Thread: October 09 Birth Stories

Rose v d B
30th October
9lbs 4oz

We all got up at 8, and had some breakfast before I phoned the hospital at around 8.30am to see when they wanted me in for monitoring (having agreed to go in daily due to being past 42 weeks). They wanted us in at 10, so we rushed about, got ready, and felt a few tightenings, but nothing more than I'd been feeling for the few weeks prior, and they went away as soon as we got in the car, so just assumed they were braxton hicks'.

Being 42+2 at this point, we felt it would be wise to have someone in the house in case I had to be induced as scheduled the following Monday, so we had arranged for my mum to come down from Scotland for a few days. Thankfully, she agreed to come down on the Friday, and I got a message at 9am to say she was on the train, and should be at our house at around 4pm.

The contractions picked up again just after I got to the hospital at 10.15 (about a 45 minute drive because of traffic), and mentioned it to the midwife who was in charge of my monitor. Again, at that point, they were just mild cramps. I was put in one of the delivery rooms, and that's when I started to feel them more, and noticed on the monitor they were coming every 10 minutes, and the baby was reacting to them. I was there for about 30 minutes, then got told to go home, and to phone if anything changed.

I told DH in the car I might be in labour (he had taken DS to the park instead of being sat bored), but because they were just starting to get uncomfortable, and still far apart, couldn't be sure.

We got home from the hospital at 11.50, I decided to go for a bath, try and relax a bit, and as soon as I hit the water, they got fairly intense and started every 5 minutes!!! I stayed in for 30 minutes reading my book before I had to get out and move. They slowed down then to every 8/9 minutes, but I was having to start breathing through them, so got Jitte to put the TENS on my back.

At 1pm, they shot from every 8 minutes, to every 4 minutes and I was struggling with pressure at this point as my waters hadn't broke. We phoned the hospital about 1.30pm, DH started filling the pool at 2pm, and the midwife arrived at 2.30ish-pm.

This is where everything gets very hazy as she very kindly gave me gas and air, because at this point I was struggling, they were coming every 2 minutes, lasting about a minute. DS at this point was still kicking around his bed, so we had a small discussion about someone who could come and take him for a few hours, but in the middle of talking, he fell asleep, thankfully.

At 3.15pm roughly, I got in the pool, and it was sweet relief for about 5 minutes, then things got really hard. My waters hadn't broke yet, and I was starting to feel the need to push. I was 9cm now, so she burst the membranes, and in the next contraction I started to push, having gone fully dilated.

After 20 minutes of pushing, the midwife had me change positions, as something was clearly preventing her from coming out, so I turned round, legs on the side of the pool, and 2 contractions later her head came out. I've never done that naturally before (DS was born by ventouse), and it bloody hurt! She was moving her head and wiggling her body which was both weird and very sore! The next contraction came about 5 minutes later at 3.50pm, and she was born weighing 9lbs 4oz! She immediately pooed on me, lovely girl she is.

My mum turned up then, so she started getting clothes and nappies ready. I opted to have a natural 3rd stage, and had been expecting to be waiting a while, but 5 minutes after she was born, the placenta came on its own with a surprisingly painful contraction. DH cut the cord, and got her dressed while I stayed in the pool waiting for a towel and dressing gown.

After getting out, I got a tea and some toast, and then the midwife began the stitching - I had a small second degree tear. Getting stitched was fairly uncomfortable, but didn't take long, and as soon as it was done, had another tea, and popped baby on my chest for some food.

The second midwife turned up just after I had been stitched (at home births, 2 midwives are usually in attendance, one for mother, one for baby, to cover any possible emergencies), I don't think anyone expected it to happen that quickly.

The midwife left at 5pm, we got DS up out of bed (he had just woken up!!) and introduced them to each other before spending the evening sending messages and emails with photos to lots of people.

I could not fault my birth at all. It went exactly as I had imagined, and would recommend a home birth and a water birth (at home or not) to anyone. It was so relaxed, and DH didn't feel like a spare part. DS didn't have much change to his daily routine, which was a huge worry of mine. I am so glad I held out for a few more days, and turned down a hospital based intervention - I knew she would come when she was ready, not when the doctors decided she was ready.

