20-7-2010 - ~*~Gabriel's Birth Story~*~

My mood while writing this blog: Elated!!

Warning: Long and Graphic!!!!

Gabriels' Birth Story:

On the 18th of July my Son was Due. The day came and went without so much as a Braxton Hicks contraction. Needless to say I was [Very] Disappointed. For weeks prior to his due date I did absolutely everything I could to bring him on. But nothing. Little man was determined to cook.

That day My Husband and our Son and Daughter and my Sister in law spent the day together. We went to this really Beautiful Garden park. Then we came back to our place and my Husband cooked his yummy Home-Made Pumpkin soup for dinner. My sister in Law, Husband and I sat around talking. I even enjoyed a [little] flute of red wine.

The next day (19th) I woke up feeling rather refreshed and content. At about 9:30 AM I felt a gush of liquid come out of me. Initally I thought I'd wet myself. But as I'd only ever had a trickle every now and then if I sneezed, I wasn't so sure. By 10:00 AM I had two more rather big gushes of fluid. By 10:45 AM I had lost about 3 more gushes of fluid. The last one actually soaked through my Shorts.

I rang my Midwife who asked me to go in at about Midday. She wanted to check me over. I went in and Baby and I were fine. I was planning on Delivering there at the Birth centre, but because we were convinced my Membranes had ruptured it brought about some complications. If I hadn't of delivered within a certain time frame I would need anti-biotics and have to be induced. I felt disheartened. I was having NO contractions whatsoever. My hopes for delivering at the Birth Centre were fading.

To make matters worse, the person who'd arranged to mind our children was unable to do so. So there I was...possibly having to be induced..No one but my Husband (My only support person) to mind mmy children.

My Husband went back to work after the appointment, finished up some loose ends and then came home. We were going to see my Midwife at 8:00 am the next day who was going to do my first internal and see where we were at, and then go from there.

That evening I did a few sets of these flight of stairs in my Neighbourhood. I was disappointed that eventhough I was still having ALOT of fluid loss, there were absolutely no contractions to speak of.

That night I was so overwhelmed. Eventhough in fits of hormonal-induced fury I had said I didn't want my Husband at the delivery....when it came down the reality that he would not be there, I was so very upset and afraid. Of course I really wanted him there! I was annoyed that our child minder had fallen through at the last minute and upset that we had absolutely no one else to help.

At about this time I burst into tears. My Husband was very comforting and reassured me that everything would be ok. All I could think about was being all by myself, being induced and my DH being at home with the kids and missing out on the birth.

Finally, still teary and upset I snuggled up to DH and fell asleep. Until the pains kicked in. Lol. I felt a little crampy all through the night but at about 12:00pm things started to take off pretty fast. I tired to stay relaxed but was finding it hard. I woke DH up and told him about my pains. Then I said it was ok. He tried to go back to sleep and then I got scared and woke him up again. Poor bloke! Lol.

As I sat upright on the bed I had another huge gush that soaked through what I was wearing. Between contractions that were coming every 5-6 minutes I felt ok. Dh asked if we should call my Midwife. I said no. Then another contraction would hit and I panicked and said yes. The I said no. I was confussed. The pains were stealing my breath. They were coming rhythmically every 5-6 minutes but were lasting no longer than 30 seconds.

Finally I say it's time to call Jenny (Our Midwife). Somehow I did NOT think I was going to be making our 8:00am appointment. DH threw together a bag for the kids. And loaded them in the car (Yep, thanks to our crappy situation we had to drag our sleeping babies with us, in the middle of the night). Luckily the night before we had installed the car seat and put my Hospital bag in the car. So we managed to leave quite quickly.

When we arrived at the Birth Centre Jenny was already there. There was no one else there apart from us. While I went into the spacious Birthing room, DH was left to sort out the kids.

Jenny listened to the Babys' Heart beat and took my blood pressure. Between painful contractions I enquired about the Baby. He was fine she said. Jenny wanted to do an internal to see where I was at, but said If I wanted to spend some time in the shower first that was fine. I didn't reply straight away. I had my eyes shut trying to get through a contraction.

