0441 on EDD+5 with back ache and period pain. They were coming 10 mins apart. Intermittent 10-20 mins for a couple of hours. Easily manageable, I relaxed and did my hypno through them. I enjoyed it - baby was finally coming!
Went for a long walk to the cafe for lunch - carb loaded with jacket, chilli and cheese. Nom nom nom. Pains became closer together through the afternoon, then all of a sudden stepped up a gear when I yelled "OW!" halfway through a contraction.
By 8pm the contractions were every 2-3 minutes (I had put my TENS on far too late at dinner time). Rang triage twice but because I didn't sound too bad, they said I wasn't established. Yet the pains were every 2 mins and it scared me. Eventually we went in about 11pm and sat on the trace for a while. At 1am they examined me and said although cervix was well forward and 75% effaced I wasn't quite 4cm and therefore not established. "Go home or go for a walk for an hour - we won't re-examine you til 5am now". OMFG walking round the hospital having a contraction every ten steps in front of all the cleaners was horrific. Went back after 40 minutes and begged for
something. They agreed that we could go to postnatal for a couple of hours as there was a side room available and I could have some pethidine if I wanted. I did want.
I was beside myself, writhing around in pain. We got settled in our room, Kev was trying to talk me out of the Peth "think of the feeding, think of the effect it'll have on him...", so we left it for ten mins. Then I was begging. I felt as if I was letting him down, letting the baby down for the effect it could have on him. Begging Kev to forgive me for doing this but I just couldn't handle it....
Had the Peth at 2:30am. I think it did precisely fuck-all. Maybe took the very peak off one contraction in three. Within 2 hours I was waking Kev in his chair going "Tell them my body is pushing, I can't help it...." They established I was now 8cm and we arrived back on Delivery in a wheelchair at 4:45am.
I stood at the foot of the bed for the next 2 hours, having said at the very start "My body is pushing". I don't think anyone believed me. At one point (must have been just before 6) the MW said "the pool is free, shall we fill it?" Yep. She was really good at memorising my birth plan, actually. While the pool was filling she did my obs and my pulse was well over a hundred. She said I needed to get it down before we could go in the pool. I concentrated on my breathing and calmness to try and reduce it. Every time she tried, it was a little lower but still not quite there. By this time I was having about 5 pushes per contraction. It was so weird - the first one was always at the back, the second one in the middle, the third at the front and then next two in the middle again. I was wailing a bit by this point - not screaming, it wasn't painful anymore, but the pressure was INSANE.
I kept saying to them "WHY won't these waters break??
I was sure he was moving down and thought "There's no way I'm making it into the pool..."
Kev says the midwife had been looking at me in a bit of a confused manner for a while. Eventually at 6:30 she took a cursory glance beneath me and the shock on her face was clear. "OK, we have bulging membranes and some meconium and I think baby's just behind it....."
Mmmm. I wondered what that heavy feeling between my legs was.
I nearly shat myself at the mention of meconium and had to refocus while she got in some help and lined the floor with inco pads and cushions. They were expecting to get drenched, but when they got the crochet hook out it wasn't so bad. I panicked again when I saw the colour of the waters though. Next contraction, head was coming and they put some protective pressure on my perineum. Then she went "Kev, come and see this - baby has his hand on his face".
Little sod! That left hand which is up around his face on ALL his scans was planted there again as he was born. Got the head out in a reasonable time, I was trying not to go too fast, but was scared he'd inhaled some mec. Next push out came the body. MW said to the other "She wanted a physiological third thage but-" and I just went "CUT the CORD and check him!" (Paediatrician was already poised at the resucitaire). She cut the cord long and I could see his eyes were already open as she did it. As soon as the doctor touched him he cried a bit
gave him a rub and he cried some more.
Kev and I realised afterwards that WE didn't cry. They were trying to move me onto the bed to deliver the placenta but my hands were still firmly planted where they'd been for 2 hours and I couldn't take my eyes off the doctor checking over our little boy. Syntocinon and some controlled cord traction delivered the placenta just in time for Munch to be handed to me. K later cut the cord down to a stub.
His APGARs were 9 at 1 minute and 10 at 5 minutes! I couldn't believe it. He coughed up a tiny bit of mec with his first suckle but that was it - he must have pooed at the very last minute.
Sadly, his contortions in the birth canal left me with a 3A tear and I had to go the theatre for a spinal. When they told me THAT, then I cried! Kev had skin to skin while I went in. The spinal was awesome though. And I'm weird when I'm having operations without a general, I spend the whole time cracking jokes to the anaesthetists. And the lovely student MW that came with me.
We were finally released from captivity on Friday evening, by which time we had decided on a name - Dillon. He had arrived at 6:38am on 24th November weighing 7lb 8oz (my journal stalkers will recall baby's favourite MW taking one look and predicting 7-and-a-half pounds).
BFing is haaaaaaaard, my nips are on fire but I think we're getting there. He's a bit of a late night cluster feeder, til about 2 or 3am then for the last 2 nights has given us a good few hours off. 4.5 hours this morning, I feel like a new woman! Kev is amazing and an expert winder while I nap before the next feed. There's no way I could have done this with anyone other than him. I am SO lucky.
One final thought: surely birth is hard work enough without pushing the buggers down IN the sac and therefore without the lubrication of the waters
Entertainingly because no-one realised I was pushing, the birth record shows #error for duration of 2nd stage. Total delivery time: 2 hours (ie the whole time I was on delivery) Rupture of Membranes to birth: 6 minutes
3rd stage: 12 minutes! 
https://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1203.snc4/155510_1604268540940_1062915083_31447551_4889754_n.jpg
https://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1207.snc4/155903_460652722202_711812202_6143597_5795532_n.jpg
Went for a long walk to the cafe for lunch - carb loaded with jacket, chilli and cheese. Nom nom nom. Pains became closer together through the afternoon, then all of a sudden stepped up a gear when I yelled "OW!" halfway through a contraction.