30 minutes old


2 days old

my birth story of Ayla Elizabeth Joy - 21st October 2009 9lbs 1oz

I went to bed feeling restless and irritable and couldnt get comfy at all, after a few toilet stops I tried to sleep on and off and read a bit too..I sort of got an inkling somthing may be happening..

I started to get not so bad pains and lay there for a bit wondering if i should get up and time them on the computer. Hubby was sleeping in the lounge (to give me a better sleep) so I went to wake him and sent him back to our bed, while I fiddled on the computer, chatted on FB and MSN and timed contractions...within about 40 mins they were a consistant 3 mins apart and I felt this may be the real thing.

I rang my midwife at the birth centre and told her what was happening and she said to come in. Rang my mum to come over...hoped she would hurry as the pain was getting stronger and I was having to pause and breath a little.

Woke hubby and told him we were going to hospital, then went out and organised dogs in the runs etc for mum...hubby put in car seat and my bags in the car..meanwhile hoping mum would hurry the heck up. As soon as she arrived we left.

Hubby dropped me off at door where another lady was waiting for her hubby to park his car also in labour..lol funny i made my way up the lift with her and nurse (it was almost 4am) both of us breathing through a contraction in lift, lol

Got to my suite and midwife did all her checks and when i contracted she put her fingertips on my belly feeling the contraction and timing it (no major intervention here)

Hubby came into room with bags. My waters broke with a HUGE SPLASH..oh my i was mortified!! Lucky it didnt happen in a shopping centre!! bath was being run and I got changed into my sports bra and then hopped into the warm water, bliss.

We were joking with the midwiofe that we may have a baby before her shift ended at 7.30 casue I usually had babies fast...

Now you know you are close when you start saying you dont want to do this anymore and you want to go home..lol, midwife said if I needed to puse I could, adn I was thinking, push?? Now, why?? and then INEEDED TO PUSH!!

Got on my hands and knees in the bath and turned to face my baby end to the idwife so she would direct what was happening. We had been at birthcenter for about 1/2 and hour...I felt the sting of the head but felt my utres was contracting nowhere near as hard as the last times...I actually had to push myself when last time I didnt, the utres did all the work! Wierd.

Her head was out in two pushes and body in another one. I remeber pulling her up to my chest and thinking she was so small...we had a nice connected cuddle, but I wanted to get out of the bath.

Hubby and Midwife gelped me and as I stood up a gush of blood, more then usual gushed out and I asked if that was quite normal..her reply made me a bit nervous she said, well no not that much...ummm

I was helped to the bed and lay ther while waited for placenta and she kept an I on the bleeding..turns out a huge clot came out beofre the placenta. Phew.

No stitches. After about 20 mins cord was cut and we just cuddled and fed.

I get so bored in hospital, after a nap and email and texting people, it was still early damn it I got up to go and get some M&Ms, LOL!!

We left the hospital to come home that late afternoon.