So I got into the shower. I had a massive shower head pouring hot water down on me, and a hand-held shower head which I put on my back and front. The pains were so bad that this really didn't help. It just made me feel comforted. I sat there alone wondering where DH was. Jenny checked on me and I asked if she knew where Cain was. She said she hadn't seem him but she could look. I said it was ok.

I don't know how long I stayed in there for. But the Birthing tub in the centre of the room that takes 20 minutes to fill was full. I got out of the shower and hopped onto the bed. Jenny examined me to see where I was at. Because of how quiet and Calm I seemed I had the feeling that perhaps she thought I was there a little prematurely. I was about 5-6 cm Dialated by this time. She smiled and said "I just wanted to make sure we are all here for the right reasons". She was pleased that we were and so was I!

At about this time I hopped into the Birth pool. Cain arrived and sat by me. He had gotten locked outside when he had tried to bring the bags in. Because the kids were sleeping he said he'd gone for a drive to give Jenny time to check me over before he called her to open the door to the Birth Centre.

Cain said that the children were in the Birth suite lounge room (A few feet away) both tucked up sleeping on the large lounge. They each had a pillow and a big blanket snuggling them up. Thank goodness!

The pains were coming strong and fast. They were getting harder and harder to handle. My Midwife checked the babys' heart (She popped the doppler under the water, onto my tummy so I didn't have to stand up). Cain would slip out every now and then to check on our sleeping babies and then come stright back. I was in so much agony that I hardly noticed.

I asked for my cold bottle of water frequently. Each time Cain would fetch it for me and I would take big swigs. By this stage things were moving pretty fast. I was squatting in the water, Swaying, going onto all fours, leaning on the side of the tub, standing up and rocking...I would turn over onto my back and move from side to side...I was turning and moving constantly. I stayed upright for practically the entire time.

This labour was SO different from my other ones. Before a contraction came I felt pressure in my Bottom, then I would be swept up in unbearable agony. All I could do was breathe and wriggle around in excrucuating pain. It was not easy. I always wondered if the shots of pethadine I had with my others made much of a differnce...They did. I had never experienced such raw pain in all my life. I began to think to myself "If I ever do this again I want an epidural!". Lol

By this stage I was feeling pretty tired. Between contractions I would rest my head on the side of the tub and say things like "I don't want to do this all day" and "I feel tired...I want to go to sleep". I heard my Husband quietly ask Jenny how much longer she thought it would be. I didn't quite hear her reply. At some point Jenny put a mirror in the bottom of the tub. I didn't really take notice but they seemed to be looking at it.

By now, the pains were pretty much one on top of the other. Right before one of these deadly contractions would hit I would feel pressure in my bottom..then...I was fighting my way through a contraction. There was nothing half hearted about my labour. I let my Body go floppy between contracions and then when one would hit I was moving, swaying, changing position. Fighting until the next rest. Thank goodness for those sweet, sweet moments of relief.

At this stage, the Birthing tub that had initally made me feel comforted only annoyed me now. I said that I wanted to get out. Before anyone could help me I popped my leg over the side and got out. Jenny was going to help me and suggest that I use the stairs...I guess I was a little impatient. Ha ha!

I clambered up onto the bed (Btw...I did take a sarong and bikini top that I was going to wear...I ended up being butt naked the entire time!!). So I get onto the bed and pile pillows up. I lean into the pillows with my knees wide apart. By now it was getting VERY hard. I was wiggling and swaying and breathing loudly. Things started to get messy too. Do you remember all that water I was drinking? Well I remember during at least two contractions you would have thought I'd sprung a leak. So embarssing! Thankfully I was in too much pain to care and DH was not diturbed at all Lol.

At some point my Husband had replaced the pillows with a big bean bag and put a towel over me. It's funny because eventhough I was in the most horrendous pain I didn't like being completely uncovered. It was as if he'd read my mind. He massaged my back and stayed right by my side the entire time.