By 8pm the contractions were every 2-3 minutes (I had put my TENS on far too late at dinner time). Rang triage twice but because I didn't sound too bad, they said I wasn't established. Yet the pains were every 2 mins and it scared me. Eventually we went in about 11pm and sat on the trace for a while. At 1am they examined me and said although cervix was well forward and 75% effaced I wasn't quite 4cm and therefore not established. "Go home or go for a walk for an hour - we won't re-examine you til 5am now". OMFG walking round the hospital having a contraction every ten steps in front of all the cleaners was horrific. Went back after 40 minutes and begged for
something. They agreed that we could go to postnatal for a couple of hours as there was a side room available and I could have some pethidine if I wanted. I did want.
I was beside myself, writhing around in pain. We got settled in our room, Kev was trying to talk me out of the Peth "think of the feeding, think of the effect it'll have on him...", so we left it for ten mins. Then I was begging. I felt as if I was letting him down, letting the baby down for the effect it could have on him. Begging Kev to forgive me for doing this but I just couldn't handle it....
Had the Peth at 2:30am. I think it did precisely fuck-all. Maybe took the very peak off one contraction in three. Within 2 hours I was waking Kev in his chair going "Tell them my body is pushing, I can't help it...." They established I was now 8cm and we arrived back on Delivery in a wheelchair at 4:45am.
I stood at the foot of the bed for the next 2 hours, having said at the very start "My body is pushing". I don't think anyone believed me. At one point (must have been just before 6) the MW said "the pool is free, shall we fill it?" Yep. She was really good at memorising my birth plan, actually. While the pool was filling she did my obs and my pulse was well over a hundred. She said I needed to get it down before we could go in the pool. I concentrated on my breathing and calmness to try and reduce it. Every time she tried, it was a little lower but still not quite there. By this time I was having about 5 pushes per contraction. It was so weird - the first one was always at the back, the second one in the middle, the third at the front and then next two in the middle again. I was wailing a bit by this point - not screaming, it wasn't painful anymore, but the pressure was INSANE.
I kept saying to them "WHY won't these waters break??
I was sure he was moving down and thought "There's no way I'm making it into the pool..."
Kev says the midwife had been looking at me in a bit of a confused manner for a while. Eventually at 6:30 she took a cursory glance beneath me and the shock on her face was clear. "OK, we have bulging membranes and some meconium and I think baby's just behind it....."
Mmmm. I wondered what that heavy feeling between my legs was.
I nearly shat myself at the mention of meconium and had to refocus while she got in some help and lined the floor with inco pads and cushions. They were expecting to get drenched, but when they got the crochet hook out it wasn't so bad. I panicked again when I saw the colour of the waters though. Next contraction, head was coming and they put some protective pressure on my perineum. Then she went "Kev, come and see this - baby has his hand on his face".
Little sod! That left hand which is up around his face on ALL his scans was planted there again as he was born. Got the head out in a reasonable time, I was trying not to go too fast, but was scared he'd inhaled some mec. Next push out came the body. MW said to the other "She wanted a physiological third thage but-" and I just went "CUT the CORD and check him!" (Paediatrician was already poised at the resucitaire). She cut the cord long and I could see his eyes were already open as she did it. As soon as the doctor touched him he cried a bit
gave him a rub and he cried some more.Kev and I realised afterwards that WE didn't cry. They were trying to move me onto the bed to deliver the placenta but my hands were still firmly planted where they'd been for 2 hours and I couldn't take my eyes off the doctor checking over our little boy. Syntocinon and some controlled cord traction delivered the placenta just in time for Munch to be handed to me. K later cut the cord down to a stub.
His APGARs were 9 at 1 minute and 10 at 5 minutes! I couldn't believe it. He coughed up a tiny bit of mec with his first suckle but that was it - he must have pooed at the very last minute.
Sadly, his contortions in the birth canal left me with a 3A tear and I had to go the theatre for a spinal. When they told me THAT, then I cried! Kev had skin to skin while I went in. The spinal was awesome though. And I'm weird when I'm having operations without a general, I spend the whole time cracking jokes to the anaesthetists. And the lovely student MW that came with me.
We were finally released from captivity on Friday evening, by which time we had decided on a name - Dillon. He had arrived at 6:38am on 24th November weighing 7lb 8oz (my journal stalkers will recall baby's favourite MW taking one look and predicting 7-and-a-half pounds).
BFing is haaaaaaaard, my nips are on fire but I think we're getting there. He's a bit of a late night cluster feeder, til about 2 or 3am then for the last 2 nights has given us a good few hours off. 4.5 hours this morning, I feel like a new woman! Kev is amazing and an expert winder while I nap before the next feed. There's no way I could have done this with anyone other than him. I am SO lucky.
One final thought: surely birth is hard work enough without pushing the buggers down IN the sac and therefore without the lubrication of the waters
Entertainingly because no-one realised I was pushing, the birth record shows #error for duration of 2nd stage. Total delivery time: 2 hours (ie the whole time I was on delivery) Rupture of Membranes to birth: 6 minutes
3rd stage: 12 minutes! https://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1203.snc4/155510_1604268540940_1062915083_31447551_4889754_n.jpg
https://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1207.snc4/155903_460652722202_711812202_6143597_5795532_n.jpg
well done xx
What an amazing story! You did so well!
