a birth story

A few have asked me to write my birth story with my youngest.  As she turned one recently I have been looking back on the day she was born and decided to write it down before I forget.

2am - I remember looking at the clock and trying to go to sleep but the contractions kept waking me up.  I had had contractions from around 34 weeks some lasting a whole day others just for an hour or two.  But they never became regular enough for me to worry or the intensity increase.  These ones where every 6 minutes and intense enough to stop me sleeping.

4 am - I was still awake unable to get comfy to sleep, in all my waking around as this seemed to be the only thing that helped I had woke up our daughter and had to get her back to sleep, only she wanted to lie in our bed.  I remember watching her sleep and thinking how different things were soon going to be, contractions 4 minutes apart but no more painful.

7 am - I had a show and decided that it was perhaps time to wake up husband.  We agreed to wait until 8.

8 am - contractions still 4 minutes apart we rang the hospital who said we could come in to be checked out.  At that time we lived a 35 - 45 minute drive down the motorway to the hospital.   With my eldest they closed  part of it and I was dreading the same thing happening.  We called nursery and then my parents.

As we got in the car the frequency of contractions slowed to 12 minutes apart, I was gutted but still wanted to be safe and get checked out.

8.50 am - I was examined by a mid wife and was 4-5cm.  They let me stay on the ward.  The midwife told me I did not look in enough pain to be in labour so she would wait until 10 to re asses me and make a decision.

10.40 am - Examined and I was almost 5 cm but I was not longer having contractions, they told me to go home.  I was gutted.  I did not want to get stuck on the motorway, just in case and did not really want to go to my parents as I really did not want my daughter to see me in pain.

10.50 - As we were leaving the hospital the next wave of contractions started, this time much stronger and 4 minutes apart.

12.15 - We leave my parents house.  I could tell how upset and confused my daughter was and it was really beginning to upset me as I did not want her in discomfort.  

12.32 - according to the parking machine we arrive back in hospital.  The midwife looks and me and says, that's better you look in pain this time, lets examine you,  I was 7cm.  I remember the midwife kept trying to get me to lie on my back and I remember my instincts telling me to get on my knees and put my arms on the top of the bed, leaning on the back on it.  Every time she left the room I would turn into this position and when she came in she would turn me back round.  Luckily for me she only came in the room twice.

I am not sure of the exact timing of it, I remember the midwife was not there just me and my husband, I felt that all mighty pressure and a feeling of self doubt.  I remembered from my first pregnancy that this meant I needed to push so I did, just one.  The midwife came in at this point, this was the second time she had come in and she turned me onto my back to examine me.  She said I can see the membranes, as my waters were still in tact at this point, let me try pop them for you.  She touched them and not only did they pop, but by doing so my daughters head also came out.  My husband said it was one second no head, next second head.   I felt instant relief, no more contractions.  Which was when the midwife said twice, on the next contraction push and your baby will be out.  I waited but nothing came.  She grabbed my leg and pushed it right back, so I just pushed.  Baby was born at 13.32.

newborn

My notes say I was pushing for 7 minutes and labour for 1 hour.  The only pain relief was gas and air through contractions but nothing in the pushing part.  I am glad we did not go home, else she would have been born on the motorway.   I had wanted a water birth with both my girls but unfortunately was not able to with either.  I was checked and did not need any stitches.

We did not know the flavour of our baby, but instinct told me without having to look.  She was put straight into skin to skin and began breast feeding, almost instantly.  She fed solidly for 12 hours.  It became a 'is she still feeding' every time someone came in the room.  She never wanted to be put down and would scream constantly until picked back up, swaddling did not work.  For the first few weeks of her life she slept on my chest and I slept in a chair sat up.  If truly honest, I miss her dong this and have no regrets.  She was only this age and this little once, so I made the most of it.

baby

To this day she loves her food and loves her cuddles.  She also loves to be really warm. 


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5 comments

  1. Beautiful story. Thanks for sharing!

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  2. Lovely story. And what a quick birth!

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  3. awww Lelya thanks for sharing this with #magicmoments! your picture at the bottom is stunning you looked so serene i remember when i had mine and i looked like i had been dragged through a hedge backwards!

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  4. Beautiful birth story and what a stunning pic of you at the bottom. It's so lovely to have these memories down to look back at. Thanks for sharing xx

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  5. What a sweet story!
    Ann

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