Leah's Birthstories... Dear Jackie, ===================== A brief history - My first-born was delivered by emergency c/s in July 1998. He was a posterior brow presentation. Despite close to two hours of pushing there was no progress. When he started to show signs that lead to foetal distress (meconium, heart rate, blood sample) we were rushed to theatre and he was delivered within ten minutes. My second child was a vbac in July 2000. I allowed my waters to be broken after labouring for 8hrs with no progress. Once the waters broke I dilated to 10cm in 1.5hrs. With 55mins of pushing + an episiotomy Steven was born. Steven's heart rate dropped to 60bpm and didn't recover after ctx so the midwife cut and he was born on the next push. We discovered we were expecting our third baby last February and I calculated my EDD to be Oct 30th (I knew when we conceived). We had only just stopped contraception and expected to conceive later rather than sooner as I was still breastfeeding. An ultrasound dated the baby due on Oct 27th so the midwives were quite happy to go with my date. I had an appt at 37wks with the Ob who recalculated my EDD and stated that it was more like Oct 20th. Another OB even dared to suggest it was Oct 15th. I was so angry I couldn't believe the goalposts had been moved again like they did in my second pregnancy. I decided to ignore the Ob's calculation and carry on as usual. My baby's tend to be late so getting excited over a due date was wasted energy. I woke 7.30am on a Friday morning two days past Ômy due date', to barely noticeable tightenings. I got up to try to encourage them to pick up. I had an appt with the Ob at 10.30am so I was hoping to have things moving so I could avoid all the hassles of being Ôpost dates.' The contractions were lasting about 20-30secs and were starting to get uncomfortable by the time the appt rolled around. I had had a slight show earlier but after an internal (at my request) the rest followed. The internal revealed 3cm dilation but the head was still not engaged. The Ob said he would probably see me at the Birthing Unit over the weekend. Nonetheless an appt was made for the following Wednesday. There was no mention of induction thankfully - I had it highlighted on my record that I didn't want to be induced, have continuous EFM or a cannula. The cannula was another issue. As I had low iron levels the Ob was insistent but ultimately it was up to me. We headed out to my parents house to pick up our two boys who had slept over the previous night. On the twenty-minute trip the ctx picked up intensity so we asked my parents to keep the boys an extra night. We stayed about an hour before I was too uncomfortable and wanted to leave. The plan was to have a nutritious lunch and then a nap as I thought I was going to be a long time before active labour began. I was also expecting the contractions to just stop as I had false labour at 36wks that hurt a lot more than this. At home at 1.30pm the contractions were 3mins apart but still only 30secs long and they started to bite but I still didn't think the pain was enough to warrant a trip to the birthing unit. At 2pm. I asked Alex (husband) to ring the Birthing Unit. They suggested we make our way in. We parked a few blocks from the hospital so it took awhile for me to walk - I needed to stop every couple of minutes for a ctx to pass. I had insisted on walking, as I wanted the baby's head to move down. I was also fairly certain that I would be sent home. At 3pm in the Birthing Unit I was examined and found to be still 3cm and the head still high. I was disappointed and considered going home. The midwife suggested a hot bath and then a reassessment. I agreed eager for the relief of the hot water. In the bath the ctx petered out and the idea of going home seemed like a real possibility. At 3.30pm, 10mins after relaxing in the bath, I felt a huge pop followed by the gushing of my water. We buzzed the midwife (Lise) who listened briefly to the baby's heart rate. At this point the midwives decided to do the blood work (cross matching & a cannula), as they didn't think it would be long before the baby arrived. I relented on the cannula - I just didn't care at that stage. While the cannula was inserted the other midwife (Jan) got the baby gear ready. I was a bit sceptical as the ctx were still not very long or as painful as I remember. I was still holding a conversation so it didn't seem like the baby's birth was close to me. Lise assured me that third babies come quickly. I wanted to deliver kneeling so gravity could help me. Jan & Lise set up the floor mat and I leant onto the bed. I requested gas as the pain had definitely picked up as soon as I was upright. I was sucking on that the mouthpiece for quite a few contractions thinking that this stuff is doing nothing for me so I asked Alex to get the midwife to turn it up. It was then that Alex realised that the pipe had come off the mouthpiece so I was sucking air. He joked that I almost got that natural birth I wanted after all. Alex went back to rubbing my back - it was something for me to concentrate on. At 4.15pm, just 45mins later, I said to Alex Ôpush baby'. I felt that relief-giving urge to push at the end of a ctx. Jan & Lise returned to the room when they heard my moan change. Lise happily stating that we would be holding our baby soon. I still didn't believe it would be that quick. Lise said she could see the head while Jan tried to put on the EFM - she gave up when Lise asked me to pant as the head was crowning. For the first time I felt the burning and stinging everyone talks about (I had an episiotomy with my first vbac). Then after a few pants I could feel the baby's head outside my body. With one more small push our baby was born. I had requested in my birth plan that we wanted to discover the baby's sex and most importantly I wanted to see & hold my newborn in the first moments after the birth. Jan & Lise helped me turn around so I could see my baby. Mathew had arrived. I just cried "Its Mathew, its Mathew." I could see and feel the cord that had connected us for so long. Mathew was pink but not breathing so Lise started rubbing him with a towel. Alex cut the cord then Lise took Mathew over to the baby warmer and continued to rub him. He was soon crying. Mathew was handed back to me and I kissed him all over. I had requested a natural delivery of the placenta, which separated 16mins after Mathew's birth. Lise explained the parts of the placenta. I sustained a laceration from Mathew's chin, which required 3 stitches. While the laceration was being repaired Alex held Mathew who had fallen into such a deep sleep so he didn't get his first feed until two hours after he was born. Mathew weighed 4.3kg (9lbs 7oz), 51.5cm long and
had a HC of 37.5cm. It was the most fulfilling and uplifting experience. It was amazing how my body took control. It did what it needed to do to birth a baby, and it did so without any interference from me (mentally prepared) or an Ob. It dilated to 10cm in 45mins and pushed our child into the world in 4mins. I saw my baby in his freshly squeezed newborn state instead of a face encompassed in a bunny-rug. I saw and felt the cord connecting us. I smelt and kissed him instead of the baby soap. Welcome Mathew - we love you ever so dearly. ********************************************* The seeds of success of my vbac births were sown
back in mid 1999 when by chance I came across an article on vbac in
a parenting magazine. |