Now things weren't just unbearable...They were unbearable x 100. I started thinking things to myself like "If I start to crown this pain will stop and it will almost be over". So eventhough I wasn't having major pressure I began to bear down a little with each contraction. It seemed to offer me a little bit of relief.

It made the contractions less unbearable. Though they were still incredibly intense. Each one would have my entire body trembling like a leaf in the breeze. The pressure to bear down was not involunarty, but I felt that the head was getting closer and closer. By this point you could have been forgiven for thinking I was a wild animal in pain, looking for a place to die. I was breathing so intensely, thrashing around. I couldn't handle it anymore. I wanted the head out. Jenny asked if I felt any pressure and I gasped out "Not really". When I did bear down my body worked with me. So I began to push. With each contraction I myself, was pushing. This was as first for me! With the other two my Body seemed to push the heads out involuntarily.

I decided I couldn't do this anymore and wanted it to be over! That was it. This head was coming out right now, I thought to myself! Jenny and my Husband were shocked when a head popped out of me! Lol. I don't yell or shout when I birth. Infact I am extremely quiet, Neither of them knew I was pushing! They had almost missed it! It was so hard getting his head out and I used every bit of pushing power I had. So his head was out, but his body was stuck. With my other two the bodys just slid out! Not this time. I pushed and pushed. Nothing! Jenny suggested I Turn over onto my back. So I flipped over. I was still quite upright, and I delivered his body.

In a moment there he was! Right there on my chest! I just stared at him, I stroked his little face and hands. Cain said how well I had done and how proud of me he was. I was still feeling quite uncomfortable while I waited for the placenta to be delivered. Finally it was getting to the point where the discomfort was making it hard to hold my son. So Jenny had Cain cut the cord and I handed him Baby to cuddle.

I got up and carefully made my way to the Bathroom. Jenny suggested that I deliver the placenta on the toilet. She needed to take blood from the placenta (to work out babys blood type to see if I need an Anti-D shot) so she places a dish in the toilet. I'm left alone to do my thing. I push just gently and I feel and then see this enormous, dark mass slide out of me. I recalled this to my Husband later who was grossed out. But to be honest I felt so empowered to deliver my own placenta! Lol

After this I got back on the bed and snuggled my Baby. Jenny checked to see if I needed stitches. All I had was a teeny, tiny 1 degree tear. It didnt need any stitches. Infact I didnt even need an ice-pack. My jaw dropped when she said later that he was 7.5 pounds. I think my slow, steady pushing, my upright position (This distributes the pressure around the perenium and Vagina evenly) and the hot water all contributed to such a smoothe delivery.

I didn't know this at the time but my Daughter had woken up and had stayed up waiting for her Baby Brother to be born. After I had a shower and cleaned up she came in (Though Dad had taken baby brother out to meet her while I was showering!). When I came out, My Husband, Daughter, New Baby and I spent some time together. Not too much later Lucius woke up and came in too.

Gabriel was born at 3:40 AM. He weighed 7.5 pounds and was one day Over due. He was healthy and perfect :)

I couldn't have been happier with how things had went. All the things I was worried about; My Husband not being there, being induced, tearing, having to deliver at the Hospital...None of it had happened. It's as if everything came together perfectly. My Kids being able to come with us. Me delivering within the certain time frame so I didn't have to be induced or have anti-biotics. My Husband being able to be there with me. Pushing the biggest baby I have ever had out, without tearing badly. Being able to have a completely un-medicated birth.

I feel so blessed and elated to have had this fantastic experience. I'm so thankful to my amazing Midwife and my Wonderful Husband. The birth of my youngest Son will always be a very special, proud moment in my life.

I feel so blessed that I was able to have the Birth I had wanted. I know this is not always the case, so I am very greatful. I'm proud of myself for having a completely Natural Birth. It was hard work, but worth it :)