Well, its been two weeks since I last blogged. And it has been a crazy 2 weeks.
Today I will chat about my birthing experience.
My show came at about 7.30am, well a bloody show anyway - a show is a show. I was so happy, relieved! The last thing I wanted was to go into the hospital for inducement, so I was really happy. Called mum and my step mum and Mr H let the in-laws know as they were going to look after our son and dog once things started.
We have heard that it can still be a long wait until anything happens so Mr H went to work while Mr S was on school holidays anyway so he was home with me.
I had a few bits and pieces that I still wanted to get done before baby came. I sat at the table and went through my list while sipping on a cup of tea.
Next thing, Mr H walks in, I was pretty happy he came back home from work. His colleague sent him home as his wife went into labour pretty fast after she had her show.
We had a few errands to do, visit the accountant, call Salvation Army to pick up a lounge suite and we decided to go up the road for Brunch.
My contractions had started, but they were more like stronger Braxton Hicks' with a little bit of pain, bearable for sure. I laugh as I think of how I was sitting at the cafe having a contraction then eating my Eggs Benedict.
Got home and they started getting stronger, strong enough that I needed to breath through them and concentrate, I also downloaded an app and they were about 5min a part. We thought it would be a good idea to get the in-laws to pick up Mr S and Dog, just in case.
I messaged the midwive and she called me, I think to hear how I was going and get a gauge of where I was. She decided to come over and do an internal to see if I had dilated.
I hadnt! "I can't even get a finger up there... you have a long time to go... just ignore them (contractions)... go bake a cake..."
Go bake a cake! wtf. These contractions were strong enough that there was no chance I was going to bake a cake. She left and told us to call her when things really got started.
What to do! Maybe I was just working myself up. I went and hoped into bed to see if I could calm myself down. Maybe I was causing the contractions.
That worked for a little bit, they got less. Its just that when the contractions came, they were pretty bad. And each contraction was stronger. I actually found it totally unbelievable that my midwife was letting me go through this pain with no gas. It was frustrating, because to me the pain was really bad, but to her it was just the beginning.
Getting through the contractions was difficult, one because you have no pain relief and two because your not really sure if there is something you can do to feel better. I was getting Mr H to heat up the wheat sack, but when the contractions were at their peak the last thing I wanted was heat, I would push the sack away then bring it back once the contraction went away. I was also holding onto the bead head board plank and pulling it as the contractions peaked and then the next thing I did was totally squeeze the life out of the pillow. Gosh it was difficult. I wanted to cry so badly but couldn't because I knew I had longer and strong contractions coming.
Mr H was by my side in bed, just lying with me as I was having these crazy contractions. Suddenly at about 5.40pm I had a major contraction, it was the longest one and during that one my waters broke, all over the bed. The contraction kept going and going and it didn't want to stop. After about 5-10min the pain was so much that breathing was a waist of time and instead I had to use my voice (constantly thinking about how I wasn't getting any pain relief!).
The pain was agonising. And there was no way to avoid it.
Mr H called the midwive, the midwive could here me in the background and told Mr H to get me to the hospital asap and she would meet us there.
The car ride to the hospital was crazy! Peaking contractions! Only 30 second breaks between them, half way there my body started pushing. It wanted to and there is nothing you can do to stop it. The yelling, actually the word roaring is more like it. I started deep roaring, groaning and loudly. The noises your body produces are as if your body has created its own pain management system.
I could certainly feel myself opening and started freaking out because I didn't want to have the baby in the car! But gosh that instinct to push just happens and your body takes over.
Got to the hospital. I recall sitting in the passenger seat and there was a girl outside the hospital having a smoke and just watching me. I was having a break through the contractions. One starts coming on and the girl is still watching me, I start roaring and leaning back, totally purposely dramatic, I wonder what she thought.
The next thing I know is that the nurse is trying to get me out of the car and into a wheelchair. Done
She starts wheeling me to the delivery room. I just lifting onto the bed, but don't quite make it and instead I am standing leaning on the bed, gripped to Mr H - I pulled him in right by my face.
All I remember is pushing hard a couple of times and the head was nearly out, I felt a weird moving of babies head, which I later found out it was her head rotating, another push and her head was out, it was the best feeling ever. Pushing the rest of her out was easy compared to the head! I then heard crying, that was surreal, just like that, withing minutes she was out. So fast!
Photo was taken about one hours after birth.