Sorry it has taken me so long to post this. Danny got home from Gettysburg at 10. I am glad he was able to come home from work. We went in for my induction on 10/28 at 12am. My MIL met us there. She had asked if she could be there and I said yes. Danny's aunt had our kids so there was no reason to not let MIL be there. Danny was surprised that I told her she could and I think he was a bit annoyed at me at first.
They were going to give me some pill that was supposed to help ripen my cervix but the monitors were showing too many contractions (although I couldn't feel them). So we had to wait until 9am to start the oxytocin. The day time nurse started me on a low dose and was supposed to increase it every 1/2 hour. Well she really didn't want me to have the baby on her shift. From 12am-7pm there was no change. I was still 2cm and not really feeling any contractions. Not even 1/4 of the iv bag of oxytocin was used up from 9am-7pm. She wouldn't check to see if I was progressing any more and wasn't upping the oxytocin like she should have been. MIL went home around 4pm to get some sleep.
Five til seven she came in and told me she was upping the oxytocin to 19. The highest they will go is 20. And to feel free to have the baby at any time. She was leaving for the night. By 10pm I was at 3cm and baby head was way down so they broke my water. We called MIL to let her know and she came back. I was in extreme amount of pain. I was screaming my head off and they wouldn't give me anything. I was not planning on having this baby all natural. I even signed papers stating that I wanted pain meds and epidural. By 12am 10/29 I was at 9cm and was given the okay to push. I was still begging for any type of pain relief but was not given anything. Danny was yelling at the nurse and doctor to give me something. They said there was no time, he said that he and I both have been asking for the last few hours that there was time.
At 12:35am Wilbur Joseph-Tyler came into this world. 8lbs 15oz and 20 inches long. The look on Danny's face was priceless. Even MIL was surprised. She thought for sure I was having a girl. I had some small tears, no stitches needed. Nursing hurt like hell this time. They wouldn't give me anything for the cramping pain because I was going to have my tubes tied later that day. So again I was in loads of pain for another 12 hours. At noon the OR nurses came in to get me. For the first time I was pain free. They knocked me out. I came around about 1:30. Things were well until the pain meds wore off. My stomach is still bruised. I was given 3 tylenol 3s while I was there at the hospital and was sent home with nothing the next day.
We have been home since Friday. Danny was great. He cleaned the entire house for me and did every load of laundry, I was under the impression that he didn't know how to do the wash. lol. He left Sunday night to go back to Gettysburg. We wont see him until Thursday night. Nursing has been a bit rough, Wilbur has a perfect latch but I am not making milk quick enough. I am hoping to get this milk thing going great. I have a pump but am not all that impressed with it. Maybe because I am not making enough milk.
Two nights ago and yesterday was hell. Wilbur wouldn't sleep for more than 15-20 minutes at a time. Then 6:30 came and he was out like a light. I got both Michael and Remedy to sleep at 7 and then I was out. I woke up at 10 with bulging boobs so I woke Wilbur up to feed and pumped the other side. He went back out until I woke up at 1 and had him feed again. He woke me up at 4:30 fed again. Now we are on a good every 3hours.

Pictures not in a good order
Danny with Wilbur

Wilbur with his first toy




Remedy and Michael holding baby brother


After I came to my first request was a iced mocha latte

Remedy

Danny and Wilbur both sleeping

Michael

Me before I felt any pain

Michael Reed's Birth Story

My little guy decided he was tired of kicking my ribs and wanted to come out and visit 5 WEEKS early!


Friday (8/29/2009), as I was peacefully eating my bagel at work, I coughed and just thought I had peed myself. But after I felt a gush, I ran to the bathroom to be suprised by the sight of completely wetting my pants (by the way - wear black if you are afraid of your water breaking at work, not khaki like I did. lol!)

So we called DBF, my parents and the doctor and went to L&D (after I stopped at home to change my pants). I wasn't having any contractions yet. They admitted us and basically said we were having a baby within the next 24 hours. I was dilated to 3 cm, but not technically in labor yet. By 4 pm, they started Pitocin because I hadn't started contracting on my own, just very slight cramping.

The pitocin was increased until about 7 pm when I went to nothing to full speed. There was no break in my contractions and i have to admit I tried everything I had been practicing, but the combination of no build up gradually in labor and the pitocin, I was shaking and had to take the epidural.

After the epidural, I got some rest and the nurses told us to tell them if I felt pressure. I started feeling pressure around 12 am really low in my pelvis about every 2 minutes for 30-40 seconds, told the nurse and she could check me because his head was already there!!

They ran around and got all the stuff ready to deliver. We delivered in 10 minutes if u can belive it with only two contractions/pushes.

He's beautiful and perfect!

Let me introduce Michael Reed (he will go by Reed), 6lbs 8oz, 19 3/4 inches long
born 8/29/2009 at 1:10 am






Side note: I finished my degree in marketing while I was in the hospital too!