Here?s my dd?s birth story...born 1st November 1996
The day before my due date (26th Oct ? dmil?s birthday ? the pressure was on!) I had an internal and was 3cm dilated already! I was shocked, excited and scared all at once. My dr (doctor) told me he would see me at the hospital within a couple of days. Five days later, nothing! After getting all psyched up for it, I was so disappointed, not to mention getting very physically uncomfortable! On Halloween night I had a call from a friend, ready with sympathy for my late and sorry state. My dh was at uni, so I was home by myself. About half an hour after I had talked to my friend, about 9.30pm, I felt a small gush of fluid. Ran to the loo ? more fluid! Everything was soaked and there was a little puddle on the floor. It smelled sort of sweet, really unusual. I rang the hospital and they said to come in and have it checked out, but that I could probably come home again if contractions hadn?t started yet. So I waited til dh got home and off we went ? not taking the bag I had packed months before, since we only lived 5-10 mins from the hospital.
Yes it was amniotic fluid, heartbeat was good, and everything seemed fine. The midwife Nikki called the dr to see if he wanted her to do an internal and yes, he did. While she was doing it, she had a strange expression on her face and I asked what was wrong. ?That can?t be right,? she said, ?Are you sure you haven?t had any contractions?? I said no, I didn?t think so, just some backache, which I?d had for days anyway. ?Well, you?re already 6cm dilated!? WOW! But my waters hadn?t actually broken; it was what they call a hindwater leak. The dr arrived about 11pm and ruptured the mebrane, which was quick and painless but an amazing amount of warm fluid gushed out, extraordinary sensation.
Within 15 mins, the backpain was worse than ever, constant but intensifying with each contraction. I felt all the contractions in my lower back and later in my rectum as well, don?t recall feeling the abdominal tightening I had with ds 2nd time around. It was due to the fact that dd was in a posterior position, and her back was pressing along mine IYKWIM. I stood under a VERY hot shower (I was going bright red and my dh was very worried he was burning me, but I just kept yelling at him to make it HOTTER!) DH asked if he could go home and get my bag (which had my CD?s, tennis ball ? for massage, not ?cos I fancied a game! - and the camera among other things), but the dr said things could happen very quickly now and he should stay ? just in case! (Of course, as it turned out, he would have had plenty of time, but it didn?t really matter ? and they had some CD?s in the room, so I had Enya and Phantom of the Opera!!!) Hip circles, back massage, hotpacks and breathing got me thru the next hour or so, but after that I couldn?t stand up anymore and couldn?t settle in any position. I tried the gas, leaning over a beanbag, but it made me nauseous. When I got the urge to push, Nikki did an internal and found I was only 7-8cm dilated. I was devastated and exhausted, crying and groaning. I said ?YES!? as soon as pethidine was offered, even though I had originally thought I wouldn?t have it. It made me very sleepy, but the pain was still intense. I felt very confused and disoriented. I think it was at about this point I practically tore off the hospital gown they had given me ? it was as if something primal inside me made me want to be naked, I just really needed to be. Had you told me a few months earlier that I would want to give birth naked, I would never have believed it! Finally at 2am I got the green light to push. I ended up with the beanbag on the bed, and after much ineffective pushing (I was just too tired), the dr suggested he try the vacuum. I was past caring by this stage; I just wanted it to be over so I could go to sleep!
The last part of dd?s birth is a blur. I was on my back on the bed, feet in stirrups ? not part of my birth plan at all! There was a lot of blood, and I vaguely recall the dr saying he needed to do an episiotomy. I remember the sting of the needle but didn?t realise he had cut me until afterwards when he started stitching me up! The suction took 3 or 4 tries, as it kept slipping off (in hindsight it was so absurd it was almost comical - this bloody suction thingy kept flying up and spraying everyone and everything, including the wall if I remember correctly!) When her head finally emerged, the cord was wrapped around her neck. Dr was cool and calm; quickly clamping the cord, he still let dh cut it. Finally at 4.08am, Tessa Maree was born, weighing 7lb 12 and a half oz, 49cm long, with a mop of dark brown hair. And after being so ridiculously tired, I simply couldn?t sleep for the whole next day! Buzz buzz buzz. On the way home from hospital a few days later, I noticed all the jacaranda trees had burst into colour as if overnight, beautiful lilac coloured treetops everywhere. They still always flower around Tessa?s birthday every year.
Part 2 ? ds? (very different) birth to follow ? if you can stand it that is!